Unsure of Who is the Leader!

Hi everyone

I wonder if you might be able to clear this up for me. My husband thinks our puppy (who is now 10 months old) doesn't love him as much as me because she always follows me around everywhere and will never sit with him at night. She will always, no matter what, jump up on the sofa next to me. We share the dog walking but it is usually me more than anyone else that feeds her. However, she does appear to listen to my husband more than me when we reprimand her. So what do think? Who does she consider the real leader, me or my hubby? On a separate note, you may remember my plea for help some time ago in relation to her barking and snapping at us whenever we go in the garden. Inspite of trying just about everything it is still continuing - and she does this to ALL of us. I've tried facing her, standing still and staring at her in silence until she barks herself to death. That doesn't work. I've tried grabbing her (which isn't easy) and calmly putting her in her crate for 10 mins and then letting her out. That doesn't work. I've tried turning my back on her with arms folded and that doesn't work. Any other suggestions?

grabbing her? she in the teenage stage and we all know what they are like, you have to stick to one dont keep changing what you doing becasue your going confuse her.

all dogs bark and snap it's upto you tell her it's not the right things to do. place her in a naurght step will fix the problem if you do it all the time,

i'm sure she love you both, or is your oh doing something she doesn't like?

I don't think either of you is more a 'leader' than the other. She is just responding differently to you both.

You, as the food provider will get her utmost attention & adoration - as long as the food keeps coming! Your OH is obviously the disciplinarian, the one she looks to for what to do or not to do. So, it's the same, but just in different ways.

As far as the barking in the garden goes, may I sugest that, for a while, you only take her out there on lead, and have plently of treats in your hand? If/when she starts to bark, hold the lead so that you have contro, of her, tell her to sit & then, when she does, treat her. If she's eating a treat she can't bark! Hopefully after a while (with EVERYBODY doing the same thing, she'll realise that barking gets nothing, silence gets a treat.

Good luck!

Thanks for your advice. You're probably right, we are both her leaders and I will get the whole family trying your suggestion of treats and lead. Thanks again.