Golden Retrievers often follow their owners everywhere, constantly seek attention, and whine when left alone. This behavior can become so bothersome that you might find yourself wondering, “Why are golden retrievers so needy?”.
Golden retrievers are inherently social animals, which contributes to their perceived neediness. However, other factors such as insufficient attention and training, recent separation from their mother, past traumatic experiences, boredom, and health issues also significantly influence their behavior.
You are not alone in dealing with your dog’s neediness – many other owners observe similar behaviors in their pets. Let’s explore the reasons behind your golden retriever’s clinginess and discuss some strategies to effectively manage this behavior!
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Reasons Why Your Golden Retriever Is So Needy
Here are some reasons that might explain why your golden retriever is so needy:
1. Social Nature
Golden retrievers are known for their social nature and they love attention. It’s part of their personality.
They were originally bred for hunting to work alongside humans as a hunting companion to retrieve game.
RELATED: Do Golden Retrievers Hunt? (MUST READ!)
This history has made them naturally inclined to seek human attention and affection.
So, when your golden retriever seems needy, it’s their way to express their natural desire to be close to their owners.
2. Lack of Training
Although golden retrievers are naturally eager to please their owners, proper training is essential to harness this trait effectively.
Training plays a crucial role in shaping the behavior of golden retrievers. It teaches them which behavior is expected from them.
Thus, if they lack adequate training, they may engage in needy and attention-seeking behavior to seek attention from their owners.
3. Lack of Attention
As golden retrievers thrive on attention, they do everything possible to gain their owners’ attention.
They may seek your attention as a sign that you aren’t spending enough time with them.
Due to your busy schedule, you may fail to give your golden retriever the attention that they desire.
Because they thrive on human interaction, if they feel neglected, they will show attention-seeking behaviors to capture your attention.
These behaviors include hugging you, sitting on your lap, barking, jumping, whining, or bringing things in their mouth to gain your attention.
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ALSO READ: Why Do Golden Retrievers Bark So Much? (14 Bark Types + Tips)
4. Newly Separated from Mother
Golden retriever puppies must stay with their mother until they are 8 weeks old.
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If your puppy was recently separated from their mother and littermates, they become clingy and needy.
This behavior stems from the sudden loss of their mother’s protection, naturally prompting them to seek more love and care from their owners.
Consequently, they become needy towards you, viewing you as their comfort zone and a source of protection.
5. Improper Nutrition
Proper nutrition is essential for your golden retriever’s emotional well-being.
Nutritional deficiencies can affect your dog’s behavior, leading to fluctuations in energy levels or even lethargy.
This can result in increased clinginess or behavioral issues as they seek comfort or reassurance, which may manifest as needy behavior.
6. Traumatic Past Experiences
Your golden retriever can also be needy due to past traumatic experiences such as abuse, neglect, mistreatment, or loss of a companion.
If your golden retriever is adopted from an abusive breeding environment or has had a neglectful owner, they lose trust in people, feel insecure, and suspect everything as a threat.
Therefore, they become clingy, sticking close to you for safety and security.
Similarly, if they have lost a sibling or a previous owner to whom they were deeply attached, they may become more attached and needy towards you due to the fear of experiencing another loss. Such incidents can intensify neediness in golden retrievers.
7. Unintentionally Reinforcing Their Needy Behavior
Golden retrievers are intelligent dogs that learn and remember quickly.
If you’ve previously rewarded your golden retriever with treats, natural snacks, or extra attention when they exhibited clingy or needy behavior, they may have learned to display this behavior more frequently to receive rewards.
Therefore, it’s important to be mindful of how you respond to your dog, especially when they’re misbehaving.
8. Boredom and Lack of Stimulation
Golden retrievers are very energetic dog breeds who require a lot of daily exercise and stimulation.
If they don’t get enough exercise, they become restless, bored, and exhibit needy behavior.
This may involve whimpering, pacing, and persistently seeking their owners’ attention.
It’s their way of communicating their boredom and the need for activity.
9. Separation Anxiety
Golden retrievers are highly social dogs that thrive on human interaction.
When left alone for a long time or separated from their owners, they become anxious and scared, developing separation anxiety.
RECOMMENDED READING: Anxiety in Golden Retrievers: Symptoms, Causes, & Solutions
Its symptoms include excessive barking, howling, grunting, whining, destructiveness either by chewing or digging, home soiling, excessive panting, following their owners around the house, and even attempts at escape.
Those who have anxiety issues often become clingy and needy.
10. Health Issues
Golden retrievers can’t verbally communicate when they feel unwell, thus they exhibit behavioral changes to let you know something isn’t right.
These include increased clinginess and the need for extra attention from their owners.
Various health issues that might make your golden retriever needier are:
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Constipation
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Dental issues
- Thyroid disorders
- Gastrointestinal Issues
- Ear infection
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Hip and joint dysplasia
- Cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) in elderly dogs
As a consequence of the disease, your dog experiences immense and unbearable pain and stays close to you. This is their way of seeking comfort.
11. Pregnant Owner
It’s common for pregnant owners to observe their dogs becoming needier and clingy during their pregnancy.
Golden retrievers are sensitive to hormonal changes in their owners during pregnancy, allowing them to easily detect shifts in mood and behavior.
Thus, golden retrievers may become more protective and always stay close to their owners to protect and comfort them.
12. Changes in Environment or Routine
Golden retrievers, like many dogs, can become needy or clingy when there are changes in their environment or routine.
Familiar sights, sounds, and smells your golden retriever is used to are suddenly absent in a new setting. This can make them feel insecure.
As you are only familiar to them, they cling to you as they feel lost.
Similarly, as dogs find comfort in routine and thrive on consistency, changes in their daily activities like a new feeding or walking schedule can make them anxious.
As a result, they may become needy to seek reassurance that there is nothing to worry about.
13. Age
Golden retrievers are most needy during their puppyhood and senior years.
During puppyhood, they are naturally clingy as everything is unfamiliar and they are still adjusting to the new environment.
Thus, your puppy depends on you for comfort, guidance, and security.
As golden retrievers grow older, they may become more dependent on their owners due to physical deterioration.
Declines in their vision, hearing, mobility, and cognitive abilities, inability to settle, and changes like pooping in the house can make your golden retriever seek out extra attention, comfort, and reassurance from their owner.
Therefore, your golden retriever may need additional care to manage their daily routines.
14. Female Golden Retrievers in Heat
During a female golden retriever’s heat cycle, she will undergo various physical changes, and her hormones will fluctuate, leading to behavioral changes such as mood swings and increased neediness.
In addition to feeling uncomfortable during this period, your golden retriever may also feel scared and confused by the changes occurring in her body.
Consequently, she will seek comfort and more attention from you, her owner.
What to Do When Your Golden Retriever Is Needy?
Here are some tips to manage your golden retriever’s needy behavior.
1. Give Attention
Golden retrievers love attention and its part of their personality. Thus, give your golden retriever much love, care, and attention.
By doing this, your dog will not show needy behavior to get your love and it will also deepen your bond with them.
2. Provide a Balanced Diet
A healthy diet can play a significant role in managing your golden retriever’s neediness.
If your golden retriever is healthy, it will help them feel more content and less reliant on constant attention.
Hence, you should ensure to give a balanced diet to your dog with all the vital nutrition.
Maintaining a healthy weight can prevent lethargy and excessive begging, as overweight dogs may seek more attention.
RELATED: 8 Best Foods for Overweight Golden Retrievers
3. Avoid Negative Reinforcement
Negative reinforcement encourages your dog’s neediness.
If your golden retriever shows needy behavior by barking, grunting, biting, etc. and you respond to stop the behavior, they learn that being needy gets results.
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Therefore, you should ignore them and try to stay away until they calm down.
This way your golden retriever learns that needy behavior is not getting them any attention and they stop being clingy.
4. Maintain a Routine
Dogs thrive on consistency, so maintaining a daily routine helps yourgolden retriever feel more comfortable, safe, and relaxed.
Consistency helps your dog know what to anticipate and when.
Therefore, maintain regular feeding, playing, walking, and sleep time to establish a predictable daily routine for them.
5. Calming Techniques
Implementing calming techniques can help reduce your golden retriever’s neediness and promote a sense of security.
Consider using calming aids like calming shirts and collars, pheromone diffusers, or sprays that mimic the natural scent of a mother dog to help them feel more secure and less needy.
Diffusers with soothing scents like lavender, calming supplements, or treats with chamomile or lavender may also promote relaxation.
6. Gradual Desensitization
If your golden retriever struggles with separation anxiety or becomes excessively clingy when you’re gone, gradually desensitizing them to your absence can be beneficial.
Start being away from your dog for short periods then gradually increase the duration till your dog becomes more comfortable with your absence.
This process helps them build confidence and they learn that being alone is nothing to be afraid of.
Slowly, they will start to find comfort in their own company.
7. Socialization
Golden retrievers are called “people dogs” because they love being around people.
As they are social animals, they need regular interactions with other dogs and people.
Activities like visiting dog parks, attending obedience classes, or having playdates with other dogs can help reduce their needy behavior.
8. Exercise
Golden retrievers need plenty of exercise to burn off their energy. Therefore, you should provide them with age-appropriate physical activity each day to reduce their needy behavior.
This can include taking them for daily walks, playing fetch, swimming, or letting them run around in a fenced-in yard.
RELATED: Do Golden Retrievers Like Water? (REVEALED!)
This way your golden retriever will feel tired and lose interest in following you and eventually stop being needy.
9. Provide Mental Stimulation
When golden retrievers feel bored, they become needy because they have nothing to do.
Hence, mental stimulation keeps them engaged and prevents boredom.
Regular training sessions and interactive games like hide-and-seek and puzzle toys can help satisfy their need for mental stimulation and reduce their neediness.
10. Proper Training
Golden retrievers are affectionate dogs but they can become overly dependent on their owners if not trained properly.
RELATED: How Do Golden Retrievers Show Affection? (22 Signs!)
Training is important in minimizing needy behavior in golden retrievers. It also teaches them sociability and obedience.
Teaching your dog basic commands like “sit” and “stay” can boost their confidence and decrease anxiety.
Use positive reinforcement techniques like affection, praise, or treats to train your golden retriever. This approach helps your dog understand the expected behaviors.
11. Seek Professional Help
Persistent neediness in golden retrievers may indicate behavioral or emotional issues, which can negatively affect both the dog and the owner.
A professional dog trainer can assess the dog’s behavior, while a vet can provide guidance on diet, training methods, and diagnose any underlying issues.
Conclusion
Golden retrievers are affectionate dogs that can sometimes appear overly needy due to their strong desire for human interaction and love. It’s important to understand the reasons behind their clinginess and take appropriate steps to manage this behavior. If the neediness persists, you can consider seeking professional help.
You can check out these articles next to understand your golden retriever’s behavior better:
Why Is My Golden Retriever So Hyper? (9 Surprising Reasons)
Why Do Golden Retrievers Steal Things? (+13 STRATEGIES!)
Why Does My Golden Retriever Sit On Me? (15 KEY REASONS)
Why Do Golden Retrievers Lick So Much? (13 REASONS!)
Why Do Golden Retrievers Paw at You? (9 Surprising Reasons!)
Why Does My Golden Retriever Follow Me Everywhere? (REVEALED!)