Why Is Your German Shepherd Puppy Crying At Night
Before you learn how you can stop your pup crying at night its important to know why they are crying. And to know why they are crying its important to know about the two different types of crying, natural crying and learned crying.
Natural Crying
Natural crying comes instinctively and its what puppies do when theyre afraid and scared. They do it to get the attention of their carers, the same way a human baby cries out for attention when they need something.
Learned Crying
Learned crying is the bad kind of crying. Its when your puppy realizes when he cries he will get some kind of positive response such as attention or a treat.
If your puppy has learned to cry then its even more important that you dont reinforce the behavior but rather change it.
So what are the common reasons your german shepherd puppy may be crying at night?
Tips To Decrease The Unexplained Crying Of Your Dogs
Try to decrease their anxiety levels. Studies have shown that the maximum amount of howling of this breed occurs due to high anxiety levels. You have to give them sufficient attention that they need. Take them to a nearby park for at least once a day. Walk with them for at least 1.5 hours a day. Engage them in various playful activities. This way, they can be freed from the four walls and come out to get some fresh air. They have an athletic body shape. It needs proper and regular maintenance otherwise, they gain a lot of weight and ultimately become unhealthy. This is another reason why they need to be engaged in various activities throughout the day.
Leaving them behind closed doors makes them sad and can create boredom. Do not leave them alone in the house. If you are going somewhere, try to bring your dog with you. Otherwise, keep them at your friends place. This will be reducing their boredom. Also, they will get to know more people and get familiar with those new faces.
Get a trainer for your bud. Our modern-day lives are very busy. We can barely give time to ourselves. Under such circumstances, our four-legged friends can get sad and anxious. If you cannot give proper time and attention to your bud, find a trainer to keep them active. This will release a lot of their anxiousness and stress.
Try to understand what their discomfort is. Try to communicate with them in different ways and comfort them. If they are sick, take them to a vet.
Environmental And Communicational Reasons
German Shepherd Dogs can react when some environmental noise occurs especially those sounds that are like sirens. Through howling, German Shepherd Dogs signals their presence in a certain place or gives warning to communicate that there is an approaching danger or to prevent intruders from entering a territory.
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Dont Keep Moving The Place Where They Sleep
Another common mistake new german shepherd owners make is to keep moving where theyre placing their dog in the hopes it will stop them crying.
One day theyll be downstairs, the next day theyll let them sleep in their room and then somewhere else in the house.
When you do this your puppy isnt going to feel safe. Theyre just going to feel unsettled.
The only time you should move the place your german shepherd puppy sleeps is when youre slowly teaching them to sleep on their own during their first few days. However, remember, even this should be done gradually, and not massive changes all at once.
Your Dog Is Saying Hello
In some cases, dogs whine when they see their owner. Compared to other whines, this type of whining tends to be quick and end with the dogs whole rear shaking.
German shepherds are naturally very friendly and welcoming but it is important to keep an eye on how your dog welcomes and greats other people.
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Whining When You Leave
Similar to children, German Shepherds may experience separation anxiety and let this out in the form of whining.
Due to their herding instinct, they often become stressed when a member of their pack or family is leaving. These dogs can sense when you are about to leave and whine as part of releasing their anxiety. You may have noticed this behavior when leaving for work in the morning.
The German Shepherd whines because it has an overwhelming need to protect the pack member, but it cannot do so in their absence.
Why Are German Shepherds Vocal
Many Shepherd dog breeds are known to be vocal because of their working background, and German Shepherds are no exception. They were originally bred to guard and herd livestock, both of which can require vocalization. German Shepherds are also very intelligent dogs, and clever breeds often like to tell you how theyre feeling.
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Make Sure Theyre Comfortable And Safe
Providing your pup with a comfy crate, blankets, snacks, stuffed animals, and a t-shirt that smells like you are all great ways of keeping your pup comfortable.
Although theyre not going to feel as comfortable as when they were in their den you can still make them feel a level of safety.
Putting all these things in their crate as well as covering it in a blanket is a great way to make them feel comfortable and safe.
And if you do plan on putting stuffed animals in his crate, add one thats a lot bigger than they are. This will help them feel like a big animal is going to keep them safe through the night.
Top Best Answers To The Question Why Does My German Shepherd Cry
German Shepherds cry because they feel uncomfortable about a certain situation, whether it be pain, separation anxiety, or hunger. When they feel uncomfortable, their natural reaction can be to cry. They can also cry when they find or discover something they think is important and needs your attention.
Those who are looking for an answer to the question «Why does my german shepherd cry?» often ask the followingquestions:
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If Youve Ever Had A Young Puppy You Might Be Familiar With How Unsettling The First Few Nights Can Be Our Vets Have Given Their Advice On Why Puppies Cry At Night And How To Help Them
A new puppy can be a great addition to your household, but they are definitely a lot of hard work, especially in their first few weeks. If youre a first-time puppy owner you mightve already heard stories about how hard it can be to take care of a new puppy at night.
Puppies tend to cry out or bark when theyre upset or stressed about something. You might be wondering why theyd cry out at night when theyre just sleeping, but think about it from your puppys perspective. Theyve spent their whole life up until now sleeping in a pile of their littermates, right next to their mum. This is how they feel safe sleeping. To suddenly have no one there with them at night can be a real shock so its understandable that they may cry and bark if they wake up.
You might think that your puppy will be OK when you settle them down to go to bed, but at such a young age they will probably need a toilet break during the night which will wake them up. Theyre then likely to cry out because they need to be let out to the loo and theyre frightened because no one is there.
German Shepherd Howling At Night
Naturally, German Shepherd howling at night are doing such due to some various reasons. First, because they are not really used or comfortable in their crate. Secondly, they are not feeling well maybe because of hunger or thirst as well as illness or injuries. Lastly, they are seeking the attention of their owners when they are experiencing separation anxiety. You need to understand that German Shepherd Dogs needs attention and companionship. They can also howl at night in response to other howling dogs.
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Let Them Sleep In Your Room
When you first get your german shepherd home, theyre going to be in a strange and alien place. Theyre going to be away from their litter and theyll feel a lot safer near you.
While you should never let a new puppy sleep in your bed, it is okay to let them sleep in your room.
The trick is to slowly move them away from your room every night until youve moved them to the place you plan for them to sleep regularly.
So, the first night, you could place their bed or crate down next to yours. The second and third night you can edge it closer to your door. And then every day you just have to keep moving the bed a little bit more.
Do German Shepherd Puppies Even Like The Crate
I have always kept an opinion that Crate training is a must, but only for a limited time. It is good only for young puppies and you got to train your German shepherd to be independent by the time he is 12-18 months old.
If your GSD is getting bigger, you should use the crate less often and only when its most needed. Though, If you have smaller breeds like Yorkshire Terriers, you can still use crate for him for a little longer than 12-18 month time.
Dogs are naturally denning animals and therefore, they can get accustomed to a crate provided they are sure that they are safe in that crate. They have to get comfortable with the crate and the place where that crate is kept inside the house.
Never let your puppy feel that the crate is a cage. Period.
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German Shepherds Are Naturally Curious About New Things
It is their inquisitive trait that makes German shepherds such great candidates for work as Military Working Dogs and K9s. This curiosity serves them well when they are tracking suspects and detecting items, such as explosives and contraband, by scent.
Most importantly, German shepherds are prized because of their great intelligence, ranking only behind poodles and border collies in levels of intelligence. This makes them highly trainable, with many German shepherds complying with a command the first time it is given 95 percent of the time.
The breeds curious nature also makes them great guard dogs. In some cases, this has led to German shepherds being considered a little over-defensive of their territory, which includes the family home, as they are slow to trust strangers, even innocent ones like delivery people.
In the case of the inquisitive dog in the video below, at least he is willing to check out strange noises, even if they end up being innocent.
Your German Shepherd Is Feeding Off Your Nervous Energy
If you come home from work stressed out or if you suffer from occasional anxiety, your German Shepherd may have picked up on your behavior and emotional state. You dont even need to speak as your body language alone can show your dog that you are stressed.
German Shepherds are very skilled at reading your nervous energy. So, your dog can tell when youre stressed, anxious, angry, or upset. In fact, YOU might be giving your German Shepherd his own stress and anxiety, causing him to be more clingy!
Without even noticing youre doing it, you might be making your dog nervous and anxious, which is why he clings to your side like a lost puppy. He doesnt know whats going on or why youre nervous, but he knows he can go to you for love and support and he also likes to comfort you in his own little way.
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Make Sure Theyre Not Ill
If your puppies whining and crying sounds different than usual then you should check to make sure theyre not sick.
Sometimes your pup may be crying because theyre sick. Not because theyre lonely or sad.
So make sure youre always looking for accompanying signs that something isnt more serious when your german shepherd is crying.
Your German Shepherd Just Likes To Be Around You And Wants Attention
You might find your German Shepherds clinginess to be a bit annoying. But, how would you feel if we told you that your German Shepherd wont leave you alone purely because he loves you and craves your attention? After all, a German Shepherd cant have two masters and he has chosen you!
Well, why wouldnt he? Youre the one that feeds him, pets him, cuddles him, takes him for long walks, gets him his favorite toys, and spends hours a week playing with him!
When German Shepherds feel that theyre not getting enough attention, they tend to do whatever it takes to get that attention from you as found in a recent study.
During this study of three dog breeds, researchers found German Shepherds as one of the breeds to have become needier during a feeding experiment. They displayed high levels of human-gazing defined as where a dog looks to its owner for encouragement, comfort, and support, which is connected with dependency and clinginess.
You might find it a little extreme that your German Shepherd wont even give you a few minutes alone, but hes not necessarily doing it to be annoying. He just wants to spend more time with you as thats just his nature.
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Train Your Gsd Rescue Dog Not To Cry So Much
German Shepherds are so sensitive that being relinquished and re-homed can be especially hard on this dog breed.
You may get your new GSD rescue pup home only to discover your dog develops a full-blown case of separation anxiety whenever you are not clearly visible and available to your dog.
As All Shepherd Rescue charity explains, separation anxiety can be a much bigger problem to address than simply removing social reinforcement for the behavior.
Your dog isnt just a little bored or slightly lonely. Your GSD is panicked!
Dont be afraid to enlist the help of a professional dog trainer if you find that managing separation anxiety in a re-homed GSD is beyond what you feel comfortable coping with alone.
It often takes a combination approach that may include environment and behavioral changes, canine medication, and re-training to help your dog feel more comfortable without needing 24/7 you-time.
Making use of a dog walker, doggie daycare, or a friendly dog-loving neighbor or friend when you have to be out can spell you during the re-training process.
Ideally, no one would choose a German Shepherd dog without knowing in advance that these dogs tend to be naturally vocal. Yet it happens every day.
There is so much to learn about the German Shepherd dog breed that sometimes the vocalization habits just get overlooked.
Now that you understand your experience with GSD crying is not unique to you and your dog, you can start taking steps to reduce the crying behaviors.
Should I Ignore Them Crying Wont Going To Them Make Them Cry For Attention All The Time
Its a common mistake that some owners make to just leave their puppy in their bed or crate to cry it out. Even if they seem to settle down, this could actually be having the opposite effect to what you want and making them more anxious to be alone, causing them more stress. Just because theyre quiet, doesnt mean theyre OK!
In their first week or so, your puppy might feel worried being without their dog family. Ignoring them at night wont help them build confidence and may make them worse which isnt what anyone wants. They need to be taught how to be independent slowly.
We would never recommend ignoring your puppy when they cry at night, especially in their first few nights. Firstly, they may need the toilet, so its important to take them out to check. If you limit your contact with them, e.g. no cuddles, talking or playing, theyre less likely to associate their crying and barking with your attention. You just being there is likely to help them settle if theyre worried.
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Why Does My German Shepherd Growl At Me
It could be that your German Shepherd is injured. When dogs are in pain it is common for them to growl. If your German Shepherd has been growling recently in situations when it normally wouldnt then this could be the case. If pain is the cause then youll probably notice other symptoms such as limping or a change in behavior.
Increase Their Daily Activities And Exercises
German Shepherds require a lot of mental stimulation throughout the day. This stimulation allows the dog to deplete all its pent up energy. By increasing the number of activities or exercise, the German Shepherd burns up its energy and whines less frequently. It also gives room for the dog to enjoy a myriad of activities that keep it busy and occupied.
This can be achieved by giving the dog multiple walks throughout the day. Also, you can dress the dog in a weighted vest when going out for walks so that it burns up energy faster, but seek prior consultation from a veterinarian.
If this does not work, consider taking some time out in the evening to play with the dog and give it the much-needed attention.
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