puppy jrt whinning and shaking

Question
I completed my small family 3 days ago. my boyfriend and i got our little girl JRT from as lady who owned a male and female JRT and they had 4 girl puppies. "jackie" was the runt of the group and the shyest puppy. since we have brought her home she has been whinning allot! she shakes sometime too but i think thats mainly because shes cold since she mainly does it when she falling asleep. she whines and whines when ever we try to do anything like laundry or dishes or anything that doesn't have to do with her. if we leave her gated in our bedroom with her potty pad while we go run and do something somewhere else in the home she whines really loudly. i love her so much already and I feel lost. I want her to get used to spending some time alone.. i mean we don't ever leave her totally alone just in the room by herself to get used to it. I'm scared of babying her too much where she will have separation anxiety. do you have any advice? i really don't want to give up on her but I'm scared this is going to be a permanent separation thing! help!

Answer
Hi Nikki

I'm glad you love her so much - but you're going to need a lot more patience and understanding.  I don't know how many weeks old the puppy is, but she shouldn't have left her mother or littermates until AT LEAST 8 weeks old. She is terrified and lonely and confused. All she has ever known has changed and been taken away from her.
She is a very new and tiny baby and needs lots of love and attention. She WILL grow up and learn to adjust to being alone but it's going to take some time. You might want to try getting her a stuffed animal (safe, no buttons or thread or tearing)to keep her company in the crate when you aren't there.
You're smart and planning ahead and thinking about separation anxiety but let me reassure you, you don't need to worry about that for the next few months. Right now she needs to know that she is safe and loved. Try leaving for a few minutes and then come back. Then make each time you're away a little longer and a little longer. You can also leave her a special treat when you go away, like a Kong, or a rawhide or something that will be exciting and keep her busy for a while. No puppy or dog should EVER be left alone for more than 3 hours at a time. I've never understood why working people get pets.
Keep up the good work, you're doing fine!