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May 03, 2011

For some reason my dog loves my truck. Could there be something wrong and this is why she goes in it so often?

Full Question:
I can't get my 5 year old German Shepherd out of my Mercedes G500 that I purchased last year. From the moment that I get home, she likes to be in the truck. She sleeps in the truck at night until she wants to come inside the house. She has access to the house from the garage. She usually comes in when she wants to eat or go outside through the doggy door or to socialize with us. She is healthy and very energetic. Nothing is wrong with her. I have had her since she was 7 weeks old. We have a huge house and large backyard and she has total access. Is this a sign of her getting mature and liking her privacy? My wife and I are both physicians and we take great care of her. Can you explain this? Thanks.
Cindy
Cindy Cindy's Answer:
I wouldn’t LET your dog get in the truck, you need to control her environment. Unless this is a hormonal problem, his sounds almost like an obsessive/compulsive disorder and it’s not healthy for the dog emotionally. She appears to be emotionally disconnected from you and your wife and this will not get any better unless you intervene. You don’t mention if she is spayed or intact, but sometimes intact females can go through a false pregnancy where they seek out a place to hide, I suppose this could also be the case if she has not been spayed. I have one female Malinois that will climb under a bush in our front yard and stay there if I let her. I don’t allow it though, even if it means keeping her on leash.



We don’t like doggy doors, because the dog can come and go as they please and they don’t need to look to us for leadership.



Please read this article about becoming an effective pack leader. The first sentence in this article says it all: “You can feed water and love your dog and he will like you but he very well may not respect you. “99% of all behavioral problems are a result of dogs not respecting their owners. This happens as a result of poor handling and/or poor training.



This article was written for people like yourself, people who have great intentions but not enough knowledge of pack structure. There are links within the article that will take you to other articles on my web site.



I would set up rules and boundaries for your dog, as well as a structured exercise program along with some training to get her mind and body engaged with you.



I hope this helps.

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Expert Dog Trainer Cindy Rhodes
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