welcome to the dog advisory council a
trusted resource for dog owners and
enthusiasts
today we will be talking about why is
your dog so clingy all of a sudden
if you notice your dog is clingy all of
a sudden he is most likely feeling
anxious or fearful he also may be bored
or missing you more than normal in case
of life changes
sometimes dogs can become clingy all of
a sudden if they're sick or in heat too
first up take a moment and take a look
at your dog's behavior is his clinginess
out of the ordinary or is it just a part
of their curious and loving personality
the sudden clinginess is most often a
sign of some change or shift in your
dog's life
some of the most common causes for
sudden clinginess include
1. he's clingy because of anxiety or
fear
think of your dog as a kid basically
if the dog is anxious or afraid he'll
search out for his owners and want to be
at their side until he feels safe and
calm again
you are his place of comfort and safety
which is kind of adorable when you think
about it
two he's clingy because of a threat
this threat could be something actually
dangerous like an intruder or a stranger
in your home
but it could also be something as simple
as adding a new furry friend such as a
puppy or cat or it could be a new person
or a baby etc
all of these are threats to your dog and
he'll become clingy to protect you from
the threat until he learns that the
toddler is not in fact a threat at all
3. he's clingy because of boredom
as easy as dogs are to entertain they
can also bore easily
if you're gone to work all day or their
other human family doesn't interact with
them or even if you're simply at home
but doing your own thing he'll cling to
you to remind you to pay attention to
him
if it's happening more than usual it's
because he's really feeling the boredom
and is telling you he needs stimulation
4. he's clingy because he's missing you
dogs miss us terribly when we're gone
they also don't seem to have any concept
of time so being gone for two minutes is
the same as being gone for two days for
them
if they feel you've been gone for too
long they'll let you know by being
clingy
five he's clingy because of sickness or
pain
whether it's the equivalent of the dog
sniffles or something like arthritis or
even something more serious he'll seek
you out for comfort and reassurance
sometimes this is obvious by limping or
swelling or sometimes it's a bit more
subtle and can be hard to pick out
6. she is clingy because she's in heat
or going into labor in the case that our
dog isn't spayed or is pregnant many
will let you know when they are going
into heat or labor
in these cases you'll want to pay
attention to them and keep an eye on
them to make sure they are doing okay
there is a difference between clingy
dogs and velcro dogs both of which can
be temporary or long-term depending
a clingy dog is going to hang out with
you and then immediately get anxious
when you step out of their range of
touch
if you go to the bathroom they'll hurtle
after you and attach themselves to your
side
if you get up to answer the phone
they'll immediately press into your side
as soon as they can physically follow
you
when you leave they'll bark and get
frantic that they can't get up to you
a velcro dog on the other hand likes to
be in contact with you from his head on
your lap to pressing up against your
feet in bed to sitting on you while
you're on the computer
these dogs don't tend to be necessarily
anxious but they love to be touching you
and will often look adoringly in your
direction
he'll be dejected when you leave but
otherwise okay
some dogs enjoy sleeping nearby and
hanging out with their favorite human
but others simply must be physically
touching you as much as possible as
often as possible
sick solution to get your personal space
back
when it comes to getting your space back
the most important thing is to be
patient and never punish the dog's
behavior
no matter how annoying it may seem to
you remember that his clinginess has a
biological instinct and he's trying to
tell you something
the techniques depend a lot on the cause
one anxiety and fear learn the triggers
and work with them
some anxieties and fears such as
fireworks or police cars are common on
dogs
others are more specific such as
mosquitoes or the can opener
whatever your dog's triggers are that
cause their clinginess offer them
comfort and work on retraining their
anxiety panics and fear triggers
gradually and at your dog's pace
if you have a dog with separation
anxiety panics this will help depending
on how serious the case is and teach
that they can give you breathing space
without feeling totally abandoned
2. threat or danger show your dog that
you're all safe
if they sense a threat that they're
protecting you against help them
understand that the threat is actually a
friend
if it's a toddler or a baby show them
that they are another person to protect
if it's a stranger help them see the new
person as a play buddy
3. boredom toys or a buddy
a board dog will need one or both of
these things some toys or a buddy
get interactive puzzle toys for instance
or a new friend to play with when you
are gone to work all day
this will keep them happy and healthy
too which is always great
for missing you dedicated one on one
time
if they're missing you then the simple
way to help them cling less is to spend
lots of time with them
no phone or tv or anything like that
dedicated cuddle and snuggle time or
walks or whatever else your dog loves
most
5. illness vet checkup
if you suspect that your dog is sick or
just not feeling like himself or
obviously in pain a trip to the vet is
definitely a great thing
since dogs don't show pain the same way
humans do it's important to know what is
happening with your dog's health
6. heat or labor comfort and medical
attention
for the dog in heat or labor you'll want
to keep her close and watch for any
signs of distress
if she wants comfort offer it freely
if she is having a problem or seems
agitated past the point of comfort don't
hesitate to call the veterinarian
after both or either of these situations
getting her spayed is always a good idea
to prevent this from being a problem in
the future
if you want to learn if it is okay to
stop your dog from being clingy click
the link in the description below
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