Separation Anxiety/

Question
I recently moved in with  my finance about 4months ago with my Cocker Spaniel who is 5 years old. She has a German Shepard/Lab mix who doesnt like other dogs. It took awhile but they get along fairly well. Problem is my finance continually complains my dog gives her trouble when she takes them for a walk. She states my dog will not go to the bathroom on a grass area simply stops right on the sidewalk and goes. When I lived alone we lived in the suburbs and now we live in the city. Is this the reason? When I walk him he is fine most of the time.
The other problem is my dog gets jealous when I'm with my finance. What can I do? She continually says my dog is totally untrained and unfriendly.

Answer
Dogs do not take to moving, living with new people and dogs, or other changes very well.  The older the dog, the harder for it to adjust.  
Having a good pack structure reduces such problems.  The dogs see all the
people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in
the pack and a top dog.  Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members
outrank the 4 legged ones.  You can learn to play the role of top dog by
reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class
or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with
a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/  She needs to work with him, training him that she outranks him.  

The insistence on eliminating on the sidewalk may be part of the status thing.  He may improve as the obedience lesson take ahold.  He may also not want to use the narrow strip of grass next to the street because it is too close to traffic.  Regardless of where he goes, you should be cleaning up bowel movements.  An easy way to do that is to carry a plastic bag with you.  An old bread wrapper or the slip newspapers come in work well.  Put it over your hand, pick up the bowel movement, and turn the bag inside out.  Wipe up and residue with a paper towel, and put it in the bag.  Tie it shut, and dump it in a trash container.