Wondering “why does my puppy follow me everywhere” or curious about when do puppies stop following you around? It’s heartwarming yet sometimes overwhelming to have a little shadow at all times. Whether your puppy follows you around due to bonding, seeking security, or just plain love, it’s a behavior many new pet parents experience.

We’ll dive into why your puppy follows you around, from 8 weeks to 3 months and older, and discuss if it’s healthy for them to be this attached. Plus, we’ll provide tips on how to gently encourage more independence in your puppy, ensuring they feel secure even when you’re not in sight. Let’s start exploring this adorable behavior and how to manage it!

Why Does My Puppy Follow Me Everywhere?

Your puppy follows you everywhere due to a combination of factors such as attachment, curiosity, and the instinctual behavior of seeking safety and companionship. Puppies, much like their wolf ancestors, are social creatures that thrive in a pack environment.

As their primary caregiver, you are viewed as the pack leader, someone who provides them with food, security, and social interaction. This natural inclination to stay close to a source of comfort and protection explains why your puppy follows you around everywhere.

Why Does My Puppy Follow Me Around?

Your puppy follows you around because of their natural pack instincts and bond formation process. From a young age, puppies learn to follow their mother and siblings to stay safe and to learn important behaviors. When you bring a puppy into your home, you become their new ‘pack’, and they follow you to feel secure and to learn from you.

Additionally, puppies are curious and eager to explore their surroundings, often seeking guidance and approval from their human companions.

My Puppy Follows Me Everywhere, Is It Okay?

Your puppy following you everywhere is perfectly normal. This behavior indicates that your puppy feels bonded to you and sees you as their leader. It’s a sign of trust and affection. However, it’s important to gradually teach your puppy independence or their clinginess could soon instead be due to separation anxiety.

You can start by leaving them alone for short periods and gradually increasing the time as they become more comfortable being by themselves.

How to Stop Puppy Following Me Everywhere

To stop your puppy following you everywhere and encourage them to be more independent, you can use the “stay” command. In addition to teaching them to remain in place, it creates trust which is important for instilling confidence and preventing separation anxiety. Here’s how to train it:

• Start in a quiet environment without distractions. Have treats or a toy available to reward your puppy for staying in place.
• Practice at a door without opening it initially. Say the command “stay” and reward your puppy when they remain settled and don’t move towards the door.
• Gradually introduce opening the door slightly while commanding “stay.” If your puppy remains in place, reward them. If not, close the door and repeat until successful.

Training this and other commands helps in creating a sense of security in your puppy, even when they’re not right by your side. It’s important to proceed with patience and consistency, ensuring your puppy feels safe and supported during this learning process.

It’s important to remember, however, that the underlying behavioral issues (separation anxiety, poor socialization, etc.) that were causing all of this to begin with will still be present. And until you address those, any positive changes you see will only be temporary.

“Well, how do I make these changes last?”

By getting your puppy to truly choose to follow your direction, that’s how. I tried many times to write out how you can do that before deciding it made more sense to just link you to the free video series that explains it better than I’d ever be able to.

The series is by a man named Dan who is one of the world’s leading dog obedience trainers. In it, he teaches you how to put an end to things like your puppy following you everywhere and all other misbehavior using his fast and easy-to-follow methods.

In the first video, Dan will reveal to you why the two most common methods of dog training only doom you to failure. You can watch the video now by clicking here. Follow the proven system he’ll show you in his series and you’ll never have to spend another second worrying about your puppy following you around ever again!

Puppy Follows Me Everywhere: When Will It Stop?

If you’ve noticed your puppy shadowing your every move, you’re likely wondering when this phase might end. Puppies often follow their owners everywhere as a sign of their developing attachment and reliance for security and companionship. This behavior is most intense during their early months of life but usually diminishes as they grow more independent and confident in their surroundings.

When Do Puppies Stop Following You Around?

Puppies typically begin to show signs of independence around 6 to 12 months of age. As they grow older, their need to follow you everywhere should decrease. This change is gradual and can vary significantly between individual dogs based on their breed, environment, and socialization.

Encouraging independence through gradual, safe exposure to being alone and positive reinforcement when they display independent behavior can help ease this transition. Learn a command that will help in the first section now.

My 8 Week Old Puppy Follows Me Everywhere

At 8 weeks old, puppies are just beginning to adjust to their new home away from their mother and littermates. During this time, it’s completely natural for them to seek comfort and security by staying close to their new human family members. You may still find your puppy cries when you leave the room at this stage.

Providing a nurturing, secure environment and starting to introduce short periods of separation can help your puppy become more comfortable with independence.

My 3 Month Old Puppy Follows Me Around

By 3 months, your puppy may start showing more curiosity about their environment, but still prefer the safety and familiarity you represent. Continuing with consistent training, socialization, and slowly increasing periods of separation will support your puppy’s growth into a confident and independent dog. Remember, patience and positive reinforcement during this phase are key.

As your puppy matures, their need to follow you will naturally decrease. Encouraging independence while providing a secure, loving environment will help them grow into confident adult dogs. It’s also important to enjoy this phase of your puppy’s development, as it’s a sign of the strong bond forming between you.

I’m sure you’re ready to get going now that you have all of your questions about your puppy following you around answered, so I’ll let you begin. Good luck, and thanks for reading our article “Why Does My Puppy Follow Me Everywhere? (+How to Stop!)”.