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What is your role and relationship with your dog?

2K views 16 replies 13 participants last post by  whiskey_pup 
#1 ·
I'm Oaks primary handler, I do all his feeding, walking, training, etc. I also live with my BF and my son (from previous marriage). At first Oaks only listened to me when I gave a command, now he will intermittently respond to my BF and son. He definitely looks to my BF as his release person, he goes nuts when he comes home running circles, licking him all over, bowing and looking for play. With my son he isn't as hyper but definitely knows he's someone he can be silly with. He does have a tendency to be mouthy with my son so I think he senses I'm protective of him and will leave him alone if I'm sitting next to him.

When I come home and BF has been home with him he doesn't greet me as excitably as he does when BF comes home, he wags and licks but he is calm and offers me his paw. I was just curious if anyone else gets similar reactions? At first I was a little jealous that my BF got such a greeting, but now I realize I rather be met with the calm and respectful manor than the ambush he gets lol. I also realize that he probably wears him out a bit before I get home too.
 
#2 · (Edited)
A former gf and her beagle/terrier mix lived with me for over a year. She had rescued that sweet, untrainable dog who didn't listen to her and had the pup for over a year before we started dating. She had no recall and pottied in the house. In a short time I had that dog potty in the same area of the back yard then walk with me off leash in the city and have great trail manners outdoors. My gf was jealous but also grateful her dog would listen to me, stay safe and learned manners.

I'm probably going to get flamed for this but the point is your bf is a man and probably the alpha dog in the house. It's just nature. I've never seen it any other way but I only know men with strong personalities. And yes I know there are exceptions.

As for my pup, she loves women especially her breeder and trainer but knows I'm her papa.
 
#3 ·
My puppy falls all over himself for my husband. I feed, walk, train, play with him. But when my husband much less frequently plays with him, he breaks all of my rules (I rarely just throw a toy and let him run it down, which he LOVES but I feel it is too high impact to do a lot of, plus sometimes he crashes and it just isnt good for him). What else. Daddy takes him down to the general store on trash day and buys him a hot dog. Truthfully I dont know the half of what my husband feeds him when I am not lookingl Daddy roughs him up the way men do and he LOVES that ( I dont knos how to do it right, the pup says).

I am the one who has to enforce boring old rules and do unpleasant chores like cleaning ears ect., daddy never does that stuff. I am the one who has to lay down the law about when and how he will play with the senior female. So no big shock really that daddy is santa claus.

Whatever. They love each other. There are way worse things going on in the world. There is definitely no lack of love and relationship between me and the boy. And when occasionally I can't wrangle him alone for some procedure he does seem to have pretty good respect for daddy and if daddy says man up and hold still he usually will. He is weird about his ears and I am proud that we are finally to the point that I can clean his ears without my husband holding him for me. But lets face it, he weighs almost 90 lb and if he decides he isn't going to cooperate it is hard for one woman to force him otherwise. I think it helps that he knows I have backup if I need it so he's like, oh alright just do it.
 
#10 ·
Yeah, I bought my husband a very expensive puppy.

She was supposed to be my dog, but it hasn't happened that way. But I do all the training and any dog sports or trials. I make decisions for her (vet care, diet, etc.). She loves both of us, and she's a good girl, but I think if you asked her, she'd say my husband was her person.
 
#4 ·
I feed, train, walk, and play most often with Rogue and I've commented that I think she prefers my boyfriend to me because she just falls all over herself when he is around. He however has a different story, when anyone comes over she checks the situation out and then comes back to lay down on the floor as close to me as she can get. She will play with him but when she is done she apparently looks for me and either finds me or waits by the door and awaits my return. I think she likes that he lets her break the rules or he forgets some of them in his "let's be crazy" play sessions with her.
 
#5 ·
My pup goes crazy over husband too but I feel like she switches off. He is a little less conservative with her. I don't like to wrestle around with her or let her play bite me at all. I don't like strangers petting her. He is definitely more relax with her as far as what he think is ok and what is not. That could be why but Im just guessing. She tends to be more gentle with me in general. She doesn't try to climb on me when I get on the ground with her. She will try to sit on my lap if Im sitting criss cross but when my husband gets on the ground she just wants to play, walk on him, and gets a little more hyper. She's a tad more respectful with me. He is the fun parent though lol
 
#9 ·
Team mate--unfortunately for him, he inhabits my human and artificial world, so he needs to look to me for most instruction, food, shelter and safety, but he really knows the dog stuff so I'm willing to observe and learn from him too.

If the zombie apocalypse comes along, I might let him take the leadership role on. I'll bet he's better at sniffing out food and taking care of danger than I am... ;-)
 
#11 ·
Ausdland... wait until you meet more SAR women. hahahaha

I'm definitely the leader/teammate of my SAR partner pup. He loves my husband but treats him like a sibling. Will attack him and initiate rough play and try to mess with my husbands head... but will not let me out of his sight if he has a choice and will always willing go with me over my husband when I leave or move. In the woods he only plays with me. He listens to both of us but defers to me if there are two different commands.

My husband's rescue only has eyes for him. He is her savior.
 
#13 ·
Russell is supposed to be my boyfriend's dog. They play and he gives him treats, taught him to shake hands, lol, all that fun stuff. All I have to do is say "Russ", even if it's a whisper, and Russell just about breaks his neck getting to me. What can I say!? He LOVES me.
 
#14 ·
I have two SAR dogs and there is no shadow of a doubt who owns who - they own me :p.. Seriously though, they love the family, but it is always with an eye and ear in my direction... My girl loves my dad, but she alerted to his heart condition at 3mos old (he had a pacemaker put in 6wks later after she kept jumping on him at weird times, usually when he slept.. Found out his heart would drop to 12bpm.. Good girl!), so I think it is a protective checking up as well, but still with an eye and ear for me...

They obey enough other members of the family, but absolutely with me (although the malamute part of my boy makes recall a little less than 100%)... We have a strong strong bond... Even in summer they have to be close to me, ugh! Nice in winter, but summer, sweat and fur, not fun, lol!
 
#17 ·
So, would you say that the dog's human is the one that plays the alpha role in the house?

While I spend the most time with the dog, training, feeding, etc. I am the one she's pines for and who she will pay attention to the most. I think it drives my husband a little nuts, but when I take a broad look at the household, I am alpha dog, not the husband -- but of course I let him think he's the alpha ;)
 
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