Dogs, like children, know who they must listen to and who they don’t. You can have a family pet who sleeps on the bed, snuggles on the couch, enjoys baby talk and still is obedient on the first command. These things do not have to be mutually exclusive.

This is Jesse, our family pet (who is all of the above):

Rhumbline's Perfect Storm MH UDX RM MX AXJ XF SWD SWME

 

Make it a team effort, discuss everything you do with your wife, ask her opinion on training issues, explain your training process and why you are doing it and learn to give a bit with the dog. I transformed my wife, yes I gave a bit with dogs sleeping with us and other things but she now throws dead ducks 4-5 days a week, shoots a blank gun, we marshal hunt tests and field trials together, she goes to training days. We are a team. Don’t forget to tell her you couldn’t do it without her. She is fully vested in our dogs training and everything that involves them. We train 3 at a time. Good luck!

 

Make it a team effort, discuss everything you do with your wife, ask her opinion on training issues, explain your training process and why you are doing it and learn to give a bit with the dog. I transformed my wife, yes I gave a bit with dogs sleeping with us and other things but she now throws dead ducks 4-5 days a week, shoots a blank gun and is fully vested in our dogs training not mine. We train 3 at a time. Good luck!

Great minds...and we posted within a second of each other.

 

What might help is involving your spouse in the training. And don't just make her be the one who always has to throw the bumpers while you get to run the dog--everyone wants to drive at least once in a while. Ask if she wants to be in charge of one of the new behaviors you want your pup to learn: place or sit or kennel into the crate are easily taught in the house in the first few weeks and all are useful skills.

 

Is “baby talk” a bad thing?!?!?!

I baby talk my pups all of the time and do the same with every pup in our training group…LOL!!!

 

You and your wife have a unique relationship.
You and your dog will have a unique relationship.
Your wife and her "dog" will have a unique relationship.....
The only "demand" is no fetch games or tug-of-war...
End of story... and happily married.

 

My problem is not my fiance, we are on the same page when it comes to training. My problem is my mother! We don't live far and she only works 2 days a week. When she's off she will come let the dog out and take her for a walk. So many bad habits to break

 

It’s not about the relationship with your wife, or “rules” YOU lay down to the family.

JMHO, but your focus needs to be solely on your relationship with the dog, and setting a high standard for obedience and then consistently enforcing your standard with the DOG..
The dog will learn who wears the pants.
The dog will come to love the training time with YOU! He will thrive on outings in the field with YOU..
YOU become the dogs world!
Things will fall into place.
Your attention needs to be solely on YOUR relationship with the dog.
JMHO!
Remember, the comments above are from someone you don’t know called Gooser!,,,another issue you should consider dealing with training advice on the internet!
You know that saying about opinions and Arseholes…

 

Dogs all quickly learnwho means business and who does not. If your spouse is consistent with commands and enforcement of those commands then she will have a great relationship with the dog. My dogs always consider my wife a source of treats and meaningless noise. They pay zero attention to anything she says but watch her carefully for signs that food may be forthcoming. Doesn't change the behavior in the field.

 

Mark , Im in the same boat , but add my son in law and a great family friend to the list with the wife😁😁

 

Just discussed this recently with training friends. It is my theory that you need to be just annoying enough that your wife doesn't want you home all the time but not so annoying that she doesn't want you to come back home.

 

Best advice I can give is don't let her know how much you spend on all the training equipment you will end up buying!

 

I've been a member of my HRC club for 18 years. Elder statesman of the club always had well behaved, solid dogs, both for hunt tests and hunting.

Well one of his dogs blows ACL around the time he and wife both retired. Anyhow; they're gonna do the rehab, and keep dog in house now. Prior to this; all his dogs were outside dogs, in nice runs. After injury, this dog became an inside dog.

Dog gets over injury; rehab is started, and OB is toast and dog is vocal now at line. Dog never was the same for hunt testing, even though the injury was healed.................lost it being kept inside with a person that didn't hold dog to a standard of OB or anything.

Every new dog since..........same thing.................wife wants puppy in house because she's home.................holds puppy to no standard..............

 

Every new dog since..........same thing.................wife wants puppy in house because she's home.................holds puppy to no standard..............

Time to get the wife little dog she can tie ribbons to, feed treats, groom, etc.

 

And here I thought this thread was a spoof...

Targeted to those with a different sense of humor.

Training the wife to get on a training board.
Sort of like teaching my dog to seat on a duck
Don't teach the wife to seat on a duck.
That might be a hard one to explain to the doctor.