how comes my puppy listens to one member of my family more than the others ?

Question

my german shepherd puppy (15 weeks) listens to my father every time he calls her and he hardly spends any time with her as he is at work the majority of the time and i spend the most time with her 10+hours aday and she doesnt listen to me no where near as much, please tell me why this is and how i can make her listen to me more

and my puppy also listens to him without treats ???

no but i feed her and take her for walks and everything, i am quite strict with her, ill pull her and tap her on the nose if she bites

Answer 1

Dad is the alpha. Even if he doesn't interact with her much, she watches the rest of the family respond to him as a figure of authority. You are her equal.

Answer 2

Your puppy has excepted your father as the "Alpha-Male" of the group. I am guessing that your dad is probably the one that scolds and corrects the dog on a regular basis. The reasont that the dog doesn't listen to you or anyone else, is because he believes that in his "pack" (your family) he is above you and everyone else he will not listen to. You can try and correct this by using a deeper voice when correcting the puppy for negative actions, and you can also try wrestling the puppy down to its side and holding it there until you decide to let him/her up. Another way to establish dominance, is by using the same action I just talked about, but holding the puppy on its back. But that may be hard to acomplish being the size I am guessing the puppy is... One other thing to keep in mind to establish dominance, don't let your puppy walk into a doorway, hallway, or anything else in front of you, and feed the puppy only AFTER your family has eaten your meal. Try these things out and see if they help. Keep in mind though that he/she is still a puppy, so you will need a lot of patients!

Answer 3

First of all, don't tap her on the nose when she bites, this never works. The main reason your puppy pays more attention to you father then to you is because you father ignores her. You see, in wolf pack, and remember that dogs are just like wolves except that they have been domesticated, in the wolf pack, the alpha rarely pays any attention to any other members of the pack except the alpha female. All the other members of the pack will constantly try to get the attention of the alpha by jumping on him, licking his face, rolling over on his back, trying anything to get him to pay attention to him. The alpha only gives the pack members attention when he chooses too. That is what is happeneing here with you and your family. You have to think of your family as a pack. It maybe hard, but try not spending as much time with your puppy. Don';t make a fuss over her. If she comes running up to you, ignore it, and make her wait 5-10 minutes. Do not give her attention unless you call her to you, and then if she doesn't come to you when called, go over and get her. Pick up a couple of books, "The Dog Listener" by Jan Fennell is a great one for siturations like this.

Answer 4

Your dad probably gives off body signals that say he's the alpha male (or top dog). You are most likely more gentle with her and she sees you as a playmate. You need to show her that you are also an "alpha" or above her and that she needs to listen to you. One way is when you feed her, fill her bowl then set it up on the counter. Then you need to eat something first...even a sandwich will do. Have her sit in front of you and watch as you get to eat before her. After you are done, give her food to her. In wolf packs, you eat depending on your rank. Those higher up in ranks eat first. This is just one simple way of showing who's boss. Also remember to be strict with her when she misbehaves. Don't beat her to death, but don't let her get away with anything.
My new puppy Bella listens to me a whole lot more than my boyfriend, and she lives with him. She knows that I won't hesitate to punish her if she bites or does anything wrong. I don't beat her, don't worry. But I've never let anything slide, because as a puppy she needs guidance. You can't say "no" one minute and "it's ok" the next...she'll get confused and won't know that what she's doing is wrong.

Answer 5

He's only 7 months old. He's going to be a little spastic untill he's 4 years old or so. But then, ... ahhhhh. All your hard work will pay off. In the meantime, here's some tips that made life easier when my dog was young. It takes a village to raise a child, and likewise, all of your guests, family, and friends need to help you raise your dog. Tell them you have a sweet but excitable young dog. Before they come in your place, instruct them to completely ignore your dog untill he calms down. Then, and only then, can he get a little attention. As for the pulling, you can get special leashes for that. Try a "gentle leader." It has a little noose that fits over your dog's snout. His snout is very sensitive, so he won't like how it feels to pull hard on his leash. He should eventually learn to walk at your pace. Expose him to lots of other dogs in a controlled setting like a dog park or an arranged play date. I know, this sounds over the top, but it will really help him get along with other dogs, and the playtime will burn lots of his abundant energy. It sounds like you have a great dog. He's smart and responsive to edible encouragement, which is a good start. Continue to reward his good behavior with small treats. As for the bad behavior, just try ignoring him. Your vet's advice would not have worked with my dog. She thrives on all attention--negative or positive. Ignoring her antics are the only way I can stay in control. Good luck, and have patience!

Answer 6

She probably see your father as a the alpha dog in the house. He probably comes across to her as calm and assertive. When you want her to do something, you may come off to her as someone that is on her level. Do you let her lead you when you walk her? When tking her for a walk make sure that you lead her out the door. Make her wait for you instead of her pulling and tugging. Make sure that you are calm around her and put out that calm energy. Check out the link below for some great advise!

Answer 7

The puppy listens to the alpha male of the pack

Answer 8

Because he has a more dominate personality, & the dog respects him more. If he is also feeding him in the morning before he goes to work that could be why. They go to the person they feel is the leader of the family.

Answer 9

My dogs do this with my husband, they don't listen to me even though I an here all the time. When my husband is around they do whatever he says. It is because they are pack animals, they think my husband is the head honcho, they consider me one of them. You have to be very firm, not mean, to make her listen to you. When she does something you want her to give her a treat, only give her a treat when she earns it.

Answer 10

My puppy does the same. She listens to my husband and like to play with my husband the most, even he is at work most of the time. But when she sleep, she stay next to me. So, I guess I am like mother and playmate to her, but my husband is the authority to her.