Why do my girlfriend's dogs prefer me? How can she build their bond?

What a cute puppy! Don't worry too much, dogs show affection in different ways. It could simply be a case that the pup sees you all the time but gets really excited because she doesn't see your girlfriend as often. Also dogs are very hierarchical so the pup may see you as the alpha, more of a boss figure. Whereas your girlfriend could be viewed more as a friend.

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.

Congratulations on your new puppy Callie! Things that can make Callie bond with you more are things like feeding her. Dogs bond well with the person who gives them their meals. Also playing with her, taking her for walks, training sessions with her...all the one on one attention will help. Your gender does not make an impact on your new baby! You may also see her preference switches periodically! Please reach out again if you have any further questions!

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.

He will likely develop a relationship with you both but it's impossible to say who he will bond with most closely. In general though, dogs bond the most with the person who feeds them and plays with them the most. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Dogs are thankfully all about treats and affection. I would recommend that you consider having your mom give him treats and as much affection as possible. Usually with treats he will most likely get to like her company more and more. This will likely help. Good luck!

In my opinion this is a reflection of Danny's personality - some dogs are 'one person' dogs who are very attached to one family member. If you adopted another dog it might prefer your wife, or might seem to like everyone equally. You might develop a stronger bond with a new dog if you spend more time training it, but i don't think there is any guarantee that your relationship with a new dog would be the same as it is with Danny.