Hi can anyone help for the last 5 days my 18wk pup has been following me everywhere i go(even the to the toilet!) and she is always so close to me her paws keep touching the backs of my legs as i walk.I cant think of anything that has upset her and there have been no changes in the house and when i do escape and shut the door she doesn't whine or cry.Normally she is very good and either looks up from her bed and ignores me when i walkpast or comes over to say hello then goes back to her bed.has anyone got any ideas as i have nearly fallen over her a couple of times and also shut the door on her  accidently as i didn't realise she was right behind me.
thankyou
amy

What kind of breed is it? Some are more velcro than others. I would take advantage of this, if it were me. All the while she is following you, you can be teaching her to come, by using the command when she's coming anyhow. And you can teach "heel" too. Encourage her to walk along side of you when she's following, giving praise. You can start teaching her to sit, by holding a treat up above her head and back until she just naturally sits. (always remember to praise) Pretty soon you can add to that "stay." Just do it for short periods for a while. As she gets older, you can increase the time little by little. You'll just have to be extra careful to remember that she is probably right by your feet.

She may be a little insecure which is very natural for a puppy and she's looking to you as her mother and imprinting to you. That's why she's following you. You can play little games with her that will increase her confidence, like tug of war and let her win. But a few obedience commands, very short 5 minute sessions...will also give her confidence.

Good luck. Puppies take a lot of time and work to make them easy to live with and it's good to start right away. But their attention spans are incredibly short, so 5 minutes of sit practice or whatever is all they can pay attention to. You can do it several different times in a day though.

There's a good website I like with a lot of info....a LOT! LOL. Type in Dr. P's dog training. It's a good one. Good luck.

Carrie