I'm not sure what normal is, as I am a new dog owner too. But I can tell you that I got my sheltie at 8 weeks, 3 days. She's 11 weeks old today.
She doesn't do this and never has. I started the first day leaving home for an hour. I left her with her crate in a large exercise pen, bed in the crate, water, potty place and safe chew toys. She was disgruntled after my unexpected, in-person work meeting last Wednesday (gone 5 hours), but we had worked up to 3.5 no problem.
Though I have other pets, she is alone in a room without any of them when I go, just in case, so truly alone.
She doesn't do this and never has. I started the first day leaving home for an hour. I left her with her crate in a large exercise pen, bed in the crate, water, potty place and safe chew toys. She was disgruntled after my unexpected, in-person work meeting last Wednesday (gone 5 hours), but we had worked up to 3.5 no problem.
Though I have other pets, she is alone in a room without any of them when I go, just in case, so truly alone.