How To Stop Dogs Whining

When a dog whines it is trying to communicate. Whining is one of the first actions that a dog learns. The hungry puppy whines to let its mother know that it is hungry. The puppy learns that whining produces the desired result because the mother dog feeds it when it whines.

A puppy will continue to whine when it is distressed or requires attention as it grows into a dog. A puppy is usually one of a litter and feels a sense of belonging to its litter. If a puppy becomes separated from its litter its whines are a sign of its distress and it is letting the litter know that it needs to be rescued.

When the puppy is removed from its litter to become a member of your family it may feel extreme distress at being removed from its familiar surroundings and former family. It will whine to communicate its distress to you.

You should start to train your dog not to whine at this time. If you pay attention to its whining you are reinforcing this action and the dog continues to believe that if it whines it gets the attention it wants. On the other hand it is important that you have taken care of the dog’s needs before you try to stop a dog from whining. Always ensure that your dog has food and water and is comfortable and is not trying to communicate to you that he is thirsty or hungry. Your dog should not whine when it is eating, running or going to the toilet and if it does it will need to be seen by a vet.

You must not neglect your dog and you must spend time with him and play with him. If you spend time with him when he is quiet and not whining it will reinforce good behavior.

Once your dog has adapted to you – its new family – it may suffer from separation anxiety if you leave it. Separation anxiety in dogs is not uncommon. Dogs are pack animals by nature so remember that when you leave it it may feel quite anxious. If you put your dog outside before you go out try spending a few minutes with it in the outside environment and make sure you leave it toys to play with. The dog will soon learn that being outside can be fun, too.

Listen to your dog’s whines and you’ll start to understand what it is he is trying to tell you. Your dog could be trying to communicate to you that he is hungry, thirsty, hot, cold, bored, lonely, wanting to go outside to relieve himself, or he may be in pain.

Provide your dog with plenty of stimulation and exercise. Your dog is a sociable animal and you should take him for walks, play with him and take him to dog parks so that he can learn to socialize with other dogs. Dogs are intelligent creatures and require exercise and stimulation or they can easily become bored. A dog that is bored may whine for attention.

Tend to your dog’s needs and don’t let him manipulate you with his whining. Your dog has genuine needs and also needs attention; learn to differentiate between the two.  Reinforce good dog behavior. Only when the whining has stopped should you show him the love and attention that he deserves, this way he will soon learn that his whines do not produce the results that he wants.