My dogs don't think I can adult by myself in the outside world
The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that our dogs do not suffer from separation anxiety because they miss me when I leave the house.
They suffer anxiety because they don't think I am able to function without their supervision. They currently make sure I am accompanied at all times by one of them or the cat in case of clumsy emergency. They aren't happy to see my husband when hegets home because they missed him, they are relieved someone else can supervise.
All day they hear me yelp some version of "ow", or "dammit" or "look out". I still have huge bruises on my leg from a fight I lost with a clothes basket (seriously - 2x3in bruises) and on my foot from dropping a Foreman grill on it - that was last week (both happened by the way when they were not supervising me).
They don't sniff me when I get home to see if I played with other dogs, they are checking to see if I am still intact or if I have some new injury. They herd me to the couch and bed, not to cuddle but because it is a soft place for me to fall. When I am on the floor (looking for something I dropped, random act of exercise) they rush over to make sure I haven't died. No wonder they are tired all day - it's a tough job. I better give them another treat.
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Some days laughter is the only thing that keep me going
So with the Lab/Chesapeake Bay (Jazz) I have a mix of loyal Velcro dog with independent and stubborn, and of course the GSD (Durango) is my herding protector.
