My dog doesn't fully trust me. How can I build a stronger bond?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and for being brave enough to ask this question. The great news is that Callie is young! The best things I can recommend for bonding are training and play. Training doesn’t have to be rigid or be done for hours a day. Work on fun tricks together and if you feel that you (or Callie) is getting frustrated, stop for a break or try the next day. Training is so positive because it gives Callie clear expectations with predictable consequences and increases her trust in you as she learns to understand that you will react the same each time. Play is also important but obvious avoid any actions that she might be wary of. Eg, be sure to throw things away from her to fetch rather than toward her as she might confuse this with you throwing something AT her. In general, sqautting down to be at her level and keeping your hands mostly palm-up are helpful in avoiding scenarios that might make her anxious. Exercise in any form is good for her mental health and will decrease anxiety in general. I hope this helps and I wish you and Callie all the best in a brand new, wonderful relationship.

That has to be frustrating for you! Dogs have different personalities, and although most dogs are very bonded to their primary caretaker, some dogs seem to take that person for granted. Your dog might just assume that you will always be around. and these other people are more exciting. To increase the bond with Maximus, I recommend you spend quality time together alone. This may be walking, cuddling. or playing with toys. I also recommend working on training sessions. This will help teach him to pay attention to you. Here is a link that discusses teaching 5 basic commands. If Maximus is already great with these commands, look into adding more. Make sure there is positive reinforcement with the training in the form of affection and treats! http://www.akc.org/content/dog-training/articles/teach-your-puppy-these-5-basic-commands/ Training is a constant project, and can be a fun game for you and Maximus. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Patience and time and lots of loving and treats will help him grow to trust you. Since he's worried on walks, I would keep them short for now, carry treats or a favorite toy with you and when he follows you or comes when you call, even just one step, reward him and give him lots of praise. Find out what he likes to play with, teach him tricks or little tasks, take him for rides with you, whatever he seems to like, do that. As an adult dog in a new situation, it can be overwhelming. Make sure he gets plenty of exercise, play fetch or get him involved in dog agility of some other social activity to help boost his confidence when he's ready.

I would recommend using treats to show Blessy what you want, and to reward her when she does what you ask. If there are specific behaviors that you aren't sure how to teach, feel free to post another question and ask - we would be happy to try and help :) For more general training information, I highly recommend the book "How To Behave So Your Dog Behaves" by Dr. Sophia Yin. It has lots of details on training dogs in general, as well as instructions for training specific commands like sit, down, come, etc.

Dogs are "disobedient" when we have not done a good job of teaching them what we want them to do - so it's really never a problem with the dog, but rather with our training :) I would suggest the book "How To Behave So Your Dog Behaves" by Dr. Sophia Yin - it goes into a lot of detail about how training works, with lots of specific suggestions for dealing with common problem behaviors and teaching specific skills. You could also get in touch with a different trainer to work with you one-on-one to help you understand why your dog is struggling, and how you can make things more clear for him. You can search for a qualified trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org

Hi there, I understand why it's important for Zeus to bond with your husband. German shepherds are very intelligent and tend to bond with one "master" above other family members. The best thing to do is encourage your husband to spend as much time one on one with Zeus, teaching him commands like Sit, stay, lay down, roll over, high five etc. And enforcing his potty training as well. It's good to pet him and scratch him and give positive verbal praise, but some dogs dislike big hugs as its not a natural dog behavior. A great book which will help you is called "Decoding your dog " it's sold on Amazon.

Sorry . . . there's more to my answer! It printede too soon. Anyway, you do the feeding, walking, bathroom runs, etc. instead of her. The more you do, the more the dog will come to accept you. Good luck with this! If you need additional help, you can click on the prompt to initiate a consult.