1 year old acts great for me, not for wife...

[ttoner]

Hello!

I have a one year old female boxer, Layla, that we have had since she was about 8 weeks old. Layla always acts good for me, but when my wife gets home, any rules are out the door. For example, Layla doesn't jump on me when I get home but jumps all over my wife. When I take a shower, Layla lays on the bed and naps, when my wife takes a shower Layla chews everything in sight. This list goes on, but basically any commands that Layla listens to when I say them (sit, off, lay down, etc), she doesn't listen to them when my wife says them.

My wife goes to school and works a lot and isn't really home a lot. Does it have something to do with that?

 

[TwoDogs]

My wife goes to school and works a lot and isn't really home a lot. Does it have something to do with that?

Absolutely. You around alot and probably are the provider for all sorts of resources--food, access to outside, play, etc. In your dogs' eyes the relationship with you is the one worth paying attention to and preserving and your wife probably isn't as important.

Also, dogs don't really generalize well. They don't take what they learn in one situation and apply it to other situations. What she has learned to do with you might not transfer to your wife. Have your wife do more with her, provide more for her, and work on training and practicing those basic obedience behaviors with her more. I guarantee you will see things improve.

 

[CoraBoxer]

If she listens to you, can you help your wife? Ask the same thing from Layla that your wife is asking. Reinforce. I'm assuming that your wife doesn't spoil her just hasn't had the same success with Layla that you have.

 

[ELubas]

We had the reverse problem where my boy listened to me but not my husband. Definetly made the difference when my husband took over some of the feeding, walks, etc. So if your wife becomes more of a resource I think that will help. Good luck

 

[RebeccaK]

Absolutely. You around alot and probably are the provider for all sorts of resources--food, access to outside, play, etc. In your dogs' eyes the relationship with you is the one worth paying attention to and preserving and your wife probably isn't as important.

Not Necessarily -

My husband is gone for about 11-12/hrs a day. I stay at home and am with the dog all day -- I pretty much do all the walking, training, feeding (I feed him raw, by hand). But he listens to my husband just as good as me. The only time he doesn't is if my husband trys to get him to do a trick that he barely knows and is still very much needing the clicker and reward to 'get it', but that being said - if my husband uses the clicker, Soldier will do any trick i am teaching him for my husband.

He gets very excited when my husband comes home - and about an hour before he is home Soldier goes and sits near the door waiting. At night my husband is the one to give him his night time bone. On Sundays (my husbands only day off) when we go for a walk together, my husband and I both walk him (I'll hold leash for half the walk and then he will).

So overall - i don't know if my dog is just "different" or something - but he listens to both of us just fine even though my husband is gone and i am home...

Maybe try having certain things that your wife does nightly for the dog (like nightly treats, quick game etc..)