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You’ve just walked into the house after a long and stressful day, your hands are full of shopping and you just want to quickly put it all away so you can collapse on the sofa. Unfortunately, though, your canine companion can’t help but follow you around the kitchen, making the task frustrating, to say the least. You love him but he sure is on the needy side. He’s the same when you’ve got guests over. You want some peace and quiet to enjoy a romantic date night in, but he insists on following you into every room and wants to be the solo audience for your every move.
Training him to stop following you will afford you some well-deserved peace and quiet. This training will also be good for him, reducing separation anxiety and making leaving him to go on vacation easier too.
Training isn’t as challenging as you might think. You’ll need to motivate your dog to spend time on his own and reduce his need to be with you constantly. To do that, you’ll have to mix up his routine and find some ways to keep him happily distracted. If he’s a puppy then the habit will be relatively new and it may take just a week or so to train him to stop following you. If he’s older and been stuck to your side for a number of years, then you may need a couple of weeks to fully kick the habit.
Training him to stop following you will be more than worth it when you finally have some alone time to enjoy a bath and a glass of wine. You’ll also find in the long run he’ll be happier too if he’s not constantly dependant on you.
Before you set about stopping your canine stalker, you’ll need to get your hands on a few things. Break his favorite food into small pieces or stock up on treats. You’ll need a short leash and some baby gates for one of the methods.
Food puzzles and toys will also be required. Then set aside 10 minutes a day for the next couple of weeks. Try and find a time where you won’t be distracted by noisy kids (I know it’s easier said than done).
With all of those boxes ticked you can get to work!
The Routine Method
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Exercise
It may not seem related, but many dogs follow owners simply because they’re full of energy and want to dispel that with you. Giving him an extra, or longer, walk each day will help ensure he’s napping when he’s at home, not stuck to you like Velcro. If you can’t walk him any more, throw a toy for him to fetch while on walks, the short sprints will quickly tire him out.
Food puzzles
You can get food puzzles online and from local pet stores. They can keep him occupied for hours as he digs and licks to get to the tasty food inside. This will help him slowly realize that he doesn’t need to be with you all the time.
Attention
Set specific times where you give him attention. Give him an hour period in the evening say, where you play with him, cuddle him and mess around with him. Then after that, give him the cold shoulder. It’s important he gets his fill of attention, but that he also realizes attention is on your terms when you say so.
No sleeping next to him
If you share a bed in the evening, then you’re feeding his need to be with you. Get him a nice comfy bed and put it in a completely separate room. Several hours every night alone will slowly teach him he can survive without you.
Baby gates
They’re quick and easy to fit and they’ll break his needy habit. You’ll be granted guaranteed privacy whenever the gate is shut and it will again help him learn he doesn’t have to be at your side. Use all of these steps and he’ll slowly become more independent and give you some peace.
The ‘Stay’ Method
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Treats
When there’s nobody else in the house, get a pocketful of treats ready. You’re going to teach him the ‘stay’ command so you can quickly get some peace and quiet if he’s following you around.
‘Stay’
When he’s following you, stop walking, turn around and face him, then give a ‘stay’ command in a firm voice. You can use any word or phrase you like, just try and keep it relatively short.
Hand signal
As you give the command, hold your hand up to his face as if you were a traffic warden. This 'stop' hand gesture coming towards him will automatically make him halt, even if it’s just for a second.
Reward
As soon as he stops, give him a tasty treat and some verbal praise. Really make sure he knows he’s done something right, even if he’s not sure what yet. Now repeat this training for 10 minutes each day, but steadily increase the length of time you leave him waiting there before you give him a treat. Continue until he waits there for at least a minute.
Lose the hand
Once he’ll wait there for a while, you can stop using the hand gesture. By now he associates the behavior with the command so the gesture is redundant. Carry on practicing, but now start walking away and leaving him waiting there. You can use this whenever he starts following you, it will be a clear signal to him that you need some space.
The Habitat Method
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Territory
He follows you around everywhere you go because he knows the whole house is his territory. This needs to change. Find a section of the house and make that his territory, then use doors and baby gates to prevent him going in some parts of the house. Then you’ll always be able to head to your no-dog zone without being followed.
Behavior
Don’t let him lie at your feet constantly. This constant proximity will only make him want to follow you more. Try and get some distance between you when you’re sat down. Lie on the sofa while he lies underneath it, for example.
Obedience training
Spend a few minutes each day training him to do something. You could train him to ‘sit’, lie ‘down’, ‘roll over’. All will use up his energy and tire him out. A tired dog is a happy dog. He’ll be retiring to his bed in the evening to sleep, not frog marching you around the house.
Desensitize
Every time you get up and he gets up too, sit back down. This may be time-consuming and annoying, but he’ll soon get fed up of constantly getting up. Eventually, he won’t be sure if you getting up means you’re going anywhere so he’ll stop following your lead.
Never punish him
Don’t shout at him or punish him when he does follow you. All this will do will scare him, then he’ll be even more keen to win your affection back by stalking you around the house. The quiet, cold shoulder approach is always more effective.
Written by James Barra
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 11/16/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
How do we settle him in his crate, he feeds in there but during day sleeps in a bed out of crate
May 23, 2023
Bruno's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, Check out the Surprise method from the article I have linked below. I recommend starting that. https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
May 24, 2023
We rescued our dog almost a year ago. My husband started going on runs and would take the dog. His behavior has gotten worse, he will not leave my husband alone and will literally but under him as he’s trying to put his workout clothes on. He’s even almost tripped him up and down the stairs a few times. He has stopped taking the dog so he’s not expecting to do anymore, but the behavior hasn’t stopped. We are ready to throw in the towel and take him back to the shelter. Any help and tips would be appreciated.
Sept. 4, 2022
Rex's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, I recommend teaching the Out command - which means move away/leave the area. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Sept. 6, 2022
Had him for one mo. We will start training him to be a service dog for my husband, through the VA. However, trying to stop bad habits now, and not encourage bad behavior. He needs to be prepared to follow husband, but not under my feet 24/7. He will need to be in our room. But not in our bed. Howls loudly if left alone for more than 5 minutes
Jan. 7, 2022
Ranger's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Bobbie, I would have your husband practice the Turns method for heeling - to teach pup to follow without leaning into him or getting under him while walking. Turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel I would teach Place and Crate train to get pup used to sleeping in the room but not in the bed. Once pup is okay being confined in the crate, you can transition to no crate by leaving the door open, then taking the bed in the crate out and having pup just sleep there, but you might need to use the crate at first if pup is insistent or sneaking onto the bed while you are asleep and can't train. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O75dyWITP1s For the barking when left alone, first, work on teaching the Quiet command during the day using the Quiet method from the article linked below. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Second, during the day practice the Surprise method from the article linked below. Whenever pup stays quiet in the crate for 5 minutes, sprinkle some treats into the crate without opening it, then leave the room again. As he improves, only give the treats every 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hour, 2, hour, 3 hour. Practice crating him during the day for 1-3 hours each day that you can. If you are home during the day, have lots of 30 minute - 1 hour long sessions with breaks between to practice this, to help pup learn sooner. Whenever he cries in the crate, tell him "Quiet". If he gets quiet - Great! Sprinkle treats in after five minutes if he stays quiet. If he continues barking or stops and starts again, spray a quick puff of air from a pet convincer at his side through the crate while calmly saying "Ah Ah", then leave again. Only use unscented air canisters, DON'T use citronella! And avoid spraying in the face. Surprise method: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Repeat the rewards when quiet and the corrections whenever he cries. Once pup is doing well with you in the house in another room, use a camera to spy on pup from outside. Start going outside where pup can't see or hear you. When pup barks, return to quietly correct then go back outside again. When pup gets quiet and stays quiet, initially for a couple of minutes, gradually working up to longer periods, then return to sprinkle in treats then leave again. After 30 minutes of practice, gradually working up to three hours, return when pup is quiet, ignore pup in the crate for 10 minutes until they are waiting calmly while go about your business in the home (correct if pup gets really loud and isn't settling down on their own). When pup is being patient and quiet in the crate, let pup out calmly. If pup tries to rush the door, close it again, making pup wait. Practice this until pup is waiting inside with the crate door open. At that point, happily tell pup "Okay" and let them come out calmly. You want to set that expectation of staying calm as they exit, so they don't get into the habit of getting anxious and excited in anticipation of being let out. As pup improves when you are outside, work that time up until you have worked up to you being outside for three hours and pup staying quiet the whole time. At that point, you can give pup a dog food stuffed chew toy in the crate. They will probably enjoy it once they are calm enough to focus on that for entertainment. Once pup is okay left alone in the crate, you can also practice this with pup not crated, but still using the camera to spy on pup, with pup left in another room with that door closed, told to stay on place while you leave the room, or outside in a fence and wanting to come back inside, ect...I would start with pup in the crate though. That tends to work best for the initial training, then you can expand on it as pup improves to transition. When pup is getting to close to someone he shouldn't be following around and they need space, or pup needs to be near your husband instead of someone else, I would teach pup Out, and have the person pup is trailing use the Out command to tell pup to move away from them, then your husband can reward pup for heeling and staying closer to him instead. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Jan. 10, 2022
Toby is fine being left at home alone and doesn't display any sort of separation anxiety. He's well behaved and mostly an ideal dog apart from the constant following. I can't get any breathing space from him which is making me resent him. Ie won't spend any time outside without barking to come in and if I put him in the hallway where his bed is he constantly kicks the living room door to come back in. He sleeps down stairs at bed time without any issue but If I left the baby gate open I would find him next to my bed in the morning. I'm at the point where I'm sending him to stay at my mom's for a few days just to get some space. Feels ridiculous saying I need space from my dog but it's honestly causing a big impact on my life. Especially trying to homeschool the kids during this lockdown and having no peace from them either. I don't want to hate my dog but at the moment I don't like him.
Feb. 11, 2021
Toby's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Hayley, I recommend teaching pup a 1 hour Place, Down Stay, Out, Quiet, and crate training, so that you can then calmly instruct pup where to go and work on their independence. Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Place command: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O75dyWITP1s Down-Stay: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-your-labrador-to-lie-down-and-stay/ Off- section on The Off command: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-train-dog-stay-off-couch/ To start, work on teaching the Quiet command during the day using the Quiet method from the article linked below. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Second, during the day practice the Surprise method from the article linked below to introduce the crate. Whenever pup stays quiet in the crate for 5 minutes, sprinkle some treats into the crate without opening it, then leave the room again. As he improves, only give the treats every 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hour, 2, hour, 3 hour. Practice crating him during the day for 1-3 hours each day that you can. If you are home during the day, have lots of 30 minute - 1 hour long sessions with breaks between to practice this, to help pup learn sooner. Whenever he cries in the crate, tell him "Quiet". If he gets quiet - Great! Sprinkle treats in after five minutes if he stays quiet. If he continues barking or stops and starts again, spray a quick puff of air from a pet convincer at his side through the crate while calmly saying "Ah Ah", then leave again. Only use unscented air canisters, DON'T use citronella! And avoid spraying in the face. The quiet command and follow through can also be used for the outside barking and any hallway noise. Command quiet, reward if pup stays quiet, correct if pup continues barking, leaving between rewards and corrections, giving pup as little attention in the process as you can to keep things calm. You can also give pup dog food stuffed hollow chew toys like kongs, kong wobbles with pup's kibble in them, or use automatic treat dispensing devices, to encourage pup to entertain themselves and enjoy their place better (place is often pup's dog bed but can be any consistent rug/furniture/ location you teach). Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Feb. 11, 2021