Does Your Doodle Follow You About the House?

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Tara is the first dog that I have had that does not follow me when I move about the house. She will just stay in the living area sleeping or chewing her bullystick. I think she keeps track of me with her hearing though because once in a while if I am doing something "different" she will show up to check things out.

This in a way makes me feel unloved by her!  Why doesn't she WANT to be with me every moment and shower me with adoration like my other dogs did in the past? Sometimes I see posts like this in regard to rescue dogs (Goofy in this case!) and I wonder why those dogs love complete strangers more than my own dog loves me:

"He is a total love....Wants to be near us at all times and will sit in your lap if you let him....Puts that big paw on you when he wants attention and wants to be as close to your face as possible when he is being loved on.."

Recently the issue of our doodles touching us and always needing to be near us has been raised in the training group. Now I am beginning to see Tara's behavior in a different light and wonder if what she does is actually a sign of her being "balanced". That it may just be "normal" dog behavior. I'm not sure.

Tara likes to snuggle and sit on my lap but it is almost always at my instigation.  Once in a while she will ask to get up on a chair or the couch with me. So it's not like she is a cold fish or anything. We get our loves in but it is mainly the fact that she doesn't stay with me every moment that has me curious.

What does your doodle do and how do you interpret it?

[Bonnie and Kona]

We have a two story house. They always follow me into the kitchen, but the rest of the house is not as consistent. ;o) I'm pretty sure that has less to do with snuggles than high hopes that I will drop food prep onto the floor. 

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Oh yes..what could it be about kitchens...hmmm...LOL!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

My doods don't follow us around but my Springer certainly does.  He has anxiety and MUST be with one of his humans.  He will even stop eating to follow me.  Luckily for him the other two dogs will leave his food alone.  When the cousin dogs are here though, all edible things are fair game.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Nancy is your Springer's anxiety genetic or did he have a traumatic incident?

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Well I just read all these responses, and they sure seem to reflect "balanced" dogs.  I'm the one with the "unbalanced" guy...Murphy Doodle.  Until two days ago it had reached the point where he followed me everywhere in the house, had to be touching some part of my body at all times, laying ON my feet, leaning into me, putting his head on my lap every chance he got.  If I was moving around....like when I'm cooking...he would lie in the kitchen but never take his eyes off me.  For a long time I didn't think that much about it, although my trainer was telling me that he was totally disrespecting my space and I needed to put a stop to it.  So I put a stop to some things....like the constant leaning against me....but I didn't really address the underlying issue.  Well now after a real bad scene this weekend when he was "guarding me" (what he considered to be HIS possession), I get it.  I'm trying to process that this is not about affection of love from him.  It's all about ownership and it's really a very unhealthy thing for him.  A trainer just explained that his "neediness" is undermining my authority, and it's happening in a very subtle way.  So we're doing lots of things to address this which has been outlined in the Training Group.  Guinness is independent, and although he likes to be around me, he's far from obsessive about it.  He never initiates affection, but he loves it when I give it.  He's just a "happy guy" who seems to be really comfortable with things. 

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Jane I'm glad you have Guinness to "love up" on while you and Murphy are doing the work! I am so interested in seeing how Murphy responds to this change.  I really think it could shift your relationship in a big way!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Daisy followed me for about the first year, now at home she does not give a pooh where I am. When we sit down to dinner she heads to the basement or the master bedroom closet if the basement door is closed.She does however follow DH around the house after dinner. Apparently she has had enough of me by then and not enough of him.

At work however it's different. She makes sure I am there. Anytime I have to run an errand I have to sneak around and get things in stages (coat, purse, keys) so I can sneak out while she isn't watching. That being said she now is alerted to these sneaky moves and plants herself where she can see all vantage points. Eventually she does give up and I sneak out a door that is not attached to the bell alerting us to someone entering. Sometimes I am not gone long enough for her to notice but if she wakes up, looks for me and doesn't find me she is always camped out at the front door waiting for me to come back. She is usually doing the Eeyore sit and my heart just sings. Fellow workers can not coax her away so someone is usually sitting with her till I arrive.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

That is so sweet!  It is nice to know that someone misses you!!  It sounds like you are Daisy's day shift and DH is her swing shift job.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

That is exactly it, like when I had a screaming infant he walked in just in time before I lost my mind and handed her over!

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

LOL! Exactly Lisa-don't you love teamwork!

[Cindy M, Zachary & the Frenchies]

All four of my dogs follow me around. It is absolutely amazing that I have not tripped over them and cracked my head open. I constantly have a 16 paw parade behind me.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

LOL! I love the thought of a 16 paw parade!!!  Maybe a helmet might be in order!