Please help - extremely needy dog

[bluemonkey]

Hello everyone,

Back in August, we rescued a pit bull mix who we believe had escaped from a fighting ring. She had obviously been neglected and was in terrible shape - swollen and nursing (puppies nowhere to be found), mastitis, heartworm, no rabies shots, starving, underweight, etc. We took her in and have slowly nursed her back to health and she is looking great. She is an incredibly sweet dog, very affectionate and loving, incredible around kids and babies, and the most loyal dog I've ever known. She is the antithesis of all those idiots who want to make "vicious" pitbulls extinct.

However, as sweet as she is, the affection thing is beginning to become a nuisance. Now please don't get me wrong, I understand that she has been neglected and affection starved for so long that she is understandably needy. My husband and I have the patience of a saint around her - constantly trying to spoil her, play with her, tickle her, pat her and let her cuddle with us on the couch, etc.

However, simple tasks like bending over to tie my shoelace will result in her pushing her head into the task so that I will pet her. This may sound funny to you, but try laughing when she repeatedly does it, ignores your commands (and when you push her way, she simply moves back into position), and then does it again when you try to read the newspaper. Or try to put a DVD into the player. Or read the mail. Or write a letter. All day, every day.

Worst of all, she will get worse if my wife and I show attention to each other. Pushing her head between us when we hug, often forcing herself between us in bed, etc.

Does anyone have an experience with this? Any practical advice you could provide? It's almost like a vicious circle because the more frustrated we get with her, the more needy she gets. She is an adorable little dog and we love on her as much as possible, but this is getting to be too much and we don't even know where to begin training and correcting something like this.

Thank you for any help you can give.

(By the way, she doesn't have separation anxiety oddly enough. She is quite fine on her own and will run away independently when we take her to the dog park. But when we are alone in the apartment, she HAS to be shown adoration.)