Do you wake up in the morning and you have your four legged friend following you around straight away? Have you ever wondered why they follow you? Well, there are many reasons as to why, let’s have a look at some of them.
Table of contents
Dogs are social animals
Dogs have evolved from wolves which are very social animals. Even though dogs have been domesticated over the years they have still inherited some of the social instincts – and we have even enhanced them. Our domestic dogs are naturally pack animals and they consider us part of their pack. When they are following us around they are wanting to socialise with us, they want to be close to us. They like our company.
We all know that they are responsive to our social cues, they can read our body language and react to it, just like we can read their body language and react to how they are behaving. Some level of socialisation can depend on how well they were socialised when they were puppies. Puppies that have had a lot of human contact will be better socialised with people; but this innate tendency is present in most dogs.
Some breeds take it to extremes
Some breeds of dogs are known for having a high level of sociability. This is partially found in working breeds of dogs, breeds like spaniels, labradors, border collies. These breeds in particular are both very well socialised and trained from a young age, and have been bred for higher sociability too. They are trained and designed to work very closely with their owners and have a lot of respect for them. They are normally found following their owners around waiting for their next instruction. Other breeds of dogs like German shepherds are used as police dogs or security dogs. These too are very well trained to deal with situations they are put in, and bred for loyalty. They have to have a good bond with their handler, as they have to stick very close to them.
Or perhaps they’re trying to tell you something!
Dogs communicate non-verbally but very effectively! Are they following you because…
They’re hungry?
You may find that your dog is following you around at a certain time of the day. Dogs are very clever, once they get into a routine they will quickly learn what certain times of the day means. If you have a routine of when you feed your dog you may find that they start to follow you around until you do feed them. They are just reminding you that they are there and are hungry!.
They’re bored?
Do you have plenty of play time with your dog? Some dogs like to play, some dogs aren’t interested in playing – but you may find that your dog is following you around constantly with a toy, wanting you to throw or play tug of war. Always try and allow time in your day to play with your dog. It is important they have this social time with you. We all want happy dogs, they bring us so much joy when we see them happy.
They know (or think!) it’s time for a walk?
As with when dogs are hungry they also know when it is time for a walk. Again if you have a routine, dogs will soon learn and clock the time of the day… I bet they are on the countdown all day waiting for a walk – because we all know as dog owners how much they love getting out and about. This is another reason for them following you around, making sure you don’t forget their walks.
Are they anxious and afraid of being left on their own?
Unfortunately some dogs struggle with separation anxiety. Dogs that have separation anxiety with the owners tend to follow them around the house, and their behaviour gets worse when the owner has left the house. This is hard to try and solve. As well as following you around, dogs may bark, toilet in the house, chew furniture especially when you leave the house. Speaking to your vet or a behaviourist can help with this problem.
It is important to never punish or tell a dog off for this behaviour as it will just make the situation worse. This is seen more now as more people have brought dogs since COVID, since working from home, dogs have got so used to us being at home that a lot now have separation anxiety when owners went back to work.
How to stop your dog following you
There are ways to help stop following you without punishing them.
- Give them plenty of attention.
- Daily exercise.
- Teach them to go to their bed.
- Use stair gates to stop them going into certain rooms.
- Build up their confidence.
Training your dog not to follow you can take some time, just remember it is not always a bad thing that they do this. They do just want to be with you.
Conclusion
Dogs are very social and intelligent animals. We should watch their behaviour as we can learn a lot from them. Your dog following you can be positive or negative, always watch their behaviour and assess yourself if they just like being with you, or if they need your help.
Further reading:
Discussion