Looking for some training advice.
Dog: Corgi / heeler mix
Age: ~7
Weight: ~30 lbs
Background: Rescue we got as a very small puppy
During the first month we had him, my wife had to be gone a lot, so he bonded very strongly to me. That attachment has never really faded.
Now we have a young child, and it’s starting to create some problems.
What he does
• Constantly wedges himself between me and our kid • Pushes our child aside to get closer to me • Follows me everywhere • No aggression, just very pushy/clingy (except if his tail gets pulled) Nighttime is the biggest issue
He starts every night in his bed next to our older dog. At some point during the night he jumps into our bed and curls up next to me.
If we tell him to get down, he will listen — but then he stands on his hind legs next to the bed and whines until we let him back up.
If he sleeps with us, he’s quiet all night.
If we crate him, he whines from about 2–5 AM nonstop.
We offer to let him outside when we wake up, but that doesn’t seem to be the issue.
Things we’re considering
• Going back to crate training • Being stricter about the bed • Trying to reduce how attached he is to me Using his undershirt at night as it does calm him down when he gets locked out of the play room
Main questions
1. Is this just over-attachment / velcro dog behavior? 2. Is crating the right move even if he cries for hours? 3. How do we stop the “push between me and the kid” behavior before it becomes a bigger issue? Any advice from people who’ve dealt with herding breeds or velcro dogs would be really appreciated
submitted by /u/NoMission9952
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