clingy, needy dog

Question
Hi,and thank you for your time. My 4 yr. old spayed mostly husky mix has always been super affectionate and social, but as expected, since our baby arrived 10 months ago, she has become SUPER clingy/needy. The biggest problem is that she is not listening when we tell her to lay down, or sit, and is always in our face. I adore her and am very patient with her but I feel like I don't know the most productive way to get her to respect our space(esp. around baby), and my husband is loosing patience. She is EXCELLENT with the baby-no issues there. She just wants as much attention as baby (understandable). Her companion dog (13 yr old border terrier) passed away in the spring. She did not seem to react drastically, I think since the terrier did not really play much. I know she'd benefit from a companion to play with but it just can't happen for a few years. Any tips? Her exercise at this point consists of a few walks around the 2 acre yard each day, on a flexi lead or off. I am hoping to jog a bit eventually w/her but time w/out baby is limited. Thanks again for your time.
-Moira

Answer
Hi, Moira,

It sounds like part of the problem is she isn't getting enough hard vigorous playful exercise. If you or your husband can't provide it you might want to think about finding someone who can do it for you: a local doggie play group, a trustworthy teenager who'd be willing to take her jogging, etc. Even a 20 min. game of tug, twice a day, would be of great psychological benefit to the dog.

You could also train her to do a "down/stay" so that when she's in your space you'll have more control.

LCK