If you thought every single dog living in the world comes with a heart of gold that is overflowing with sensitive emotions for humans, you are wrong! There are certain dog breeds that are not considered to have high emotional sensitivity to humans. Rather, they are aloof and nonchalant, showcasing a firm control over their emotions.
These emotionally independent dogs still make excellent pets as they are super loyal to their human families. Though they won’t showcase excessive excitement and run to jump on you as you come back from work after a long day, they will still be there to watch over your home.
In this article, we shall talk about dogs that come with a mind of their own and are not excessively bothered by human emotions.
Low Emotional Sensitivity Dog Breeds
1. Basenji
Basenji is one of the most loved dogs in the world. However, in terms of emotional sensitivity, you can’t really rank it high.
Rather than being dependent on humans emotionally, they are aloof. They have a certain aura surrounding them that keeps them detached from the humans around them.
Yes, they are loyal and love you to the core, but they won’t go crazy hugging or snuggling you.
Basenjis are known to be super-alert. Hence, they make excellent watchdogs. They appear unapproachable to strangers, which keeps intruders away from their homes.
They are not expressive. You would never know whether your dog gets happy to see you after a long day of work or doesn’t really care!
If you are thinking of getting an emotional support dog, this is not the right one to have for sure!
Basenjis, with their independence and self-sufficiency, are generally not considered highly emotionally sensitive dogs. They are perpetually alert and mostly aloof, especially around strangers.
You can call them reserved dogs who don’t mingle with others easily!
Also, they don’t get distraught easily. If they lose a game of fetch, they will not showcase any sad emotions.
2. Chow Chow
Now this is one massive dog, and you wouldn’t expect it to be emotionally sensitive, just by the looks of it.
Quora says they are some of the most loyal dogs out there, but they are not over-huggers or cuddlers.
Not an emotional support dog breed, Chow Chows have the ability to form a firm bond with their pet owners. They protect their family members fiercely and guard their home passionately.
But, they are not amongst the highly sensitive dogs that will snuggle in your warm bed.
Also, these dogs are super quiet. They will stay silent most of the day, so much so that you would worry whether they are in the house or not!
While they are loyal to their families and can form strong bonds, they are not known for being cuddly or expressive. Their temperament can be reserved around strangers, and they may exhibit a strong guarding instinct.
These dogs, originally bred in China, can get aggressive with strangers. Hence, you need to give them proper socialisation opportunities when they are young!
3. Greyhound
Greyhounds have a dominating personality. They don’t make it to the list of emotional support animals; rather, they showcase exceptional performance when it comes to guarding their families.
These gentle giants are some of the best hunters out there. Originally bred to go after small animals, this dog has a sturdy body and a strong personality.
Also, they are big introverts. Neither do they bark out of excitement, nor do they showcase excessive emotions out of love and affection.
Greyhounds avoid interaction. They wouldn’t want to spend time with the family members being engaged in some family activities; rather, they would prefer going off to sleep.
Some owners believe that with the right training and early socialisation, you can expect them to showcase better behaviour. You can turn a shy and emotionally distant dog into an affectionate one. Socialisation is necessary to ensure this transformation, especially at a young age.
4. Bulldog
Bulldogs are considered to be really stubborn dogs.
PetPlan says, despite the fact that they are small and adorable, they are super headstrong. A lot of pet owners call them thick-skinned, and rightfully so!
These are courageous dogs. Nothing can stop them when it comes to showcasing their displeasure over something. As these dogs are sensitive to changes, they may exhibit different behaviour than usual when they are taken from one place to another.
As per some pet owners, these dogs showcase temperament variability. This means they are gentle and friendly with their favourite family members. However, for others, they have a cold shoulder to serve!
This behaviour of the bulldog may be a leftover trait from their history of being a fighting dog.
However, despite this, these dogs love kids in the house and showcase a gentle and affectionate nature towards them.
5. Boerboel
These dogs are known for their dignified personality. They are wise and know who their friends are and who is not! Possessing a calm disposition, they politely say ‘no’ to a stranger trying to bond with them. As a matter of fact, you can say they are not overly concerned with human emotions. Hence, if you are cheering up your child in a game, this dog won’t really bother to even react!
However, with kids, they are loving and compassionate. These dogs form strong bonds with all the children in the house. They love playing with them, and even being a bit cuddly when they feel like it!
This breed is a confident one! They have their own independent thinking and a mind of their own, which sets them apart from other dogs. They may even be difficult to train, owing to the inflexibility they showcase.
6. Basset Hound
Looking for someone’s shoulders to cry your heart out after a breakup?
Well, the Bassett Hound might not be the best emotional support dog for this!
Yes, they are affectionate and calm. But they don’t have the stamina to sit and listen to your venting. They have an independent nature, and they would rather go out looking for a squirrel in the garden rather than sit and sob with you over a heartbreak.
With a life expectancy of 10 – 12 years, these dogs from France ( as PetMD claims them to be) don’t really have an empathetic nature.
However, in low-demand tasks, they can be used as service dogs owing to their alert nature.
These dogs are grumpy. At times, they are stubborn as well and may not listen to your command. However, when they are in a good mood, they may act all naughty and funny. But that’s not very usual!
Bassets are also extremely intelligent. This intelligence gives them independent thinking, making them feel above others. Hence, when you train them, keep up your patience level.
7. Clumber Spaniel
Clumber Spaniels are not aggressive, but at the same time, they are affectionate dogs with their favourite people.
They tend to choose their favourites in the family and stick to them. For others, they have a classic cold attitude that comes with a hint of stubbornness.
While training them, you need to make sure to use positive methods. Harshness can annoy them, bringing out their stubbornness. Even a little amount of punishment can end up being counter-productive for all the efforts you put into the process.
These dogs are also low-energy pals. Despite understanding their owners’ feelings, they may be too lazy to soothe them. They would rather curl up on the rug and go to sleep.
However, you still need to take them out for some exercise on a regular basis to ensure proper mental stimulation.
Conclusion
Some dogs are more suitable to be rescue dogs rather than being therapy dogs. They are low in emotional intelligence, and despite having a comforting presence in the owner’s life, they may not really have the patience to hear his sobbing.
While some small dogs, such as Cavalier King Charles spaniels, may be particularly good emotional support for humans, certain breeds of larger dogs, like Labrador retrievers, Australian cattle dogs, and Golden retrievers, exhibit better emotional awareness.
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