Why Does My Dog Follow Me Everywhere?

Have you ever wondered why your little furry friend follows you everywhere you go? Most probably, all of the devoted pet parents at some point in life might have thought about it. Well, the answer to this question is not that simple. There are multiple factors involved.

Those dogs who get too clingy are usually referred to as Velcro dogs. Whenever these dogs see their owner, they try to follow them and get as closer to them as possible. The good thing is that these dogs are usually the most loyal ones. The Hungarian Vizsla is an ideal dog breed of this kind.

Even though we now know what these types of dogs are called, the question still remains the same: why does my dog follow me everywhere? Following are a few of the common reasons due to which most of the dogs follow their owner. Let's get into it!

Reasons Why Your Dog Follows You

1 Separation Anxiety

One of the most common reasons why your dog might be following you is because he may be suffering from separation anxiety. As per one study, this type of behavioral disorder is found in around 17 percent of the dogs out there.

Those dogs that suffer from separation anxiety tend to panic when their owners leave them alone, especially when it is for a longer period of time. If you leave such dogs for an extended period of time, their separation anxiety issue can deteriorate. One misconception that should be cleared is that it is not important that the Velcro dogs will always suffer from separation anxiety. Even though these dogs are more prone to it, there are various other factors involved as well.

2 They Want Attention

Another reason why your dog might be following you is that he might be craving attention. Even though your four-legged friend can get attention doing other stuff as well, he wants attention specifically by following you because he may know that he will get a reward due to his behavior.

What almost all of the pet owners out there do is that they give them some type of treat or start to play with their dog when they follow them. This gives their dog an indication that following our owners will result in us getting the attention. There is no denying that when our dog follows us, he looks very adorable and cute. However, you still need to be careful with regards to the amount of attention you give to your furry friend. In case you don't, it will become a pattern and may result in you getting annoyed due to your dog's behavior.

3 They May Be Feeling Hungry

There are various amazing things about dogs, and one of these is that they are good at remembering their daily routines. So, if you are someone who always tends to feed their dog at a particular time of the day, your dog will remember it. He will follow you in order to indicate that he is feeling hungry and it's time for him to eat the food.

This is not specific to only eating. No matter what routine your furry friend will develop, he will always try to tell you about it, and one of the ways of doing it is by following you. For instance, you might take your dog out for a walk every day in the morning. Therefore, in order to tell you that it's time to walk, he will follow you every day in the morning and almost at the same time.

4 They May Be Afraid

Picture Credit: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/the-dog-is-hiding-under-the-sofa-and-afraid-to-go-out-gm1182916464-332372709

Undoubtedly, our dogs always see us as someone who will protect them from all kinds of dangers. Therefore, in situations where your dog might be feeling scared, he will run towards you, follow you, and will keep himself close to you. They feel safe around you and for that reason, if you identify that your dog is feeling scared, make sure to calm him down and pet him.

There are various things that may make your dog feel scared. The most common ones are the noises such as police or ambulance sirens, fireworks, gunshots, thunderstorms, and many more. Try your best to protect your little friend from such noises, and if he starts to feel a bit scared, just pet him and make him realize this he is safe now.

5. They Want You To Notice Something Important

Have you watched those movies where a dog runs towards its owner and follows him everywhere in order to indicate that there is something wrong going on? Well, it is not always that your dog follows you to alert you about any wrong thing. However, you should follow back your dog in order to identify the thing he wants you to notice. There is a probability that a particular thing might be of significant importance for you.

What To Do If You Want To Stop Your Dog Following You Everywhere?

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As mentioned before as well, if your dog follows you, there is no harm in it. However, it should always be within a certain limit so that you don't get annoyed. Following are a few things that you can do in this regard:

• Keep Your Dog Distracted: One of the best ways is to make him busy. You can give him some toys or something to play with.

• Teach Them About it: You can always teach and encourage your dog to stop following you and stay wherever they are. Even though it will take some time, the results are wonderful.

• Allow Them To Socialize: In order to help your dog cope up with separation anxiety and other issues, you can allow him to socialize. Try if he can make some connection with other dogs. It will certainly boost his confidence.

• Give Them Less Attention: It is extremely difficult to ignore your little furry friend when he is following you, but in order to improve the situation, you need to reduce the amount of attention you give him.

Picture Credits:https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/young-woman-and-her-dog-walking-gm500694968-80929673

Final Thoughts

There is no denying that we all love our dogs. If they follow us, there is certainly no harm in it at all. But, as we mentioned before, it should always be within a certain limit. Well, if your dog follows you everywhere all the time, there is nothing to worry about. Just keep the aforementioned points in mind, follow the tips, and you are good to go. If you are interested in reading more articles related to pets, make sure to visit Www.zuzupetz.com. Until next time!