dogs taking over her life ( advice )

had a phone call yesterday from a lady seeking advice ( i know a friend of hers ) this lady is a bit at her wits end and in a way i could sympathise with her..she has 2 dogs a 3 year old and an 8month old she says she is home with them all day and loves them dearly they enjoy nice walks and fun play but the last month or so she feels like they have taken over her life ......she said they bark when she gets a shower and howls when she's not in the room and they both crave attention for her so much its began to make her unhappy like she can't breath ...my only reply was to try and sepnd some time away from them and to get into a routine where she has HER time

i can sympathise i told her i think some dog owners at some time like to have the whole sofa to sit on or like to eat a meal without being looked at and with me having 5 dogs i do feel like its a full time job sometimes its just about routine

does anyone have any advice i a can pass on ? anyone had a really clingy dog and what did you do ?

10 views and no reply

None of my dogs are particularly clingy but then I have got them used to being left. I don't let them follow me to the loo and when my youngest goes really whingy I ignore him. He's learning that the noisier he is the long he's left alone! I wont even open the door until he is quiet.
Becky

thanks becky i do feel for her she told me she feels ruled by them ...i have one that would follow me everywhere if i would let her and sometimes plays up for attention but like you i just ignore her she soon gets fed up

Think she needs to go back to scratch... start leaving them for short periods. Be a bit harder than teaching a puppy coz they obviously have become used to her being there all the time but I reckon over time they'll be fine. Think she just needs to be hard about it and not fall for the soppy looks and the whines. All the usual stuff, ignore them when she comes in and when they are howling, barking etc

I would suggest that she does some training with them like sit & stay & use distractions like bones/filled kongs that they only get when they are left. Maybe if she went to a local dog training club she will be given practical help

Yes Ian put it much better than me lol! Back to Basics I think is a very good idea.
Becky

I think we all have periods like that don't we...sometimes I feel like all I do is walk ,feed, clean and shovel s**t!!!!!! Normally when I'm feeling tired or ill or there's something else pretty stressful going on or when there's something I would much rather be doing.
I agree with you Inca, she needs to start training them to be on their own...there's loads of threads on here about dogs being left...the use of kongs/stairgates, making the dogs think time on their own is a great thing, not a bad thing...all thaqt sort of thing.
Best thing you can tell her IMO, is like you said, get them used to being apart form her...and that this too shall pass....

thanks guys great advice ..i sypmathise mine can be a handful sometimes they are all very attactched to me ...i started a few years ago putting them to bed for an hr in the day so i could get on indoors it worked great i did mention training to her and she was interested

i think the dogs have been spoiled great tips keep them comming

Think they might be ideal candidates for the NILIF programme -

http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm