Oh well, in that case it sounds like you're right...she's just not socialized properly AND it sounds like you're fixing things well. She's responding normally with caution to new things, and then is accepting them and moving on. I'd be optimistic about this dog!

Dennis, you wrote "I got her when she was three, she was raised as a working dog in a kennel to work and whelp." It's my opinion, then that she wasn't exposed to everything we expose our dogs to in a home environment. All of the things you mentioned that she has had to get used to are home living type of things, not things that kenneled dogs who are only worked and used for breeding get much of, if anything. I'm sure there are plenty of good kennels out there (I hope) that do expose their dogs and held-over puppies to all sorts of environments (it certainly appears Ed and Cindy do that), but I'm sure a lot of kennels just work the dog for titles, then put them back in the kennels, not introducing them to these different environments and objects.

The fact that your GSD has taken to all the things you mentioned means to me that she has a solid temperament and only needed initial exposure to get used to those things. Quite a big deal if she's only been exposed to a kennel and certain constants like a training field for her first 3 years. Good for her (and you)!!!

Along these same lines, is it possible for a pup to have "separation anxiety" only in our back yard but is OK when he is in the house (in his crate) when we leave?

Nickie is a little over 6 months old (had him since 8 wks old). He will not let us out of his sight in our back yard for more than a couple of minutes. If we go in the house, he runs to the patio door and leaps up on it, barking for us to come out or for him to be let in. We are used to letting our former dog out in the back yard for a couple of hours at a time (of course he was much older). Do you think this might be something he will outgrow?

Maybe, he's still a puppy, you need to be with him when he goes out and are you crate training him? I got crates for my dogs on the back deck, You might want to try that

Diane: doesn't sound like separation anxiety, more like insecurity and not feeling safe in the yard.

Understandable for a puppy.

Obviously some puppies couldn't care less where their "pack" is and will happily run off into the wilderness to explore on their own.

However, in the wild a wolf puppy would never be left on its own.
Even once they're weaned and the mother goes back to hunting with the rest of the pack, there's always another adult wolf that stays behind to protect the puppies. This way they feel safe to go explore.

I think he will outgrow it.

My young male used to be that way as a puppy (velcro pup, in the yard and house) but by 6 months of age he got more comfortable being on his own outside.
Now at 11 months he'll happily stay in the yard on his own, barking at "intruders" and doesn't seem worried at all if I leave him tied out in an unfamiliar location (I only do this to socialize him - I leave his sight but I still watch from my hiding spot in case people start bothering him).

By the way, he never had separation anxiety issues as a baby as long as I left him in his crate. If I had left him out in the yard on his own, there's no doubt that he would've screamed and jumped at the door to be let in.

Doesn't seem like a fair thing to do to a puppy.

There are certainly some things you don't want to hope will go away with age, like dominance for example, and some things (like the separation anxiety) can be unintentionally encouraged to never go away just with age.

I personally (notice I said "personally" ) don't worry about separation anxiety with a 6 month old puppy - they're kind of entitled to that, if you know what I mean, considering their age. I think it's definitely possible for a pup to have separation issues in one place and not in another, and think that these things (if not encouraged by your actions) will probably be outgrown.

Whenever I leave the house (thru the garage), I tell Lear "I'll be back" and don't make a big deal of it at all, just leave quickly (he's crated). He's used to the pattern of the car alarm being turned off, the garage door opening, the car starting, the garage door closing. I know by testing that he makes no noises when I'm gone. However if I just go into the garage to empty the trash or whatever, he whines (also crated). He knows I'm not leaving and just wants to be with me doing whatever it is I'm doing.

That's probably what your pup is wanting too, since when you leave he knows you're gone, when you're there, he's thinking "Heck, I want in on the fun stuff you're doing, more fun than being by myself".

Edited to add: I agree with Yuko that it's not fair to leave a young pup in the yard by himself and close the door on him.

Yes, he is crate trained - his large crate is in our dining room and he loves it. I'm sure you all are correct in that he is still just a pup and will most likely feel more secure in the backyard as he gets older. I think he has some fear issues back there because the first few days that we had him and would take him out in the backyard to potty, he was frightened by some loud motorcycles just on the other side of our back wall. (Kind of scared me too at 3AM!). Anyway, I've been really working with him on the noise issues when we are out walking in the mornings. Last Sunday I heard a motorcycle coming up the street. I put him in a sit and we waited calmly until the motorcycle passed us. Nickie never tried to bolt or cling to my leg like he has done in the past - just calmly sat there right next to me but never took his eyes off the bike until it roared out of sight!

Also, how would you give a correction to him for jumping up on the patio glass when you are inside the house?

This a pic of my Klingon
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v608/gunnerjones/roxiefullsize.jpg

and this is her daughter
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v608/gunnerjones/Erikafeb1507022edit2.jpg

so that's erika-the-destroyer's mommy? she's beautiful! of course, so is erika! don't worry too much about the "klingon" dennis. brix follows me EVERYWHERE: when i'm in the kitchen, he's on the floor between the cupboards and me, or just behind wherever i'm standing; he's just outside the shower door when i'm in the shower, etc., etc. i cannot move w/out him moving w/me (i think it must wear him out sometimes: as soon as he lies down in one room, i get up and go to another).
he's just now (@ 14 mo) gotten to where he *may* stay in the livingroom while i go to the kitchen--but only b/c he can see me, and usually he follows along.
i worry a bit about the long down, but he's just gonna have to suck it up! meanwhile, w/your dog--give her time. she may get over it to a certain extent, but maybe not. just don't walk on her!

Ann, so true about the following around everywhere. I haven't had a powder room break in private for the last almost 7 months

Except for when Lear is in the crate. That's why I love the crate!