My dog is acting very strange. She has a toy that all of the sudden she won't leave alone. If she is away from the toy she gets very depressed. I've had her for 2 years and she's never acted like this before. It started about two days ago, and we've had the toy since december. What's wrong with her?

RubyPitbull

Is she spayed? If not, it is possible that she is about to enter her heat and she is exhibiting maternal urges/instincts.

If it is causing you concern and she is not spayed, you might want to consider spaying her to stop the obsessive behavior. It is always a good idea for our dogs overall health to consider spaying if you aren't planning to breed.

If she is spayed, can you give us a bit more detail on what exactly she is doing with the toy? Our resident expert, Labman will stop by at some point I am sure, and weigh in with his opinion. He is very knowledgeable and may suggest something or see something that I don't.

labman

It never hurts to start with a vet check up. You can continue to expect to see personality changes for another year. Much of a dog's personality and temperament are determined genetically and by socialization before 12 weeks. The personality continues to change and develop until 3 years old.

I once raised a German Shepherd puppy named Gretchen. Gretchen went away dog guide school at a year old. She was chosen as breeding stock, and I visited her almost year later in her new home. You should have seen her when I pulled her old dinosaur Nylabone out of my pocket. She jumped half way across the room. It had been a great favorite of hers. She never allowed visiting dogs to chew it.