Why is my dog so attached to me?

If your dog is very attached to you this post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do about it.

So, why is my dog so attached to me? Possible reasons why your dog is so attached to you are that it is looking for more attention, it has separation anxiety, mistreatment when it was younger or it could be the case that you have been rewarding the behavior.

There are actually a number of reasons why your dog might be highly attached to you and it could be a combination of multiple reasons. However, there are also a number of things you can consider when trying to figure out the exact reason.

Why your dog is so attached to you

Each of the different causes will likely come with a number of clues. Below, I will show you a number of reasons why it might be attached to you and what would make them more likely.

It wants attention

The cause could be that it is looking for attention from you. This would be more likely if it does it more when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it more attention when it does it.

Instead, it would help to give it attention throughout the day in the form of exercise, training and by playing with it but to try and avoid rewarding it with attention when it becomes obsessive.

Related: Why does my dog sit at my feet?

Nature

It could be the case that it does it naturally. This would be more likely if it is a breed that is known for being overly affectionate and if it has always done it. In this case, you could try using positive reinforcement training to get it to learn to behave in a way that you want it to.

Separation anxiety

It might be the case that it does it because it has separation anxiety. This would be more likely if it does it more when you are about to leave home and if it becomes anxious when you are leaving home.

In this case, it would help to train your dog to be less anxious when you are leaving home and when you are away.

To do this you could do as follows:

• Make it seem like you are about to leave by doing something such as picking up your keys
• Reward your dog for not being anxious and repeat these two steps a few times
• Make more moves towards actually leaving such as by picking up the keys and putting your hand on the door handle
• Reward your dog for not being anxious and repeat the process a few times
• Actually open the door and go outside for a few moments then come back and reward your dog
• Repeat the above, each time staying outside for slightly longer

Reinforcing the behavior

It could be the case that you have trained it to be attached to you by giving it things that it wants when it is attached. If you tend to give it things such as extra attention, toys or treats when it behaves in an attached way then it will likely do it more in order to get those rewards.

Instead, it would help to reward it when it behaves the way you want and to use positive reinforcement training to get it to behave the way you want as mentioned below.

Mistreatment when it was younger

The cause could be that someone mistreated it when it was younger and it now doesn’t like being left alone. This would be more likely if you adopted it from a shelter.

In this case, it might start being less attached as it gets older and you can still do the training tips below. If the over-attachment is bothering you then you could also consider getting help from a dog behaviorist.

Things to consider

When your dog started being attached to you

It would help to consider when your dog started being overly attached since it might have started doing it due to an event that occurred.

Things that may have happened could include:

• Moving home
• Someone left home
• Another pet died
• Someone was aggressive towards it

When and where your dog is attached to you most

It would also help to consider whether or not there is a certain time that it tends to become more attached.

For example, if it tends to become more attached or anxious when you are leaving home then it would suggest that it does it due to separation anxiety.

How to stop your dog from being so attached to you

Below are a number of options you have when trying to get it to be less attached to you.

Positive reinforcement training

Positive reinforcement training involves training your dog to behave in a certain way by rewarding it when it shows signs of behaving that way.

To use it to get your dog to be less attached you would stop giving it attention when it is too attached and then reward it when it shows signs of being less attached.

Avoid negative reinforcement training

As mentioned above, it could be the case that you have encouraged it to be attached by giving it things that it wants when it is attached.

Instead, it would help to recognize when it is likely to start being attached and to redirect its focus onto doing something else such as playing with a toy before it starts being attached.

Give it attention throughout the day

It would also help to give it attention throughout the day in the form of training, exercise and by playing with it so that it doesn’t feel the need as much to get it from you.

Avoid leaving it for extended periods

In order to limit its separation anxiety, it would help to avoid leaving it alone for a long time. This means that it would help to come back and see it quickly on your lunch break if possible.

Give it lots of exercise

If your dog is a breed that is meant to get a lot of exercise on a daily basis then it would help to make sure that it gets enough exercise daily. Giving it exercise will help to keep it stimulated and make it less likely to start seeking attention from you.

Why is my dog so attached to me all of a sudden?

If your dog is suddenly attached to you, it could be due to things such as a change in your dog’s environment causing your dog to be fearful without you, a change in your dog’s diet causing it to be hungry, a change in the time you exercise or feed your dog, or because your dog has learned that the behavior is rewarded.

Why is my dog so attached to me while I am on my period?

The reason why your dog is so attached to you, while you are on your period, could be that your dog can smell a change in your scent since dogs have a significantly better sense of smell than we do.

It might also be the case that your dog actually has not been more attached to you than normal but you are just noticing it more.

Why is my dog so attached to me while I am pregnant?

The reason why your dog is attached to you while you are pregnant is likely to be that your dog is able to smell a difference in your scent, your dog can see that you look different and because your dog is picking up on differences in your behavior (source).

Why is my dog so attached to me and not my husband?

Likely reasons why your dog is attached to you and not your husband are that you are the one that feeds or exercises your dog the most, you are the one that gives your dog the most attention, you are around your dog the most, or because you reward the behavior the most.