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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I have a 2 year old dog. I’m beginning to feel some resentment. He’s terrible on a leash and has become reactive to most other dogs, some people, and all squirrels. I’m working on it. Every walk is stressful and I’m mortified when he lunges and barks at a dog that is just nicely walking down the street and paying him no mind. I have to constantly scan for squirrels so I can try to treat treat treat so he won’t react. I’ve fallen twice because of his reactivity (my legs got wrapped up in his leash).

He also is an excessive barker. Out the window he sees the woman who lives behind us, on the other side of the alley entering her home, he starts loudly barking. He’s sleeping on the floor and hears a a car door close. He jumps up, sprints to the window, and starts loudly barking. He’s downstairs and he hears my son get out of bed upstairs and walk to the bathroom; he jumps up, runs to the steps and starts loudly barking.  These are just a few examples. He barks at every nearly every noise.  He can’t even be in the yard because as soon as he hears anything he starts barking as if there is an intruder on the other side of the fence. Playtime in the yard usually lasts a few minutes or so before he has to be brought in because he’s loudly barking. Yes, someone is always with him in the yard. I’m  trying to work on this but it’s such a pain. Last night while cooking dinner he barked (for minor outside noises) 5 times. Each time I ran to him , gave the quiet command, and quickly treated when he was quiet. Happened a few more times while I was eating dinner. This is exhausting. And it makes me sad.

There is also the issue that I am his person. I’ve heard the term Velcro dog but this is excessive.  He can be playing with my kids in the living room or just sleeping on the floor, and as soon as I stand up he runs to my side.  If I head toward the stairs he bolts up the stairs and goes to my room. If I sit back down he’ll go back to what he’s doing.  If I decide to get into bed at 7pm he will spend the rest of the evening laying on the floor next to my bed. My kids will try to engage him and get him to go downstairs and play but he won’t leave my side. If I go downstairs he will follow and he will then play and go in the backyard with them. If I close my bedroom door because I need a minute to myself , he sits outside my door and waits for me instead of joining everyone else downstairs. He’ll also scratch my door, but not excessively. He never leaves  my side unless I go in my bedroom or the bathroom and close the door.  I trained “out of the kitchen” because he will stay right next to me touching my leg as I move around the kitchen. My kitchen is small and I was constantly almost stepping on his foot or accidentally kneeing him in the head. When I send him out of the kitchen he stands right at the threshold and watches me.

I’ve had him for a year. He was not like this initially and I keep wondering what I did to cause this. Although, he was always a Velcro dog, but this feels more intense than that. According to his previous owner, when her daughter would take him for a walk he would whine because he didn’t want to go without her (owner). So I think he’s been extra clingy to one person always.  He doesn't necessarily do that here, but there are times where one of my kids is at the door to walk him and he stops and looks back at me and I have to say “go boy, go on a walk”.

He’s sweet and gentle in all other ways, and he’s incredibly cute. People stop me all the time to comment on how cute he his. But had I known it would be like this I  don’t think I would have  gotten him. [/quote]

It sounds like your dog would benefit from some training. It's not too late to take a class or get a coach.[/quote]

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