I know I should have posted this in the behaviour section but I didn't want it swallowed up by all those nasty troll posts. I also apologise in advance because this will be long, but I want to give as much background as possible.
I have a problem with my 9 month old german shepherd bitch. We have had her since she was 7 weeks, and both myself and my partner primarily work from home. From a very early age we got her used to the idea of us leaving, starting off with 5 seconds, and working our way up to minutes, then half an hour, an hour etc. until she was fine being left for up to three hours in the day (giving us the chance to get shopping done, banking etc.) She never had a problem with seperation anxiety and was a very confident and assured pup. A month ago we visited my partners mum who has two german shepherds. We have visited with my pup on three other occasions, and when we return we usually find our pup gets a little depressed for a few days before being her old self again. My bitch has a very close bond with one of my partners mums bitches and the two of them are inseperable. Also, living on a farm meant that the dogs have free run of the fields while you deal with the horses or get odd jobs done, so she had a higher level of freedom than she does in our home which is a typical twobedroom with a small garden. After our two weeks visit was up, we came home and since then my bitch has developed some issues. She initially seemed to be depressed because she wasn't around her friend anymore, so she went off her food, and became very moany and would whine early in the morning, which is something she hadn't done before. On previous visits to my partners mums we had seen a similar pattern emerge which would last around 3 days just where she was sad to not be around her friend. This time things seem to have magnified. Firstly, she now seems to be very attention seeking, and this is absolutely constant. She will whine constantly for attention, and if she doesn't get it she will sit in front of you and just watch you gently moaning under her breath. She has also started to damage things when we go out. We left her the other morning for an hour to go supermarket shopping and came home to find the lamp stand knocked over and the shade shredded, she shredded my scarf, knocked a bottle off the kitchen sideboard, took the sponges from my the sink and ripped them all up, and removed coal from the coal bucket and left them all over the carpet. Suffice to say it was entirely my own fault she had access to these things, but to be honest I guess I had got confident in the fact she never had a problem with chewing or destruction before. Also, we have noticed some changes related to this behaviour pattern at her training class. One section of the training involves securing your dogs to a fence and taking 4 steps away from them and basically ignoring them by turning your back on them. She used to not bat an eyelid at this, while now she will lunge and puppy bark in a high pitched way to try and get attention. This week she did aventually settle down (which she didn't last week) but it was still behaviour we are not used to, and which I would previously say was out of character. Also, when we do training sessions at home, she used to be fine with us getting her to do a down-stay in another room, and leaving her while we walk into another rooom, counting to 30 seconds and then calling her to us for a reward. Now she refuses to do this, and as soon as she does into the down-stay and we are out of her site, she will run after us. In general she has also become very selective in her training in terms of what she will and won't respond to.
What should I do? At the moment I am in the study while my girl is in the living room next door. She can't see me but she can hear me (we are divided by a puppy gate not a solid door), and I have left her with a marrow bone, and hope that by doing this for a few minutes at a time during the day, and building it up over weeks, we can get her confidence back and curb this problem. My major concern is that I don't want this behaviour getting any worse, particularly as as of september I am going to be looking for work, and although I will only work part time because of her, and my partner does have such flexible hours as he is self employed, it does still concern me that I need to deal with this issue in the best way possible to curb this behaviour. For one the constant whining has caused a neighbour to complain and question my ability to care for my dog. Any suggestions at all?

Also, when we do training sessions at home, she used to be fine with us getting her to do a down-stay in another room, and leaving her while we walk into another rooom, counting to 30 seconds and then calling her to us for a reward. Now she refuses to do this, and as soon as she does into the down-stay and we are out of her site, she will run after us.

I don't have a lot of advice I'm afraid, sure somebody else will -just wondered if perhaps she is coming into season as that can make them more clingy than usual. Also to add that you do not want to practice out of sight stays like this, you should NOT call her to you, you should RETURN to her, wait a few seconds whilst she is still down , THEN praise, as what she is doing is anticipating and jumping the gun by running to you. You should always return back to her. Her main reward for doing the stay is you coming back, not her being able to run and find you. :)

Ah, I see. Thanks for that. I wasn't aware of that at all, and appreciate you letting me know.
I don't think it would be anything connected to her season, as her first season finished at the end of February, so i think the clinginess and attention seeking might be stemming from something else. It is making sure I deal with it in the right way that is my main concern. I don't want to make the situation worse by doing the wrong this.

Thanks.

Hi there

It sounds as though in part you are already doing the right things by re-educating her to being left for periods etc.  She may now be reaching the stage where most youngsters take huge backwards steps in their training regime (usually referred to as the "Kevin stage" but she can be "Tracey" instead!  ;)

I'd go back to basics with all her training but just short bursts of same - no point in boring her, easily done with errant youngsters.  Probably the freedom and other doggy company she enjoyed when on your holiday have made things even more obviously different for her and you.   Even mature dogs can sometimes take quite a bit of time to settle back into their routine following a break - whether accompanying their owners to a different location or going into kennels, normality for them is temporarily forgotten in exchange for the routine of duration of the break :)

As for her beginning to become destructive, again this is possibly a boredom issue especially as she has been enjoying extended periods of canine companionship - remove everything you value from within her reach, give her something very interesting/tempting to exercise her teeth on and, if leaving her for a lengthy period, try and give her a "mental workout" beforehand so that she is more likely to settle.   Tired minds are often more effective than simply physical exercise in achieving a calmer dog :)

HTH, regards Teri

It might be worth considering that this behaviour could be cooincidental as she is now entering the "kevin" stage which usually heralds a move from compliant puppy hood to irritating teenage behaviour.

It will pass as long as you are consistent...........

great minds think alike and type at the same time! :D

I was also wondering whether she could be coming into season?  Temperaments can change a bit and for them to be clingy for 3 weeks before a season.

But is she likely to be coming into season again? Her first season finished at the end of February. I understand what you mean though as for the first week of her season she was very clingy and in constant need of reassurance. I really appreciate everyone's comments, as she is my first dog and I really want to get it right. I never blamed her for the destructive behaviour as it was entirely my fault for leaving so many tempting things lying around. I will now puppy proof the front room.
I have allowed her to come back in here with me after she settled nicely in the other room where she could hear me but not see me. I was thinking of doing that a few times and gradually build up seperation again. She is now lying by my feet on her back with one leg stretched straight in the air fast asleep.

Well, if I was going to say she was going through a phase, I would probably name it her 'Diana Ross' phase as opposed to her Kevin phase as she is becoming a little Diva in the making!

Thanks all, and any other comments please respond. xx

It could be phatom pregnancy as this is the time she would have given birth if she had been mated.

Sounds most like adolescence though

Hi

I was going to suggest also if she was due to come into season?

Will try and PM you later on as we need to catch up on things ;)

Lucy
xx

Edited to say just read your post above so it isn't the season then :)

Hey stranger! Thanks for thinking about my situation though. Will look out for you in my messages.

Take Care xxxx

Hi just wondering if your girl could be having a bit of a phantom pregnancy if she finished her season end of feb her puppies could be due soon and she may be nesting eith your sponges and scarves they do sometimes get very clingy about this time these Shepherds aren,t the hardcases they like to think they are,
Shes also hitting the trying it on stage probably about this age and everythings happening at once so it seems so much harder for you.
Good luck with her things do get better this is unfortunately the hard work stage we all have to go through.

That is a really interesting comment as she has grown exceptionally needy. I think it is a possibility it might be a combination of both 'trying it on' and also a need for reassurance and comfrot perhaps. I only hope we can all get through it without me loosing any more scarves!

Hi

I wondered about the phantom pregnancy...my eldest GSD who  came into season 2 months after I got her  (was 15 months when I got her) behaved like this for a few weeks after her season, she had been absolutely fine and I was so proud how well she had settled in..she was used to being left for long periods before I got her, so that was never an issue even though I only used to leave her for short periods..however she behaved exactly like you are describing your puppy, she got very clingy with me, and also with one particular toy that she insisted come with us on walks...although she didnt chew up or anything. this lasted for about 3 weeks all told, thank goodness after that she was back to normal..my vet was convinced she was having a phantom pregnancy..got her speyed soon after so no more probs.

I am due to book her in to be spayed at the end of May (which is three months after she finished her first season). It is the neediness and the complete change in character that has been the shock I suppose. She has turned from being very confident, happy to be left, into a needy, clingy, attention demanding dog, who doesn't like to be left, even if that is me going upstairs or out to post a letter.
I appreciate everyones comments, it has certainly given me a lot to think about!

Thank x

I hae often found this is the age when young adolescent dogs revert a bit and are their most damaging in the home.  My friends dobes have all gone in for kitchen remodelling at this stage in their lives.

Also has she had a season yet, as her clingy behaviour and out of sorts could well be due to her coming into season for the first time and the confusion that brings.

Basically she is a teenager and going through much of the same angst that accompanies this stage in humans.  Rebellion, lack of self confidence, need for reassurance etc.

My 13 month old GSD boy has just taken a massive backward step in his training. We did so well in our first two classes that he was 'invited' to join the top class, which is by invitation only. Since then I may as well not be on the end of the lead, he won't even respond to the sit command half of the time, and he used to be so good at smartly sitting immediately I stopped walking. I am becoming so frustrated, however I know that this is just a phase (well, I'm pretty sure!) and so will just keep persevering in the meantime. His destructive phase was at it's worst at about 9 months. He has been getting progressively better with this, although I never expect him to behave that well. He's fine left, but he has two girls for company Both spayed I will add.

Hopefully it is just a phase, and she will grow out of it

Kat

I am hoping it is just a phase, like a naughty teenager. She is doing terribly at class too. She goes to a socialisation and training class (training first hour, socialisation second) and she used to be one of the best, and I am not boasting. She was seriously regimented in her responses to commands, and she was always well behaved off lead. Now she is a little terror. She won't listen, she has got very vocal, sh barges and chases other dogs, and generally behaves like a little madam. One positive is she has kept her recall skills (thank god) but it does embarrass the hell out of me. At class the conclusion is that she is of an age now where she wants to find her place, so that might explain the more dominant behaviour in class. People keep patting me on the shoulder with sympathetic eyes, saying 'never mind, I went through the same with mine. It will improve once she's a year and a half...'