Too attached?

I've been home a lot lately since I'm currently unemployed and Bacon has been getting more and more clingy. I'm worried that I may be creating a future problem.

He follows me everywhere (even the bathroom) and gets upset if I don't let him come along. When I leave him home in his crate, he won't touch his water or food. Also, most times he ignores the other family members and If I move he moves. He only does this with me. I know it's because he's my dog, but seems like he's a bit too clingy if you ask me.

Is there a way to help him be more independent, or am I worrying too much? Should I just be happy I have a dog that wants to go everywhere I go? Right now it's not a big deal, but I also don't want him to be too spoiled either...

I can't stand a clingy dog, it causes unnecessary anxiety. If i were you i would give him a time out from you everyday, even if that involves just you leaving him in the living room and you going to your bedroom.

Darcy was 5 months before being left in her own as my son was out of work but we did time out from the start, we just watched TV in the bedroom, at first for sort periods lengthing the time she was left as time went by, she follows me everywhere bathroom too but can also happily be left alone

Not probably a good thing as it could turn into separation anxiety, I would try the suggestions above.  

I personally have no problem with a clingy dog , it's all part of the love you get to share with them , but you must work on the separation by reintroducing it gradually for short periods and extending just so Bacon gets used to it again . I always get the massive sad eyes from Tilly and Tommy (generally they are with me at all times when I am at home unless they are stalking Mum ) but I know they are fine when they are left I get sulking and will not eat the treat I have left , but I can always guarantee its gone when I get back.

Rocky is more attached to me, but he is fine being left alone, when I am home, he will follow me about or sit by the door wondering where I have gone as he knows im still in the house, but if I say goodbye to him, he knows im gone, I don't know how he does but he just does, I would try the suggestions above and see how you go Good luck!

Too be honest daisy follows me round the house but I dont have a problem when it comes to leaving her on her own or with other people, she's very fickle!! If you are worried practice the suggestions above :-)

Our two dogs follow us around but will also quite happily chill on their own in another room when the mood takes them.

I can only really echo what those above have said and try to build up the alone time gradually. Start off by just going into another room by yourself for a while then build up to leaving the home for a few minutes, leave a radio on for some background noise. Gradually building up the time you leave Bacon alone should help to reduce the separation anxiety.

Agree with the above advice of gradually increasing the time. Also when you are home leave him in another room with his favourite toy or some food. First time only for a few seconds and then increase, but make sure great things happen when he is on his own (food, toys etc)

A clingy dog i don't mind as long as they don't suffer with SA and are fine with time on their own.

Chance i wouldn't call clingy, but he's never much more then a couple of inches away from me, but tends to sit on guard 24/7 but it's part and parcel of his breed. However i can leave him alone in other rooms, or leave the house, and he never cries and is quite happy to be on his own

ella wrote:
Chance i wouldn't call clingy, but he's never much more then a couple of inches away from me,

  I know what you mean Ella

That's when I know Daisy is really tired when she doesn't get up of the sofa when I leave the room, part of me thinks she's just nosy and doesn't want to miss anything!!

Awww jenson is very clingy to me follows me everywhere he follows me even to the toilet and sits and waits for me ... I find it lovely and very loving but from the beginning I have always left jenson from anything to 10 mins to a couple of hrs and hes been fine he knows im goin out when I get out his bye bye bone from freezer and he too interested in that to worry about me leaving then when im home the bone goes bck in freezer

Dempsey's not clingy, but does tend to follow me a lot. He's laying by my chair at the moment!

He's happy enough to be left alone as long as it's a routine thing. I've always taken him to work, but lately Eleanor's been home so I've left him with her - but then he howls, which isn't nice.

I think if you do what Dave & Kathy sugest you should be ok.

marley and laska follow me everywhere and he will come up and stick his head on my lap for a stroke sometimes even "hugging me" with his front feet and will fall asleep like that. however they are fine being left alone while im at work. wasnt always like that though as he used to howl like mad, what fixed that was not fussing them when i got home for about two months, was as hard as hell but it worked wonders

Herbie suffered with seperation anxiety quite bad & would literally be glued to me or my oh wherever we went, happy to say he is slowly getting over the anxiety & is now never more than an arm length away from me or my oh. A case of tough love from us is slowly working, however he does love a snuggle in the morning & evening & boy are they amazing, Staffie cuddles are outta this world xxx

I think it is partly a staffy theing. They love human company. Same as most on here. Blue isn't sat on my feet but he will follow me about. He is happy if he is in the same room (Like now he is snoring his head off like an old man) but if I go to work he just takes himself to bed.
Think the suggestions are good. I do seperate him from me when I eat. He lies in the living room on his own until everyone has eaten but thats cos he will just sit there with the sad eyes trick licking his lips otherwise

Pixee is the same, and to this day, she still gets upset when I say those words, mummy is going out, but I wont be long, I get the head down, eyes looking away and the slow low walk to her chair in the conney, which is where she has always waited for me, as she can watch for me, and will not ever touch any treats I leave her, ever now, but I know once I am gone, she is fine as she use to cry, now she will give me that nasty side ways look out the window, but her ears are up and I know she is just fine. And she is my shadow at the best of times too.

Thanks for all the good advice! My assumption was that this was partly a Staffy thing along with a bit of anxiety.

I've left Bacon on his own with my parents and brother for one day, a week, and up to two weeks. Other than being a bit gloomy, he was fine. Once i'm gone he's usually fine with it.

The not eating part is only when I leave him in his crate with food for a couple of hours. I'm assuming that's not that unusual. I don't think he'd starve himself.

The biggest issue I am concerned with is him following me everywhere and not allowing me to be alone in another part of the house for a few minutes (unless he's really tired or fixated on a toy). Also, when I leave he gets upset and gives me the courtesy jump and nip on my clothes. I think I will work on a smoother exit with treats/kong and stay command. It's just a pain in the but to fill a kong or have a treat ready everytime I want to leave the house!

Lola and Chloe both follow me everywhere - can get quite crowded in the bathroom! We give them filled Kongs when we leave and they ignore them and stare at us with big sad eyes. Then, if we peep through the window after we've 'left' they're happily eating their Kongs and playing. The big sad eyes are just for us!!