Standoffish Girl Schnauzer

I enjoyed reading the thread about Schnauzer girls and until I read that thread I didn't know that girls tended to be more standoffish, moody and unaffectionate.

I thought it was just a trait of my schnauzer.

When I was a child I had a male chihuahua who was the most affectionate and sweet dog there ever could be...I miss him so much. My husband and I decided on getting a schnauzer because it sounded like the perfect breed for us--he likes the way schnauzers look and their intelligence level and the fact that they don't shed.

My dilemma is this...I don't really like my dog--perhaps because I wanted her to be more like my previous dog who was sweet, loving and affectionate. This girl is moody, hates affection and being held--all she likes to do is run away and play tug. She just tolerates being held for only 30 seconds because of the treats and then she'll nudge our hands away...she's not vicious in any way--she's just very independent. On the really good side, she's obedient to commands, she's smart, she's very quiet and she's great on her own...I don't even think she misses us when we leave--she's happy to see us, but she's not enthusiastically affectionate when we come home.

Would it be selfish of me to get another dog in the hope that it is more affectionate--perhaps a rescued lap dog who has the temperament that I'm looking for? Would I end up favouring the new dog? Is it petty of me to think that maybe she'll get jealous of the new dog and become more affectionate?

Thank you for reading this!

I may be wrong, because I haven't researched the breed thoroughly, but I don't think Schnauzers are generally great with other dogs (only you will know if your particular dog reacts well to other dogs in her space). Also, I don't think jealousy would suddenly make your current dog more affectionate towards you. I think it would make her more agressive towards the other dog, and therefore a danger. (Think about if your boyfriend suddenly brought another girl home - would you suddenly start showering him with love & affection?) Why don't you work on your relationship with your current dog instead of bringing another into the equation? Have you attended obedience classes with her? This might help with bonding. It might also help you find some games or activities she's interested in, which would give her something to do and might make her happier, instead of being so "moody" or "standoffish". Good luck!

She's great with other dogs. In fact, she'd rather be with other dogs than us frankly.

I think she would be ecstatic with another dog. She could play with the dog instead of being unsatisfied with playing with us--there's nothing like another dog to play with--it just isn't the same with humans.

I'm absolutely certain she's just not a cuddler. It's just her personality and no amount of "bonding" will do anything because trust me, I've tried. She's just not cuddly.

I miss my other dog so much. When I see this dog, it just makes me miss my other dog even more because she's so different. I know it's wrong but I can't help it...I guess I got a dog for the wrong reasons.

Thank you for your suggestions. I will try more obedience classes although they tend to make her even more "standoffish" since she doesn't like being touched or patted for praise, she just nudges me away--she only likes the treats and will tolerate being touched for treats.