Why does my German Shepherd relax in a different room?

Question

I got a female German Shepherd, when she was 4 mo old. She was chained up alone since she was about 6 weeks old, and not worked with much. She is a really a sweet and very socialized now. We have worked with her, taken her to daycare (which she LOVES) and loves to play with us, dogs and her kitty. We have worked very hard at socializing her and she is happy and confident around other dogs. In the evenings when she relaxes, she always goes into the bedroom where we sleep, and sleeps on the bed. When we go to bed, she leaves the bed, without being asked and goes into the living room to sleep. She will hang out and sleep in the living room while we watch tv, sometimes, but most of the time she is in a different room. Is this normal behavior for a German Shepherd, or should I worry that she is not socialized properly?

Answer 1

No worries. Just like people, some dogs like their alone time.

Answer 2

It could be as simple as the fact that, as you said, she was as a pup chained up alone.  Like many Shepherds, though, she may just be comfortable with her own company.  It doesn't mean she doesn't like you, for sure, as she knows when she is well off.  Don't worry about it.

Answer 3

My standard poodle does the same thing, I always figured she always wanted just a little peace and quiet.

Answer 4

I just adopted a female shepherd from the pound, and she does the same thing.

Answer 5

If you had said she went into the bathroom or in the kitchen I would have had an answer for you! Since the summer heat is hot the animals like to be on the cool linoleum floor! Not the case with your dog, she sounds like she is not being unsociable just not in the same room with you all the time! As you did mention she does stay in the living room with you when you watch tv! I wouldn't worry about this, sounds like you have a really nice dog there!

Cheers!

Answer 6

Maybe she just wants a room to her self. Maybe she thinks that if she lays down in a room with people in it she will get sat on or stepped on.  

Answer 7

My GSDx is exactly the same way.  

Frankly, I love it.  He's not constantly on my heals, which drives me nuts.

Now that he's getting older he does stay on the bed with me more when I come to bed, he just has to move over a little to let me on.  Even then, he leaves within an hour or so and sleeps on his own bed next to mine.  (He only started sleeping in the same room in the last year or two, I think mostly because he doesn't want to sleep on the ground as much as he used to and his nice cumfy cot is right next to my bed.)  

Answer 8

I have had two shepherds.  One a female (who has recently passed in January), and one a male (my current pet).  Both of them do the exact thing that you have described.  I guess it must be a german shepherd thing.