Dog doesn’t like one family member walking away

[Radiodread]

2YO retriever so not a herding breed.

Wants the whole family to be together when in strange places, ie if one gets up to go to a counter she will alert bark/ whine.

she does not have separation anxiety when left home or in familiar environments like family homes/ the car whilst I go and pay for petrol. It’s only in strange places.

at the minute we just feed/ distract through it but I’m just wondering what’s behind this behaviour? She is quite highly strung and always has been …

Another retriever owner here (goldie)...
Ours is the same! Doesn't suffer SA at home but wants the family to be together when out and about - including our other dog, which is a collie. I see it as a retrieve in a way, he will go and 'retrieve' our other dog on a walk if he perceives them to be too far away and encourage them to walk with us.

My half border collie lurcher will occasionally check on other people in the house, but she’s very much my dog, and doesn’t really care to know where they are outside of the house, my dad’s yorkie used to round all of us (my siblings and parents) up on the beach to keep us together, and he was full terrier, I don’t think it’s a herding or retrieving behaviour, so much as a family/pack behaviour.
Border collies will herd lots of things, including people, but not their owners, partly because they are very handler focused and typically stick to one person anyway, so have no interest in keeping a group together as long as THEIR person is with them.
Dogs who see multiple people as their humans are more inclined to this behaviour than herding breeds, because herding breeds only really want the one person around.

aaah thanks both. It’s definitely me and my two kids, plus my mum and one of my friends. Weirdo! I guess she just wants us all to be where she can see us!

My dog does similar even when out on a walk she will run forward and check on the dc and run back to me. She just wants to make sure you are all ok.