Why is my dog suddenly more affectionate and clingy? Is she okay?

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There can be multiple reasons for a dog to suddenly act clingy: fear, separation anxiety, and medical conditions. Medical conditions could be: pain, anal gland issues, fleas, overall nausea from kidney or liver disease, brain tumor or as some dogs age they develop cognitive dysfunction or doggie dementia. If Snicker's behavior persists then I recommend an exam and possibly blood work be done by your Vet. Sadly his symptoms are non-specific and can mean many different things. I hope this helps and I wish you and Sage the best!

It could be that Sparkles is in heat. When dogs are in heat, they can experience behavior changes and this includes being more clingy with their owners. A dog's heat typically lasts around three weeks, and if you don't want puppies, I would keep her away from all intact male dogs and do not allow her outside unsupervised. I would also recommend spaying her, this would prevent a pyometra from occurring. A pyometra is a life threatening infection of the uterus. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Poor Littlebit! Is there a scary or traumatic even that could have happened a few months ago that could have changed his behavior? Or a change in the household (new people, kids now crawling/walking, new pets, construction, etc) or household routines (you're home more or less than normal, change in work schedule, etc)? All of these things could cause a little anxiety or neediness. You could try to give her some Benadryl to see if this calms her. You could also do a pheromone calming collar like adaptil. If this does not help, I would talk to your vet about looking at her to ensure nothing else is going on and possbily starting her on an anti-anxiety medicine. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better really soon.!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Diamond is adorable! That tongue!! I wonder, has Diamond had a heat cycle recently? She is exhibiting signs that are consistent with a false pregnancy. This is a hormonal imbalance that occurs after a heat cycle that causes the female to think she is pregnant when he actually isn't. The dog will develop mammary glands and even make milk, they nest, pick up toys and carry then around like babies, more clingy to owners, anxious. A false pregnancy lasts about as long as a normal dog pregnancy or a bit longer, 2 months or more. The symptoms can return on subsequent heat cycles, so I recommend spaying once the false pregnancy symptoms go away. http://www.merckvetmanual.com/reproductive-system/reproductive-diseases-of-the-female-small-animal/false-pregnancy-in-small-animals?network=g&matchtype=e&keyword=false%20pregnancy%20in%20dogs&creative=223892247985&device=c&devicemodel=&placement=&position=1o1&campaignid=939309547&adgroupid=44403893422&loc_physical_ms=9007368&loc_interest_ms=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI24GO3LSJ2AIVzEsNCh02Ow67EAMYASAAEgJxN_D_BwE I hope this helps and I wish you and Diamond the best!

Hello, sorry to hear about Bella. Dogs may indeed sense a change in people which can than indirectly affect their behaviors. However, I would recommend having Bella evaluated as she may herself be undergoing a false pregnancy. This could cause behavioral changes in her as well. Other health issues that may cause her to have behavioral changes but are less likely may include cushings disease. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Your description sounds most suspicious of generalized anxiety. There may have been something that spooked your dog recently to cause the behavior change, making him want to be near you all the time and causing him to seek reassurance. However, given his breed, it's also possible that he's just got too much pent-up energy - many high energy breeds can develop either anxiety or boredom if they aren't given an outlet for their energy and a way to tire themselves out. I recommend making sure your dog has a way to RUN his energy off daily. (with his breed and age, a walk probably won't cut it). You can take him running, or if he's ball motivated, throwing a ball is a great option to get him running. Fenced in dog parks are good options too. If tiring him out doesn't help reduce his clingy behaviors, I recommend consulting your vet and having them do a physical exam and likely some screening bloodwork. Sometimes panting, whining, and being generally clingy are the dog's way of telling us that something's not right, which can be the first sign of a disease or health problem. I hope this helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Callie. If she is starting her next heat cycle, this can result in behavior changes. Otherwise I have had patients display odd behaviors when they are experiencing a respiratory tract infection. Monitor for any coughing or sneezing as this would be another sign of an infection. Finally, she could be painful somewhere. She will likely need to see her veterinarian for a diagnosis and if any treatment is required. I hope this information helps!