[KaishaJayne]

I have a 2 year old Golden retriever/German shepard cross, and she's female. The past few days she's been crying, then she goes to lay on her bed, she just randomly cries. She's eating and wants to play etc, but we have no idea why that could be? She hasn't been spayed, no, and there's a lot of stress in the house at the moment. Could that be part of it? I'd love to know why she's crying, so we know if she's okay. Thanks

[labman]

I am glad you mentioned the stress. Dogs are very good at reading our emotions. If we are stressed, the dogs pick it up. They have no idea what the problem is, but you can worry your dog sick. Still it would hurt to have a vet check. Even though the problem is likely emotional, it could confidently be a physical problem on top of whatever stress you are having.

Ask about spaying too. There is no good reason not to with a female cross bred. Besides reducing behavior problems, it eliminates the hassle of her seasons. Their behavior becomes more extreme weeks before the bleeding starts. Then they will make strenuous, creative efforts to escape. Once loose, getting bred is minor compared to some of the other things that can happen to a dog running loose. Unplanned breeding or even a bath or swim can cause expensive to cure if not fatal infections. Spaying prevents many cancers later. Having her spayed will make life easier for both her and you. Check Petfinder.com: Adopt a pet and help an animal shelter rescue a puppy or kitten. and see how many dogs in your area need homes. Many of the excess dogs come from accidental breeding. If money problems are part of the stress, sometimes you can find low cost spay/neuter clinics.

[KaishaJayne]

Yes, money problems are part of the stress, as is moving house in a few weeks. My mum had a baby in October, do you think that could be part of it as well?

[labman]

Dogs find new babies fascinating. The baby could be starting to be more active now, changing the dynamics of the family. Be sure to give her good leadership. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete For more on being top dog, see Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position