[bburkhal]

I adopted my female 3y/o White GSD four months ago from a shelter where she had been placed after a breeding mill was shut down. She was certainly skittish but seems to be over that now.
Now, she's extremely attached to me and only me. I have 2 roommates and when I leave she cries at the door even when they are around to give her attention. She also freaks out when I leave her outside for more than a few seconds and cries and paws at the window endlessly.

I don't want her to be an outside dog or anything but I want to know how to get her to stop panicking when she is outside. Sometimes you have to leave the dog in the yard for some reason or another (plumber/cable guy/cleaning the house etc)

Also I don't want her to develop separation anxiety down the road.

Or break my windows.

 

[DWP]

Training

Someone will comment with specifics. I am not an expert, but I would start by searching this sit and others for training techniques. One of our girls is extremely attachede to me, I have to do the door training every now and then. You put the dog in a room by itself. You come in the room. You praise the dog if and when she calms down. you leave the room for a very short time. Repeat this until you can leave the room for a couple of minutes, return and she is calm. Then you just keep it up with longer times, then farther away (so she absolutely knows you are off the premises).

You see where I am going with this? She has to know you will come back, that's all. Now someone will probably tell us my way is not good, and that is OK. It worked for me.

 

[jmoney]

Start OB work with her, that will help calm her down a lot. Whatever you do don't let her back inside until she has calmed down a little bit and don't forget to give lots and lots of praise when you do.

 

[Jo_in_TX]

Find a high value treat she likes and use it ONLY for training her to stay outside.

Put her outside and throw a treat to her away from the window or door where she "paws." Wait at the door. Throw another one. Repeat. Wait longer periods of time and/or back up farther from the door. Throw the treat farther away. Once she's doing well, vary treats with praise. Alternate between very brief periods of time and longer periods of time. Keep her guessing.

By the way, when you first start, she doesn't have to be perfectly calm before you treat her, since you want her to learn to associate "outdoors" with "treats."

Good luck!