Why dog follows me around the house

The array of odors that come from the bathroom can be both intense and intriguing to a dog. So, if you are headed into the bathroom, your dog may see this an excellent opportunity to explore. Puppies are a bit of a special case when it comes to following people around.

As a result, they will follow you, often closely, to learn what they need to know about their environment. These behaviors tend to lessen a bit as they mature and become more confident. Older dogs may follow their owners purely out of familiarity and habit. However, if this is a new behavior, it may also indicate that things are changing for your dog, making them less confident. Perhaps your dog is starting to lose their hearing or vision.

Or they have started to have joint problems, so they are less independent than they were. If you notice that your senior dog has suddenly started to follow you around, or you see any other changes in their behavior, schedule a veterinary visit to look for the underlying problem.

Fortunately, most dogs become less clingy with time as they adjust to the new situation. In most cases, it is an individual thing whether a dog choses to follow their people around or not. Working dogs, such as Border Collies and Labrador Retrievers , will follow people because they were bred to follow human orders and they are waiting for cues as to what should be done next.

Other dogs, like Terriers, are quite a bit more independent and are much more likely to go off and do their own thing. It may or may not be an issue if your dog follows you everywhere. Or it could be a safety issue where you might easily trip over your dog.

In the ideal situation, your dog follows you as a companion but not to the point of being annoying, and at the same time, you can separate yourself from your dog without producing anxiety. Some dogs are perfectly fine when separated from their owners. If your dog panics when they are separated from you, this is concerning and should be treated. Clearly, if your dog is repeatedly tripping you, this is a problem that should be addressed. It will help to consult your veterinarian for advice, particularly if your dog becomes overly anxious when separated from you.

The first step is to make sure your dog is getting plenty of exercise. A tired dog is usually a content dog and less likely to continually follow their owners. Next, look at your role in the behavior. This post will show you a number of possible reasons why your dog follows you around the house and what you can do about it.

So, why does my dog follow me around the house? Possible reasons your dog follows you around the house are that it is looking for attention, it wants food, it has separation anxiety or that you have been reinforcing the behavior. There are actually a number of reasons why your dog might be following you around the house and it could be a combination of reasons.

However, there are a number of things you can consider that will help you in figuring out the exact reason. Each of the different reasons why your dog follows you around the house will likely come with a number of clues in the way that it does it. Below are a number of possible reasons why your dog might be doing it and what would make them more likely. The reason why it does it could be that it is looking for attention.

This would be more likely if it tends to follow you more when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it more attention when it does it. But, it would help to avoid rewarding it with attention when it starts following you around unless necessary.

Related: Why does my dog follow me everywhere? The reason why it does it could be that it wants something from you. This would be more likely if it starts following you around at the same time that you would normally do something with it such as feed it or take it for a walk.

Related: Why does my dog sit so close to me? The reason why it does it could be that it has some separation anxiety and it becomes anxious when it is not around you. This would be more likely if it tends to follow you more when you would normally leave home. Gift Guide. Viral Videos. Trader Joe's. Now You Know. Latest Dogs, Cats, and Other Pets. Customize Select the topics that interest you:. Healthy Living. Pop Culture. Love and Sex. Book Swipe Shop. We're Hiring! Terms Privacy Policy.

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