# Anyone else have a Chi. that's really attached?



## Annabelle's Mommy (Jan 22, 2008)

Annabelle is 21months old, and she is extremely attached to me. For instance I work like 15hrs a week, and when I leave for work my husband is home with her, but she whines the whole time until I get back...I thought he was just joking, but then Christmas I went to my moms, and we took Annabelle, and I went out of the room and he was holding her, and she started whining. She's always been very skittish and hates most men. I've worked really hard on this, I try to socialize her with men, and strangers and I don't know if it's just because I spend so much time with her, I don't know if her being this attached to me is good or bad. She sleeps with my husband and I, and if we try to put her down she starts running around the bed and whining also. Anyone know what to do to reassure her that being away from me is ok?


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## Maleighchi (Jan 6, 2008)

My Chi is just the same and I've only had her for a week. When I leave a room and make Willow stay there with DH he says she whines and cries until I come back. Luckily I have the luxury of staying home with her every day.


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## melonypersians (Jan 3, 2008)

my niko is very attached to me. he cries whenever i go anywhere that he cannot get to me. so i understand. chis are very possessive of there owners. it is not unusual for them to become very attached. just keep socializing her as much as possible. take her woth you and take treats. that way when people come up to see her you can hand them a treat to give her. that should help. good luck.


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## foxywench (Feb 7, 2005)

i have 3 dogs who are very attatched, seperation anxiety is very common in both breeds i own, chihuahuas being one.

Ruby, my crested is the worst, she freeks when im not around, she paces and whines and constantly checks up and down stairs...

dodger and vixie mostly pout...

the way ive found best to deal with it is simply not make a big deal out of it. start by leaving the room for a second, dont say goodbye or make a fuss over it, just leave then imediatly come back in the room, say hi in a happy tone but not a big deal...
repeate while extending the lenght of time shes in the room, dont come back in untill shes quiet (wait till between whines to come back) keep extending the time, eventually shell realize, if you leave you WILL come back.

we still get the pouting and occasional whining but its got better since we started no making a big deal...


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## sullysmum (Mar 6, 2004)

Yes Fynn is the baby.


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## Jangles021204 (Sep 20, 2006)

Beau was really attached to me as a puppy and would whine when I left the room, but I've never made a big deal of it (still don't) and he just got used to it eventually. Now he just lays down on his bed or pillow and waits for me to return.

I'll Be Home Soon by Patricia McConnell is a good book to read on separation anxiety, although it doesn't sound like hers is full blown.  Like Foxywench said, just don't make a big deal of your coming and going. I would just ignore her for a couple minutes before I leave, and also when I return. (I know, it sounds mean, but it's good for her to learn she does not need to be anxious). That means no eye contact, no speaking to her, no attention of any kind. Just go about your business for a few minutes, and then if she's calm after a bit, you can greet her. 

Also, does your husband do anything to reassure her when she's acting anxious? If so, that might make it worse. He should also just ignore the behavior (no soothing or cuddling her to make her feel better, because really, that won't)...instead, he could try to make your absence a fun time, by playing with her, feeding her yummy treats, teaching her tricks, anything to divert her attention from the fact that you are gone.

And/or, you can figure out something that she goes crazy for (bully stick, stuffed kong, etc), and then only give it to her right before you leave (or have your husband give it to her right after you leave), but the second you come back, it gets taken away. That way she can actually begin to look forward to you leaving, if she only gets that special something while you are gone.

Hope some of these ideas helped. :wave:


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## carachi (Mar 20, 2005)

Bindii follows my mum EVERYWHERE and I get so jealous


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

My Minky is the same way. She even follows me into the bathroom sometimes. When we go out and I leave her in the car with my hubby, she will whine and pace back and forth from window to window. All chihuahuas that I have known are very attached to their owner. I think that's one of the characteristics of chihuahuas...they just develop a strong bond with their owner. 

Also, my mom's chi was very skittish and still is as a matter of fact. When I first brought her home, she was scared to death of my dad and any male figures. I think that she may have been abused by a man. Anyways, with alot of patience and love, my dad gained her trust and now the once skittsh chi that wouldn't go anywhere near my dad loves him. She'll whine and whine when he leave the house in the morning. It'll definitely take time, but maybe you should try to leave your baby with your hubby more so she'll come to rely on him more. Good luck!


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

Yoshi is very attached to me and follows me everywhere and is always on my lap. If he thinks I am about to leave he runs behind me and makes a grunting noise and keeps putting his foot on my foot to let me know he's down there as if to say "please dont go" it breaks my heart. Most of the time I take him but I do have to leave him some. If I go for more than a day and he is left here with DH, when I get home he just whines and whines as if he is soooo happy to see me. 

Chibi could care less if I am here or not..LOL!


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## Lin (Jun 7, 2006)

Ernie is my dependent baby. He is totally my shadow. But hubby says when I leave he gets satisfied on hubby's lap. LOL I mean this little boy won't even get far enough away for me to slip into the bathroom by myself! He sleeps with me, sits on my lap if I'm sitting, is at my feet when I'm not... the whole boat. I've stood outside when we both leave and have never heard him whine though. He just plays with the other two or naps.


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## Wahmom (Jan 21, 2008)

yup, Peanut is my girl, Izzy not so much yet but he's getting there! Hubbies Chi's are the same way with him. Our friends/family say that we look like celebs with our "groupies" flocking around us-LOL. Sure makes for a nice ending at the end of a looong day:dance:


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## ChiFan (Jul 6, 2007)

Both Trixie and Sasha are attached to us. Trixie to my g/f and Sasha to me, and both of them suffer from separation anxiety. Trixie whines and Sasha turns destructive. If my g/f is in one room and I"m in the other, the puppies split up. It's hilarious. And if one of us is gone, they both curl up on the remaining human. We're trying to break them of that. Don't worry... Chi's are naturally loving lap dogs so they're always going to want to be near you. The "shadow" may be cute, but it's really just the dog very anxious that you're going to leave it. It's just not healthy for the dog in the long-term.

I have a couple thoughts that have helped us. Like others mentioned, don't make a big deal about coming and going. Ignore your pups for about 5-minutes before you leave and for about 15-minutes after you get home. Don't make eye contact, don't greet them, don't pet them. Nothing. They will whine and try to get your attention. DON'T! Eventually, they will stop whining and once they are calm and quiet... THEN greet them CALMLY. 

When you make a big deal about leaving and arriving, they get all excited and riled up. An excited dog is not what you want running around the house when you're gone. 

If they're following you around your house, close a door behind you to keep them away. They will whine! Ignore it, and when you come out of the room, ignore them. They will eventually learn that you're not leaving permanently and that it is no big deal when you leave the room.

When you leave, your husband might try to coddle your puppy, trying to reassure it. Unfortunately, the dog doesn't see it as reassurance. What it DOES to is reward (petting) the dog for whining! So it's only going to whine more. Best thing for your husband to do is ignore it. But since it's attached to YOU... you're going to have to do most of the training and break it's separation anxiety.

We had ours sleep with us a while, but it only made the problem worse. They have their own kennel in a completely different room now. And they love it! When we start shutting off lights at night, they both know, and with a nice "bedtime!" from us, they both run to the kennel and curl up. The first couple nights they both whined for us, but you just have to deal with it. If you come running when they whine, they realize they get what they want when they do... so guess what? Whining all the time!

As much as we love them, they're not humans and can't be treated like them. You have to THINK like a dog and treat them that way... it's really healthy for them.


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## Minnie's Mummy (Nov 16, 2007)

Minnie isn't that bad really, she hates to be left alone but doesn't mind aslong as she's with someone, but my parents said when im not at home she always does he best to get up the stairs and waits outside my bedroom for me and crys lol, but im starting to notice shes getting alot more attached to my bf! lol


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## Annabelle's Mommy (Jan 22, 2008)

I'm so glad to hear that other Chi's. do this, I was beginning to worry. My DH keeps telling me didn't think it was normal, so I've been trying to research it!This may sound crazy, but it actually makes me feel good that she's like this, it makes me feel like I'm doing a good job at raising her. I'm going to start trying to work with her a little more on her whining when I leave, b/c it breaks my heart.


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## red hat mama (Jan 12, 2008)

I am the one that gets upset when I have to leave my chi baby I have had him since he was one week old (he just turned 9 weeks yesterday) and left him for the first time today I was worried sick and couldn't wait to get back home, I had left him with my daughter but I felt that part of me was missing when I walked out of the door.So I can imagine how your babies feel when you leave them ,they have such big hearts and only want to be with us. Just another reason that we love them so much .


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## SkyDreamer777 (Jan 6, 2006)

Sara cries and whines whenever I leave her. Since I drive a tour bus sometimes I have to leave her for days at a time, at home with my husband. He says she gets depressed the whole time I'm gone. She gets very upset whenever she sees my suitcase or if I even wear a white shirt or black pants (also uniform for work). And twice now she has killed the shoelaces in my work shoes

For the last months I mostly been at home since it's the slow season in tourism. I hate to know how bad she's going to be when work picks up again. I've been around her almost nonstop since before Christmas.


Corey was just as bad when she was younger. I left her at home oneday and she pulled up the linolium in the bathroom, pulled up part of the carpeting in the livingroom and chewed up the corner paneling in the bathroom! $370 worth of damage and I was renting the house! The landlord never found out though... I fixed it before I moved out. Corey was so bad the now she stays outside when I'm not at home.


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## Pauline Leland (Oct 9, 2006)

I'm luckier, maybe. Boop finds a place to snooze and 'shuts down' when I'm gone. She keeps an eye on me when I'm home, will often follow me, but she'll wander into another room away from me when I'm home if she can sun bathe there. The down side is when she goes into another room to chew and makes bad choices.


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## Kristin (Nov 12, 2004)

Boss was like that for a VERY long time. I got him at 5wks and he went EVERYWHERE with me until he was old enough to get into the livingroom (there was a step) and get back into the kitchen where the food/water was. Because of that he is a total mama's boy. He is always at my feet and when we go outside to let them run the yard for a while, he'll only go about 10ft. from me. He must be in eye shot or he isn't happy lol.


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## MsViv (Jan 3, 2008)

*my babies don't like their kennels*



ChiFan said:


> When we start shutting off lights at night, they both know, and with a nice "bedtime!" from us, they both run to the kennel and curl up. The first couple nights they both whined for us, but you just have to deal with it.
> .


You are so lucky that you babies like their kennels. My Abby will sleep in hers but prefers my bed. Goldie is 2 and still cries and whines for hours when I put her in her bed. It's just me and them so I let them sleep with me most nights. Goldie like to curl at my knees and Abby starts the night in my right arm for her cuddle and then moves away to sleep.
Viv


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## Guest (Jan 26, 2008)

well, chico is fast taking to my husband training wise. If the cat is being fed chico is not allowed int he kitchen, as he eats the cat food and that ISNT good. My husband merely clicks his fingers, and chico turns around or backs up (which is funny) to EXACTLY on the line where the laminate meets the lino, and sits down!
My husband doesnt say a word, maybe gives a little "ssssht" and that's it!

But I still think Chico loves me more


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