Seperation anxiety in 2-3 month old Terrier

Question
Hi, I have a little 2 1/2 month old Terrier and every time my dad leaves for work she cries and whimpers for a long time. I know this is normal with dogs, but she also puts herself to sleep for literally the whole time my dad is at work and that's really weird because we just woke up a couple hours earlier and she shouldn't be sleeping 6-8 hours again so soon. I'm homeschooled so I'm with her while my dad is at work and it can be hard for me to concentrate, when she keeps crying. I was wondering if you can give me some tips or something that can help with calming her down, so I can get to my school work sooner and I also want to know if sleeping 6-8 hours while he's gone till he comes home is normal? She also cries when I leave, but I'm never gone for hours at a time. Thanks.

Answer
This is a neonate, a very young puppy.  Whining/crying is not separation anxiety, it's the normal vocalization of a young puppy.  Puppies whine/cry to get the attention of the dam (mother) or primary caregiver.  If the puppy's whining bothers you, leave the room.  You cannot use any sort of punisher or negative reinforcer in a dog this age or you will create a fear aggression problem.  Dogs are living things; they make noise, they sometimes make messes, they require calm, consistent, loving leadership and positive reinforcement training.  You can begin to teach this puppy a simple "sit" in very, very short sessions (no more than three minutes at a time).  Learn about positive reinforcement training at ClickerTraining.com.  If you feel the puppy's sleep is excessive, ask the veterinarian about this during your next visit for puppy vaccination.