5 ways to get your clingy Velcro dog to give you some space
The upside and downside of interactive dog cameras
I love “Two Distant Strangers.” Although the Netflix Short wasn’t supposed to primarily be a dog tale, parts of it were. It didn’t take much effort to figure out why the dog story was needed to make a certain segment of viewers empathetic. The only part of the Netflix Short that I raised an eyebrow over was the interactive dog camera that released treats.
While the technology certainly comes in handy when you want to make sure your dog is OK, especially with strangers like dog sitters you’re not yet comfortable with, this device can be problematic for Velcro dogs.
What’s a Velcro dog? This is the kind of dependent dog who whines, barks or cries every single time (s)he is away from you. You may as well leave the door open when you go to the bathroom. Velcro dogs will be offended by the idea of you wanting any amount of privacy. And you can forget taking a bath, unless you want them sitting on the bathroom floor with you — or trying to jump in the water. And if you’re always calling in or showing your face whenever you’re away, how will your dog ever get used to you being gone?
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While some breeds are clingier than others, and the American Kennel Club can help you out with learning which ones are and aren’t, there’s one thing I’ve learned over time. Practice makes perfect. If you want a dog to stop doing something, you are going to have to be a fan of repetition. I walk my Hound mix three times per day, and that doesn’t include walks outside to the front yard to release herself. You would think that’d be enough walking for me? Nope, I still have other dogs that I walk a couple of times per week.
Part of the reason I do it is to stretch my legs and have some “me” time just strolling down the street. But the primary reason I do it is the same reason I think anyone who got a pandemic pet should. If you never let your pet know that you’re leaving the house, or you don’t really go anywhere (especially in social isolation), your pet will be hysterical when you do. If you’ve been working from home all this time and are now headed to your Corporate America job, good luck getting the clingy dogs’ paws off of you. And I’ve been a full-time independent contractor for three years and counting. I could’ve easily fallen into that trap.
Recommended Read: “Pandemic dogs are returning to shelters ~ More than 60% of U.S. dog owners would move for their dog’s needs”
Two other unplanned emergencies that helped me avoid a clingy dog
Adulthood is for the birds sometimes. There are definitely moments when I miss complaining to a landlord to fix things instead of knowing it’s my responsibility as a homeowner. My fridge died one day after I adopted my dog. I was pissed at the time because I had to dump everything in the freezer, move some money around to pay for a new fridge, and then set up delivery (with the closest date being two weeks away). But because I had no refrigerator for two weeks, I had to get especially creative with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
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I knew I couldn’t bring my dog to the grocery store (and didn’t feel like dealing with weirdos who think it’s OK to just run up between your legs to pet your dog), so I had to plan out as much dry food that would be OK to eat in small portions or freeze when I was done. That meant I was making small grocery trips to avoid eating Ramen noodles from sunup to sundown.
Luck has not been on my side in June because I also got into a car accident. My exhaust pipe and muffler were dragging, and there were scratches all over the driver rear side after a lady side-swiped me. After my auto insurance handled my not-at-fault repairs, I walked to the body shop to pay my deductible. (She didn’t have insurance, to top it all off.) I could’ve taken Uber, Lyft or Via to get there faster. But the whole idea was to stay out for a little bit.