Why Does My Dog Follow Me Everywhere?
You get up to fetch a glass of water and there they are. Into the kitchen, back to the living room, and yes, quite often into the bathroom too.
I
f your dog treats you like the most interesting thing in the house, you are not alone. Shadowing is one of the most common things owners ask us about, and for the most part it is a lovely thing rather than a worrying one. Here is what is actually going on, and how to tell the difference between a dog who simply likes your company and one who is finding time apart genuinely hard.
It starts with an old instinct
Dogs are social animals. Their ancestors lived and travelled in groups, and staying close to the group was how they stayed safe, shared food and knew what was happening around them. An individual who wandered off on their own was an individual at risk.
Thousands of years later your dog sleeps on a sofa and eats from a bowl, but that wiring has not gone anywhere. To them, you are the group. Following you from room to room is simply what members of a group do.
They have worked out your routine, all of it
Dogs are extraordinary observers. They are reading small signals all day long, and they know our habits better than we do.
The cupboard that opens before dinner. The particular way you put your phone down before you reach for the lead. The sound of a certain packet. None of it goes unnoticed, and a dog who follows you is often just making sure they are in the right place when something good happens.
If they could put it into words, most of it would come down to three questions: