I had a dog once when I was little named Shilo. I think it was a collie. It was afraid of men. I couldn't get anywhere near him and I was only 4 or 5 when we had him. I think we got him from the SPCA so it was probably beaten pretty good when it was a puppy. Anyways, yeah, not sure how to fix that problem. Perhaps taking the dog away from his 'mother' for an extended period is a solution so you gain his trust. Maybe go camping with just you and the dog.

Dogs can pick up on medical conditions before we ever do by detecting/smelling abnormal chemical imbalances. I certainly hope it is nothing but the pattern sure caught my attention. Some dogs can also sense pregnancy... ? Maybe it is as simple as something stressful happened to the dog and your wife was there? Please make sure everyone is healthy. If nothing happened and my dog began being that attentive I'd make sure I was okay and her too. You didn't say how long you have had him, two to three years?

Not to alarm or pry, but is everything ok, health wise with your wife? Cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders? Is she at the age of menopause? Did you knock her up?

I've read that dogs can be very sensitive to illness and/or hormone changes? I have no idea if that's true, but could be worth a check up.

When you pet the dog, do you do it overhand (from above) or underhand, like reaching under their chin to scratch. I've found that reaching underhand for some dogs helps as they don't feel like they are being stricken down. Besides being less startling, they might be able to smell you first. We have one dog (we've had for 4 years) who doesn't like to be pet by reaching down onto her head, she kind of shies away.

Other than that, I've got nothing.

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There are three kinds of people, those who can count, and those who can't.

When he whines and appears anxious, does she pet and cuddle him to give him reassurance? That would just end up rewarding his behaviour. Dogs do what they can to get what they need, and if the whining gets him extra attention from Mom, then he'll keep doing it. Any affection he receives has to be because he's demonstrated a good behaviour (even just obeying a "sit" command), not from his demands for attention. If he whines he needs to have his behaviour diverted to something acceptable, after which he's earned attention in the form of pets and cuddles.

this.

consistency seems to be a key component in ''regulating'' a dog's behavior.

My dog did this to me- I taught her the phrase Ten More Minutes then ignored her.

Now if I say it she goes back to bed.

But she’s a starving lab who just wants breakfast even if she pretends to love me.

Thanks everyone for the answers. I was out of town and thought I would be able to respond sooner but that didn't work out.

We've had the dog for a bit over 2 years now. The dog and I get along really well. He loves to play fetch with a soft toy so we do that often, and if I sit down on the floor he comes up and lays his head on my lap so he can get a belly rub.

I don't think my wife is pregnant. I had a vasectomy some years back. Oh wait. The dog smells another man on my wife, and likes the other man more than he does me. That does it. No more belly rubs or treats.

Actually, she is going through menopause - so that could make a difference. I do appreciate the concern for her health. I'll mention that several people asked about it, so that she can think about it.

My wife is experiencing some stress due to damage from the hurricane to our house and to our city. The storm and some other factors are affecting everyone where she works - and that is adding some stress too.

A couple of others pointed out that we need to make sure we do not reward this behavior. That is an area where we can improve. Teddy is a sweetheart, but he isn't very smart. Our other dog knows all sorts of tricks, but Teddy only responds to "Sit" and "Who wants a treat?". Well, maybe a few others, but not many. I'll talk with my wife and we'll work with him to teach him to be patient and wait until we're ready to get up and pet him.

When we first got him, we were told that he was crate trained. Of course, they also told us he had all of his shots and heart worm treatment - and none of that was true either. When we would put him in his crate at night, he would start panting and get really anxious. We figured they must have used it as punishment and that it had some negative connotations with him, so we let him lay on his bed on the floor and he was fine.