# Won't stop following us around



## JeepHound (Mar 14, 2012)

Achilles is 14 months old. He follows us everywhere. Up the stairs, down the stairs, into the bathroom (but leaves when instructed to). I expect this behavior as part of normal puppy behavior, but he's not so much a puppy anymore.

Is this something that should cease on its own or is it something that needs to be learned somehow.

Normally I don't mind, except that at times, I have almost tripped over him coming down the stairs. More concerning is when my 3/yo is coming down the stairs and Achilles pushes him as he is coming down the stairs himself.


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

There's a reason we call them shadows  My girl is 32 months old and is still always on my, or my bf's, heels.


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## Loneforce (Feb 12, 2012)

They are guardian angels. Do you have a plug by the stairway? I suggest a nitelight. When they get older they wont follow as bad, but they will checkup on you.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Hey - at least they are big. Our Chinese Cresteds follow us everywhere as puppies - always underfoot - and they are TINY!! We do the Puppy Shuffle when they are out and about - you basically don't lift your foot off the ground.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

They are known as companion dogs for a reason.

They really do need a human to please and interact with. They don't care what you're doing they just want to do it with _you_.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

LOL.. My Kira is always behind me. She follows me to every room in my house, and will wait at the doorway.
It's a beautiful thing, and a true testament to your dog's devotion to you. 

Enjoy it.

Just an FYI... When she does follow me, I always take the opportunity to exercise her "stay" command. If I'm walking to the other side of my home, and she starts to follow, I'll occasionally put her into a stay, and reward her for waiting for me.


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## BlackthornGSD (Feb 25, 2010)

This is normal GSD behavior. My 14 yr old girl still follows me from room to room.


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## BlackthornGSD (Feb 25, 2010)

MichaelE said:


> They are known as companion dogs for a reason.
> 
> They really do need a human to please and interact with. They don't care what you're doing they just want to do it with _you_.


Exactly.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

I was in my attic today putting x-mas boxes away. Pull down ladder & my boy was trying to climb the ladder to be with me. If I didn't tell him to stay I swear he would have climbed it...not sure how I would have got him down


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

Lisl was with me too, every trip up and down the stairs to the attic. I was doing the same thing as you.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Mine is everywhere I am all the time. If I go in the bathroom and close the door, she lays right by the door. If I leave the door open and jump in the shower, within seconds I have a GSD head in the shower, by the time I'm done her whole head is wet. She actually tries to predict which room I'm going to and she goes ahead of me to get there, if I go the other way she will push past me to get there...I think she's afraid that I will lock her out. I have never tripped over her, now the toys are a different story.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

JeepHound said:


> Is this something that should cease on its own or is it something that needs to be learned somehow.


Why do you want it to cease? That is part of the appeal of GSDs--they want to be with you.  As he matures, though, he'll probably learn to settle and simply watch you go from room to room.



> Normally I don't mind, except that at times, I have almost tripped over him coming down the stairs. More concerning is when my 3/yo is coming down the stairs and Achilles pushes him as he is coming down the stairs himself.


Teach him a "wait" command and a "move" command. If he's lying on the stairway like an accident waiting to happen, tell him "excuse me" and poke him with your toe if you need to. Pretty soon he'll learn to move out of the way when you say "excuse me".

As for the "wait" command, it's much like teaching the "stay" command. Use this when you don't want your 3 year old to get run over by the dog on the stairway. Make sure the child goes first, make the dog wait for her. Then release when the child is out of harm's way.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Teach him to sit until the 3 yr old is down off the stairs like Freestep posted above. If you don't like this type of velcro...never get a dobe!


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## ankittanna87 (Nov 20, 2012)

LOL.. I can compare but the only difference, my boy is 8 weeks old.. 14 months & still doing it? My family's already having a heart laugh about it! My mum made up a new version of "Mary had a little lamb" replacing the words Mary with my name & lamb with pup!


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## JeepHound (Mar 14, 2012)

Freestep said:


> Why do you want it to cease? That is part of the appeal of GSDs--they want to be with you.  As he matures, though, he'll probably learn to settle and simply watch you go from room to room.


I guess I should have been a little wiser in my choice of words. I don't mean I never want him to follow me, but when I need to go to the bathroom or take a shower, I don't need him trying to follow me into the bathroom. 

Guess I would like him to watch me a bit more without having to shadow me all the time.

In the meantime, guess well be using the wait command a bit more lol

Thanks everyone for the reassurance 


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## RowdyDogs (Nov 12, 2012)

I still have to sometimes tell my GSD to wait when I want to go take a shower/go to the bathroom without him...and then he just sits outside the door waiting for me! LOL

I think some of it is security in a younger dog, or in new situations--Hector becomes very clingy after a move, or for a few days when I come home from vacation, etc. But that's also just how they are and that's like 90% of the point of the wait command and crate training.


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## Daisy (Jan 4, 2009)

Everywhere. If I go over the baby gate, she will jump and follow or wait right there, staring down the hall until I return. Same for the bathroom. I can't go anywhere without her. Wouldn't have it any other way!


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

JeepHound said:


> I guess I should have been a little wiser in my choice of words. I don't mean I never want him to follow me, but when I need to go to the bathroom or take a shower, I don't need him trying to follow me into the bathroom.
> 
> Guess I would like him to watch me a bit more without having to shadow me all the time.
> 
> ...


If you go back to my reply, you'll see that I mention random "stays" throughout the house. 
Following me is awesome, getting a treat for waiting for me to return is rewarding. 
That would not only solve your problem, but it would also sneak in some training. 


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

Right now I have 4 GSDs and one border collie all following me room to room. I have a rule, when someone pushes me or steps on the backs of my feet, I push back or I spin around and stare at them. All dogs I've done this with teach them to give a bit of space. If a dog stops infront of me abruptly, I just walk through them, not around them. Then they learn to be more courteous around the house


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

hunterisgreat said:


> Right now I have 4 GSDs and one border collie all following me room to room. I have a rule, when someone pushes me or steps on the backs of my feet, I push back or I spin around and stare at them. All dogs I've done this with teach them to give a bit of space. If a dog stops infront of me abruptly, I just walk through them, not around them. Then they learn to be more courteous around the house


I can appreciate your post. I heard the number one reason adults end up in the ER with broken bones is from tripping over a pet!


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## GusGus (Oct 24, 2012)

RowdyDogs said:


> I still have to sometimes tell my GSD to wait when I want to go take a shower/go to the bathroom without him...and then he just sits outside the door waiting for me! LOL
> 
> I think some of it is security in a younger dog, or in new situations--Hector becomes very clingy after a move, or for a few days when I come home from vacation, etc. But that's also just how they are and that's like 90% of the point of the wait command and crate training.


I live alone, and I just leave the bathroom door open a crack in case he wants to leave, but he normally just lays down right outside the shower. He either goes with me or stays where he can keep an eye on me.


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

I'd find it strange and something they should grow out of.I don't have GSD's though. I like Antony 8858's reply to train them to wait for you when you wish. I'd say it is some sort of mild separation anxiety to need to follow you around everywhere.


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## Capone22 (Sep 16, 2012)

MadLab said:


> I'd find it strange and something they should grow out of.I don't have GSD's though. I like Antony 8858's reply to train them to wait for you when you wish. I'd say it is some sort of mild separation anxiety to need to follow you around everywhere.


Nope. It's normal in the breed. 


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## RowdyDogs (Nov 12, 2012)

MadLab said:


> I'd find it strange and something they should grow out of.I don't have GSD's though. I like Antony 8858's reply to train them to wait for you when you wish. I'd say it is some sort of mild separation anxiety to need to follow you around everywhere.


I disagree (not with Anthony's suggestion, but with the separation anxiety bit). My dogs do not demonstrate anything even close to separation anxiety. The only thing that might fall into that category is Hector being clingy for a day or two after I'm gone for a weekend, but he's fine with the pet sitter and I can leave for hours right after I get back and he's fine, and his body language isn't anxious despite his desire to be right with me more than usual, so I don't think it counts.

I am not sure what breed you own obviously, but wanting to be very close to their owners is a trait that is bred into some dogs. Both my breeds (ACDs and GSDs) are that way. It's especially common in herding and guardian breeds--they wouldn't be much use if they didn't care where their "charges" were! Hector is actually funny because if I'm in the bedroom and my boyfriend is in the living room (or vice versa), Hector will often station himself alone on the bed in the guest room where he can keep an eye on the hallway that leads to both rooms. Either that, or he'll pick one of us to hang out with (generally whoever has the most room for him on comfy couches/beds) and will get up every hour or so to do a quick check on the other person before going back. It's about keeping an eye on things, not separation anxiety.

GSDs were selectively bred in part for their devotion to their owners, so it's to be expected that it manifests as the dog wanting to be with you as much as possible. I'd only worry if the dog was freaking out when the bathroom door was closed or something of that nature.

_Courtney posted: I can appreciate your post. I heard the number one reason adults end up in the ER with broken bones is from tripping over a pet!_

LOL I routinely have 4 dogs following me everywhere I go, but I have to say, my cat is the real threat! I swear that little sucker enjoys lurking in darkened hallways (and he's black so it's not like I can see him easily) and then darting out under my feet!


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

I've a lab cross boxer and a lab cross bullmastiff. The bullmastiff mix is too lazy to follow me around lol. When were out for walks she sticks by me or if in a part of the house she'll be with me but like if i go to the bathroom she won't follow me. 

The lab boxer(1/2 lab 1/4 boxer 1/4 retriever) likes to be with me too but doesn't follow me around. I guess i would never encourage them to do it and would tell them to wait when they were young and reward that. 

They just do there own thing really. I walk them 2-3 hours a day and at home they just relax, sleep in there beds or the couch or on the floor.

I just brought up the separation anxiety as any dog who does try to follow me around does have separation anxiety, I think. I mind friends dogs and the ones that try to follow me to the bathroom etc do whine when i leave the house etc.

I know people who train GSD's for schutzhund and there dogs don't follow them around. They just relax in there crates with the door open. They keep a pretty tight pack structure though and are really good trainers. I don't think they have a genetic impulse to shadow there owners.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Their reputation for being Velcro dogs is one of the reasons why I got a GSD.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

My boy is three years old. He still follows us from room to room.


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## jang (May 1, 2011)

The problem with Sib..AGAIN those bad house manners..is that she goes first..if she starts as a follow she will push ahead and go first...I know I know this is a dominance thing..but how to break her...that I don't know..She will wait at the door to go out or come in, but must be reminded most times...i believe the fact that my dad, who is with her every day I work, does not enforce ANY rules on her..."Jusy let her be a dog, FCOL"..Gotta love em


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## lzver (Feb 9, 2012)

Our Jake is almost a year old and he follows us everywhere! It is better now though ... a few months ago it was hard to get him back downstairs or upstairs, but now he comes with us when we ask him to. So now that he does that, he is allowed to accompany us when we go upstairs or downstairs.

I never really realized how much of a shadow they are until we got Jake.


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## Bear L (Feb 9, 2012)

My dog only reliably follows me to the kitchen or the backyard.


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## Jd414 (Aug 21, 2012)

My 7 month old male follows me every where also. If I close the bathroom door when I come out he's laying there waiting for me.


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## jang (May 1, 2011)

jang said:


> The problem with Sib..AGAIN those bad house manners..is that she goes first..if she starts as a follow she will push ahead and go first...I know I know this is a dominance thing..but how to break her...that I don't know..She will wait at the door to go out or come in, but must be reminded most times...i believe the fact that my dad, who is with her every day I work, does not enforce ANY rules on her..."Jusy let her be a dog, FCOL"..Gotta love em


I guess I got a little off subject there..fact is ..where I go Sib goes...I like it that way most times...same behaviour as most of you have mentioned..waiting outside the bathroom door etc..sorry for the misdirection...


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## GSDMUM (Aug 18, 2011)

That's a Shepherd ! Alll of mine follow me around all the time. When I go to the bathroom they are both waiting outside the door and then follow me to where I am. They are VERY loyal dogs and LOVE for their owners...a real Velcro dog, as they say!


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## zivagirl (Jan 5, 2013)

The Velcro nature actually appeals to me. I am a patient advocate (private), and part of my goal is to have my GSD come to work with me. Once I get to know my girl, of course.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

I wouldn't want to have a dog that didn't want to be with me. In fact, if they didn't follow me, I would become the velcro because I don't trust them in another room by themselves until they are OLD. *grin*


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## Jo Ellen (Aug 30, 2011)

Spirit follows me everywhere also. If he's sleeping and I leave the room, he wakes up and follows me. I always know where he is and, except for when I'm away from home, he always knows where I am.

I like it that way


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

Wolfie just turned 3 years old, and he follows us everywhere. If I don't let him in the bathroom with me, he pretends that there is someone at the door, to make me come running out. I only fell for that twice. LOL!


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## Sasha86 (Sep 8, 2012)

Galathiel said:


> I wouldn't want to have a dog that didn't want to be with me. In fact, if they didn't follow me, I would become the velcro because I don't trust them in another room by themselves until they are OLD. *grin*


So true if she's not by my side I know that she is up to no good. Usually I go an check on her and see that ahe actually is stealing, counter Surfing etc in a matter of minutes 
lmaoo


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## Jo Ellen (Aug 30, 2011)

Sasha86 said:


> So true if she's not by my side I know that she is up to no good. Usually I go an check on her and see that ahe actually is stealing, counter Surfing etc in a matter of minutes
> lmao


Yep, in the span of about 5 minutes this morning, Spirit chewed up the toilet paper roll, the plunger and my bath sponge. :crazy:


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## SueDoNimm (Jul 3, 2012)

Jerry follows me everywhere. I thought of this thread last night when I was bringing hot water from the bathroom to the kitchen (dishwasher is broken and being fixed today, we had to turn the hot water in the kitchen off to pull it out and I needed to wash dishes) and he followed me back and forth for all four trips. Even if he looks super comfortable on his bed, he'll still get up and follow me if I leave the room. He's pretty good about staying out of the way, for such a big dog.


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## zivagirl (Jan 5, 2013)

I am squealing in anticipation, you guys!


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## mssandslinger (Sep 21, 2010)

thats my fav part about Zero. He will follow me anywhere and everywhere to make suer that im okay.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

I always say "if my life was half as exciting as the dogs think it is...." lol

Haven't been by myself in so long I don't remember. If it's not the dog, it's the kids. If neither of those, it's the husband


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Jo Ellen said:


> Yep, in the span of about 5 minutes this morning, Spirit chewed up the toilet paper roll, the plunger and my bath sponge. :crazy:


 
I can see now why you were worried about the battery


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## Gharrissc (May 19, 2012)

My Casja likes to follow me around,and so do all of my fosters. The only one who doesn't follow me from room to room is my Cattle Dog,unless she needs to go outside. The favorite spot to lay seems to be right behind me when I am cooking,which isn't a good idea when I am carrying hot stuff. What I usually do is have them hold a down stay so that they can see me,but are safe.

The following around seems to be more of a Shepherd thing,as the other breeds seem to appreciate observing from a distance.


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## readaboutdogs (Jul 8, 2001)

That's one of the things I miss about Cody, he was always with me! Room to room, laying beside whatever I was doing, back and forth putting away things or cleaning, even running the sweeper he never left the room! Always near, watching!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

> I know people who train GSD's for schutzhund and there dogs don't follow them around. They just relax in there crates with the door open. They keep a pretty tight pack structure though and are really good trainers. I don't think they have a genetic impulse to shadow there owners.


?? I don't think a SchH dog is any different than others when it comes to wanting to be with their person or people. Every dog I know of that is a partner to their handler wants to be with the handler.


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## readaboutdogs (Jul 8, 2001)

About the pushing on by the little guy, I don't know, maybe a wait stay till clear or dog go first. Ours will forge on ahead out doors, etc, but everybody is grown here! But I have been about knocked over a time or two myself stepping down into the garage and they really wanted to the door!


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## Muneraven (Sep 4, 2012)

I have four dogs and they all follow me everywhere, lol. The oldest one, who is 14, will wait at the top or bottom of the stairs now to see if I am just making a quick trip. She gets tired. But the rest of them trek after me even if I just go down to get something I forgot.

As for the bathroom. . .we have an old house with old doorknobs and, since the kids have been gone, we just push the bathroom door shut when nobody is here but us to save wear and tear on the old door latch. It is REQUIRED for one dog to come in and lie on the bathroom rug and guard anyone on the toilet or in the bathtub. Their rule, not mine. In fact there is a bit of a competition going on right now to see who gets to the rug first. Interestingly, my females look away pointedly and politely while you do your business. The boys just sort of look at you like "Hurry up this is BORING."

I'm not an expert, but I've always assumed that dogs know one is somewhat vulnerable while going to the bathroom and therefore stand watch while another member of the pack is going. Including me. And the bathtub . . .well, that's just hideous to them! I figure they are worried about me being in all that smelly bubble stuff, lol. They almost have heart attacks when we get in the hot tub. They keep peering dubiously over the edge of it like "Why are you cooking yourself?!"

I like that they all follow me. Our three cats make sporadic visits to me throughout the day, but the dogs are around me no matter where I am. I don't think I remember how to walk without looking out for them!


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

MadLab said:


> I don't think they have a genetic impulse to shadow there owners.


And we know that they do, because most of us here own at least one


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## Andrew Robert (Nov 19, 2010)

This a good thing and very normal!! 

You could always work on the down stays if he's getting in your way. I understand that part but this is a companion dog that wants to follow. Teach him to go before or after your son does. 

Maybe you could have him follow you around the house but go to certain points once you reach the room. Have fun with it and teach him some new things. 

I think having a loyal GSD at your side everywhere you go is the best part.


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## RowdyDogs (Nov 12, 2012)

jang said:


> The problem with Sib..AGAIN those bad house manners..is that she goes first..if she starts as a follow she will push ahead and go first...I know I know this is a dominance thing..but how to break her...that I don't know..She will wait at the door to go out or come in, but must be reminded most times...i believe the fact that my dad, who is with her every day I work, does not enforce ANY rules on her..."Jusy let her be a dog, FCOL"..Gotta love em


If your dad is letting her go out the door ahead of him, it's likely that you'll always have to remind her that she has to wait for you. It's hard on them when the rules aren't consistent like that.

FWIW, I don't believe that the order you go through the door has anything to do with dominance. Of my now 5 dogs, the two most submissive ones are always the first of the pack out the door, and none of the other dogs care, including the one who is a stickler for rules and social etiquette and has no problem policing the other dogs if I let him (and in fact likes to boss the GSD around, so I think that if he saw it as the GSD being dominant over him, he'd absolutely react). That alone makes me not believe it, but I also actually want my dogs to go out the door ahead of me (makes it easier to close the door on our way out) so have always encouraged my dogs to do so, and never had any issues with it.  It can be a behavioral issue (say, if the dog is charging out any time you open the door), but that's different from a dominance display.


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## mebully21 (Nov 18, 2011)

both my pitx and gsd follow me everywhere, if i go in the bathroom they both follow me and wait for me to be done, no matter where i go they are both behind me.


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## zivagirl (Jan 5, 2013)

I gave up going anywhere alone since the birth of my first child.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

JeepHound said:


> I guess I should have been a little wiser in my choice of words. I don't mean I never want him to follow me, but when I need to go to the bathroom or take a shower, I don't need him trying to follow me into the bathroom.
> 
> Guess I would like him to watch me a bit more without having to shadow me all the time.
> 
> ...


 
This cracks me up. There's one of those fun sayings going around here. 

"Having a German Shepherd means never going to the bathroom alone ever again"

Yup. welcome to the GSD world. Try having four of them all trying to squeeze into the bathroom with you!


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## apenn0006 (Jun 22, 2012)

My 4-year old daughter gives me more privacy than my dog. Although I have figured out the secret to keeping him out of the bathroom....if I call him in a high pitch coercing voice to come into the bathroom he runs the other way and will stay away for the next hour. He really does like baths...he just hasn't figured that out yet, though.


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## RowdyDogs (Nov 12, 2012)

apenn0006 said:


> My 4-year old daughter gives me more privacy than my dog. Although I have figured out the secret to keeping him out of the bathroom....if I call him in a high pitch coercing voice to come into the bathroom he runs the other way and will stay away for the next hour. He really does like baths...he just hasn't figured that out yet, though.


Ooh, that's a good idea! My GSD absolutely hates baths--he tolerates them, but sits there and whines the whole time. LOL


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## apenn0006 (Jun 22, 2012)

RowdyDogs said:


> Ooh, that's a good idea! My GSD absolutely hates baths--he tolerates them, but sits there and whines the whole time. LOL


That's what mine does. If he knows hes trapped in the bathroom he will go ahead and jump in the tub. And he's fine to come into the bathroom on his own, it's just when I try to call him to come into it that he gets suspicious


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## JeepHound (Mar 14, 2012)

I've taken the advice to just use the opportunity to train the stay and wait command. He has been doing well with that, but then again he just got neutered and has other things on his mind lol


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## myshepharley (Feb 11, 2011)

Harley will soon be six and he still is my constant shadow. He even helps me vacuum, he literally is right next to me every turn and move. Now if i could teach him to use it!!! If he isnt there, i am the one who goes looking for him!!!! One of the reasons why i love him so dearly.


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