My new dog won't bond with my husband. How can we build their connection?

Question

My husband and I got Zeus almost 3 weeks ago. I got him for my husband because his dog passed away. Well for some reason Zeus doesn't want to listen to him even tho he is the one who feeds and and does mostly everything for him but he will listen to me. When my husband calls him to try to play with him or to love on him he won't go to him and if my husband try to to pick him up the he will walk away. How can we get him to listen to and love my husband it is breaking my his heart. Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 27 days old | 73 lbs

Lauren Barry, BVSc, MRCVS, DVM · Accepted Answer

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.

My new dog won't bond with my husband. How can we build their connection?

Most Helpful Answer

Related Questions

What fish dog food helps dry skin if my dog eats Science Diet?

Is my pet's occasional sneezing and eye crust a URI symptom?

My ferret has bloody urine and bladder stones. Is it an emergency?

Dog licking paws, fur loss, and jaw wound: Could it be allergies?

Is there a chart for dog food protein biological value and digestibility?

Why does my puppy have bloody, mucousy stools despite diet changes?

Share