Why does my dog follow me everywhere?

Dogs form attachments to their people in ways researchers compare with the bond between children and parents. A 2015 review in Psychology Research and Behavior Management by Erica Payne, Pauleen Bennett and Paul McGreevy describes dogs seeking out their attachment figure to cope with stress, taking comfort from that person's presence, and exploring new things more freely when that person is near, effects known as a safe haven and a secure base. Following you around is the everyday version of all that.

The AKC adds the practical side. Dogs are social animals, it notes, and a puppy can imprint on its owner at any point from birth to about six months. A dog that follows you is often simply keeping track of the most important member of its group. On its own, that is not a problem to fix. The real question is whether your dog can also rest, play and cope when you are in another room or out of the house.

Some dogs were bred for it. The AKC notes that dogs in the Working and Herding Groups, developed to work alongside people, may be more likely to over-attach, and owners of breeds with a Velcro reputation will recognize the pattern. A hard past can make a dog clingy too: the AKC mentions rescued dogs carrying a lingering fear of abandonment, and the ASPCA reports that separation anxiety is far more common in dogs adopted from shelters than in dogs kept by one family since puppyhood.

Age and health matter at the other end of life. The AKC says older dogs losing their sight or hearing may stay close for security, and that sudden clinginess can be a sign of illness and a reason for a vet check. Cornell's veterinary college lists becoming suddenly clingy among the signs of cognitive dysfunction in older dogs. If shadowing appears out of nowhere in a dog that used to nap happily alone, start with the vet rather than the trainer.

The aim is a dog that likes being with you and is comfortable without you. VCA's advice for overly attached dogs is to reward settling down, relaxing and showing some independence, practicing long, relaxed down stays and going to a bed or mat on cue, and not to pay off pestering or following. The AKC suggests a bed stocked with toys and treats, teaching place and stay, letting other adults take some of the walks, and keeping house rules consistent.

If your dog shows real distress when alone, it needs a plan, not just more practice. The ASPCA recommends ruling out medical causes first, then gradual work with a qualified professional, and lists daycare among the ways to keep a dog from being left alone during that work. Private training with Gabriella Pope, our Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist, starts from $94 a session, and our private dog training page explains how sessions run. In Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, the Pup Van brings daycare dogs in for $10 each way.