My dogs personality is changing.

[Bubba1235]

My German Sheapard (Cody) is just a little over 2 years old. In the last couple of months his personality has changed a lot. He wants to be with the wife and I all the time. Not to say he didn't want to be around us before, he absolutely did but he would go off on his own on the farm and the woods for a walk about that would last hours. Now he wants to with one of us all the time. I took him to the vet thinking maybe he was ill but the vet said he is heathy as a horse.

He still loves to go outside and walk/play, chase a rabbit here and there but only if one of us are with him. He seems to be perfectly content just to be in the room with us. Not annoying or anything but he is never very far away. The other thing that has changed is that he goes NUTS if he is trapped in the house and we go outside. Nuts as in get in the window and bark his head off if he can't get out to join us.

I've had german shepards all my life and it's common for them to outgrow the "puppy stage" at about 2 years but I've never seen one change so much as Cody has. Not that its a bad thing at all, just trying to figure it out. One other thing I have also noticed. When people vist, even people that have been around a lot he never takes his eyes off them. He isn't aggresive at all towards them, will even let them pet him and such but he never takes his eyes off them from across the room.

Any thoughts? Something I should be concerned about?

 

[rbh]

Re: My dogs personality is changing.

Something scared him on one of his walks when he was alone, now he just wants to hang with the "pack" for security.

 

[ehenry]

Re: My dogs personality is changing.

I agree with RBH. Something or someone scared him, hurt him, he got his butt whipped real good or something. I've got a GSD and she was always real cool about most things till I noticed her cowaring in the garage wanting in the house one 4th of july. She'd never done that before. Come to find out she was up visiting a neighbor, something she'd always done. The neighbor doesnt have a problem with her doing it. At any rate, she was up there when he shot a large caliber pistol. Ever since then she's been afraid of any type pop, crack or thunder. The Nissan plant here has natural gas fired hail cannons that make a loud deep thump and she hides when they're going off.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: My dogs personality is changing.

Please keep an eye on her when you have visitors. My sister and brother-in-law just got a 2 year old GS from a breeder (they had to put down a <4 year old GS due to incurable intestinal issues and didn't want to deal with a puppy again). She was very nice to them but would not tolerate strangers. When they would arrive, she'd go nuts. She'd settle down for a bit but if one would get up to go to the bathroom or something, when they came back it would start all over again. I think she didn't like the "herd" breaking up. She ended up biting 2 people and back to the breeder she went.

 

[JB]

Re: My dogs personality is changing.

Have you changed in the recent times? Did you go through a period when he was seperated from you against his will? Was he isolated in some other way?

Sounds to me like he is afraid of being abandoned by the Alpha pair or that you need protection.

Daughter had a German Shepherd that was that way. He was dangerous to anyone/thing until/unless she told him it was okay. Amazing the way he would go from threatening to eat you up to a pal in a few seconds.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: My dogs personality is changing.

Sounds like he has separation anxiety..one of my golden's got that after we left her with a friend while we were traveling for a couple of weeks one year, we ended up getting another golden, so we had a pair of them that interacted with each other, she never completely got over it, but as time progressed she did get better and we could leave the two of them alone when we went into town on errands.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: My dogs personality is changing.

Bubba could it also be that you were around a lot more when you were sick and now you're back to your routine?

 

[oops!]

Re: My dogs personality is changing.

watch the dog whisperer austin.....he has dealt with cases like this before.....each case is different ...however...it does come with being 2 years old....the agression might come in a few months when visitors come over.....and it might come suddenly.

 

[LadyFish]

Re: My dogs personality is changing.

We have the same problem with our chocolate lab. He's 8 years old. We rescued him at age 3, our routines have not changed but he has gotten to the point where he undoes both deadbolts and escapes. We had him chipped and our wonderful neighbors call me and let me know when he gets out.

The only thing that I can think of is that we get terrible thunder and lightening storms here, enough to scare a grown woman even. I know he's been home during several and it scares him. I guess he associates us leaving with it happening again. He also is one step behind either one of us even if its to get up to go to the bathroom or kitchen. I feel horrible for him that he has so much anxiety,

I try leaving the TV on the Animal Planet, and I give him a treat before I go and tell him I'll be back. I make sure if its a short trip I say "the store" and if its a long time I say "work". Maybe I shouldn't do that.

Now I have to put something in front of the door so he can't get to the deadbolts. I don't really want to medicate him but we are going to have to do something since we don't want him getting out and trying to follow me to the 24 miles trip to work on a double lane highway everyday.

I will say that most every time he has made the great escape, the weather has been bad.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: My dogs personality is changing.

Hey Bubba try this, leave your neighbor in the house while you and your wife go outside for a brief walk, see if he goes nuts or just watches you leave. My bet is he is just scared that he almost lost you, dogs know when their pack leader is sick and you were, also combine that with him going to the kennel he could be very worried about his pack. Dogs with a strong pack mentality (like your GSD) can react to things in a way you don't understand since well your supposed to be smarter then he is and don't think about going on a walk without him as unusual but if your in his shoes his pack just left......... without him! The pack leader has been sick so who is going to take care of him if he gets sick again? I think you have a great young dog thats just going through a stage at a tough time in his life(the hormone years).

Just a thought.

 

[1fishbone]

Re: My dogs personality is changing.

Some other food for thought, has anything in YOUR life changed? Or your wife?
Not asking you to post any personal issues, but dogs, animals pick up on slightest emotional changes. Job loss/change, marital issues, family member has passed, stress etc.

My dogs know when I'm stressed, one will come up to me and get close and follow me around, the other one just hangs back and looks at me.

I think a change does happen around 2, I've seen this in other dogs I've had and my lab (a little over 2) he is not backing down from the older dog in my house, nothing too drastic, (yet) instead of giving up a toy or chewy to the older dog, he's walking away with it. Now, he'll squirm to be first at the door and pushes by the older dog to jump into the car for their favorite thing...a car ride.

Your dog staring at the guest coming over is an issue, especially if his ears are up...stop him from doing this, he's obsessing, your guest are not in the pack and I think he is trying to take the dominate role. Just a poke...like Caesar does to break their obsession.

The border collie I adopted had this, he'd stare at people/kids on bikes, joggers, strangers, the previous owner told me it was issue!
It's their prey drive and belonging to a pack kicks in gear and not correcting it.

He's about 90% cured, just by stopping his obsessive staring, a quick poke, telling him no got him in the right mind set.
Now, he can have a jogger, kid or anyone on a bike come right near him, 90% of the time he doesn't even look, or it's a quick glance.

I would look for a good dog trainer, someone that deals in issues....deal with the separation anxiety, not to alarm you but before something else happens.
FYI that's why the previous owner had to get rid of the border collie.