# has become 'clingy'



## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

Whimsy is 8 months old.. very loving, likes to snuggle but when she wants to. Likes to be in the same room with us but certainly is fine by herself also.
So, why has she become so clingy the last few days?? Wants to be picked up and held...sits on top of me or my husband on the couch etc. She is eating just fine and will play but she just is so very clingy...any thoughts??


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

So long as she enjoys being by herself at times, that is good. The thing that's important is not to pick her up on demand. You decide when to pick her up. But do encourage her to be on her own. As much as it's nice to have a dog that wants to be around you, it can create S. A. if they are not taught to be on their own. You're doing great. Oh yeah that reminds me of a great article by one of my favorite trainers... http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/connecting-our-dogs


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

I actually told my husband today that we can't just keep picking her up everytime she wants us to. Hmmmm...He was out of town for a week and got just back on Friday...I'm wondering if that has something to do with it. She didn't particularly act like she missed him during that week though. Who knows what goes tho their little brains. LOL


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

that probably has something to do with it. Did you see the link I added later.?


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

I just went back and saw it..very interesting. thanks!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Aww, she looks so much like my girl in your avatar.

One thing that comes to mind, is that Gucci likes to be on top of me or all over me when she feels bad, which is usually gas pains, not anything serious, but I've noticed if something is different to her, she clings, and when she has a belly ache...she clings...and when I get back from being gone for more than a few hours....she clings. lol

I personally love the snuggling and spooning, just as long as I keep her free of pollen and ragweed, its all good. 

Kara


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## Buzzys Mom (Sep 28, 2010)

Buzzy also gets very clingy when he doesn't feel well. It might be worth stopping in to the vet for a quick check. Last time he was clingy, it turned out that he had a UTI!


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## Ellie NY (Aug 27, 2010)

When I first got Eli at 12 weeks old I tried keep him downstairs for a few hours a day while I worked upstairs. He barked quite a lot and the advice I received was to keep him with me in my office; spending more time with him would help him handle separation better as he got older. Fast forward 8 weeks. He's been with me almost every day. He now wants/needs/expects to be with me at ALL times. I cannot leave the office, take a shower or leave the house without him barking for very long stretches. Rather than leave him home for the 10 minutes it takes to drop my son off at school I now take Eli with us. If left at home for even that short a time he barks non-stop. I can hear him from outside while I pull into the driveway and my neighbors confirm that it doesn't let up.

I have to go into the office three days this week. During this time my husband will come home at lunch time and my daughter gets home about 4PM from school. Unfortunately, because Eli has never learned to be alone I'm pretty sure there will be a bark-a-thon in progress. I feel very badly that my neighbors have to listen to it and also that I haven't helped Eli learn to be comfortable in his own company.

In addition to being with us all the time, he gets boat loads of attention. Sometimes I do think it's too much. Oh well, going downstairs for a cup of coffee. I'm going to count to see how many seconds go by without a call-back.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ellie NY said:


> When I first got Eli at 12 weeks old I tried keep him downstairs for a few hours a day while I worked upstairs. He barked quite a lot and the advice I received was to keep him with me in my office; spending more time with him would help him handle separation better as he got older. Fast forward 8 weeks. He's been with me almost every day. He now wants/needs/expects to be with me at ALL times. I cannot leave the office, take a shower or leave the house without him barking for very long stretches. Rather than leave him home for the 10 minutes it takes to drop my son off at school I now take Eli with us. If left at home for even that short a time he barks non-stop. I can hear him from outside while I pull into the driveway and my neighbors confirm that it doesn't let up.
> 
> I have to go into the office three days this week. During this time my husband will come home at lunch time and my daughter gets home about 4PM from school. Unfortunately, because Eli has never learned to be alone I'm pretty sure there will be a bark-a-thon in progress. I feel very badly that my neighbors have to listen to it and also that I haven't helped Eli learn to be comfortable in his own company.
> 
> In addition to being with us all the time, he gets boat loads of attention. Sometimes I do think it's too much. Oh well, going downstairs for a cup of coffee. I'm going to count to see how many seconds go by without a call-back.


Being comfortable home alone is WAY different from wanting to be physically separated from you when you are in the house. They are two different skills.

The home alone part is best practiced once the puppy feels secure and safe in his crate or ex-pen, and LIKES being there. This takes some effort and work but the payoff is huge, both in comfort (for him AND you) when you have to leave him alone, and also for those eventualities (like an injury or surgery) when you MUST keep the dog quiet.


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## KarmaKat (Feb 19, 2010)

krandall said:


> Being comfortable home alone is WAY different from wanting to be physically separated from you when you are in the house. They are two different skills....


Thank you, Thank you, Krandall! You have clarified something for me that relates to Tybee's behavior. He doesn't bark now when left alone, but then gets clingy when I am around. I can keep your "two different skills" in my head as he is barking in protest of physical separation. It helps to see it as a separate issue and not a continuation or side-effect over an old bygone issue. It is a fresh way to approach the issue.


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

Well...whimsy seems to acting un- clingy today. I do think it was because John was gone for a week and then when he came home he had a few days off to spend with her. 
He was around all the time and it kind of threw off her whole schedule.LOL( I know it threw off mine!)He really babies her too by the way and I think he went overboard because he hadn't seen her for a week. So I'm just going to blame it all on him LOL
He went back to work today and we are back to the ordinary 'everyday stuff' around here. Who knows???


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

With separation anxiety , puppies are more susceptable when there is a drastic change in attention. Initially many people make the mistake of constantly fussing with and paying attention to the new arrival. And this can go on for weeks. Then suddenly they are forced to be separated in an abrupt manner. It is essential to leave them alone for brief and frequent times at this early age. Leave them after a good workout ,walk and tire them out. Leave them with a yummy kong. But slowly add the time duration. 
S.A. is workable . The treatment depends on how severe it is. True S. A. is generally deemed to be when they have panic attacks , elimination , chewing on furniture etc, and constant vocalization. If the dog has these sort of episodes, it might be best to get a professional in. This is when a formal program of desensitizaion is done. At this point most dogs become stressed well before you leave. They have learned all the signs that indicate that you are about to leave. They know you are leaving before you know you're leaving, LOL. The dog will start to display certain anxious signs ,eg, panting, pacing, drooling or whining. And here is where a professional will slowly desensitize the dog to these triggers. He will repeat these trigger events by making the dog comfortable by not taking the next step in the departure routine. Gradually the dog is taken one step further in departure process . Eventually real departures are incorporated. It's a slow process but it is quite often succesful. 
Some dogs are just more anxious than others. But like that article I posted mentioned,http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/connecting-our-dogs it is quite often brought on by our constant attention to them. We have bred dogs to be social and this has come along with the ride. It is sad when we leave, Molly's face tell's the whole story. She just sits at the top of the steps well before we actually leave. She knows. Dogs are watching us all the time. It's hard not to suck them up.


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

Stella is super clingy. Roscoe is much more independent. He will come hang out and give kisses, sit in the lap, on HIS time. Stella will come over to you, let out a couple of squeaks, as if to say "hey, pick me up!" we always do it because she's just too cute. LOL Probably not the best habit, but we just give her a hug (yes, she hugs, like full out with legs and arms wrapped around you), let her give a couple kisses, put her down, and she goes off to play. Funny girl. She is sleeping on daddy's chest right now as Roscoe hides under the dining table gnawing on his nylabone.


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