Just adopted her a week ago from a shelter in Michigan. They guessed she's 5-6 months old. I have no idea what she is, but my best guess is beagle, dachshund, and mountain goat. She was pretty timid at first but is really coming out of her shell, interacting really well and learning from my balanced 2 1/2-year-old who-knows-what. She is learning her basic obedience amazingly quickly and is housebroken. She seems to experience a little separation anxiety, although her confidence seems to be increasing - the first day, while I was at work, I had her in a large crate in my room (she's @ 20 lbs), and she dug her nose through the wires and chewed up my carpet; the second day, I gated her in the kitchen with her open crate, and she chewed clean through the mesh gate (no such problems when my other dog was a pup). Since then, I've kept her in the crate in the kitchen when I'm at work (I do have a friend come over and walk the dogs mid-day)... it's not her favorite and I know she whines when she's confined and I'm gone, but it seems to be getting better.

So, what's the issue? Even when I'm home, she randomly walks around whining... but nothing prolonged, just a few whines, then she stops. I've let her outside, and it doesn't seem to be potty-related. I don't think it's food- or water-related, and she's well-exercised (we do at least 3 1-mile walks and one longer over-the-hill-and-through-the-woods walk per day, and she constantly rough-houses and plays with her older "brother"). Also, she is up-to-date on vet care. It's almost like she's lost and doesn't know where to go or what to do... and she does this whining thing during times when she's well-rested and when she's tired. There seems to be no real pattern to the behavior.

Could it be that she's not spayed yet and it's heat-related? I have no idea how old she is, and I've never had a female dog before. Her next veterinary appointment is the 24th, at which time I'll be scheduling her spay. Anyway... what do you think?