Why is my older dog suddenly clingy? Is it age, anxiety, or illness?

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!

If he is truly 17 years old then this could be due to cognitive disorder which is similar to dementia. There isn't much you can do about this but you could try to put him on anipryl which can sometimes help but the meds are expensive. If he is younger like it looks in the pictures, this could be from several things like a new anxiety (construction workers, storms, change in his owner(s) routine, etc), pain somewhere, and more. I would have your vet do a thorough exam on him. If everything looks normal, I would talk to him about anti-anxiety meds if needed. Some natural things to try is a calming collar like adaptil and calming chews like vetriscience composure or the stronger prescription version composure pro. I hope this helps!

I wish our pets could talk. This could be behavioral or medical. Pain from arthritis can cause behavior changes. Dogs can become senile, it could be separation anxiety. Changes in senses like blindness or deafness can cause behavior change. I would recommend an exam to rule out medical problems before assuming it is behavioral. I am a big fan of crate training to give dogs a sense of security and safety. Get a nice orthopedic bed and favorite treats or toys to make this a safe enjoyable space. Hope that helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Teddybear could have moderate separation anxiety (that’s the not letting you out of his sight). The appetite changes can also be due to something like chronic pancreatitis or acid reflux/stomach ulcer. I have also seen clingy behavior and changes to appetite with pain (hurt back/neck especially). Long story short, take Teddybear in for a good checkup with your vet. If there is nothing weird on exam or routine bloodwork, you can chat about anxiety medications that can help. Best of luck to you and Teddybear!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! How old is Sara? Is she spayed? If you find this a good thing then that's great! It could be that she is calming down and is less rambunctious. Or she could be anxious about something (thunder storms or the July 4th fireworks). If she is not spayed and a had a heat recently sometimes female dogs can have a hormonal imbalance where the body is made to think it is pregnant (but it isn't) and the dog can be more anxious and clingy. They can carry one stuffed animal around like a baby, have mammary gland development and even have milk develop. It does go away. Have a good day!

First, you did the right thing by taking Nick into the vet. If his WBC count was very high, he was likely feeling quite poorly, and that may have made him clingy. Given his number of health problems and his age, I would take advantage of the clinginess and give him lots of love. You never know how long you will have him.

Any abrupt change in behavior without a known cause should be investigated by your vet as soon as possible. Sometimes this is the only sign we get of a medical condition. The behavior could be due to feeling ill, being in pain or may be because of a developing neurological condition. Your vet will do an exam, labwork and possibly some diagnostic imaging, x-rays or ultrasound to determine the cause for your pet's change in behavior and, based on the results, will be better able to advise you on treatment options.