my partner got the hump with our dog yesterday because on the walk I left them to go and collect the car from repair and they walked home without me. The dog spent the whole time trying to get back to where he last saw me and whinging. Im quite surprised myself because he has always been a very independant dog and after all he was with someone he lives with and likes. Is this normal? He is a GSD but its taken him 3 years to become "needy", as a pup he would go with anyone!!! Ive done all the training and work and loving. Should I nip this in the bud or is it too late? this is my first dog so I have no experience of what is usual. Ta.

My GSD girl can be like this. Sometimes my partner walks her with me as I go to work, and then i have to carry on down one road while they take another, and she will constantly strain and look behind her and whimper all the way home. I don't think this is a sign she is any the more attached to me than him, just that she wants to know where I am. I think shepherds get very, very attached to their owners (as most dogs do) and she is happiest when both of us are accounted for in the house, that is when she really settles, but if one of us isn't there, or walks away from her, she tries to see where or what the other is doing. I wouldn't say in my girl's case it is neediness, just needing to know where I am and what I am doing.

My two are the same.  They're fine when we're all together but if one of us goes off, say into a shop, they worry until we're all together again.

I wonder if it is a herding breed instinct?

Our corgi's paws grow Baobab Tree-like roots if I dash into a shop or something and my husband tries to go for a stroll with him away from the shop.  Once they walked me to the Tube and after I got on he refused to walk home again [it was a Saturday night and I was out with the girls so my husband knew he was going to be there all night [!] if he didn't get him moving. So he had to carry him all the way home much to the amusment of the neighbours. It also happened with one of my girlfriends once - she dropped me off and was looking after him for an hour most of which she  spent forlornly in the same place - lots of people were offering her coffees and mints as they passed by laughing.

I wouldn't say he is a needy or anxious dog and he is not a whinger, just a silent Baobab tree  - he has a good sense of independence in addition to being very affectionate towards his missus all of which is mixed  with legendary corgi obstinance. I don't know how you would stop the whingeing but my husband carries a ball with him and that seems to get his mind off my whereabouts - that could help if your boy likes his toys.
C

yes a toy is a good idea, i told him he should walk him more to increase the bond, but I cant see that happening!!!!

Morgan, I agree with cissy, that it is a herding instinct.  When the family are together, my boy is very much mine ie gazes lovingly at me (the dog that is, not my husband) and my girl is very much for my husband and yet when he goes to work it's like they forget about him until he's home.  I'm with my dogs 24/7 but it's still my husband they respond better to

I never thought about the herding instinct aspect to be honest, but it makes a lot of sense. My girl is only 'content' when we are both down from upstairs in the morning, and the same goes in the evening when one of us goes off for a bath or shower. Funny thing is, she has always been great about being left - we can keave her to go shopping or go into London for meetings and she is quite happy, but it is when there is one of us with her and not the other that she has the issue!
My girl is also definitely a daddy's girl. She adores my partner and 'flirts' with him by constantly rolling on her belly with him. I think she sees us as providing her with different thinkgs. My partner is the one that plays and really rough-houses with her, whereas I am the one who gives  her cuddles and fusses her, so she goes to us when she requires different things!

I wonder if it is a herding breed instinct?

I think so - he was just trying to keep his charges together.

Morgan, he'd have probably done the same if your partner had gone too. I don't think he's 'needy' at all - he was just worried that you would get yourself into trouble without him there to supervise you - he-he!

I wouldn't get stressed out about it if I were you if that's his only problem. I used to have a collie cross who was the same, only she'd not whine, but potter along with me, then stop dead and look up at you as if to say "haven't you forgotten someone?". It was quite funny.

In my experience this is normal for a GSD, they become very attached to their Boss, being very attached to one person in particular.  They are a very loyal working breed and forge a very strong working relationship with the person who trains them, even if another person feeds them, baths them etc.

I have GSD's, that i both work...even thou i feed them etc etc, they normally dont bother with me when OH is at home with us...its as if i dont exist.
When i take them to work however, my boy cant do enough for me..BUT, if we are all together indoors, and i need to pop out, they go mental, according to OH..Ive put it down to that no matter how much u think ur their leader, they actually are, so when one of their pack disappears after all being together they start to panic because they cant do anything to protect u...this is IMO

I would have said they panic not because they feel they can't protect you - they panic because you're not there to protect them! With social animals there's safety in numbers ...

its all so interesting, I dont worry about mine at all I just find it fascinating to wonder whats going on in his head....if anything is apart from "where is the food, cat, next walk?" Just been shopping and spent more on his food than ours!!

Would this be the case for a Doberman as well? (considering it's also a working breed)
Katie

I can sympathise with this, years ago we had a GSD and she hung on my every word, she would go for a walk with the kids or OH as longas she new i was at home. But if we were together and i went in the shop she sat outside crying and yapping until i came out. on the other hand when we were away on holiday, she used to walk with the kids arround the caravan site if they went to the loo she sat outside, but if they split up and one wanted to come back to the caravan she would walk them so far, watch them enter the caravan and then return to the others.
Also she would eat nothing from anyone only me, quite interesting when i was in hospital OH had to bring her bowl in a bag for me to put my scent on then he had to feed her using gloves.
Some said this was extreme and she would eat when she was hungry but believe me we tried it and she didn`t. If i was at home and OH asked her to do something she would look at me as if to day "shall i do it " but if he was alone wiith her she did it right away. Chris

Our GSDs' have also always shown this same upset when one of us goes into the shop etc. I think it's  their herding instincts in action.  They can get very clingy which sometimes I find difficult to control as I know it's not good for them.  I think they are such softies and they worry a lot about the humans. Maybe they see us as a big flock of sheep.