To clingy or not to clingy

[Vlad]

I see everyone say their Doberman is clingy needy and want to be all the time with their owners but my Doberman is the contrary i think. I play with him i train him i do everything with him and when we are home he wont stay at the same spot with me i feel like he isnt really bonded i got him when he was 2 months and now hes 8 months.
Like some examples i call him to pet him the moment i pet him he leaves and sit in a place far from me. I call him in the couch he comes sits stays like 10 seconds and leaves but the moment i leave the couch he goes and sits there.
In the morning when i go to the bathroom he goes and sits with my gf on the bed but when i get out of the bathroom he jumps off the bed. When i leave home he will cry but if he has someone else there he wont cry like all he needs is another specie around it doesn’t matter if its me. Is this like he respects my space or he doesn’t want to be near me?

 

[JanS]

They're all different and some bond with certain members of the family faster than others. Our girls have all been daddy's girls and the boys are stuck to my side. Just let him come to you when he's ready and don't push it if it's just regular bonding you want.

 

[Ravenbird]

My girl was very aloof as a youngster. The first year I have to say it did kind of hurt my feelings. She was a very serious puppy, not goofy or silly, she was smart and would catch on easily to training, but then ignore me in training even when she knew what to do. Very much a "make me" attitude. Very slowly over time, she became so very close to me, now (just turned 4) there is nothing like the bond we have. Keep up your training. If I could change anything with what I did, I'd make everything more fun and more silly. She was such a serious pup, I felt like the goof when getting over-animated at a good response in training. She'd just stand there and look at me. So I kind of followed her behavior to keep things formal. I think now that PLAY overides training in bonding. Just something to think about.

 

[Ddski5]

Mine was the same tbh…
Give it so more time, he will come to you when he is ready.

 

[LifeofRubie]

Hang in there!

My Dobe loooooooves attention but it has to be on HER terms. It's been almost 8 years of her knowing that there's plenty of it when she wants it but we don't force affection. We also don't force her to interact with strangers or dogs BUT we expect her to be a great dog in social situations (which she is!).

I don't think anyone actually wants a "clingy" dog (separation anxiety is a lot to deal with) but I know Dobes have the general distinction of being Velcro. Just because he isn't trying to be in your skin doesn't mean he's not in tune with you.

 

[JanS]

My Dobe loooooooves attention but it has to be on HER terms.

That was Della to a tee too and I was good with it. I always described her at being more like a cat in those terms.

 

[Ravenbird]

It's good to hear that other people know how this is. Yes "on her own terms" is a perfect way of putting it. Because they really want to be close but they don't want to appear needy. LOL, then they grow up and just like the rest of us, they don't care what anyone thinks. They'll get needy and proud of it.

 

[JanS]

Yes "on her own terms" is a perfect way of putting it.

LOL Della used to go to bed before we went to work and look at us like "why are you still here when I'm trying to rest?"

 

[Cranekc35]

I see everyone say their Doberman is clingy needy and want to be all the time with their owners but my Doberman is the contrary i think. I play with him i train him i do everything with him and when we are home he wont stay at the same spot with me i feel like he isnt really bonded i got him when he was 2 months and now hes 8 months.
Like some examples i call him to pet him the moment i pet him he leaves and sit in a place far from me. I call him in the couch he comes sits stays like 10 seconds and leaves but the moment i leave the couch he goes and sits there.
In the morning when i go to the bathroom he goes and sits with my gf on the bed but when i get out of the bathroom he jumps off the bed. When i leave home he will cry but if he has someone else there he wont cry like all he needs is another specie around it doesn’t matter if its me. Is this like he respects my space or he doesn’t want to be near me?

My boy was like that for a while too. I do EVERYTHING for him as well. When he was younger, he would leave me as soon as my husband would come home. Now, at 2 1/2 years old, he wants to be with me. He still likes his own space every now and then. Sometimes, he will come by me for some loving, then move away and lay down for about a minute, then he will get back up and lay down right beside me. I did teach him to settle on his place, etc., so he doesn't follow me to the bathroom and isn't up my butt 24/7! LOL Give him time. He will come around.