Why Is Your Pit Bull So Clingy? 6 Reasons and Solutions

Pit Bull Terriers are considered excellent companion dogs. They enjoy being around and receiving attention from their owners all the time.

If you are a new Pit Bull parent, you might be unaware of how much attention your dog needs, and you might be wondering whether your Pit Bull is clingier than normal.

So, why is your Pit Bull so clingy? Your Pit Bull is so clingy because Pit Bulls generally need a lot of attention from their owners, and they’re prone to develop separation anxiety. Other reasons include fear, health problems, growing old, or sudden changes in their environment, such as moving to a new house or meeting new people.

Continue reading to find out more reasons for your Pitbull’s clinginess and simple solutions for it.

Why Is Your Pit Bull So Clingy?

Pit Bulls are now bred to be companion dogs for all kinds of families. They tend to be so clingy as they form strong bonds with their owners, and they require undivided love and attention all the time.

The main reason Pit Bulls are so clingy is that they’re prone to developing separation anxiety, which is a condition where the dogs get extremely attached to their owners, often resulting in undesirable behaviors.

Having a clingy Pit Bull can be inconvenient for some owners as there are many things in their daily routine they wouldn’t be able to do, such as:

Leaving the Pitbull alone or going outside for too long
Cuddling with other members of the family or giving them any kind of attention
Going to the bathroom or any other room the dog is not allowed in

If you’re a new Pit Bull owner, you might not be prepared for how clingy your dog is or how much this clingy behavior can interfere with your life. You can learn more about whether Pit Bulls are good for first-time owners here.

So, It’s important to understand all the reasons behind the dog’s clingy behavior in order to deal with it properly and prevent the dog from displaying any undesirable behaviors.

6 Reasons Why Your Pit Bull Is So Clingy

In addition to separation anxiety, there are other reasons why Pit Bulls are so clingy. So, let’s take a close look at these reasons:

Being Around Strangers

Your Pit Bull might be clingy because there are strangers around, and you are focusing all of your attention on them. These strangers can be visiting family members or friends, a new baby, or even another pet.

Being around strangers can also lead the dog to feel more anxious, so it will act clingy as a way to seek comfort.

It’s important that your Pit Bull understand that you still love it even if you have other people around.

Changes in Your Behavior

Pit Bulls are very sensitive and perceptive. They would be able to sense any changes in your behavior.

If your mood changes for any reason, your Pit Bull will be the first to notice. It will also notice if you stop giving it less attention and affection than before.

So, your dog will start to act more clingy than usual to make you feel better and also get you to focus your attention back on it.

Changes in the Dog’s Environment

As mentioned before, Pit Bulls are sensitive, and they don’t like sudden changes.

So, if there are any sudden changes to the dog’s environment, such as moving to a new house, it will start to act more clingy as a way to cope and seek comfort.

It’s important not to gradually introduce the dog to changes in its environment to prevent it from reacting negatively.

Health Problems

Similar to humans, Pit Bulls get scared if they develop any health problems, and they will require more attention than usual.

This is very common with dogs when their hearing becomes impaired or their vision deteriorates.

That’s why you must not dismiss clingy behavior as irritating as it might be an indication of a health problem. If you’re concerned or uncertain, get your Pit Bulls checked by a vet to ensure there is really no problem.

Growing Old

Pit Bulls tend to weaken with age, and they will become more dependent on their owners to care for them.

They will need greater assurance and stability than when they were younger, which will cause them to become a lot more clingy.

Feeling Scared

Your Pit Bull might feel threatened or scared by many things, including loud noises, strangers entering their territory, or experiencing any kind of violence.

If your Pit Bull is feeling scared, it will start acting clingy as a way to seek comfort. So, It’s important to determine what’s causing your dog to feel scared and eliminate that cause to prevent your dog from being excessively clingy or displaying any other undesirable behaviors.

How to Stop Your Pit Bull from Being Clingy?

Now that you know the main reasons why your Pit Bull is clingy, you need to work on how to get it to stop. This process will be challenging but not impossible.

Here are some solutions you can try to stop your Pit Bull from being clingy:

Discourage Clingy Behavior

Make sure not to praise your Pit Bull when it acts clingy. You need to firmly discourage this kind of behavior immediately.

Usually, the best way to discourage clingy behavior is to simply ignore your Pit Bull. This will let the dog know that it’s inappropriate behavior and that being overly clingy is not the right way to get you to pay attention to it.

Provide the Dog with Its Own Space

Providing your Pit Bull with its own space at home will help it cope better with being separated from you for extended periods of time. It will also help establish boundaries.

Once you send the dog away to its space, it will know that it shouldn’t follow you around everywhere in the house.

It’s recommended to make the dog’s space as comfortable as possible by adding a bed, blankets, and various toys to make the dog more at ease.

Give the Dog Enough Attention

Make sure to spend enough time with your Pit Bull and give it the attention it needs. This way, the dog will know that it’s loved, even if you leave it alone for some time.

Provide the Dog with Some Distractions

If your Pit Bull is being clingy or constantly following you from place to place, try to provide it with a distraction to keep him occupied.

The best distraction you can provide for your dog is giving it a wide variety of toys to keep it stimulated and entertained.

You can also try bringing a new dog home so the dog will have company and focus its attention elsewhere. You can learn more about how to make two Pit Bulls get along here.

Keep the Dog Away from Stressful or Scary Situations

Some situations might be too stressful or scary for your Pit Bull, which will cause it to act clingy as a way of seeking comfort.

So, you need to know which situations could cause your dog to feel stressed or scared and keep the dog away from these situations as much as possible.

What to Do If Your Pit Bull Is Still Clingy?

If your Pit Bull is still being clingy and you can’t determine the reason for its behavior or get it to stop being clingy, then it might be a good idea to seek professional help.

You can take the dog to a trainer to discipline your dog’s behavior and teach about boundaries. You can also take the dog to the vet for a checkup as there’s a big chance that your dog is suffering from an underlying health problem.

Why Is Your Pit Bull So Clingy? 6 Reasons and Solutions

Why Is Your Pit Bull So Clingy?