Okay, I'm not a lifetime dog owner. Sophie has been with us almost nine years and that is the longest any canine has been with our family. So there are still a zillion things I don't know about dog behavior. Cats I understand completely. I could be the friggin' "cat whisperer", half a century with more of them than I can count. But dogs are puzzling. Sophie is way needy and I know that...not a typical dog...or cat for that matter. But what is it about the proximity thing? Tonight I had a simple task. Pace my son's room from closet to bed to hallway pulling out Christmas crap. Then sorting through black bags for an idea of which presents were going where. Our house cats follow me if: A The house is cold and they want a warm lap B The food dish is empty C The food dish is fine, but I'm eating something better D One or another is being bullied and seeking protection E They want to smirk at me over the cat yak on the stove The dogs on the other paw are at my feet ALL the time. I stood at the closet pulling out boxes. Two big butts had to reposition themselves every time I took out a box. Okay shift to the bed, across the room, sorting black bags. The bag for the empty or un-needed packaging is by the door. If I walked to the garbage bag Sophie has to stand up and block bag and door thinking I'm leaving the room. Okay so I started pitching things over their heads to land by the door instead. Now wait, did I forget one more box...in the closet ten feet away. Now both dogs have to get to their feet blocking my way out of the closet. Logic would say lock them out of the room...claw marks on the door frame or whining that gets progressively more desperate. I dunno...we had a border collie who was always seeking to run away and a bassett who didn't care if I lived or died as long as he ate on schedule. These dogs...I just don't understand.
It´s funny that I just had a discussion about this with a friend of mine that is a cat person She feels like she is suffocating with a dog in the house. I on the other hand feel like something is missing without my shadows. There are boundaries of course like no dogs in the bathroom and they all make sure to stay away while I am cleaning and no dogs in the kitchen while I cook. Sometimes they are content with just chilling in their beds or on the couch but most of the time they will follow me around, although not go underfoot as they could get hurt since they are so small. It seems to me that your guys need to learn a tad about boundaries and to stay out of the way even if they are following you. This might be a breed thing, some breeds are more velcro dogs than others and I don´t know enough about bull breeds to answer that. Or they are insecure and maybe need to learn to be a bit more self sufficient.
Boundaries would not work for my dog as she is convinced that she has to look after me if she senses that I am not well. And with no interior doors it would be rather difficult to keep her out of the bathroom! She is, however, mostly careful to keep from underfoot, and I usually clip her 12m tether on when I am cooking for safety - she can get so far into my tiny kitchen but cannot reach the hob, although unless it is bucketing down with rain or really cold I keep my front door open so her tether is always on. Again for safety as it is just long enough so she cannot get to the pavement yet gives her plenty of room for zoomies. I actually like the fact that she turns into a velcro dog at times - she is really only like that if she knows I am not well, and to be honest it is rather comforting. It is as if she is looking after me in the same way I look after her when she has a seizure. I suppose that you could say that Pereg and I have a symbiotic relationship - we both need each other.
I guess kinda sorta inaway I'm flattered. Sophie will wait outside the bathroom door...unless it's thunder then all bets are off. But my hubby is starting to get challenged with his walking. It's somehow teaching them ..I don't know, I wish they could understand people speak for " It's okay stay where you are I am going to be right back in this very same spot in five seconds really". And perhaps "Stand over there and as soon as Daddy sits down you can lay wherever you wish". We joke they think I'm going to crawl out the vent duct and they can't be too careful. But really they can be a wee bit too clingy...
This is probably going to sound weird, but Pereg responds to certain hand signals whereas she would not to spoken words. Yes, she knows the verbal "stay" and will do a wonderful "stay" [even when I have put her chicken back down on the oilcloth on the floor and forgotten to tell her she can have it ] but I also use my form of sign language instead of the spoken word "stay" - I spread my fingers out wide - palm facing her - do a sort of mini hand move forwards - and to her that means "stay". How come she respond to English, Ivrit [my neighbour, who she adores, only speaks Hebrew] and my version of sign language? How come when she is outside and going one way she understands "that way" or "this way" and goes "that way" or "this way"? But she has never known me as anything but disabled and learned to keep away from my chair very quickly - she took a wee bit longer to understand that if I am on my feet propped on my crutches that means "get out of the way like NOW" - it was like she knew wheels could hurt her but it took a bit longer for her to learn that she could hurt me if I was upright. Difficult to explain really because she is not clingy like your two - just gets as close to me as she can but seeming to know how close is too close and not coming any further. As when I am in the shower she will stick her nose through the curtains to make sure I am sitting properly, then go and flonk down in the doorway. I sometimes think that Pereg is far more intelligent than I. But then I frequently think that most dogs are more intelligent than humans. Well, some of them!
Some of my Chihuahua's are forever at my feet. Others are content to watch me from the couch. Rita and Joey are always in the bathroom with me. Sometimes four will follow me to the bathroom. Rheana only leaves the couch to eat and relieve herself. They know I don't mind. If John is in the kitchen they won't go in there until he calls them to come eat. If Johnny puts something in his mouth they are all there waiting for a piece. I think they respond to what they can get away with. Johnny is an animal person. He loves then all. I'm primarily a dog person and John is a cat person. Dogs are a lot more intuitive than people, so they can quickly figure out exactly what they can get away with.
Mouse has his head on my lap or shoulder against my right foot, from the time I get home till I go to bed. Then he eats and climbs in bed and lays beside and snores till I get up.
