10 Reasons Why Is My Dog So Attached To Me All Of A Sudden

Your dog may be showing more attachment to you due to a change in routine, health issues, stress or anxiety, or simply as they get older and become more attached to their owners. Any behavioral changes in your dog should be closely monitored, and if necessary, a veterinarian should be consulted.

When we brought Max for the first time in our house, it used to remain gloomy sometimes, but after 2 to 3 days, it became very clingy. Sara and I both were astonished watching the sudden behavioral change in Max.

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We initially thought this was normal, but we became worried when Max did not leave us for a minute. Sara tried to find solutions on the internet and even asked her friends, who also own several pets, but her friends were left with no approximate answer to our question.

We finally decided to consult with our veterinarian about behavioral changes in Max. From our veterinarian, we got to know something that we think every dog owner should know.

This article will guide you through some tips and precautions if you think, “why is my dog so attached to me all of a sudden.”

There are some specific reasons behind this act of your furry pet.

Most pet owners become confused when they first notice this clingy behavior of their dogs. The same happens to us also. We also had the same questions: Why has my dog become so clingy, and what is velcro syndrome?

So, let’s talk about first why your dog becomes clingy all of a sudden: Well, behind this weird behavior of your dog, there are several reasons, and it is not so clear why dogs become clingy and sometimes want to climb on you.

But, among those reasons, anxiety, sickness, and separation anxiety are the most common. Although there are many other reasons that we will talk about in this article in detail.

The second question, the most common among pet owners in America, is what is Velcro Syndrome?

Okay, Velcro is named after attachment straps. Dog owners use this term to describe the clingy behavior of their dogs. When dogs become so attached and do not want to leave you for even a second, they act like velcro straps, and from there, this term has become popular. Basically clingy and so attached behavior of your dogs can be described as Velcro Syndrome.

Now let us give you some more specific answers to your question, “why is your dog so clingy all of a sudden.”

Most common reasons why your dog is so attached to you all of a sudden

1. Environmental Change

One of the most common reasons dog owners always say is that environmental changes can cause drastic changes in your dog. When people generally shift or move from one place to another, it’s new to their dog. They might feel awkward seeing themselves in a new place and acting strange.

When you bring a new puppy or pet, your furry friend becomes insecure and feels disturbed from their environmental angle. So they start behaving clingy all of a sudden. You may even see your dog acting strange when you bring new members into your family.

Things to do:

To tackle this situation, you have to be patient enough. As you have shifted to a new place, it is important to gradually give comfort to your dog. Try to keep your dog with you in the initial days. Try to introduce new people to that area and new places of the region and help them to find their friends, or you can take them to dog parks in that area too.

2. Boredom

This is also one of the main reasons why your dog has become overly attached. What happens is we often leave our puppy at home all alone when we leave for work. Throughout the day, they feel very lonely. We sometimes try to bring the best dog toys to help them fight against their boredom, yet your attachment and love cannot be replaced with dog toys!

You may see that when you usually stay at home, your dog may not act weird or clingy, but when you go to the office, they start behaving overly attached, even if they try to find shelter and sleep between your legs. Have you ever noticed this? This is simply because of your absence for the entire day. But when they get you back, they feel more comfortable and want you next to them.

As your furry pet gets old, it starts to develop weird behavior. You may notice they may start remaining calm at one time, and at other times they become hyperactive. It has been noticed more in old dogs only.

One of Sara’s close friends faced the same issue with her aged dog. She would say, “I don’t know what happened! my old dog always follows me everywhere!” Later, she learned that this happens with aged dogs!

Things to do:

It is easy for you to help your dog fight against boredom. You can do a few things to shrug off the boredom of your dog is

• Provide some dog chew toys to play with all day to your dogs.
• Take them for a daily walk; daily work makes them agile and boredom free.
• Put some puzzle toys to involve your dog in engaging play so they will remain spontaneous all the time.
• What could be a better way to fight against boredom than meeting new friends? Help your dog to find new friends in your neighborhood.

3. Illness

Dogs often become sensitive when they fall sick and tend to wave their tails to seek attention. This behavioral change in your dog may be a sign that your dog is going through some health issues. It happened to us also. Our furry pal Max did this quite a few times when he got wounded after hitting himself on the wall.

As pet owners, we need to be more careful. So if you see your dog is clingy all of a sudden or it’s rubbing its tail against you, it may be a sign of its illness. Take extra care at that time as they cannot speak languages like humans.

Things to do:

We do not suggest you find a solution on the internet. When you see your dog has some health issue, it is necessary to take them to the nearest vet as early as possible. The more you delay, the issue will be bigger. So without wasting time, take your pal to a vet for an appropriate solution.

4. During pregnancy

Motherhood is one of the most precious things in the world. During this time, your female dog becomes more protective. It has been noticed dogs even become grumpy, bark at night, or try to follow wherever they go during their pregnancy. It is like human behavior. During this time, your dog also needs extra care. If you see any unusual behavior in your dog, it simply means they are asking for your attention.

Pregnant dogs become more protective. They wave their tail at you or may follow you everywhere. So when someone unknown visits your house, they feel insecure and become protective and start barking. This happens when your dog asks you to protect her.

Things to do:

If this is the first time for your dog, then hormonal changes and anxiety may drive your dog to do this. They may need comfort from you. Try to be with your furry pal. You know what it feels as the day becomes closer; they become more sensitive and conscious.

5. Body Heat

This particular sign has been observed especially in Female dogs. When your female canine is in menstruation period, during this time, your canine faces hormonal changes and goes through mood swings or anxiety. While they are on their period, their body gets warmer. Due to this reason, they become restless and behave weirdly. Even hormonal changes make them uneasy.

Things to do:

It is said by the veterinarian that if your dog becomes clingy and excited due to their body heat, notice the symptoms of their body carefully. During their period, female canines become uneasy. To calm them down, it’s better to engage them in water activities. Even providing them with puzzle games also makes them calmer too.

6. During Human Pregnancy

Yes, you read it right. It’s weird yet true! Dogs are sensitive and notice the tiniest changes in their master’s behavior. When a female owner becomes pregnant, the dog can sense their master’s mood swings and behavioral changes. In curiosity, dogs become more clingy to know why their master is not in her usual mood.

Dogs are well known for being the most friendly animals on the planet. They understand the bonding between their master and themselves. Many researchers say that dogs get more emotionally attached during human pregnancy to their masters.

7. Weather Changes

This act is a natural phenomenon of every animate being. Some studies show that dogs start feeling uncomfortable and growling during a thunderstorm or even in heavy rain. So thus, the dogs do these things too.

Always try to wave their tails against you to drag your attention, even if they try to sleep between your legs. In this way, they make themselves comfortable. No wonder, in fear, only your dog looks forward to your support and companionship.

8. Dementia

When we heard this for the first time from our vet, we were blank! We had no clue how a dog could have dementia at all.

Our vet made us understand the way it happens to dogs! Over time when your furry pal becomes old, it tends to lose memory and often remains confused in between thoughts! In the case of dogs, this particular mental disease is popularly known as Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome or CCDS.

Our veterinarian also suggested keeping an extra eye on caring for our pal because when dogs get older, they find themselves confused and cannot decide what to do next, so they get afraid and look for your comfort.

Things to do:

We did not do many things to help our dog fight against dementia. We kept max in our living room. Our veterinarian suggested doing this. When we asked how this would help our dog fight dementia, he told us that keeping pets near you helps them feel secure. In most cases, when a dog is going through this problem, then they often get anxious. So keeping them near you is one of the best ways to help them with dementia.

9. Becomes excited to see a stranger

Dogs are like kids. If you notice carefully, you will see if someone new visits your house, your children become shy or sometimes get over-excited about seeing the stranger. Right?

Likewise, dogs also feel excited to see new people in the family, or sometimes out of insecurity; they get over-attached and don’t want to leave your side at all. This is an instinct of every dog.

Things to do:

If your dog gets excited after watching strangers at your home, then your dog is not very familiar with strangers. The easiest way to keep your dog calm in this situation is to take them for a regular walk and try to meet new people in front of them. In this way, they will consider meeting strangers a common thing.

10. Family changes

If you have a new dog from someone else or a shop, you may notice that the new member tends to become clingy. It is similar to human behavior. In some cases, newly-bought puppies become gloomy. On the other hand, some dogs get over-excited, try to find shelter in you, and start following you every step.

These are the main reasons why your furry friend becomes more attached to you all of a sudden. Although there are many other reasons among all of those, these reasons are undeniable. If you are a pet parent, it may make you worried at the time.

Things to do:

Family changes have huge impacts on pets. It is like going away from family members. If your dog suddenly becomes overly attached to you, it may take time to return to normal behavior. It is not like they will remain clingy for their entire life. Try to keep your dog involved in daily activities like playing inside the pool, meeting new people, taking morning walks, and so on!

However, when you start noticing your dog carefully, you will get a clearer idea of your dog’s behavior. This happens with every pet owner.

Conclusion:

Last but not least, we want to tell you if you find your dog’s behavior is not as usual as it is supposed to be, we suggest you take your dog to your veterinarian as soon as possible. Do not try to examine or self-medicate. It may lead to serious consequences for your dog. We have gone through the same situation and what we did to tackle the situation we brace for in this article. Take care of your furry pal because they bring the maximum joy to you! Aren’t they?

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