# Can GSD's Bond with Two People in the Home?



## Linda1270 (Sep 7, 2012)

The reason I ask this question is my 6 month old girl Tess seems to be bonded to my husband a lot more than she is with me, which causes me to wonder why, as I'm the one who's with her the most, I'm the one who trains her, I'm with her all day, I picked her out, etc. etc.

I know that she loves me, she always comes in to greet me in the morning, even if my husband lets her out of her crate and vice versa if I let her out, she goes in to greet him. When I had her in day care and would pick her up at the end of the day, she would be all over me, even peeing due to her excitement to see me most of the time. When my husband goes out, she will sit by the door waiting for him to return and last night he spent the night in Boston at his daughters house and it seemed as if Tess couldn't settle very well due to him not being there. Maybe she'd do that if I had to spend the night away from home, I don't know. I'm just curious and yes, maybe a little bit jealous about how much affection she shows my husband.

I've read that GSD usually will bond with one person but I've also heard that they will bond with all that are in the household, as that's her pack.

Anyone else feel that their dog is showing more devotion to their significant other?


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

our dog seems well bonded with both of us. both of us equally
take of our dog in all aspects starting when we brought him
home at 9 weeks old. 

are you sure your dog is giving your husband more attention
than you or is your "little bit jealous" blurring you're vision?
your dog being uneasy and your husband being away
could be coincidental. maybe she was uneasy about something,
maybe she didn't feel good. test her. have your husband spend
a night out and then you spend a night out and see what happens?


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## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

My dog has bonded with both my daughter and me. She has special things she does that is unique for each of us. My husband does not spend as much time with her, but now that she is mature, almost 3yrs old, she is creating special rituals with my husband.


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## Linda1270 (Sep 7, 2012)

doggiedad said:


> our dog seems well bonded with both of us. both of us equally
> take of our dog in all aspects starting when we brought him
> home at 9 weeks old.
> 
> ...


Maybe it was coincidental with her not seeming to settle last night, it could have been something else bothering her. 

I'm really just curious after reading that Shepherds usually bond with one person, which I really don't believe but wanted to test the waters and see how others feel about that statement. Like I said, I know she loves me too, it just seems at times that she favors him a little more. Then again, I don't leave and return as much as my husband does either and maybe if I did, she would act the same way. 

When DH comes home from work at night and Tess hears his truck door shut, she goes crazy with excitement and she's all over him when he comes in the house.


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## Shaolin (Jun 16, 2012)

I'm sure this is an old wives' tale, but, IMHO...it's the male/female thing.

There are four adults that live in my home (1 male, 3 females) and I'll just drop back to the time when we had our two dogs, Finn and Cheyenne. Finn is bonded with myself, my MIL, and my girl-friend. He loves my Hubby, but Finn won't seek him out for love or affection unless Hubby calls him over. Hubby tells me all the time about how restless and 'off' Finn is when I'm not around.

Cheyenne, our Collie, didn't give a rat's butt what any of the females in the house wanted, but she was my Hubby's heart dog. She would snuggle with him, love on him, and she was just better bonded with him. Our breeder told us from the beginning that a male dog would bond more to the females in the house while a female dog would bond better with the males in the house and if she wasn't spot on...

No matter what I did with Chey, in the end, she was just bonded with him. I did all the walks, play time, training, feeding, bath time, whatever, but in the end she was bonded with Hubby. She listened to both of us, but she "loved" my husband more. Finn does the same thing; we tried to all have equal share in dog responsibilities, but in the end, I would say Finn is most bonded with me, then my MIL, then my girl-friend, then my husband. Finn still listens to my hubby and does what he is supposed to do, but he is more "reactive" to me than he is him.

As long as she is listening to you and doing what you ask of her without much of an issue, I wouldn't worry about it. Happy puppy stage!


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## TommyB681 (Oct 19, 2012)

Penny is 5 mo and is bonded with both of us very well. While I am her 'owner' and the dominant one in the house who does the majority of her care and training, she respects me more. But in terms of love and loyalty she bonded with both of us.


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

Koda is, in the end, more bonded to me than my bf. She gets uneasy if either of us leaves, and we share responsibilities. However, if she can choose between us on a walk, in the living room, etc while still being able to watch the other, she comes to me. And she doesn't bug him for affection unless he's been gone.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Both our females are glued to me. We started out with DW working and training with Zoey and I with Tuke. Both girls ended up with a closer bond with me. We now have a male and DW is insisting I stay hands off with him. The kids get home from school at the same time I get home from work, they are supposed to open his crate and throw the ball to give him exercise until she gets home. We'll see if it works, but IDK.


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## Pooky44 (Feb 10, 2013)

My dog is bonded with me more than my wife. Follows me (almost) everywhere. Sometimes she will stay in the room my wife is in and not follow me. That is happening more as she matures (age 3). She gets much more feedback (as well as food) from me so that probably has something to do with it. When my wife was working she would go nuts for a few minutes greeting her but then return to following me everywhere.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Linda1270 said:


> I'm really just curious after reading that Shepherds usually bond with one person.....


Is it possible you read that they tend to bond MORE with one person rather than ONLY with one person? 

I've never had a dog that only bonded with one of us, but although our dogs are very bonded to both of us, they each also have their "special" person. For Keefer, it's me, for Halo, it's my husband. But Keefer adores Tom too, and Halo is also very affectionate and attentive with me. I do all the training, and I race her in flyball and she's always worked very well for me.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Shaolin said:


> I'm sure this is an old wives' tale, but, IMHO...it's the male/female thing.


I know it's not universally true, but that's been our experience too. All our females have been Daddy's girls, and Keefer, who is my first male dog, lives and breathes for me.


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## Shaolin (Jun 16, 2012)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> I know it's not universally true, but that's been our experience too. All our females have been Daddy's girls, and Keefer, who is my first male dog, lives and breathes for me.


I've only every had male dogs up until I met my Hubby, but they always seemed to react better to my mother and I. Once Finn came along, you could see the dramatic difference in how Finn acted around me versus how Cheyenne reacted around me; Finn lives and breathes for me while I was nothing more than a giver of food for Chey.


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## Linda1270 (Sep 7, 2012)

Great answers, I love reading how differently the dogs bond with their humans, I'm so glad I asked this question. 

Thanks for sharing everyone!


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## katdog5911 (Sep 24, 2011)

Stella is definitely more bonded to me. But she has bonds with others in my family too. She especially seems to like my 9 yr old grand daughter. And she loves my younger son, who was her original owner, even though she hardly ever sees him! I think she knows who is in her family, both immediate and extended. But I am her favorite as well I should be! I feed, walk, train, brush, play, sleep etc with her all day long!


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## LaneyB (Feb 5, 2012)

My dog is very bonded to me, my son and my son's girlfriend. I take care of him and do all of his training, but he still thinks my son hung the moon. If we both come in the house at the same time he will run right to my son. But my son is the one that stayed home and took care of him when he was a new puppy.


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## jang (May 1, 2011)

I think Sib is bonded to both my dad and myself...My dad because she gets away with murder and he is with her all day while I work..Myself, because I am her person...i think she loves us both..but is more attached to me because I do more with her..and I saved her from a horrible life..either way..she loves us both..and is loyal to us both..but I am her person...


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## Sophiamve (Aug 5, 2012)

My dog zoey is bonded to me and my mom equally, because we are the only two that walk her and give her attention. Our neighbor David comes over a few times a week to hang out with my brother, and when she sees him, she looks like she would tear through a mine field to greet him. She absolutely loves him, and is much more excited when w
He walks in the door than me and my mom. I think it's because she doesn't see him as often, and when she does he spoils her rotten. I totally understand where you're coming from 


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## gsdlover91 (Jul 21, 2012)

I think the male/female thing plays into it.  Berlin (my male) only has eyes for me. Granted, I am the one who has raised him from 9 weeks old, but he just adores me. He is my shadow, I cannot go anywhere without him being right next to me. (Not that I mind). He is the first male I have owned, growing up we always had females. I feel like my bond with him is more intense than the bond I have with my 15 year old female, who ive taken care of for the past 6 or so years. She adores my father.


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## BellaLuna (Jan 27, 2013)

Bella prefers me over my husband she's always with me and I love that. I think she's more bonded to me b/c I'm the one who cares for her. Plus being a stay at home wife and mother she's with me all day long. She doesn't really care for the hubby LOL... I think if he did more with her she would take to both of us the same.. 

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## Sarah~ (Apr 30, 2012)

Eko is bonded to me the strongest, because I feed him and do all of his training and we hang out all by ourselves every day when I get home at 7am. Then my boyfriend, then our two roommates. Our roommates are like his big brothers that can be much more fun then mom when she tells him to do something


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

My household blows the whole male/female thing out of the water My GSD(female) is definitely more bonded to me then my son, but she still loves him. She is always with me, watching over me, and following me At night if my son is sleeping on the couch, she gets up and checks everything out a couple times at night, but she always comes back and ends up with me. I did most of her training, but it was evident that she was close to me, so my son took over the last class and did the CGC with her. The trainer did not think that she would pass being left with a stranger if it was me walking away, she did fine with my son. My male golden is also more bonded with me(shh, don't tell my son), but that is a close one between my son and myself. My oldest female(non GSD) is nothing like the other two, she is pretty much equal with both my son and I, but she is the most independent dog I have ever had.


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## Rachel.E (Feb 19, 2013)

In my experience, the male/female thing does definitely play into it. Males tend to be more affectionate with female owners, and challenge the male owners more, and females tend to be daddy's girls. Also, females in general seem to have more aloof/independant personalities than males. My female seems to be bonded to both my husband and I equally, but I've noticed that she gives him a little more "respect" than she gives me. I'm primarily responsible for her walks, playing, etc., but I have noticed than when she gets bitey or rebellious, she responds to my husband right away, but usually tries to challenge me more.


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## LajollaMatt (Feb 10, 2021)

Linda1270 said:


> The reason I ask this question is my 6 month old girl Tess seems to be bonded to my husband a lot more than she is with me, which causes me to wonder why, as I'm the one who's with her the most, I'm the one who trains her, I'm with her all day, I picked her out, etc. etc.
> 
> I know that she loves me, she always comes in to greet me in the morning, even if my husband lets her out of her crate and vice versa if I let her out, she goes in to greet him. When I had her in day care and would pick her up at the end of the day, she would be all over me, even peeing due to her excitement to see me most of the time. When my husband goes out, she will sit by the door waiting for him to return and last night he spent the night in Boston at his daughters house and it seemed as if Tess couldn't settle very well due to him not being there. Maybe she'd do that if I had to spend the night away from home, I don't know. I'm just curious and yes, maybe a little bit jealous about how much affection she shows my husband.
> 
> ...


Well, our two boys were 9/11 yrs. when our beautiful Veleska came home and, as others have mentioned she had special rituals with each one of us. My wife spent the most time with Veleska however, to her endless wonder this brilliant girl was “totally in love with Daddy” lol Our GSD was fantastic with both boys and so affectionate with my wife but her relationship with me was so different. She followed me everywhere and would always sit or lay directly opposite me with her eyes glued to mine. All I would need to do is smile at her and she would jump up and bound across the room ready to play! Or if I winked at her she would run to get her lead ~ while blowing her a kiss well, that seemed to send her right over the top and I’d need to brace myself for her grand leap into my arms LOL And if she was outside playing with the kids when I arrived home then she’d spend literally 5 minutes excitedly running up & down the street and squealing with delight before I could catch her and deliver some enormous hugs while she lapped up my face. Now that’s GSD love!


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## Lexie’s mom (Oct 27, 2019)

The original post was in 2013.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

There may be more tendencies but it's not entirely a male/female thing. I had three females that were definitely more bonded to me and now two males that are the same, especially the older one (6). But the one he's most excited to see is my son when he visits so go figure. The younger male (1) would be more bonded to my youngest daughter as the number 2.


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## Ruben8130 (Feb 1, 2021)

My 9 month old Ruben really only listens to me, and is definitely my dude. He is affectionate with my kids and husband, but he clearly looks at me like the leader. I am with him the most. I am also more assertive than my husband. I am not sure if this matters, but makes sense in my mind that is why he perceives me as the leader.


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