It can be annoying to have a clingy best friend following you everywhere: the bathroom, underfoot, even on the smallest trips across the room. The pooches that do this are known as Velcro dogs because they stick to your side stronger than a toddler’s new shoes.
Clinginess is a learned dog behavior but can also be a sign of a mental or physical problem. Regardless of if your dog’s clingy behavior is cute or annoying, there’s a reason behind it. Here are some of the most common reasons your pup won’t stop following you around.
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1. Boredom or need for mental stimulation
Many dogs need more daily physical and mental stimulation — especially young puppies. If they have the energy to burn and no fun activities to funnel it into, your dog may follow you around. They’re looking for something to do, even if that means causing trouble.
2. Companionship
Our canine companions may not seem like traditional pack animals, but dogs have been domesticated over centuries to accompany humans — they’re meant to be in groups, not alone. Humans are a dog’s best friend. Dogs are pack animals, and humans are their pack.
3. Lack of confidence
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Some dogs are scared to be alone. Though this can be a sign of separation anxiety, it could just be that your dog is nervous. Some dogs may become clingy during scary situations, like storms or fireworks.
This also applies to human anxiety: dogs can become clingy if they sense their human’s stress or anxiety. This is why they make such good emotional support animals.
4. Positive reinforcement
If your dog gets a treat, cuddle, or affectionate stroke every time they’re with you, your dog is more likely to follow you around. You reward your dog with each treat, cuddle, or compliment and tell them, without meaning to, that their clingy behavior Trusted Source PubMed Central Archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature. Go to source is OK.
5. Breed traits
Some breeds are more likely to follow humans because of their instincts. These breed traits can include natural protective instincts, herding tendencies, or just a need for companionship.
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Herding breeds like Australian shepherds, border collies, and Shelties may no longer have sheep to chase down — so they’ll keep an eye on the whole family.
Guardian breeds like German shepherds and Great Pyrenees will protect their herd. Loyal working dogs like Doberman pinschers and boxers have been bred to work with humans and will stay close because they are dependent on them. Small breeds like shih tzus make perfect lap dogs because they have been bred to be companions for dog owners.
6. Separation anxiety
Dogs with separation anxiety may panic when you’re not with them. But while clinginess can escalate to separation anxiety, not all clingy dogs have separation anxiety. They may look similar, but the difference relates to how your dog acts when you’re away from them. If your pup has separation anxiety, they may also engage in destructive or anxious behavior while alone, such as pacing, inappropriate chewing, using the bathroom in the house, whining, or barking.
If you think your dog has separation anxiety, seek a professional who has experience with behavioral training in this area.
7. Emotional trauma
Shelter and rescue dogs may show Velcro behavior because of their previous life experiences. They may carry a lingering fear of abandonment with them. Here’s a great example:
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