Great information here. I as well will need to let my fiance play with the pup though he knows I will be doing the majority. When I told him at first that I would have to do just about everything, he practically died a little and gave me the saddest look ever. Formal commands will be mine alone as will all the serious fun and games, but I'll have to let them play. Small price to pay to keep a happy household! You'd think I was telling a five year old that there is no Santa Claus and from now on there will be no Christmas!

 Quote: diana matusik

You'd think I was telling a five year old that there is no Santa Claus and from now on there will be no Christmas!

This is so true!! And I would say almost all of the dogs that I have met in my life are either expecting affection when I meet them, or on the other hand are very aggressive and "protective"-even though their owner likes me. So, I was very surprised to hear that noone is really allowed to touch the dog, as my experience is usually to pet the dog almost first thing when meeting the dog...

If I understand this right, more play with others=less focus on me. I am striving for a high level of training, so I suppose I will try to balence this out...

Interesting sidenote...A tiny, all-white, kitty followed my GF in today without my GF even noticing! I said "Are you just going to let this kitty walk right in with the dog over there?" She looked back, and it was love at first sight! My GF went to get a litter box and food, and the kitty stayed in the bathroom. Well, when she got home I told her I had changed my mind about keeping the cat. This made my GF cry. I told her, I haven't even gone through obedience, yet with the dog, and I didn't think it was a good idea to take in the kitty. So, we let her back out. But then she cried more! And, I felt really bad, as I am an animal lover, and didn't want to let this pretty cat go. So, we comprimised and are keeping it in the bedroom. Maybe this will solve the problem of my GF wanting to play with the dog, as she will now have a playmate!!

Mr. Miller,

You made your girl-friend cry? You made her cry?

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Whenever you see people out with dogs, always ask permission to pet before petting! You never know who is training or whether a dog has issues, things like that. It's not fun when you have a bazillion people flood you and diving in to pet the dog. If you're training, that could be a detriment. If the dog has issues, your dog could be overwhelmed! Meet the owner first, ask first, and even if permission is given, check the body language the dog is giving. If it's dying for a scritch and you have permission, go for it. If the dog appears shy or unsure, don't pet, but let the dog come up to you, talk to it, appear nonthreatening. That will be a positive experience for the dog without being overwhelming. Too many people try to pet a dog regardless of what the dog OR owner think, please don't be one of them!

Do read Leerburg's article on introducing dogs and cats to each other. This will be vital! Congrats on the new fluff.

http://leerburg.com/dog-cat.htm

You have a committed relationship with this dog for 10+ years.

Can you say the same of this girlfriend?

My wife went through a stage of annoyance when it dawned on her I'd be "hogging" the dog.

Fine. Let's start small, I said. First step is simply waking up when we do....every day....like we do...even when you're sick, and it's raining.

That changed her tune!

Well my girl and I have been together for about 2 1/2 years, so I have no worries...but you have a good point. The dog has to belong to one or the other.

I feel that we can find a way for my GF to get in some great playtime with the dog, after she is trained. I will take your advice to keep the commands the same, and such.

I totally understand that the dog playing with my girlfriend will affect the focus of the dog. I would still like to hear someone who can relate playing to pack behavior. Don't dogs in packs play with each other, or do they only recieve 99.9% of their affection from the pack leader?