Daddy's shadow--ignores Mommy!
 

I am a first-time GSD owner. We did our homework before deciding on a breed and love everything about the GSD. I work full-time and my husband is between jobs now...so we thought perfect time to get a puppy for housebreaking. His name is Jett--a full blooded black GSD. He is a great puppy--everything we had hoped for and more! The issue is MINE and I'm hoping for help from other GSD owners. Because my husband is home with him (logically I know this), he is my husband's shadow. When I am home, I feed him, put him out, and playtime with me is long and hard every night. I never miss because I enjoy time with him and I'm trying to bond with him too. But if my husband leaves the room, doesn't matter that I am there, he whines and goes too:(! Do I just have to get over this? Is there anything else I can do other than what I am currently doing? Or will this become better as he gets older maybe?

Thanks, Polly

Exercise with him and you take him to obedience classes, it might help. I'm on the end your husband is on with my dog. No matter what my son does, she favors me and nothing else matters when I'm there. He always tells me that all day when he's home she cuddles with him, plays with him, etc, but it all changes when I come home.

You basically have to live with. I go to school all day and my mom stays home so all of her dogs bonded to her (except with my GSD- different situation). It's really annoying but it's something you should know getting a dog.

How old is your puppy? Sometimes their allegiances change or expand as they get older. My husband's puppy was fully devoted to him when we first got married, but since he's gotten older and since I've had a chance to play with him and train him some, I've definitively become a part of his family. Now he whines whenever we're not all together lol. Some people say the dog will bond most to whoever feeds him, but I think training is the most bonding activity with playing coming in a close second. Also, it might be good to play/train as a family in addition to having so individual time.

I couldn't tell you. I stay home with my dogs all day long. My husband works very long hours. But when he's here, I don't exist to my dogs, unless of course they have to go out to potty. :confused: Honestly I think they just gravitate to his calm leader like personality. They listen fine to me and follow commands properly when I'm with them, but when he's here, they listen to him. It's like I'm the substitute pack leader for when he's not here. :(

Does Jett do the same whine when you leave the room and your husband stays behind? My dogs prefers everyone in the same room.

Today...`
 

...and very regrettably I asked our trainer if it was OK to do all the rest of the training for our 5 mo. old GSD.

We've been trying to let the lady of the house, who ostensibly owns the dog, do it. But she's just not getting it and the dog seems to disregard her.

I'm not claiming that he obeys my word like the speech of God. Far from it. But he is almost instantly attentive when I come upon the two of them fussing with each other over training issues. He literally locks eyes with me when he seems to care less about my wife's efforts to train him.

We'll see what the trainer says. I think he's frustrated too.

No matter what feelings might be hurt, we need a protection dog that is push-button by no matter which of us pushes the button. My wife works in Medicare fraud investigations and has busted some major Israeli and Russian gang activities. She's been duly threatened for it too.

Her safety is gonna take precedence over any hurt feelings.

Sometimes, I think we should have just paid $5,000 for a fully trained dog. It's that she wanted a puppy too.

LF

train him, feed him, spend alone time with him, walk him,
play with him, treat him, etc. as long as he listens to you don't worry
about him following your husband besides that could change.

Your wife should go to some courses, apply for a concealed carry permit, and be her own best defense....my dogs are there to alert me...then I take care of the rest...lol

this morning he actually came in and laid on the rug beside me when I was getting ready for work in the bathroom. He does love it when I come home and hates to go outside, like I'm going to be gone when he comes back inside. He is so sensitive! I hear my husband telling him "don't worry, she's still here" and Jett runs upstairs to make sure. The more I pay attention and watch him I do agree that he wants us BOTH with him all the time....we knew this about the breed when we got him though.