I've had my Katie dog for 9 years, since we adopted her from a shelter at age 12 months. She's always been an exceptionally well behaved girl who listens, is polite, etc.
Our family of four loves her dearly, and she knows it.
Recently, however, she's become overly clingy to me. I'm a stay at home mom, so I'm usually home for most parts of the day. The problem is, she follows me. All day. Everywhere.
If I am at the computer, she's sleeping within 2' of me. If I get up to get a drink, she follows me. It's gotten so bad that it's almost funny. The kids laugh when they see me with my shadow - I can walk around the house, upstairs downstairs, whatever, and she's right at my heel. Sometimes she even gets underfoot, trying to be close, which isn't so good on stairs!
My kids have told me that if I go to the market, Katie will sit and watch the door I left from.

This has been happening for about 3 or 4 weeks. There wasn't any event that spurred this on, it just happened.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

The good news, there isn't any harm in this. The not-so-good news for Katie, you need space just like everybody else does.


As you may have figured out, dogs tend to pick out their human and grow attached to them, forming a special bond that isn't shared with anyone else. Although you may not have noticed before, this closeness and dependence on you surely has been in affect for years.


Have you attempted to go places inside your home without her? Does she have a change in behaviour? Cry? Bark? Scratch at doors? All the above? If so, this could very well be seperation anxiety which doesn't just happen. In any case, if you'd like to start teaching Katie to become more independent, you could do a couple things:

• Be in a room together. Get up and leave and close the door behind you forcing Katie to stay in that particular room. Give it a couple minutes and then return to her company. Do this several times a day to ensure her that you DO and WILL always come back.

• You could also teach this old-girl new tricks with a little extra effort on your part Assuming she understands the command "sit", also enforce "stay". Hold up your hand, palm facing her and execute command taking SLOW steps away from her so she doesn't follow/chase. Leave the room or go out of sight. If she is not behind you - return and verbally praise her or with appropriate reward. If she does follow you, repeat process.


You could also ask your vet or a training for tips and or ideas. Good luck!

Good advice, Mahana

I have tried the thing where I ask her to stay while I go into another room, but if I come back and peek, it's the saddest face you can imagine.
She doesn't ever bark, unless it's the mailman, and she never scratches on anything. She's just sad.

The weird part, is that in the morning, I'm not important to her. I wake up very early and walk around the house, getting things done. I have to call and call to get her out of bed and she usually won't oblige. However, all my husband has to do is clear his throat and she jumps up to see him.

Do you suppose I'm a security blankie while my husband is gone? hmmm.

Hmm, you may very well be.


I'm no expert but from my own experience, I'd say it's safe to say that perhaps Katie picks and chooses the human at that time that best suits her current need. So possibly, you may in fact be her "security blanket" while hubby is not at home. In my case, my female Chihuahua will follow my boyfriend about and will give him lots of lovings until I come home. Then he's invisible to her.. But during that time of my absence, she realises that she must depend on him for her basic needs (ie. being fed, water being refilled, being taken outside to potty etc).

See a vet. As dogs age not only does their vision, and hearing change their cognitive abilities do as well. I couldn't say exactly why the dog sticks to you, but if you want it to stop find something that the dog loves, a marrow bone for example and give it to the dog in an area or room away from you. Make being away from you a good thing.