Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the German Shepherd Dog Forums forums, you must first register.
Please enter your desired user name, your email address and other required details in the form below.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

Log-in

User Name

Remember Me?

Password

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.

Additional Options

Miscellaneous Options

Automatically parse links in text

Automatically embed media (requires automatic parsing of links in text to be on).

Automatically retrieve titles from external links

Topic Review (Newest First)

01-08-2014 01:54 PM

dpc134

Quote:

Originally Posted by onyx'girl

GSD's want to work, exercise and explore. They aren't a breed of dog that is content to lay around watching wheel and jeopardy. I'm surprised Jack has given them that much peace! He's very handsome....are you in classes or a club with him? I bet if they broke out a tug he'd be engaging and enthused to intereact with them.

I agree 100%. My dog is happiest outside with me when we are walking through the woods or playing fetch with sticks and swimming in ponds. She has zero interest in sitting on a couch inside a house.

01-08-2014 01:19 PM

havery

Around a year old Sofie decided I was her human. Up to that point my husband was her favorite and she laid on his feet every night. But I'm the one who does the serious training and exercise, and when that became important to her, so did I, and now she is my shadow. I'd say his behavior is normal.

01-08-2014 02:33 AM

cethlen1621

What brembo said. Our guy loves everybody, but no matter what my boyfiend & I are his default alphas that he clings to the most. Now that your dog is older,he recognizes you as his main human. And if your parents act differently about it,he may be sensing the different dynamic. Try to keep calm & roll with it. Continue the family pack love, that's still important.

You are his human. Get used to it. I have two shadows that live in my house, wrong breed if you don't want an insular and dedicated one person dog. Consider it a compliment.

My female is still young and outgoing with anyone, best friends are all over the place. My male is 3-ish and he's open to everyone for a short while then defers back to me in social situations. I'm used to the tendency now, and I like it. I'm his human, he's my dog. Simple and clean that way.

01-07-2014 10:51 PM

onyx'girl

GSD's want to work, exercise and explore. They aren't a breed of dog that is content to lay around watching wheel and jeopardy. I'm surprised Jack has given them that much peace! He's very handsome....are you in classes or a club with him? I bet if they broke out a tug he'd be engaging and enthused to intereact with them.

01-07-2014 10:51 PM

SuperG

Jack is your bud......can't argue with a dog's affinities.

Oh, Jack looks mighty comfortable as well as handsome.

SuperG

01-07-2014 10:47 PM

GSgrrrl

My GSD is showing increased aloofness with my parents. Is this normal?

My dog Jack is a 1.5 y/o GSD. My parents bought him for me when he was three months old. I currently live with my parents, so Jack has was raised around them. Recently Jack has started acting more aloof around them. I mean, it used to be my parents' thing with him that he would sit between them when they watch their evening t.v. show. However, lately they feel like they are having to force him to sit with them. He either wants to lay next to me or wants to go outside (he gets 1.5 hours of continuous jogging/running daily and does not act energetic at night). I have noticed this as well. When my parents tell him to jump up on the couch he often ignores them (unless they have food, which I DON'T allow them to feed him), but when I tell him to jump up he will obey. My parents love Jack and want to spend time with him so I think they are feeling a bit miffed that he doesn't seem to want to sit with them and that he doesn't obey them like he does me. I am sure he obeys me more than them because I train with him almost every day, but am not sure why he is suddenly reluctant to sit with them like he used to do. Jack is my first GSD and I want to know if this is normal for the breed or if it is something I should consider remedying...somehow.

fyi Jack is always very happy when my parents come home and he routinely spends the morning (starting at 5 AM) with my parents. However, my mother said that lately Jack has started laying outside my door after being fed and waiting for me to wake up whereas before he would choose to stay in my parents' room while mom was getting ready for work. Also, my parents have said that before I get home from work (which is usually later than them) Jack follows them around and sits with them but as soon as I come home he ignores them.