Expert: Alan J Turner, SATS LL1 - 4/19/2007

Question
We adopted a cocker spaniel 4 years ago.  He is 11 years old.  He was owned by a women who lived alone.  When she passed away, he was inherited by her daughter's family who had him for about 2 years.  She put him up for adoption because he had  allergies that caused him to smell unless kept on medication.

We adopted him and have gotten his allergic reaction under control.  He no longer requires any medication.  However ever since we have had him, he follows me around no matter where I go.  If I get up and walk into another room, he follows me.  If I shut a door behind me not allowing him in, he lays next to the door until I come back.  He does not do this with others in the family unless he sees me not coming back for a while, wherein he will find someone else in the house to trail.  Also, he does not want anyone to come near him other than the person he is trailing.  He will growl but never bite and if I force him to let someone else handle him, he shakes like he is nervous uncontrollably.  I have tried forcing him to stay in a room with others without me being there but this does not seem to solve the problem.  Is there anything we can do to make him less dependent upon one person and enjoy other people as well?  

Answer
Dear Tom, Thanks for the question. Dogs seem to like some people more than others. I've found that most dogs tend to hang out with the person that gives them the most attention, most of the time. Therefore, the person that trains and plays with the dog becomes a sort of doggie magnet! The way to change that is to have other people feed, train, play with the dog.

His behavior of growling and shaking is a more serious issue. Those responses are fear based. Placing him in situations that make him uncomfortable is not the solution. That will not change his perception of the other people or handling.

Teaching him to relax and then systematically exposing him to others in very controlled situations is the path. The concepts and instructions are much to in-depth for a forum. Please consult a trainer. Goto http://adpt.com to search for a trainer near you - or at the least, but the book, The Cautious Canine by Patricia McConnell.  Good Luck!