Are your dogs needy?

[meepitsmeagan]

Just as it says. Are your dogs needy? Is it common for the breed?

By needy, I mean do they communicate what they want persistently? Do they tend to want your attention frequently? Drama queens? Are they obnoxious about it?

Harlow is SUPER needy.

DSC_0833 edit by sinnerinspurs, on Flickr

If she wants something, it has to happen NOW. If she is hungry, she will sit and stare into your soul and sometimes whine or bang on her dish. She's got attitude. Harlow is attached to Josh and will sleep under the covers with him, but will sleep on the couch in the living room when it is just me. Some days she is extremely velcro and others she wants nothing to do with petty hoomans. If she wants to play, she will bring toys to you (though she's good about self entertaining).

Being that this is our only Boxer, I don't know if it is normal. I know that they are family oriented, but I don't know if this classifies as normal for them.

I expected the ACD's to act like this. They are completely opposite. They are much more velcro and wanting to spend time by you, but they aren't pushy (except to visitors). Going outside (which I'm completely okay with) is pretty much the only thing they bug us about. If they want to play, they will go play by themselves. They always wait to eat, never telling me if they are hungry. Rider is always in the same spot in bed at night. Tulsa isn't to that point yet, but the other ACD's we've had like to sleep in the same room.

Rider can be needy. If he wants attention, he will push under your arms and beg for snuggling. He's also a huge drama queen if he gets hurt. He will scream and be a huge baby if he hurts himself. He's BC soft, imo. ACD's in general seem to be over-enthusiastic about love,

DSC_1844 by DJetzel, on Flickr

but they don't normally insist on it. Neither they nor the Boxers let you know they are hurt.

 

[Moth]

As you describe it Watson is the king of needy dogs

He engages in many attention seeking behaviors, and he can be quite persistent about them. He knows when he wants a thing and will not hesitate to try and make the hoomans do his bidding...

If he wants something or anticipates something he can be quite impatient about it.

He sleeps glued to me at night unless he gets too warm and when I am sitting watching tv, or working on the computer he is usually next to me touching me.

Every so often he gets the memo that basenji's are independent and goes off looking for trouble

 

[RD]

She's irritating when she needs something, like food or potty. She's not horribly clingy, mostly again, just annoying and frequently shoving toys against people's feet in an attempt to initiate fetch.

 

[Ozfozz]

Cobain is persistent when it comes to food, walks, and toys in the house. He's incredibly routine oriented in the house (apartments not so much) - 7am is the latest acceptable time for breakfast, 5pm is dinner time. He will stare into my soul and "talk" to voice his displeasure.
Around 7pm on if anyone is awake watching tv, he will whine and let out very quiet woofs if you don't play with him.
Aside from that he's not overly needy or clingy. At night he might sleep at the end of the bed next to my feet, but he's usually on the floor.
I never know if he's hurt himself unless I check him over because he wont let on to any pain or discomfort.


Rigby is affectionate but not needy. If she wants to play with a toy she will bring it once. If I tell her no, she happily plods off and plays by herself. She's frequently in the same room as me, but doesn't demand attention - though she always welcomes a good cuddle.
Around 8pm is her bedtime and she'll usually go upstairs and put herself to bed while we are downstairs.
If she thinks she hurt herself she comes to me immediately to check her over. If I say "you're fine" she resumes whatever she was doing and stops limping.

 

[Oko]

I think it's pretty common for border collies to be needy/clingy?

I wouldn't say Feist is, really. She'll let me sleep in as long as I want and just curl up next to me and wait for me to get up. She will try to snap open her food bin to get herself food, but that's because it works, not because she's needy or trying to remind me to feed her LOL.

She does often come up to me for snuggles/petting, but I've encouraged that and she isn't annoying about it, if you're not interested just say 'okay' and she's gone. Toys, she will push a toy up against you a couple of times a day to try to get you to play tug or fetch, but if that doesn't work she'll just play by herself.

She does really, really like being around me, but yeah, not in a way I'd call needy. And she has no pain sensors, we learned that in the great pawpad shred of '14. I was playing tug with her today and full on stepped on her foot while I was wearing shoes, she just play growled and tugged harder. It is pretty funny in that if she gets something stuck between her teeth, she comes over to me and paws at her face until I help her.

 

[Dizzy]

Is Fred needy....

Does the Pope wear a funny hat? Does a bear poop in the woods?

All these things spring to mind LOL. Yes, he's needy. Painfully so at times!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Slick]

I would say that Leo effectively communicates his wants and desires without being too needy.

He will come and stare at me, and maybe even whine if he needs to go out/ is thirsty and the water bowl is empty, or is hungry (at the appropriate times).
I think without training, he would lean more towards the needy side, but I do not tolerate whining when I am eating something and he wants it, or if he really wants to play and I am ignoring him. He tries that every once in a while, but immediately stops when I tell him no. He will try to pester me to play by dragging his toys over me, but will stop if I tell him "Game Over" (which is our command for playtime is over).

He likes to snuggle and likes to come up for pets, but does not pester me for it. I can go to the bathroom or anywhere else in the house without him, and he doesn't freak out.

So overall I would not describe him as needy, but with the potential to be if owned by someone who let him.

 

[SpringerLover]

I used to think Bailey was needy. And then I met Diego. Bailey likes attention but she's not rude or pushy. Diego is working on being less rude and pushy about attention. Gabby is so far from needy that it is funny.

Buzz was only needy if food was involved.

 

[RBark]

Syl is needy. It's just not *me* she needs. It's balls and frisbees.

 

[Laurelin]

Hank is the most needy in some ways... Or maybe it's just because he's more annoying about it?

If Summer wants pets she will walk up and gently place her feet on you then stretch. If Mia wants pets she walks over and initiates cuddles very nicely. If Hank wants love then he slams into you and rolls all over you and bites. Lots of bites. He has no gentle.

If Mia wants a ball she screams and shrieks usually. And chirps and barks until you tell her to go away (and mean it) or you give in.

Mia is a total diva and drama queen for sure. Hank is not a drama king. Hank seem impervious to physical pain and often goes headfirst into a wall doing normal dog stuff. He's just really forward about everything. And he is DEFINITELY the most clingy. At the trial today he was super whiney and shrieky about me taking the other dogs out. Hank wants to goooooooo. Hank wants to go toooooo. So pathetic. lol

 

[crazedACD]

Yes yes yes. I'd say Zoie is the only one that's not "needy" but...really they all are. I like them this way though .

 

[Dekka]

Dekka is needy in that she is my shadow. Not only can't I go pee by myself (unless someone is eating) I can't shower sometimes without her standing on the edge of the tub peeking creeper style at me around the curtain. (all the while squinting as she gets the odd drop of water on her.. poor dog)

She has SA and is all "I thought you were abandoning me forever. Again" when I come home. Even if I have only been gone a few minutes.

However she is pretty good at home. Most of the time she just chills near me. Keeps on eye on me in case I look like I 'might' be standing up. She occasionally solicits attention or play. But not often and will listen to a not now. She is very very persistent if you don't tell her the magic word 'off'.

 

[pinkspore]

Brisbane is not needy. He loves to follow me around and will supervise while I do stuff around the house, but he is fully capable of entertaining himself. I had him sleeping on the bed as a baby puppy, as soon as he was capable of getting off the bed he never slept there again. He chooses to sleep in his open crate every night. He asks for pets occasionally by resting his chin on my knee and wagging hopefully. We don't really have a set dinner time, but sometimes if it has gotten really late he will ring the potty bells and whine once or twice. I have forgotten to feed him quite a few times. Brisbane feels no pain when he is in drive, the rest of the time he is a huge drama queen and feels all the pain. If I suspect he isn't feeling well, he will hunch up his back and limp miserably.

Uly is the velcroest velcro dog. He sits at attention outside the bathroom door and is always within arm's length if possible. He rubs his face all over me when he wants pets and is gradually learning to be less pushy, which is making him less needy and more like a shadow. Uly is physically insensitive and runs into stuff all the time.

Ru needy on a completely different level. Ru wants to spend a minimum of three hours per day on my lap, and on busy days he will follow me around and cry to be held. He whines when he is hungry. He likes to nap outside in the sun, but he also wants to sit on my lap, if I let him he will go in and out every 5-10 minutes to alternate these two spots. Ru cannot handle pain, he has had a couple of bee stings and is only comforted by being cuddled. Both times the vet said to go ahead and give him an entire benadryl. You would think an entire benadryl would knock out a six-pound dog, but all it did was make him absolutely distraught 100% of the time I wasn't holding him. Of course, Ru sleeps under the covers, nestled against me, and when he wants to get up for a drink he will whine until I turn on the lights and escort him to the water bowl.

 

[Toller_08]

Do they communicate what they want persistently? Do they tend to want your attention frequently? Drama queens? Are they obnoxious about it?

Is it common for the breed?

Dance: Dance is not needy at all. I barely see her in the house. She's always somewhere in my vicinity, but she rarely seeks out attention and is quite independent that way. They only time she pesters me is when there is a new toy or a ball laying around. Then she'll persistently ask to play for hours and hours. But otherwise, no, she's not at all needy. Sometimes I wonder if she even likes me haha. Ok, not really, but she's seriously the least needy dog I've ever had. I think it's fairly common for the breed. I personally haven't heard of very many pushy, needy Tollers as far as affection goes. But since Dance is my only one, I can't say for sure. The other one I had for a while was a little more needy, but she also craved one on one attention desperately I believe due to the lifestyle she lived prior.

Journey: Journey is needy, but not in a way that comes across as needy... if that makes sense? She thrives on human interaction and craves attention, but she's not pushy about it. She politely asks to come up on the couch for cuddles and she'll lay with her head on my feet or gently rest it on my lap for pets, but if I ignore her, she just lays by my feet or goes away and she'll never force me to pet her. She's also not needy about exercise at all either. She loves to play and go and have fun, but around the house, she waits for me to give indication that we're doing something. Otherwise she just sleeps and hangs around. The only time I'd say she's truly needy is when she's jealous, in which case she makes it very clear that she's around and requires attention haha. We're kind of working on it. To be honest, I have no idea if she's typical in neediness for an Aussie or not. I know all of her breeder's dogs were ALL about the cuddles and attention and were more forceful about it, but I haven't spent a good enough length of time with other Aussies to really know. I hope they're similar to Journey though. I love that she loves attention and affection but isn't at all forceful about it.

Ripley: Ripley is VERY needy. He's constantly gazing at me, rubbing himself on any outstretched arm or leg, leaning on people, etc. If he was a human, I'd recommend he see a therapist for his obsessive affection cravings haha. It's a little excessive. I hate how needy he is. I wouldn't mind if he was more like Journey in that he enjoyed attention and asked politely for it, but no. Instead he pushes and leans and shoves despite being told a thousand times to knock it off and be polite. I'd say yes, being needy is a breed trait. All of the Dobermans I know (and I know a lot) are needy. However, Ripley seems excessively needy compared to many. Even Keira and Winston weren't as needy as he his. Ripley will even rub himself on another dog as a means of feeling affection lol. It's really quite pathetic and drives me crazy, probably more than it should.

 

[Southpaw]

Cajun and Juno are super needy, Cajun is the worst. She literally shadows every single footstep I make, where I stop she has to stop and lean against me; follows me into the bathroom or if I don't let her in then stands outside the door giving the occasional quiet woof until I come back out; gets persistent about feeding times; God forbid I give the other animals attention or interact with them, she's there shoving herself in the middle of it. Always crawling on me for kisses.

My understanding is that that's typical for Dobes.

Juno is needy but in comparison to Cajun she's more.... subtle. She's content to just be in the same room with me and doesn't necessarily need to be ON me - and if I get up and move, she'll follow me with her eyes first and then determine if she needs to actually get up. She likes to follow me into the bathroom but she's also okay if that doesn't happen. She patiently sits and stares at me when it's time to eat but otherwise isn't obnoxious about that. She definitely wants and loves attention and being close but is just so much more polite about it lol. But again I think the neediness is standard for Boxers!

The other 2 are not really that needy. You don't even know Happy is here until it's mealtime... and then she's ridiculous.

 

[PWCorgi]

Frodo.... no, not at all, never.

Just kidding! He is needy and obnoxious as hell.
I usually don't let him on the couch with me because he immediately shoves his hand under your hand. If I ask him to lie down, he might, for 2 seconds, and then he's back at it. If that doesn't work and you just sit there, he will methodically straddle your forearm in hopes that you will scratch his chest. He's not above barking in your face, and if you pet him, and stop, he will start barking.

He also barks if he needs water or to go out. But he doesn't stop until something happens. Waiting him out doesn't work often. If the door is 2 centimeters too shut for him to go through, he will sit there and bark until you open it 2 more centimeters.

When we have people over and he feels overwhelmed, he sits in the hallway, looks at me and barks. Because he wants to go to bed, but I HAVE TO GO TOO! AND STAY IN THERE.

Neediest dog ever.
I think being demanding is a corgi thing, I don't know that excessive neediness is?


Siri is much more independent.
If I am busy, she will lie down and just sleep most of the time. She doesn't need to be touching me, and will lie on the other side of the couch, or another piece of furniture. If she gets bored she will grumble and flirt and try to get me to play, but if I tell her to go lie down, she will. She likes me there, and my company, and she loves to be pet and played with, but I would not call her demanding.

She is demanding in the sense that she needs physical and mental stimulation or she doesn't settle well.

 

[JacksonsMom]

Jackson is needy. Not in the 'I need to be touching you' sense, since he's not a cuddler at all, and rarely wants to be actually ON me or touching me, lol, but when he's bored, or wants something he will certainly let me know.

When he's hungry, he runs to the kitchen and grabs the paper plate off the floor and carries it out to me. He does the same when we had lightweight plastic bowls too. Or if all of those are picked up, he will just stand by his bowl and give a little bark and stare at me.

When he is under-exercised and bored, he often finds something on the floor (my little sister has Barbie accessories all over the place) and pick it up and come over by me and start flinging it around. He knows I will eventually have to stop what I'm doing and grab the plastic from him. :rofl1: He never swallows it, but I get paranoid if he's chewing on something for too long -- his weaknesses are definitely little tiny Barbie shoes and water bottle caps.

When he has to go outside, he *certainly* will let you know with a loud bark. And if you don't get to him within a 60 second window, he will very clearly bark again.

When I sleep at my dads house, he sleeps upstairs in my room with me, but our other dog Lilly cannot be upstairs due to the cats. So we have a gate at the top of the stair. Omg nothing is more annoying than when I am trying to sleep in and he decides he wants to be downstairs with my dad, which is the first time. But when he then decides 5 mins later he wants to be back upstairs. And then the moment he hears my dad open the fridge, he wants to be back donwstairs. Then I just give up on sleeping in and go downstairs.

He's not like... SUPER demanding, and can very easily go lie down, but it's mostly when he hasn't done anything all day, like hasn't had any mental stimulation or physical at all. He's usually good until about 4pm and then he wants/needs to do something, even if it's just... a quick training session or a ride to the post office.

 

[Laurelin]

Mia is actually kind of opposite of needy. She does not like being cuddled or petted when she doesn't initiate it. She gets quite pissy if I insist on Mia cuddles. I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm clingy.

 

[k9krazee]

Jack is super, super demanding, anxious and needy one second---the next he's laying in the corner looking depressed that you rejected him. He's not terribly persistent, which is nice.

He also must be laying ON TOP OF YOU at all times and if you don't want him to lay on top of you, he must go to the other side of the room and look pathetic until you call him over and let him lay on you.

He also expects breakfast the moment I wake up and expects dinner the second I walk in the door from work (it could be 2 PM and he MUST HAVE DINNER!) But that's mostly from living with my mom and her very predictable routine...she would wake up and get home from work at the same time every day. The more we vary the schedule, the better he's getting. Same thing though, if he's "BARK BARK I'M STARVING BARK BARRRRRK" and you completely ignore him he'll go lay down and be sad.

Jack also doesn't really follow us around the house, he'll stay put somewhere until something exciting happens.


Crossbone likes interaction. He will throw toys at you, follow you around, etc
He doesn't want other people to touch him but he's definitely an attention seeker. If nobody is paying attention to him he will spin in circles, barking softly. People ALWAYS stop what they're doing and pay attention to him. He just wants people to tell him how cute his is and feed him or throw him a toy

It takes him awhile after you've sat down for him to settle. But when he does, he wants to cuddle and be right on top of you or touching in some way.

 

[amberdyan]

Hugo is needy in that he NEEDS to be able to see me at all times. If he's asleep and I manage to sneak to the bathroom by myself, he will likely wake up in SHEER PANIC as if I disappeared forever because he closed his eyes. He follows me everywhere in the apartment, even if I'm just going into the kitchen to get a soda. He doesn't need to be laying on top of me, but he will lay so that he is touching me in some way. If I tell him to back off, he will do it and sulk and then slowly sneak his way back to me.

He's not needy when it comes to food or having to go out unless he REALLY has to go (that only happened one time when we were on my in-laws fenced in patio and I didn't think about letting him off). He'll try to initiate play by shoving a toy in my hand but if I tell him "no" he'll usually just throw it for himself.

I'm not sure if it's typical for the breed because I don't really know what he is, lol. Although he's definitely a herder mix and herders usually like to be with their people.