Why Does My Dog Follow Me Everywhere?

Have you ever noticed that no matter what room you go into, your dog will eventually follow along and sprawl out — seemingly watching your every move?

While it might make your heart happily flutter when you find your dog constantly right behind you, you might also wonder why that is.

That’s why The Dodo reached out to Dr. Andrea Tu, medical director at Behavior Vets NYC, to find out a little bit more.

“Your dog may follow you everywhere simply because they like you and want to spend time with you!” Dr. Tu said.

That’s the simple answer in most cases: Dogs are pack animals and tend to feel more comfortable when their pack — aka YOU, gahh how cute — is around them.

But there can be times when the behavior might be more serious than your dog’s natural pack mentality.

“If your dog truly is like your shadow and acts like he or she is attached to you by a bungee cord, this may be indicative of an anxiety condition,” Dr. Tu said.

According to Dr. Tu, there are other anxiety signs that tend to be missed. “Other signs of anxiety that are often missed include excessive air licking (especially when there is no food around) and yawning (especially when the dog is not tired/not at times when your dog would be sleeping),” she explained.

So while there’s a good chance your pup following you around is just out of love, Dr. Tu recommends that if you are concerned, you should speak to your veterinarian — or a veterinary behaviorist — to rule out a behavior condition that may need treating.