Okay veteran dog owners...I have a question.

We have a 18 month old female GSD. She has the perfect temperament, affectionate, well mannered, smart, but most of all PLAYFUL. She is a family pet, we train every day-tug, play ball, etc. How can you tell when the dog matures from adolescence into adulthood. What changes in the dog's behavior? Will she want to play less?

Also, what's the best way to transition from the crate to being left alone? She has been left for 10-20 minutes, didn't destroy anything but seemed dejected and pouty afterword. She has earned the right to he left unattended with exemplary behavior, maybe she's just not ready. I have read GSDs are notorious for having separation anxiety.

Thank you kindly!

GSDs are usually fully mentally mature around 18-30 months of age. Some lines take a bit longer to mentally mature. Also most take until closer to 3 to fully fill out physically. Each dog is an individual just as people are.

The only behavior changes would most likely be the dog being better able to settle in the house, (the better self control) & loose that all the time 'puppy' mentality. There are other just overall more grown up behavior & attitude that you'd see as well.

My female was left out of her crate all night at about 1 1/4 yrs old. She slept on her bed in my room. She was left out while I was out of the house for short periods at about almost 1 1/2. I would gradually increase the time she was left alone. She was also out with an older male that was a year older then she.

The male I have here now was almost 3 before I left him out in the house while I was out...but he was with my female & they didn't really get along until he was about 2 1/2 yrs.

Neither of my dogs have ever been destructive or gotten into anything in the house.

I have never had any seperation anxiety issues with any of the 4 GSDs that I have had. To me that would be more of nerve issue with the dog if I was seeing that...not a maturity level issue.

I have working line dogs.....I don't know what you have or if there would be any differences with showline dogs. The only difference I would readily see is the much higher drive levels in the working line dogs & therefore the greater propensity for them to get into more mischeif.

I don't know where you heard about GSDs being notorious for having seperation issues. But if I had to guess, I would suspect that you are hearing that from showline people, NOT working line owners.

Thank you so much for such an informative response. I found it very useful. She is from working lines, but I think the breeder said she was 1/4 show line. Her drives are very strong.
When I say separation anxiety, I mean she just makes it obvious she doesn't want to be left. Once a week we leave her at daycare. When I hand her off to the kennel worker, she usually runs back to me and sometimes jumps up with a pleading look on her face. I usually ask her to sit, or do some form of obedience, which she does immediately, and then she goes willingly. They say she is very well behaved in our absence. Could this be a puppy thing?
I think we will just have to practice leaving the house for very short amounts of time as you suggest. My husband works from home, so she is used to being with him all day. She still sleeps in her crate. Should we begin by leaving her door open at night?
It's been years since we've raised a puppy. I had forgotten how much is involved...but it is totally worth it!
Your advice is very much appreciated! It's nice to know there are people out there who care.
Christy

Okay, so she is used to having someone in the house most of the time...that may be even more of a reason why she objects to being left behind. Dogs are pack animnals & want to be with their other pack members.

Maybe your husband should put her up in her crate for short periods of time during the day, asuming the crate is in a different room. That may help her be weened off being with him all day long if you feel this is an issue.

Can't tell you whether it is time to leave her out at night. That is a call that you have to make. Maybe if you read or watch tv at night in the bedroom, she can be out on her bed for a while before you turn the lights out & see what she does. Don't know if she is crated in the bedroom at night...my dogs sleep in my room...not everyone does that. If she is...maybe you can close the door to the room so that at least she can't get anywhere else in the house & see how she does. Not sure that I would give her run of the house unless you are sure that she can't or won't get into anything.

Also some pups go thru another fear period around 14-18 months & that may have something to do with it. She is also getting older & not a puppy anymore & not that happy to go with 'strangers'. These people are not her pack members. Most likely didn't bother her when she was younger,as most well-bred pups like almost everyone, but now it doesn't set right with her. Or something has happened there (in spite of what they may say )& she is trying to communicate that to you. I don't know.

I will say that it is not my thing to leave my dogs with anyone. I personally would never leave my dog at a doggie daycare. But I know that many people do that for lots of different reasons. A main concern of mine would be that you would never know if the dog had a bad experience there, because unless there was physical harm to your dog...they would NEVER tell you & in many cases wouldn't even recognize it if it did happen.

Hell, I don't even leave my dogs alone at my vets office. Anything that is done with them blood work etc are all done in my presence. I even go into the x-ray room & hold my dog if they need an x-ray. The only exception to this was for an a sudden surgical proceedure recently for my female. There are only a couple of friends of mine that have working dogs & have known my dogs for many years, since pups, that I would trust with my dogs in my absence. But that's just me. I am not the most trusting person on the planet when it comes to the care of my animals. I was even VERY particular about where I kept my horses for 26 years.

Good luck.

I also do not ever leave my dogs in any kind of dog-group setting.

If you are doing this for "socializing," I think you will find on this board that socializing doesn't mean being left with strange dogs.

If you are doing it because you need care for her one day a week, is there some way to have someone come to the house a few times that day instead?

Does she get lots of the kind of socializing many folks here would recommend? That would be out and about with her humans, exposed to lots of different people and situations and places and the sight of strange dogs (but no meet-and-greet required) ....


I agree with everything Anne said, including short periods when she is crated separately from your husband's room in the daytime to slowly get her accustomed to not always being with family members.



"Can't tell you whether it is time to leave her out at night. That is a call that you have to make. Maybe if you read or watch tv at night in the bedroom, she can be out on her bed for a while before you turn the lights out & see what she does."

Or even just leave the crate door open and see what happens, if she is crated in the room with you.

By the way, welcome to LB!

You might want to post a little intro (and a picture or two if you like) here:

http://leerburg.com/webboard/topiclist.php?forum_id=146

All what Anne said!
My younger GSD was almost 3 before he started to calm down. With that being said, he's still a big, goofy clown at 5 1/2.
My older GSD was a deep thinker at 7-8 months old. He'll be 9 in a couple of months and other then he'll retrieve till my arms get tired he's still a serious, deep thinker.

I cannot begin to tell you all how wonderful it is to receive such generous and wise advice! Thank you all so very much. We love our dog and want to do all the "right' things.

From the beginning we have always crated her daily, at the foot of our bed, for 3-4 hours mid morning, then again for 1-2 hours in the afternoon. I prefer not to crate her for more that 5 hours, hence the daycare once a week. Thursdays would be 9 hours...and we just can't do that to her. I have always had reservations about leaving her at daycare, especially since I read Ed's article about dog parks. That's why we are trying to ease her out of her crate. Maybe I could come home at lunch, and my husband could come home a little early.

We have worked hard to socialize her (the correct way) It is very frustrating though, people cannot resist a beautiful GSD. They constantly approach with that high squeaky voice, full eye contact, hand extended over the top of her head...and they NEVER ask first. She is beginning to be a little stand-offish around strangers, but has not shown ANY aggression or dominance, toward people or dogs-ever. We did not intend to use daycare to socialize her, just care for her once a week. But, I think those days are over.

All of the points made in the posts above rang true, sometimes I just need to hear it from someone else.

I would like to post a pic, but can't figure out how to do it (even after reading the directions

"I would like to post a pic, but can't figure out how to do it (even after reading the directions"

Do you have any pics in Photobucket (which is a free picture-sharing site)? Because you can link us.

I prefer not to crate her for more that 5 hours, hence the daycare once a week. Thursdays would be 9 hours...and we just can't do that to her. I have always had reservations about leaving her at daycare, especially since I read Ed's article about dog parks. That's why we are trying to ease her out of her crate. Maybe I could come home at lunch, and my husband could come home a little early.

Yes, this sounds better to me. Also, I agree that 9 hours is too much.

"Maybe I could come home at lunch, and my husband could come home a little early." Plus a walk-and-play, maybe, with a bonded dog walker?



We have worked hard to socialize her (the correct way) It is very frustrating though, people cannot resist a beautiful GSD. They constantly approach with that high squeaky voice, full eye contact, hand extended over the top of her head...and they NEVER ask first. She is beginning to be a little stand-offish around strangers, but has not shown ANY aggression or dominance, toward people or dogs-ever.

Would you like links to threads about this? I don't allow this. I step between my dog and the staring squeaking stranger if need be. Or we walk past, no stop, and I say with a phony smile but no pause and no engagement, "Sorry! In training!" No discussion, etc. That's a losing proposition. usually leading to "Oh, dogs love me" or "I know how to greet dogs" or "Oh, it will be fine."

People who DO ask, my smile is real and I might pause for a second with me between them and my dog and I say "We are in training; would you ignore her and let her just observe us, please?" or the like.

I don't give them the opportunity to accost the dog, hover over the dog, put their hands on her head .... none of that. They are strangers!

Maybe number one is "Don't engage .... brief polite statement as you walk on."

JMO!