11 Reasons Why Australian Shepherds Are So Needy & Clingy

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Odds are that when you brought your australian shepherd into your home you had no idea they’d be so needy! Is it something you’re doing to make them overly needy & clingy? Or are australian shepherds generally needy as a breed?

Why Are Australian Shepherds So Needy:

More often than not, when an australian shepherd becomes very needy it’s because they’ve been unintentionally trained to behave this way. When their whines and cries are always met with love and attention it causes them to want to continue behaving this way because it’s always been rewarded.

In this post you’ll discover:

11 real reasons why australian shepherds are so needy
When your aussie’s needy behavior is something to worry about
3 tips to help your australian shepherd stop being so needy (Tip #2 can help immediately!)
And much more

Let’s jump right in.

Table of Contents

11 Reasons Why Australian Shepherds Are So Needy & Clingy

1) Unintentionally Trained To Be

Unintentionally you might have trained your australian shepherd to be so needy.

Which might sound like crazy talk, but hear me out.

If whenever your aussie whined, cried, barked or had some form of fit, it brought you over to them, they’ll want to continue to behave this way.

Also, if their clingy behavior was rewarded with affection, loving pats on the head or picking them up, again, this has only trained them to want to do it more.

While your intention may have never been to reward your aussies needy behavior, you may have been doing it unknowingly.

Which has made them into an overly needy pup that wants you to pay attention to them at all times throughout the day.

Usually when an aussie is overly needy it’s because they lack confidence, are shy or feel anxious.

2) It’s An Australian Shepherd Thing

Part of the reason why australian shepherds can be so needy and clingy is simply because it’s in their nature.

They were bred as herding dogs, so they have a natural instinct to want to stay close to their pack (aka humans).

This is why they are often referred to as “Velcro dogs”.

Many want to be close to you at all times and will follow you around the house, constantly seeking your attention.

3) Environment Change

If there’s one thing that australian shepherds hate, it’s big changes in their environment.

Anytime there’s a change (big or small), they can become anxious and clingy.

This could be anything from a new baby in the house, to a move to a new home, to even just having a different person taking care of them for several days.

Aussies hate change and will do anything to try and get back to their “normal” routine.

Which is why they may become clingy and needy when there are big changes in their life.

Related Reading: Top 8 Best Beds For Australian Shepherds

4) Your Attention Is Like a Drug

When you give your aussie attention, whether it’s through physical contact or simply staring into their eyes, it releases oxytocin in their bodies.

Which is a hormone that creates more feelings of love and trust in your pup.

So, when you give your aussie attention, it makes them feel happy and secure, which in turn makes them want to cling to you more.

Time spent getting attention from you is just so much better than time spent not getting attention from you.

Which contributes to your australian shepherd acting so needy and clingy.

5) Spending Too Much Time Alone

If your aussie spends too much time alone, they may become anxious and clingy.

This is because they’re pack animals and crave companionship.

If they’re by themselves for too long, they may start to feel lonely or isolated, which can lead to them becoming needy and clingy.

So if your work schedule or social life has recently gotten busier your australian shepherd might be becoming more needy because they feel neglected.

It’s not healthy for your pup to spend too much time alone, they need social interaction to be their happiest and healthiest selves.

6) Picking Up On How You’re Feeling

Did you know your pup can actually smell your emotions?

Not only that, but they’ll often pick up on your body language, facial expression and tone of voice and start feeling the same emotions you’re feeling.

This is because they see you as their pack leader, and if you’re feeling a certain way, they trust your judgment of the surrounding environment and feel similar emotions.

Which means your australian shepherd might be behaving more needy lately because they’re picking up on your nervous/anxious energy.

If your life has gotten a little more stressful lately it might be rubbing off on your pup.

7) Lack Of Stimulation

If your australian shepherd isn’t getting enough physical and mental stimulation, they may become needy/clingy.

This is because they need lots of both physical and mental stimulation in order to be happy and healthy.

If they’re not getting enough of either, they may start to become restless and clingy as a way to get your attention.

This is why it’s so important to make sure your aussie gets plenty of exercise and playtime, as well as puzzles and toys that challenge their mind.

Otherwise, they may start acting out in other ways (like being destructive or barking excessively) to try and get the stimulation they need.

Related Reading: Top 10 Best Dog Brushes For Australian Shepherds

8) Their Age

If your australian shepherd is moving into their senior years, this could be a major reason for them starting to behave more needily.

They may start having trouble getting around like they used to, which can lead to them feeling lonely and isolated.

They may also start having trouble hearing, seeing and understanding things around them, which can make them feel scared and insecure.

All of this can lead to your australian shepherd to become more clingy and needy in an attempt to get more love and attention from you.

It’s important to be patient with your senior aussie.

They’re going through a lot of changes and may not be able to do basic things that were once very easy for them.

9) Fear

Whether it’s a thunderstorm, loud construction happening outside your home, being in an uncomfortable situation (e.g. going to the vet or groomers), or being afraid of a certain person or dog..

If your australian shepherd is afraid of something it can definitely cause them to behave more needy than usual.

This is because they’re trying to get your attention in order to make what they’re afraid of go away.

If your pup is afraid of something, it’s a good idea to try and desensitize them to the fear by slowly exposing them to it in a controlled environment.

This will help them learn that there’s nothing to be scared of and eventually they’ll stop behaving so needy around the thing, or things, that scare them.

10) In Heat

If your australian shepherd is a girl and in heat, there’s a good chance she’ll start behaving more clingy and needy than usual.

It’s totally normal to see her go through some personality changes when in heat.

This is because her hormones are all out of whack which might make her behave more needy than usual.

Thankfully this doesn’t last too long (a little over a week on average) and she should be back to her normal self in no time.

11) Possible Health Condition

There could be a chance that your australian shepherd’s clingy and needy behavior is due to an underlying health condition.

Some common health conditions that can cause this kind of behavior are: thyroid problems, diabetes, Cushing’s Syndrome, and liver disease.

If you think your pup might be suffering from one of these conditions, it’s important to take them to the vet for a check-up.

Once the health condition is treated, their overly clingy and needy behavior should start to go away.

3 Tips To Help Your Australian Shepherd Not Be So Needy & Clingy

1) Do Your Best Not To Reward It

When your australian shepherd starts behaving in a clingy/needy way, it can be really tempting to give them the attention they’re seeking.

But by doing this, you’re only reinforcing that behavior and it’ll likely get worse over time.

It’s important to stay strong and not reward their bad behavior with attention.

This may be hard in the beginning, but eventually they’ll learn that behaving in a needy way doesn’t get them what they want.

If you’re having trouble not rewarding their bad behavior, try distracting yourself with something else (like watching tv or reading a book) until they stop trying to get your attention.

This will help you stay strong and not fall into the trap of reinforcing their unnecessary needy behavior.

2) More Physical & Mental Stimulation

One of the reasons your australian shepherd might be behaving more needy is because they’re bored.

All that energy and pent up excitement has to go somewhere, so it’s expressed through clingy behavior.

In order to help combat this, it’s best to provide your pup with more physical and mental stimulation.

Some great ways to do this are by taking them for additional walks, playing fetch or tug-of-war, letting them run around at the park, or teaching them new tricks.

The more mentally and physically stimulating activities you can provide your aussie with, the less they’ll need to resort to needy behavior.

3) Help Them Overcome Their Dependence

Lastly, it’s important to help your australian shepherd overcome their dependence on you.

This is of course more speaking toward their emotional dependence on you because they obviously need you for food, walks and to be let out in the backyard.

One way to help them overcome their emotional dependence is by slowly starting to wean them off of you.

This means gradually giving them less and less attention until they’re able to be on their own without getting too anxious or clingy.

It might take a little bit of time, but eventually your australian shepherd will learn to be more independent and not rely on you so much for their emotional security.

*Important note: Usually when a pup is overly needy it’s because they lack confidence, are shy or feel anxious.

If this sounds like your aussie here’s a simple 10-minute/day training routine that can help.

Other posts you might find interesting:

12 Best Harnesses for Australian Shepherds

11 Reasons Australian Shepherds Shake, Shiver & Tremble

9 Reasons Australian Shepherds Eat Poop + How To Stop It

19 Ways Australian Shepherds Show Their Affection