How do I make my dog stop following me?

Question

i think my dog is in love with me out of everyone i the house he wants to sleep with me sit on my lap when i watch tv he waits my the door for hours into i get home he even refuses to let me go to the bathroom alone! he is a Pomorrien (spelled wrong) amd 10 months old is this normal how can i make him more independent

being followed gets annoying in fact he is laying in my lap now!

Answer 1

What a problem to have! Your dog loves you, I fail to see what the issue is. Dogs are pack animals and want to be with their people. If you don't want a dog that loves you, why did you get one? This is just part of dog ownership.

If being followed gets annoying, then you should have a different pet. Dogs want to be with their people. This isn't an issue of the dog being abnormal, so perhaps you should have done a little more research before getting a dog? I haven't been alone in my house in 10 years! I haven't gone to the bathroom without a dog in there with me for months! Dogs want to be with their pack and that's just the way it is. Some breeds are more independant than others, but most are the kind that will follow you all over. If you can't handle it, then put the dog in a kennel when you want to be alone. If that is not acceptable, then maybe you should consider a different pet.

Added: people, a dog following its owner is NATURAL. That is NOT separation anxiety or bad manners. A dog will naturally follow its pack as to not be left behind!!!!

Answer 2

I personally have a 103 lb German Shepherd male that when I go outside he is stuck to me like Velcro. I have had him since the day that he was born and I could hold him in the palm of my hand.
It really doesn't bother me too much that he likes to follow me around, but he knows the rules of such actions and the consequences.
The thing that I would suggest is that you teach this puppy some commands and then enforce them when you don't want him in your lap etc. If the pup gets into your lap and you don't want him there, simply stand up and turn away from him and ignore him. Do this each and every time he attempts to get in your lap uninvited and soon enough he will learn that he is not allowed in your lap without YOUR PERMISSION!!!!
My dogs know "lay down". When I say that - it means to go away and lay down and don't be bothering me.
I also tell them the command STAY - which means to stay more or less where you are and wait for me. I use this when I am in and out of the backyard gate and don't want them to follow me.
Another thing that you need to teach this pup is that he cannot just jump into your lap whenever he feels like it. My cat did that ( jumped into my lap and dug in her claws too), she got pushed to the ground with a stern NO and a OFF command too. Now my cat has learned to sit by me and when I pat my lap, then and only then is she allowed on my lap. Hey, if I can train my cat to mind these commands, surely you can manage with a little pomeranian. The cat and the dog are both about the same size and weight!!!!!
Good luck with this situation.
If you don't do something NOW, he will drive you crazy and it will by YOUR fault for his bad manners!!!!!!!

Answer 3

I have two 80 pound American Bulldogs that follow me everywhere in the house. I take pride in the fact that they chose me as pack leader over the other three people in the house. Those people can go anywhere and the dogs will just lay there. I make a move and they are up, waiting to follow me.

Yeah, sometimes it gets annoying like when I'm just going to a room for a second and there they are behind me but my pride outweighs the aggravation of having to get past them.

You should be happy and proud that your dog has chosen you as leader of the pack. Dogs are an excellent judge of character and it says alot about your personality that this has happened.

Enjoy!

Answer 4

I have 4 dogs, 3 Labs and a BC. The 2 female Labs follow me around most of the time. You are the pack leader and they know it. They do go off and lay down on their own. If I get up and make any noise, they will be right there to see what's happening. Enjoy it, isn't that why you have a dog in the first place?

Answer 5

This sounds like separation anxiety and is tough on your dog as well as you. There is difference between affection for you and being stuck to you. While it is nice to have a dog that genuinely likes you, it is hard to have one that is so nervous and frightened and insecure that he cannot enjoy being alone. Alternatively, you may have a dog that thinks he is in charge of you and gets upset when you go away without him.

Whatever the true cause, it is best to work on this while she is young before you have a full blown case of separation anxiety and all the problems that entails.

This makes it difficult to leave him at home, at the vet's or at a boarding kennel if you have to. He should be able to be happy being alone sometimes.

First you can stop letting him sit in your lap and ignore any whining or any other attention getting behavior when he has to sit or lie down on the floor near you but not on you. You can get a crate or a leash or some kind of pen and place him there, with you in the room, and give him some nice treats. You can work on then leaving the room for awhile while he is enjoying treats.

You can also teach him to relax, to settle which means that he stays in his bed but can move around in it. This also works on impulse control which make for a more secure, confident and calm dog. Sit-stay, down-stay also help to strengthen his ability to stay by himself.

This takes awhile but if you make this fun and stay upbeat but calm, he can really learn to enjoy being by himself. You can then invite him onto your lap or onto the furniture when you decide you want him there.

Answer 6

Dogs are pack animals so they tend to stay in groups and they follow their leader. Sometimes my dog won't stop following me either and it can get annoying when I am running around trying to get stuff done and I keep tripping on her, but there is really nothing you can do to stop them. If you really want, you could make the dog stay outside the bathroom door or put the dog outside to play or take the dog for a walk to run off some energy. Sometimes I find my dog follows the person most likely to play, feed her or pet her belly...the dog may just want some TLC and is following you in hopes you will do one of those things.

Answer 7

I thought this is the reason we get dogs, to love and to have them love us back. Wow what a wonderful thing to have something love you so much, and this is unconditional love.
You will never find such loyalty in a human. So turn this negative into a positive and absorb it. He is a puppy he is not ready to be independent, although some day he will be and you will miss him then.

Answer 8

I had a mixed lab named rusty like this. She would just follow me from room to room and sit and stare at me all the time and only wanted to be with me.

Answer 9

I actually WISH my dogs followed me around, I live in a family of 4 (humans) and between us, we have 6 dogs (me 2, mom 2, stepdad 1 and brother 1) but one of my dogs has taken up with my brother, and the other one is too small yet to pick (12 weeks) And my brothers real dog has adopted the whole family, I wish my dog (Sophie 1.5 yr old Dachsund) would follow me around, but she likes my brother more, I may give her to him.

Answer 10

Sorry you view this as a problem. Your dog has picked you, out of everyone else, as his Person. You should be honored. Treat him like a king. At 10 months, he's just a baby! He'll grow up.