I think this has come up before in other conversations.
Maddie loves being petted. She likes nothing better than to cuddle up next to me or my husband on the couch. If I stop petting her, she'll nudge me with her muzzle or paw (I usually ignore her til she's quiet when she does this, but it is cute). She flips over for belly rubs. She'll crawl on top of me if I'm home sick from work and lying on the couch.
But Jack, oh Jack! He's like a six-year-old boy who has decided hugs mortify him. He'll be laying there, looking soooo cute, and if I go up to give him a fussing, he'll frequently run backwards and look at me like "What the heck?!" and grab a toy to play. If I get down on the floor to pet him, he runs for a tennis ball. Once a week or so he'll come and lie on my lap for a nice long neck-rub. He dislikes (but tolerates) being groomed. Yet if we're out for a walk and someone stops to say hi, he's all over them giving kisses and trying to reach their face. He's a therapy dog and loves his nursing home visits.
I have never met a dog so indifferent to physical affection! If you do pet him, he prefers a good hard scratch on the backside or the top of the head to being stroked or fussed over. He's such a boy!
I've gotten used to it, but when he gives me the eyes.....
...it's so hard to resist!
Who else lives with a dog who would rather play then get petted? Silly dogs.