My dog prefers others. How do I strengthen our bond and relationship?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would ask the family of the child to not allow her to come play with Dane any more if you want to break that bond. You must do your part as well and keep Dane with you and not hurt the child's feelings by leaving Dane outdoors where she can see him without one of your family members present. Then you will have to make the time to play with Dane and build a relationship. Over time he will start to bond to your family. I hope this helps and I wish you all the best!

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.

Reward-based training is a great way to build the bond between you and your dog - it's something fun that you can do together, and helps your dog understand how to "read" you better, which in turn fosters trust :) If you have any training classes like this in your area, I would suggest signing up for one to see if both of you like it. If not, I would highly recommend the book "How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves" by Dr. Sophia Yin. It does a great job of explaining how dogs learn and how our behavior influences them, and has lots of specific training suggestions that you can try.

While some breeds are more aloof than others, and some are more gregarious, it seems as if Reks is outgoing with other family members so I doubt it's a breed issue. There may be an imbalance in the relationship between you and him. Try assuming all of the dog-related chores at home: you be the one to feed him, walk him, give him treats (not too many!) etc. for a week and see if that helps. Ask the rest of the family to be cooperative in this. I would also suggest that you enroll with him in a basic dog obedience class, where you and he will learn to work together as a team. Any training you do with a dog strengthens your bond with him, assumng your methods are gentle, consistent and kind.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is obvious how much you love Gabby and I suspect she loves you very much too! Most dogs are very bonded to their owners-especially dogs who have been cared for by the same person for years. There may be a reason that she does not want to stay with you in bed. Where does she go? Does she go straight to tile or wood because the bed is just too warm (my own dog started doing this recently). Do you toss and turn and it bothers Gabby? Does a fan blow on her? Is there a new candle or scent in your room? All these things may be reasons Gabby decides to lay down elsewhere. As with most dogs, you can strengthen your bond by petting and sitting together (try laying with her wherever she likes to lay for a few minutes). Playing with toys and working on training is also excellent for showing her you love her. You are doing a great job! Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Gabby!

The best way to ensure your puppy is bonded to you is to be the one who is the primary trainer/caregiver for her. If she isn't already signed up for a puppy class I would consider doing this with her. You can also start training at home. I highly recommend the books Perfect Puppy in 7 Days by Dr. Sophia Yin and The Puppy Primer by Patricia McConnell. If you are working with her every day training her and playing with her she should maintain a good bond with you.

Great question. Most dogs respond best to the family member who spends the most time doing things such as feeding, walking, bathing. It sounds like you are that person. I'm sure she loves you but your Mom may have a special bond of some kind that seems to attract you dog's attention. Continue to work on it and over time find the special things such as rubbing her ears, or massaging her back, that makes you the person she wants to be around most. Small treats can be a great motivator. She is still a young dog so plenty of time to develop that special bond between you and your dog. Best of luck. Thanks, Dr Steve Popish.