# I thought I knew what having a velcro dog was like



## Sarah~ (Mar 13, 2013)

So when I got my GSD, I thought he was super needy and a velcro dog. He's always next to me and follows me nearly everywhere I go, he's protective and has to keep track of everyone and what they are doing. But Xena is velcro to a whole other level, she HAS to be on me, next to me, watching me ALL the time or she goes nuts. If she even hears my voice and can't get to me she freaks. That really doesn't bother me, I'm used to having a dog around me all the time, but she does something Eko never really has tried to do... she follows me into the bathroom. That kinda bothers me a bit, she runs in as soon as I open the door to go in so I put her out. Then she starts scratching at the door and sticking her nose and paws in the gap underneath the door and cries and cries. If I ignore her, she barks a lot and it sounds really panicky. 

So for the last couple days I've just given in and let her follow me wherever she wants to so everyone in the house has some peace and quiet. It's not like she's tearing around the bathroom making a mess, she just stares at me the whole time really intently which is uncomfortable but it keeps her quiet and out of trouble and less stressed out so I think I'm becoming resigned to the fact I may never go to the bathroom alone again for the next decade! Oh well. She's too cute to stay mad at for long. :love2:


----------



## rabbit (Jan 14, 2012)

Don't give into dogs you have to remember that you're the boss. You giving in on this issue will bring more trouble on the next. You are going to have to put your foot down. Her annoying barking will feel like it will go on forever but eventually it'll stop just be tough about it. These dogs need tough owners not pushovers.


----------



## davidandluna (Oct 18, 2012)

I agree with rabbit, my dog was the same way and she still follows me everywhere but if I tell her to go on, which is what I say when I want my space she respects that now. It takes a while but if you give into her barking it will teach her that if she wants something barking is the thing to do. Also, dont punish her or scold her for it, not even saying no... Any reaction means she got what she wanted, attention. Eventually if you don't give her any reaction she will stop. But every time you react at all it will make it even harder to break the behavior. Remember you call the shots not her!


----------



## Sarah~ (Mar 13, 2013)

We tried not to give in to her but if she can't follow me its like I can't even breathe, every single noise she hears from the room she thinks its me and she goes ballistic again. We've tried giving her bones and Kong toys and she just stares at me the whole time she's chewing on them and as soon as I get up to go anywhere she gets up and follows me. She's better with other people, as long as they move slowly she approaches and sniffs them and she doesn't have a problem with them petting her. And she has been actually going to my boyfriend and giving him kisses and cuddling with him, first person besides me. But it seems like she's obsessed with me or something wherever I go she is right behind me. I just don't want it to keep going on and piss my neighbors off. I'm not trying to argue... Open to suggestions we are just at a loss as to what to do now


----------



## Sarah~ (Mar 13, 2013)

Oh and her obedience training is going well. She knows sit, still working on down, we're introducing come and leave it and she has been doing fine. She has to sit before she gets a meal, and she's pretty submissive, always showing her belly and cowering if you even look at her like you're angry. So I don't know if its so much a dominance issue as anxiety, but I don't really know what it is so feel free to speculate. At this point I'm starting to wonder if I don't need to go to the vet to see if there is something medically going on or if she needs some kind of anxiety medication.


----------



## Cain's Mom (Oct 25, 2012)

Cain likes to be in the bathroom with me lol. He's a big mommys boy. 
Does your boyfriend do any training with her? Cain normally give a little whine and then just waits for me outside the bathroom. If I'm showering or going to be in there a long time he will go lay with my husband. Ill try to find the thread for you, but someone posted a link for some training and part of it requires you to leave the room and the dog to wait.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Sarah~ (Mar 13, 2013)

Cain's Mom said:


> Cain likes to be in the bathroom with me lol. He's a big mommys boy.
> Does your boyfriend do any training with her? Cain normally give a little whine and then just waits for me outside the bathroom. If I'm showering or going to be in there a long time he will go lay with my husband. Ill try to find the thread for you, but someone posted a link for some training and part of it requires you to leave the room and the dog to wait.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I've asked him to do training, but the dogs' day to day care and training and going to the vet has always been on me. If I ask him to feed them or watch them he will, and he plays with them, but they are "my" dogs and its just kind of expected that I do all that. I don't really mind.

The other other thing that keeps her quiet is Eko, my other dog, that's why when she has to be crated when we go somewhere we have Eko stay in the room with her. She goes to lay with him when I go to get ready but she still barks and whines and howls.

I think I did something like the waiting in another room thing I would stand in the kitchen behind the wall and have her in the living room and I would step out every time she stopped whining and say good girl, then step back and do it again. Never was able to get past more than a few seconds but maybe I wasn't doing it properly, I would like to see a link.


----------



## Cain's Mom (Oct 25, 2012)

I'll try to find it for you once I get home working on wait, I do it for everything. Putting collar on is a sit and wait. Going outside, coming in, for food etc. it gets easier. Just keep it up your boyfriend training would be beneficial IMO. Help build her confidence with him.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Sarah~ (Mar 13, 2013)

Okay thank you.  I will start getting on to my bf to train her a bit again now that they've been warming up to each other lol.


----------



## HappyPuppy (Oct 11, 2007)

That sounds more like separation anxiety than velcro-ness. I get followed in to the bathroom, too, and even get dirty tennis balls dropped into my undies whilst there but if I close the door, there is no whining and scratching.... Maybe you need to practice 'short absences'...?


----------



## Sarah~ (Mar 13, 2013)

Dogs like that go nuts whenever you leave, right? Xena only goes crazy when she knows I am in the house and can't get to me. But when I leave for work or go to the store, she's fine. Whenever I go out the front door she just watches through the screen then goes to play or something. I am pretty confused!


----------

