# My dog is my shadow!!



## xxxlisaxxx (Oct 15, 2007)

Does anyone else's dog follow their every single move and i mean EVERY SINGLE MOVE??????

My 2 year old cocker follows me everywhere and has always done so. He follows me from the cooker to the fridge, from fridge to the table, from kitchen to the toilet. He could be fast asleep and if i stand up to fix my jumper he is up and beside me. What is this all about folks. Most days i tolerate it but there are days it drives me totally nuts and now with having 2 dogs the pup follows the cocker everywhere so i have 2 dogs at my heels all day everyday. I could cope with leaving a room and them following me but even when i am in the same room he has to follow me around. I cant tell you the amount of times i have fallen over my dogs or stepped on their paws etc. There has never been a single time when I have moved that my cocker has sat still (unless he is in crate). It really is becoming frustrating now. Is there a way to train them to stop this.

Just to add - the days i get really frustrated with this i will shout at him and say "get into bloody bed" and off he goes. But I dont do this often as he really is not doing anything wrong!!!!


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## chul3l3ies1126 (Aug 13, 2007)

My Guera is my shadow... I think worse than a shadow... but I do not hate it one tiny bit at all. I appreciate it and love it, and miss it when I'm somewhere else and she is not around. I take her everywhere that I can, one of my teacher's at the University even gave me permission to bring her in. 

Does it bother you that much? Do they get in the way or something? Just wondering.

I absolutely love it, and wouldnt have it any other way... my dad calls her a Mosca- it means fly in spanish slang. I am really going to be lost when she is over the rainbow bridge... I dont know what I am going to do.


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## Betty (Apr 15, 2007)

Carolina has taken to following me around everywhere. It doesn't bother me, but I do have to make sure I don't step on her. She even likes to watch me shower, and even tries to get in the tub. When I'm in a room, she likes to sit facing the entrance of the room, almost like she's guarding me against intruders.  

Nothing makes me feel like a silly human more than a tiny dog quizzically cocking her head at me while I put makeup on in the mirror.


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## Darkmoon (Mar 12, 2007)

Seems like every animal I've owned has been my shadow. I had a cat (who is now 12 years old) that would literally be in my shadow every step I took. If I accidentally took one step backwards, I would have stepped on her. That never bothered me. It was just a sign of how much she loved me.

Carter is another story (must be the size). He’s always on my fiancé's heels or on mine. He's finally gotten the "Go lay down" command, so he'll leave the kitchen if we are in there cooking. Nothing like having a sharp knife in your hands and tripping over the dog and having the knife go flying itches away from my fiancé's leg. 

Sounds like its time to teach your dogs to lay outside the room that you are in. I’ve only gotten the kitchen so far to work. But If Carter would walk into the kitchen I would say “Nah ah!” and tell him to “back up” until he was out of the kitchen then give him the “sit” “down” command and then walk away. When he gets up, we repeat. Do this until he understands. Took Carter about 5 times to understand, but he does forget after a while and we have to start the “game” all over again. He knows that he is allowed to come into the kitchen to get a drink, but as soon as he is done he must leave the kitchen again. He’s doing well.


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## doxies13isenough (Nov 12, 2007)

I have two dachshunds that are that way. One is worse than the other. every move I make Hershee is right there. She even sleeps with me and when I turn over she turns over. I have to admitt. I LOVE IT!! I look down and those big brown eyes are looking back filled with love. I have tripped over her a couple of times, I always say now Hersee you have to give mom about two steps so you wont get squashed. she backs a bit but is still right there.


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

Yup, both dogs and one of my cats follow me everywhere, except outside of course, because that would actually be useful. My previous dog was so bad about it that he ended up with a broken leg when my ex accidentally backed up and stepped on him. My current dogs aren't that bad, they do follow and like you said, I can be on the sofa and they'll go into another room to sleep, but if I get up to get the remote or something , they are up and in there in two seconds time. They usually stay about a foot back though and they also stare at me, lol. My cat caused me to fall down a few stairs just last a couple days ago, lucky I was not injured, but it made me soooo mad.


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## xxxlisaxxx (Oct 15, 2007)

chul3l3ies1126 said:


> My Guera is my shadow... I think worse than a shadow... but I do not hate it one tiny bit at all. I appreciate it and love it, and miss it when I'm somewhere else and she is not around. I take her everywhere that I can, one of my teacher's at the University even gave me permission to bring her in.
> 
> Does it bother you that much? Do they get in the way or something? Just wondering.
> 
> I absolutely love it, and wouldnt have it any other way... my dad calls her a Mosca- it means fly in spanish slang. I am really going to be lost when she is over the rainbow bridge... I dont know what I am going to do.


Most of the time NO it does not bother me and YES they seem to be always in my way probably now that I have 2 of them getting in my way I am becoming more frustrated with it. I think its more in the kitchen that i get irratated with it as I could be dashing from one appliance to another etc and end up stepping on the dogs ALOT. I find it funny actually that no matter how many times i have stepped on my cocker he still insists on being near me. I know I should not moan about it and it is rather sweet but when you have 2 small kids coming in from school wanting dinner etc it can become quiet crowded. If i am stood for any lenght of time by the cooker or something they will then insist on lying on my feet they just cannot lie in another part of the same room. I keep saying THEY but its definately more the cocker as the pup is just copying everything he does. Also its not only me my cocker will follow but also my partner will be followed everywhere as well when he is around or whichever one of us is moving at the time

Let me just add both my dogs are BIG cocker is a mix and about the size of a lab and weighs 4 stone and my samoyed is only 4 months but nearly as tall as him and will get ALOT bigger!!!


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## ozzy (Sep 29, 2007)

My dog does this too. I was kind of hoping it was a puppy thing but I guess I know better now 

He follows me pretty much everywhere except when he wants to sleep. If he is sleepy enough he will ignore me and chill on the couch or floor. If he is only a little sleepy he will do the same thing and jump up if I move. I can move from the couch to the computer which is about 10 feet away and he jumps up and comes over to the computer. When I shower he usually stays outside the shower staring at it. I leave the bathroom door open while showering usually so he can come in and wait for me.


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## xxxlisaxxx (Oct 15, 2007)

ozzy said:


> My dog does this too. I was kind of hoping it was a puppy thing but I guess I know better now
> 
> He follows me pretty much everywhere except when he wants to sleep. If he is sleepy enough he will ignore me and chill on the couch or floor. If he is only a little sleepy he will do the same thing and jump up if I move. I can move from the couch to the computer which is about 10 feet away and he jumps up and comes over to the computer. When I shower he usually stays outside the shower staring at it. I leave the bathroom door open while showering usually so he can come in and wait for me.


LOL trust me its not just a puppy thing I have 2 kiddies and it amazes me as they dont get under my feet half as much You mentioned about sleeping well it does not matter how much of a deep sleep my cocker is in he will jump at the slightest movement and then the look on the pups face when he is woken with a startle its like "what, what, whats going on"


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## darlin (Jun 18, 2007)

I have four dogs that follow my every move. They lay by me in every room i'm in. I'm remodeling my house and I can be painting a room and they are all laying on the paint covers watching me. In fact they all just got done eating and as I'm writing this all four of them have mosied over to hang with me. I don't really mind except for the bathroom. I don't let them in with me so they hang out by the door with two of them barking at me. I don't encourage it but i think cause i'm home all day they just consider me one of them. It does get a little aggravating sometimes like when i'm dressing to go out, but I also miss it when i travel and they aren't around.


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## LittleFr0g (Jun 11, 2007)

Yep! My Pug follows me everywhere I go. If I get up and walk across the room, he gets up with me, the minute I sit down, he's in my lap, when I'm standing, he's leaning on my legs, or sitting on my feet. I love it, but I know some people find it annoying. Goes with the territory for Pugs though, they're total velcro dogs.


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## poodlenuts (Dec 9, 2007)

your the leader, the boss,the big cheese, hens the term "Man best friend"


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## Roscosmom (Nov 24, 2007)

My Harlie Girl follows me from room to room. Rosco is *starting* to take her place because he's just a bit faster and tends to get closer to my legs than she does. So I guess I'm saying that both dogs do this. Heh.

It doesn't bother me at ALL. The stopping and watching to see what I'll do next aggravates the piss out of me though. 

It wasn't until we went on vacation without Harlie a couple years ago that I realized how much I missed my "shadow"..although I don't refer to her as my shadow, she's more like my theme music. Taking steps without the chingy ching chang of collars and tags following just doesn't feel right.


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## xxxlisaxxx (Oct 15, 2007)

Roscosmom said:


> The stopping and watching to see what I'll do next aggravates the piss out of me though.



What a statement, i know exactly where you are coming from, cant stop laughing here 

Well its good to know that my dog has not got some major clingy problem. Just cant believe I am saying more and more to my dogs "what the hell is up with you guys" and "for god sake will you sit down" than I am to my kids.


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## Ella'sMom (Jul 23, 2007)

Sigh. I miss my shadow. My lab Bailey used to follow me everywhere. He would even lie outside the shower and wait for me to finish. Sometimes it was a little annoying but now that he is gone I miss it so much. 
Ella follows me too but not as bad. She just likes to be where there is someone with her. Enjoy your shadow........trust me.....it's a good thing.


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## xxxlisaxxx (Oct 15, 2007)

Ella'sMom said:


> Enjoy your shadow........trust me.....it's a good thing.


awwwww thanks I will. I have never spent much time away from my cocker (blackie) so I dont really know if I would miss it or not. I am sure tomorrow will be a better day BUT today was one of those days where it really did get on my nerves. Thank god for 3/4 of an acre of land my house is on, when I find it gets too much I put the 2 of them outside for a well earned half hour rest FOR MYSELF!!!!!


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## Roscosmom (Nov 24, 2007)

xxxlisaxxx said:


> What a statement, i know exactly where you are coming from, cant stop laughing here
> 
> Well its good to know that my dog has not got some major clingy problem. Just cant believe I am saying more and more to my dogs "what the hell is up with you guys" and "for god sake will you sit down" than I am to my kids.


I hear that! Sometimes they make me feel so boring. Like they're waiting for me to do something exciting, but no..I'm just folding clothes, guys, it's what I do. Harlie is good and she'll usually retreat to a bed nearby, since she has one in every room  And Rosco is at an age where everything I do impresses him.._behold, mommy knows how to zipper a jacket..OOOoh_..look, mommy is using this contraption to clean up your Christmas tree mess, she's the _coolest!_


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## prolibertate (Nov 7, 2007)

My puppy follows me everywhere; my mother said I should have named him Shadow...but since he's a companion dog and that's what I wanted, it doesn't bother me at all. He'll lay close to me when I'm cooking, follow me to the downstairs bathroom; you walk and he'll follow.

You can teach your dog to settle in one spot. Here's a few links to get you started.

http://www.k9events.com/training4.htm

http://www.clickertraining.com/node/868

http://www.clickertraining.com/node/1015

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1574&S=1


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