Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have a ten week old German Shepherd puppy who is very very attached to me! I am a SAHM so I am the primary care giver and she is with me most of the time, so I am guessing that is why she wants to be with me constantly. If I leave the room she cries and howls and comes after me. When I leave the house I do crate her and she howls and carries on like crazy. At night she sleeps in her crate just fine (next to our bed). Should I be concerned about this behavior at this age, or is it normal at this stage? I just don't want to end up with an adult dog that is super attached. Plus there will be times obviously when she will need to be on her own at home and I'm also concerned about when we go on vacation, how she would handle staying with someone else.

I love her to pieces and I don't think I am "spoiling" her, I just want her to grow up to be a confident dog and not need "mommy" all the time.

Thanks for any tips/advice.

Beth

P.S. Besides me there is my husband, daughter and a cat in the house.

When you leave her alone and she makes noise, do not go to her until she is quiet. Then go to her and praise her.

It is normal for a puppy to holler for company, because in the wild a puppy left alone would be in grave danger. So this is a strong instinct.

It must change, though, and the sooner the better. No punishment. Just be sure you do not go to her until she is quiet.

Also read the articles at the link below with my signature under "Crate" and the one on "Separation Anxiety." All the articles are free, no registration or anything required. It's a service provided to the public by the Veterinary Information Network. Do read the separation anxiety article carefully. German Shepherds are prone to that, and how you handle her right now can help tremendously.

I believe there is also an article there on German Shepherds that I'll bet you'll like!
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47