Congratulations on the new dog! Where is our picture?

I let my chihuahua follow me everywhere. (She is crated at night so I don't accidentally step on her and so she doesn't get into trouble like chewing a cord) But in addition, this little one is newly adopted and that is a big stressor, she may love being a member of your family and if left alone might think she is going to have to find another home. Whatever you ultimately decide, I think while she is new she needs you as much as possible.

I let my dogs follow me around...so yes.

If she's new in your home, sure, let her stay with you as you go around the house. But you do not want to create separation anxiety, either. So balance the time she's with you and time alone (not just at night). You can read a little on it here. It may never be a problem, just don't let it become one.

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/separation-anxiety-in-dogs/

Our dog, Ali, follows us every where.

As long as she is potty trained, I would let her follow you. I would doggy proof the house. My dog has always been pretty well behaved except for when he was a puppy and he chewed flip flops, my husband's mouth piece for his c-pap and crayons. We watched a dog for a neighbor, she tried to get the gum out of my purse.

One tip: if there is a lot of traffic going thru the patio door, relocate her bed to another area so she feels more secure and safe.

Yes. Do let her follow you. I go out with Schultz when he does his business, he figures he can do the same for me. LOL

Congratulations on the new pup. Post a picture if you can. Name and age too.

You've only had him a few days, so he's probably still very unsure.

My dog doesn't follow me. He gets a lot of exercise in the early am and so needs to rest a lot during the day. Oh, he follows me if he's hungry or it's time to go play with friends, but otherwise he does not. If I don't want him to walk around the house (dirty feet or whatever), I put him on a leash. He thinks he's tied even when he's not.

Yes I would let her follow me.

Yes, but set boundaries. My previous dog, a greyhound had separation anxiety and would poop in the house only when we didn't take her with us. She also chewed up things only when she was stressed we weren't there.

My little Mia follows us everywhere. But as soon as she realizes that we are leaving she immediately goes to her heater bed and snuggles in for a nap. She would rather go with us but she understands sometimes it's not possible.

So I say let her follow.

Congrats on the new baby!

Dogs are social creatures. Yes I would let her follow me everywhere. But use that great bond she is forming with you to teach. It's an excellent opportunity to incorporate training to move, leave it, sit, stay,off etc. You don't have to end up with a nasty little pocket pet that way but a loyal companion who is a joy to be around. Too many people treat little dogs as not needing training. All dogs need training and it can be fun and enjoyable we when they have a strong bond with you.

Do continue to give her crate time and time to stay in her place. But embrace the fact that she wants to be with you.

Our rescue dog took a couple of days to stop hiding under furniture. Then he decided he wanted to be with us, and is usually in the same room. He has a crate in our mudroom and beds in several rooms of our house. He'll just go to whichever place suits him that moment and nap. If he sees us getting ready to leave he just lays down in his crate and waits for us to close the door or to reach for his leash.

Your dog needs the chance to bond with you, but also needs to know she has her own space and is expected to be content there without you.

Thank you for the advice. Her name is Penny, I will try posting a picture tonight.

Now a potty question. If we know she can go 5 or 6 hours without peeing, if we had taken her out before we left and she went potty...and lets say we came back in 2 or 3 hours, do we take her out again right then or do we wait knowing she can hold it longer?

I haven't been too worried about her peeing while were home because literally she doesn't leave your side. According to the previous owner, she was housebroken but not crate trained and that she knows how to use a doggy door. She hasn't shown yet if she'll indicate if she needs to go out, like going to the door etc. like I mentioned, she's always curled up next to someone, so we'll end up getting her up to take her out to potty. From what I can tell, her poop schedule is in the morning and then after work/evening time.

ETA: So far she's only been left alone in the house for a few hours at a time, most the time someone has been home with her. I rolled up the area rug and hallway runner and we close the bedrooms and bathroom door so she has access to living, dining, kitchen area. All tile. I'm not sure if I want to try to crate train her or set up a pen to keep her within the living area while we are gone.

I always take my chi out if there is a change- when I come back from somewhere, after a nap, after watching TV, as well as first thing in the morning and before bed. I like the idea of a crate in the back room in case you have guests and you choose to not have the guests and dog interact for whatever reason. Until you know her better it might be best to err on the side of being cautious when there are new people around.

Mine came crate trained. I like that. It makes him easier to deal with when we travel. Hotels want pets crated when you leave the room. It makes it easier when he stays at someones house. He sleeps in his crate at night through his own choosing. He's only been sick two times in the almost years we've had him. Since the worst of it has tended to happen at night or early morning when we were bed, we didn't have to clean furniture or carpet.

I’m confused by your question. Dogs, big and small are all pack oriented and are happiest when they are not alone. It’s following you around because it is trying to bond with you and that’s a good thing, the time to worry is if or when a dog shows no interest and goes off by itself.

Again, because she is a new to you dog, she might still be anxious and confused. i would take her out when you get home, even if it means you were only gone a few hours.

As she becomes acclimated, this will change.

I know that many people keep the crates for the life of the dog. I used mine for only a year with our previous dog Then with our current rescue, none at all. He was probably around 2 when we got him.

I think you have a good set up. So, I would keep doing what you are doing.

Congratulations!! I would let her follow you around as long as you are at home. She is getting used to everything. I like the idea of a pen rather than a crate. That is what I used with mine when she was a pup. She has run of the house all the time now. I always potty before I leave for a few hours and when I come home I ask her if she wants to go out. Also because she is such a tiny dog, make sure you do treat her like a dog and don't carry her all the time. That ends up making them very possessive, in my opinion.

Congratulations on the new pup! I bet Penny is adorable....looking forward to her pic.

I volunteer at a dog rescue. murraysmom is right on. Pen is better than a crate. Let her follow you. Carrying the dog, all the time...makes them "own" that space and bite hands that try to invade it. Not good. Bonding is very good....following you is a bonding thing.

no picture, no new pup! we gotta have proof!

Congratulations on your new dog! Our dogs follow us around. That said I don't let them in the kitchen when I'm cooking as one of them is a real tripping hazard. She likes to get right behind your heels in case you spill anything and without warning she is there before you even know it. YMMV.

You have every right to have space when you need it. Whether it be in the bathroom or wherever you deem it more comfortable for you so that you are not yelling at dogs who are irritating you. Shut them out of where you can't have them for one reason or another and get them used to it ASAP. That's my motto. Good luck!

I prefer Georgy follow me. That way I know she's not getting into trouble. All I have to do is say I'm getting dressed now and she'll jump up and follow me to the bedroom. In the kitchen I try to get her to lie down in the breakfast area so she's nearby but not a tripping hazard. As for going out, she will let you know if she has to go. Enjoy your new friend.

Congrats!

I would let her out as soon as you get back home, regardless of the time you were gone. Ours greet us like crazy dogs and then they all go outside to potty.

I forgot to congratulate you, it’s always wonderful when a pup is able to find it’s forever home.

I’m going to be the odd man out, but because of abuses I’ve seen with crating by people who either didn’t understand the method or didn’t care, I’m not a fan of them. On the other hand, I think it’s important for a dog (and cats too) to have a “safe spot” somewhere in the house that they know is theirs. When we got our puppy, I set up a Great Dane sized travel crate in the living room for her. We kept the door open and she went in and out as she pleased but we never bothered her when she was in there. I was amazed at how quickly she knew it was for her and took ownership of it. The only time we closed the door was when someone new came into the house because she’d get overly excited. Sometime during her 2nd year, we replaced the crate with a bed which is her safe spot now.

As for them letting you know when they need to go out, some dogs I think are better at that then others and hopefully, you’ll be able to queue in really quick as to what your pup’s method is. Unfortunately, our girls signal is the same no matter what she wants. She lays her head on my lap and will stare me down until I figure out what she wants. I ask her if she needs to go potty; or if she’s hungry; or if she just want’s to play. Whenever I say the right thing, she perks up and shakes her head. I hope your dog’s signals are easier than that, cause honestly, that was a challenge to work through.

If she is 2 years old, then I would suspect that she is already potty trained, but just in case, when you have her barricaded on just tile, you may want to lay paper or puppy pads down so she doesn’t get used to peeing on the bare tile. That’s what we did and it worked well for us.

My dd's dog, who stays with us when she is out of town, was the most timid little thing when she first brought him home and still is somewhat, by nature. In the beginning when we were dog sitting, he stuck to me like glue, following me around from room to room; if I stayed put at the kitchen sink, he'd lie under the table, keeping an eye on me. When we'd walk, he'd stay close to my legs and did the nose-bump thing (so cute,) constantly. Now he's like most any other dog and will sleep on the couch or his bed while I move about the house. He just needed time and the assurance that I wasn't going to leave him forever. DD taught him that when she says "I'll be back," she is leaving and of course, will return.

She did have to desensitize him to staying alone, first closing him in the bedroom for one minute, two minutes, etc., using a calming voice, then eventually she got to the point where she'd go out her front door for 5 min, 10 min, etc and he wouldn't carry on and appear desperate to get to her. It really just takes time to build a dog's confidence. They do make nice company. :). Congrats on your new doggy!

I’m glad that you have decided to have her follow around. That would’ve been my advice, too.

As far as the question about whether to take her out to potty again when you get home, I say yes. Would you want to always have to wait as long as you know you can before you pee? I wouldn’t. I think you should give her the opportunity to go if she needs to.

BTW, we also have a Chi. She can wait a long time before peeing but I don’t ask her to.

She is ADORABLE!!!!!!!!

Oh how cute!! She is so cute!

I wanted to say that I agree with sjerin about using the same phrase when you are leaving the house. I always tell Carmelita that I am "going to the store" no matter where I'm going LOL. That way she knows I will be back and it might be a little while.

Enjoy your new pup!

So cute!!! You have gotten some very good advice here. Just remember, she is a rescue. That means she doesn't know you and your family yet. She may grieve for her first home, so be understanding.

She doesn't know which door to use to go out for potty, so take her every few hours though the same door. Tell her it is potty time (or whatever you want to call it) and praise her when she does her job. Remember that she does not know how to tell you that she needs to go, so watch her for signals. My Emma will nudge me or sit in front of the leash at the door. I will say "do you need to potty?" and if so, she get excite that I understood.

Feed her in the same spot, at the same time everyday. If she does not eat, pick it up after 1/2 hour. No healthy dog will starve to death! When she eats, praise again.

Show her where her toys are located. Play with her to help bonding. (My Dylan, at 2 years old, never learned to play as a puppy with the first owners. It was so sad to see that)

Take her on walks around the neighborhood, introduce her to the neighbors so they know she lives with you if she gets out and wanders. Let her meet the doggy neighbors too. When walking back home, tell her she is going home, repeatedly. She will learn where she lives that way. Soon, she will lead you home!

Bring her to the vet you use for a non-medical visit. It takes the scary away for a med visit.

Go for car rides to dog friendly places, like the pet store, hairdresser, senior centers. bank drive throughs. It builds her confidence.

Rescues come with "baggage". Help her work through it and forget the past.

And most importantly, thank you for giving Penny a forever home. May you have many years of love with her.

Thank you pk. She seems to be adjusting pretty good. She doesn't seem like she is confused or looking around looking for someone or somewhere...does that make sense? Our neighbors dog would come over and you could tell he "wanted to go home"...she doesn't act like she's not where she belongs. Which is a nice feeling. At the end of her walks she's all happy and knows exactly where we go in to our patio.

She does well in the car. My guess is she is familiar with hopping in the a car to go for rides.

She has an appt. for a check up at the vet today. My only concern is when we get her up to take her out for a walk she snorts in through her nose and the only way I can describe it is like when someone is trying to "hauck a lougie" not even sure how to spell that term...maybe it's some sort of kennel cough...?? She was dropped off 3/12 and we got her 3/15. Not sure if she'd pick up something that quickly...??

If you want her to be near you for the rest of her life, let her in. If you know you don’t want her to be velcroed next to you forever, close the door. It’s really is ok to limit the boundaries of a pet. Doing so also helps if they are apt to have separation anxiety problems. Good luck!

What you describe sounds like a “reverse cough”. Google will tell you more about it. Our pup does it sometimes.

Suzie..yes, the vet said it was a reverse sneeze. It's through her nose, not her throat...maybe through the throat is a reverse cough. Penny checked out ok at the vet. So that was good news.

Yes! That's what I meant - reverse sneeze. No idea why I said reverse cough. And our vet, too, said it isn't a concern. I just don't like that it seems to stress our girl.

Congratulations! Penny is so cute. And thank you for taking in a shelter dog. I have a Penny also and she is a rescue. It's a cute name for a dog. I haven't read all the responses but as far as letting her follow you around I would say yes. She is new to your home and she may stop this once she is sure that she is at her forever home. I remember the first day I got my Penny, she jumped into bed with me that night and snuggled right up against my neck all night. She has never done that again. She sleeps with us, but not skin to skin like that. And I would take her out immediately upon returning to make sure that she understands when and where to go potty.

oh she is soooo cute!

I don't want to jinx myself but this little doggie is SO sweet...all I can think it that is must have been really hard for someone to drop her off a the Humane Society...I think she's been really good for my moody 18 yr old daughter...actually for both of my kids...has them interacting more :-)