Whiney & Yappin..whats going on with her?

[jlankford09]

I have a german shepard/lab mix dog. She just had a birthday and is now 10 yrs old. She is very active and healthy. She loves being an outside dog and only comes in at night to sleep. In march we moved into our new house and as normal..Sugars gets the backyard. However here lately as soon as we step out the back door she immediatly starts yapping and whinning. Follows our every step and even with tons of attention..she still is very vocal. Its driving us nuts!! She has never acted this way before. Any ideas?

[ginger899]

It's so true that dogs do get lonely. They aren't solitary creatures. As pack animals, they like company.
My dog is an outdoor type. Fortunately I am able to spend a good deal of time outside with her, and keep the back door open if I have to be indoors doing any work. But of course that might not be possible with everyone.

[margypops]

Needs more company if she only comes in at night.... is she alone all day and evening..just a thought ...they get lonely aswell.

[kimpton]

Hi there. I think she's trying to tell you something.  Have you asked her to show you what it is?  

[Ghilly]

You took the thought right out of my head, Ginger.  Nocturnal critters was going to be my next suggestion.  Opossums, skunks, rats, anything that's prone to roaming around at night could be wandering around and getting her riled up.  

Ghilly

[ginger899]

Critters?
That thought just came to me.
Dogs don't always whine when they are unhappy, but sometimes when they are excited. Maybe she's picked up the scents of......mice/squirrels/raccoons/moles/rats/cats...any other little critters she hadn't encountered before? -Or even the scent of neighbouring dogs?

[jlankford09]

She is a very well cared for dog. Has regular check ups etc. Where my husband works all her vet care; exams..bloodwork..the whole kit'n kaboodle is done and taken care of. As I said earlier she is healthy..eyes, ears.. everything.  And she COMES IN to the house in the evenings and sleeps in our daughters room. lol We have lived here since March. All of her craziness just started recently. In the past with moves.. she has never acted this way.

[Ghilly]

Sometimes when they get older, they start to do strange things, and it sometimes coincides with them losing part of their vision or hearing.  The move, whether it appeared to be so to you or not, was stressful on the pets.  It always is.  They get adjusted to one place and when they are moved to a different situation, the stress sometimes manifests itself in different ways.  The stress, coupled with the fact that she may have cataracts that make her vision not as sharp as it once was, or maybe her hearing isn't what it used to be, makes her nervous about being outide at night nd away from her fanily.

I would take her to the vet and have him look at her eyes to make sure she's not having any problems with her vision.  If that's OK, then I just have to think that it's that she's nervous outside at night in her new surroundings and she's doing her best to tell you that something just isn't quite right.

Ghilly