Why Your Dog Whines and Shadows You When You're Getting Ready to Leave

Your dog doesn't start worrying when you reach for the door. They start worrying when you turn the shower off. \ud83d\udc3e

Dogs are brilliant pattern-spotters. The keys, the coat, the bag zip \u2014 each one has quietly become a signal that you're about to disappear. Which means the anticipation builds for twenty minutes before you actually leave.

The fix is strangely dull: use those cues constantly without going anywhere. Pick up the keys, make a tea, put them down. Put your coat on and sit back down. Open the door, shut it, walk away. A signal that predicts nothing stops meaning anything.

Before any of that, though, record what happens after you leave. Most owners find their dog whines for ninety seconds and then sleeps. Some find a dog who never settles \u2014 and that's a different problem, one worth real help rather than more tips.

We've written the whole thing up: what the whining actually means, how to make departures boring, and the signs that say this is distress rather than habit.