Dogs most into their owners

Not sure if we've ever had a thread like this, but which breeds do you find are most attached to their owners. Follow them around like shadows, easily focus on them, love to work with them, always happy to see them, always love to get attention from them, would rather be with their owners than meet strangers or other dogs, etc.


This is mainly for curiosity's sake, I'm not certain whether or not this is an important trait for me...but I'd like to hear what you all come up with.

I grew up with German shepherds and a Sheltie, and Elsie, my Tervuren, is easily the most velcro-shadow dog I've ever had or lived with.

Flatcoats, especially males, fit into this category.

General saying among FCR owners with regards to how long they've owned the breed is "hasn't gone to the restroom alone in ___ years."

Personally, I shut the bathroom door so that's not really a problem

Herding breeds, for me. They seem to enjoy taking direction, watching and interacting with what you do, and don't tend to blow you off. When I let Romeo out, he goes and pees, and then comes right back to the door to see what I am doing. Casey for the most does this as well. The other dogs take their sweet time and meander around the yard.

I've never lived with an asian breed, but I feel they are most independent and least velcro-y. Akitas, Chows, Shar-Peis, Shibas...they love their people but I don't think they are very biddable or overly interested in what you are doing.

My Malinois have no interest whatsoever in strangers. They are very into us.

My pit bulls are follow-you-around love bugs but they are extremely stranger social.

Border collies. Definitely

Rosey. She even blows off dog people (like Allie. Allie can't get the time of day from Rosey, after she gets her "safety check over". Though even that's become less regular)

That's a breed, right?

Border collies.... If Bamm could climb into my lap while I pee on the toilet he would. He is super velcro.

Elsie has climbed into my lap while I was peeing before. Like, all four paws.

NO WHY GET OFF WHAT NO.

Macie(English Mastiff) and Dante(Bullmastiff) suffered from UMB syndrome(up my butt syndrome). You couldn't go anywhere without them freaking out.

"OMG where are you going?"
"Take me, take me!"
"THERE IS A SECRET ESCAPE DOOR IN THE BATHROOM. I KNOW IT. Come BACK!"
"I thought you were going to leave me forever!" (gone only 5 minutes to pee)
"Oh, you're laying on the couch? Let me join you! I make an awesome lap dog, you know."

Constantly. UMB Syndrome.

I've heard of some Mastiffs that have chewed through entire walls trying to get to their owners.

:rofl1::rofl1::rofl1:
Amstaffs too...all those quotes are from Sophie...if she's in the car with us and I have to get out to pick up somebody in school or just put letters in the mailbox...my hubby says she whines and cries like I've just died in front of her. Glad I'm not the only one who feels guilty while somebody tries to paw through the bathroom door.

I cannot imagine a dog more attached to their people than a Doberman is. But, that doesn't mean training them is always easy. They adore their people more than anything, but I find them to be quite busy and easily distracted when learning - so learning to focus is a must, in my experience anyway.

But aside from that, Dobermans are the ultimate in velcro dogs. If they had it their way, they'd find a way to permanently attach themselves to you. They love to be with their people, they love to watch their people, they really couldn't care less about anyone that is not their immediate family or a really close friend, etc. Their people are their whole entire universe and then some. All of my dogs have been attached to us and think the world of us, but the Dobermans take it to a whole different level that is hard to explain without living with them.

Papillons. Even mores than my herding breed dogs. Mia has got to be the most velcro dog on the planet. If I get up for even two seconds, she's up right with me. She must oversee everything I do including showering and bathroom. I shut the door on her and she sticks her nose up under the door and waits for me. I've always joked that I don't think you could make my dogs run away if you tried. They really genuinely want to be with me and don't really care what we're doing as long as we're together.

GSDs are probably among the very most devoted and I don't know...just super bonded and waiting to do what you want them to do. They aren't necessarily velcro dogs, some are (especially boys) and some are not so touchy feely.

Belgians are very into their owners too. The boys especially tend to be extremely needy and some of the girls too. I think Jagger could possibly be one of the most needy dogs I have ever known...

Corgis are definitely very into their people. Ziggy is pretty aloof with strangers for the most part. He's very GSD like in that way.

PyrSheps... extremely into their owners. Extremely.

My Malinois have been very needy. My APBT was sort of needy. My AmStaf, Pug, and Rottweiler never gave a rip.

My border collie (and most border collies I know) are quite enamored with their owners, but they tend to be all over the place for the first year or so of their lives. All the BCs I've raised have been ga-ga over strangers as puppies, but get far more aloof as they age.

My dog's still friendly and enjoys the company of people other than me, but she definitely always has a mental tab on where I'm at and what I'm doing.

Other than border collies and the other super handler-aware herding breeds, I'd have to say Dobermans.

Most GSD's I've met are like this.

Some JRTs Dekka is a shadow dog to end all shadow dogs. Even out and about running loose on the farm or walking on a trail if at any second I glance around and don't see my dog its panick inducing. Not because I typically worry if a dog goes out of sight.. just Dekka never does.

She has also been known to go through screens, climb 6 foot + solid fences just to get to me. Or the time she got loose at the ontario agilty regionals and ran around like a maniac ignoring all people, dogs, food.. looking for me. (I came back to find her in my closed trailer, in a crate, and the crate was zip tied at all corners and the door...)

I can break down my group for you.

You have the typical lab. She has a ginormous heart, and she is completely devoted to me. Very clingy and affectionate. Part of it is circumstance and personality, obviously, but not all of it. Labs do love their people. That's one reason you see a lot of them as service dogs. However, unless trained to the contrary, most labs are also very social and friendly.

Then you've got the Boonahouligan. Like most Catahoula males, he's a complete momma's boy. NOT a velcro dog, though. More of a "I need to keep you in sight at all times" thing. He doesn't need to be touching you non-stop. However, they're also hounds, so they're pretty aloof with strangers. Boone has a command to "go say hi" because otherwise he'll completely blow them off, and the command comes in handy at fundraisers...

And then you've got your typical PITA Husky, mix or no. They're not what you're looking for. I'll just leave it at that. :lol-sign:

Cynder is that way with Mike. She has to keep him in her site at all times and is not happy when he leaves. She could care less about anyone or anything else (besides maybe a chipmunk, but even then she will recall off of it if it is him telling her to). Her world revolves around him.

Blackie was like that, too. He liked people just fine and if they wanted to pet him he'd be happy for them...but I as his person and he knew it. I remember when I took him to school with me one day (small, private school so he was able to stay with me all day) for a speech demonstration on dog training. I had him off leash in most of my classes and he laid right beside my chair the entire time. If I got up to hand in a paper or get a tissue, he'd follow me step for step. Other classmates sometimes tried to get him to come over for pets and he would just look at them like, "No thank you" and continue to follow me.

Gracie and Cooper are like that to a degree, but I think theirs has more to do with separation anxiety and less to do with loyalty and devotion. lol

Chloe couldn't care less. She shadows my sister or I when we're home, but that's about the extent of her devotion. Although she also definitely prefers my sister or I to anyone else.