You know just once I would like to get to go into the bathroom without an audience. And if you say close the door…problem is she likes to scratch at it and I think the apartment people would be anti that.
Surely my dog isn’t the only one who does this?
In other news, Happy Canada Day! If you missed it, be sure to check out the Red Velvet Milkshakes I made for Canada Day.
Panya says
Poe [4 yrs] will slowly follow me after he sees me walking that way, then come over for a quick pet. TMI — it used to be that as soon as I reached for the TP, he’d leave the room — now, he leaves when he hears me stop peeing. [He’s very attuned to sounds — e.g. when when he hears me close my laptop, he knows it’s bedtime and grabs his favorite toy.]
Pip [8 mos] follows me everywhere, most of the time jumping on my heels, so if I go into the bathroom, he’s right there. He’ll also want a quick pet, but then he goes around sniffing everything in the room. One time he jumped on my lap.
I hardly ever close the door, and never all of the way. Poe will nose the door open if he really wants to come in, but Pip hasn’t realised that possibility yet, so he’ll either turn around [and try to get into something since I’m not watching] or stand there and cry. Sometimes instead of opening the door, I hear Poe’s nails clicking on the floor in the hallway, and when he sees the door closed, he’ll wait in his bed in the hallway for me.
Leslie says
i have 2 chihuahuas that follow me in and scratch at my legs and go crazy wanting to be petted~~while they were in basic puppy school, i mentioned it to the teacher, and she gave me a suggestion that worked the very first try, and has always worked since: look straight up in the air, and give them no eye contact whatsoever~~they turn around and walk straight out~~it’s the weirdest thing, but it totally works
debcurlydog says
Cooper our 3 yr old Chesapeake Bay Retriever will follows me in and places his body sideways in front of me. Don’t know if he is protecting me from the cats or just knows he has my undivided attention! The cats will also follow me in to get pets or (I think the real reason) to make sure I turn on the water faucet so they can have a drink of fresh water. They are worse than my kid.
Stephanie says
My Pup does that, too! And if I let her in and close the door after her, she then scratches to get out! I can’t win.
Lisa says
Since it’s just me & the spouse, we got out of the habit of closing the bathroom doors before the dogs showed up. So when we do close the door (when someone else is visiting), the boy-dog scratches and they’re usually right there waiting when the door opens.
Lisa says
@Leslie
Our trainer told the class that looking/turning away is doggy body language for “I’m not interacting with you now”. Since dogs thrive on attention, if they know they won’t get it, they will go do something else.
Tracey C says
Not only do my cats follow me into the loo, they do it to anyone who visits as well. The upstairs bathroom door doesn’t always latch firmly, so we’ve had guests be surprised more than once by a cat pushing her way into the room (and leaving the door wide open) after they’ve gotten settled, as it were.
Tj says
=S You guys need to start watching Caesar Milan ASAP
Melissa says
When I was house/dog-sitting, Ella would follow me in and sit and stare at me. Oh dogs!
Alice says
My 95 lb black lab insists on coming into the bathroom with me anytime I’m in there! I live in an old house with small bathrooms and it can get quite challenging to maneuver around her when I’m getting ready in the mornings…
Jon says
You’ve trained your dog that scratching at the door means a reward of attention.
We’re all simple creatures who learn what our actions net us. 😉
By the way, that’s one cute pup!
Meg says
My cat does that, he does not like closed doors, he has to be able to see you at all times, even when using the loo, it sucks.
Barbara says
No…cats do it too! 🙂
(Love the red velvet milkshake!)
Angela says
I’m a dog person, who currently has cats, so every day is a new experience. 🙂 I can be sitting in the living room for hours, and my cats won’t have anything to do with me – but let me head to the bathroom, and they can’t get enough attention! They are especially bad when I’m trying to put on make-up, take off make-up, apply a face mask, anything that requires me to sit in front of a mirror.
My poodle was better mannered – she knew she could sit outside the door, at the edge of the carpet, but she never crossed onto the lino unless I gave her permission.
Becca says
No, my dog loves my mom so much that she will want to go into the bathroom with her, but my mom doesn’t allow that, so my boodle-pie (nick-name, yes, I know it’s very cutesty :P) will wait patiently outside and she has been known to paw at the door too.
Dana says
My animals all want to be in there. Dog knows how to nudge open the door if not shut all the way and the cats have figured out that if it’s not locked they can jiggle the doorknob until it’s open. In the mornings, even with it locked the cats will make such a racket meowing to get in that it wakes up my husband. I’ve given up and decided 4 animals + me in a tiny bathroom is better than feeling the wrath of a grumpy husband all day. They need a Cesar Milan for cats!
hobby baker says
Oh yes, the kitties love to invade the privacy of a moment alone on the throne. And they always know if we haven’t pushed the door closed to the click. They will scratch it open and happily share our personal time. :S
Kate says
That is do funny. My cat never went into the bathroom except to sleep in the sink. But my new cat, Wyatt, he sits in front of the shower when I am in it. Wyatt also sits on my lap when I am on the toilet. I have tried just about everything to make him stop. Lol
Julien says
They truly are man’s best friend(s); who else would want to keep you company while you use the restroom?
Disclaimer: man = humanity; no sexist intent
Diane D says
I probably have not been to the bathroom alone since Mater, our cocker, came to live here. He can tear up a bathroom door if you latch it. He doesn’t do it anywhere else.
Jenn says
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who can’t go without an audience! Between the two pups and the kidlet, it seems I can never get any peace! It’s as if they’re all afraid I’ve disappeared if I close a door…ugh.
Abbie says
My 16mo rottweiler always follows my mum to the bathroom. (our door doesn’t close properly due to the way the house has shifted) It’s just my mum though, if I am in there she’ll pop her head round the door then wander off. She’ll leave if you tell her to, but she doesn’t close the door behind her.
dawn says
My cat hasn’t quite figured it out yet, but she will sit outside the door and talk to me the entire time. Odd thing is I can tell she’s not upset, she’s just confused why I want to go in the bathroom and will talk to me as if she’s trying to talk some sense into me.
B says
Abbey doesn’t like the stairs in my bathroom but she follows me and insists on putting her head on the floor and staring up at me 🙂
Martha says
My parents cocker spaniel has to do this all the time. He is quite attached at the hip to my mother. I actually read this while staying at a friend’s house where their cat has to be in the bathroom, no matter who is in there. He sees you heading towards there and follows you right in. I mentioned this post to her that morning and she laughed.
pita says
my 8 year old beagle will follow me in if I have to go when i get home from work. he’ll sniff my pant legs until i sit and then he starts sniffing around the walls. weird dog, he has no interest in that room unless someone is in there.
Natalie says
I’m glad my dog is not the only one! We are in the middle of a remodel, and our german shephard likes to follow me in the bathroom. At first, she would leave when I told her “OUT”. Now she just backs off by 2 inches. Can’t wait to get the door back on!
PS LOVE your stuff Peabody. Keep it up!