Getting two dogs: Will they bond with each other more than me?

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.

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.

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!

That is a good question, and my answer is - that depends on the dog, and also the farm workers. There are some dogs that are very independent and dogs that are very needy. What matters most is the level of bonding you have while you are home and the attention the pup will get from the farm workers. If the dog gets significant time and attention while you are home, but not while you are away, that might be hard and lead to behavior problems and acting out.. If plenty of affection and attention is given by the farm hands, then my guess is your pup will be happy and loyal when you come home, and the farm hands will become part of the family.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Great question. I think this depends on how well they all get along. If you screen the new dog properly and do a meet and greet, and they all end up being great companions, I think it's a great idea and shows you are thinking ahead. A death of a companion can be very devastating not only for humans but for the other pets in the house. Having another pet around would hopefully distract from and provide some relief when one of your other dogs passes. I think if you are ready for another dog and are willing to take on the financial aspect of it, it's a great idea. Best of luck with you and I hope you have many good years left with all of them.

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.

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!