My Shadow

[correna]

Bailey is 16weeks old now and whereveer I go he is there. I work nights so when I get home we go for a walk then when I go to bed he comes with me, when the rest of the family are home the bedroom door is left open and he goes down when he needs to go out and the rest of the time he sleeps on the floor next to the bed.

If I go upstairs he goes with me, if he is left home with the rest of the family he pines for me, he follows me to the toilet etc etc.... I am sure you get the picture.  

I am the one who walks and feeds him, I have spent alot of time with him since day 1 but have made sure that I go through doors first and eat before him ( as the books say!!!)


I haven't got a problem with it and find it sweet, but everyone else I tell says you need to get him out of that or you will have real problems  

I didn't get a dog to leave him alone alot and although he has been left albeit not alot and he does cry but settles, everyone is saying I will end up with a dog that suffers with seperation anxiety........

I am really harming him by allowing it??

Any views would be grately appreciated

Correna

[bluegirl]

My dog was like that and still is to a degree, when I'm in she'll follow me everywhere, but  as she's grown she has come to realise that sometimes I need to go out without her and she'll be on her own for a few hours. She doesn't bother as her maturity (2yrs) means she understands I love her very much and will always come back.

Never had any detructive behaviour. Just glad to see me come home.

From Karen    

[Jan29]

Correna, My 14 week old pup Charlie is just the same. He follows me everywhere and if i leave the room and he seems to be fast asleep he still wakes up and follows me. He cries if i go upstairs even if the rest of the family are downstairs. I've decided from today i'm going to start leaving him for short periods of time and then build it up gradually as i go back to work on 8 sept and he will be alone for a few hours each day.  Don't know if it's a bad thing for them to be so attached to us?

[PennyB]

Correna, My 14 week old pup Charlie is just the same. He follows me everywhere and if i leave the room and he seems to be fast asleep he still wakes up and follows me. He cries if i go upstairs even if the rest of the family are downstairs. I've decided from today i'm going to start leaving him for short periods of time and then build it up gradually as i go back to work on 8 sept and he will be alone for a few hours each day.  Don't know if it's a bad thing for them to be so attached to us?

Its only a bad thing if they react badly when we are not there and fret too much (my present foster cocker gets really anxious, pacing, whining, howling and barkling, if I go to another room he can't go to at the moment—his owner just died and he probably spent his whole time with the dog).

I agree its worth trying to help them be a little more independent as you never know what may happen.

I have two dogs and I also take each out separately on occasions as there may be times when they have to also be without the other (if I go away for a day one will go to one firend and the other to another friend as both can't go together).

Separation anxiety can manifest itself in many ways and not just destructive behaviour (whining, barking, howling).

Also good if you go out for an extended period is maybe give them a kong to keep them occupied and the radio on.