They greet you at the door
This may seem obvious, but it’s still a strong sign your dog feels connected to you. Sure, the greeting might be motivated by the promise of a potty break or dinner, but the alternative is a dog who retreats, which is a bad sign. A dog greeting you at the door means they’re happy to see you—and that’s a major win for the human-animal bond.
#1 – They Don’t Try To Race Out The Door
If your dog is bonded to you, they will be curious about the outside, but they’re less likely to dash out the door every time you open it in a desperate attempt to get far away. They should mind you when you tell them to sit and stay before opening the door. Training good door behavior is also a great way for your dog to meet visitors. If being close to you is more of a reward and comfort than whatever is outside or a reaction from guests, your dog will probably stay put.
Of course, dogs with high prey drives may bolt out of the door if they see a squirrel or bird whether they’re bonded to you or not. No one knows your dog like you do, so you’ll know whether your dog loves a good chase more than a couch cuddle. Don’t take it personally if he’d rather go for a run.
6 Ways to Reduce Your Dogs Clinginess
For the most part having a velcro dog is no big deal — it just means your dog wants to be by your side. But there are some instances where you might want your dog to keep their distance, and to do that you can teach your dog to be more independent. If you’d like to reinforce some more independence in your dog here’s some training techniques and activities that will help make your dog less clingy.
I have a Clingy Dog
Does your dog follow you everywhere? Do they follow you from room to room, even when you go into the bathroom? If so you have a velcro dog.
In this article we’ll go over why some dogs become velcro dogs, whether or not you should be concerned about it, and what to do if your dog’s clingy behavior becomes a problem.
A velcro dog is a dog that wants to be by their owners side at all times. If your dog follows you around from room to room chances are they’re a velcro dog. Also referred to as being clingy, velcro dogs simply have a desire to be close to their owners.
Certain breeds (such as lap dogs) are more likely to be velcro dogs because they’ve been bred to be more dependent. And breeds that have been bred to work alongside their owners all day long such as German Shepherds are also prone to being velcro dogs.