Stop Dog Whining Problems

I think everyone would agree with me that dog whining is both an annoying and an unacceptable behavior in a pet. If you have a pet dog that whines you’ll want to stop its dog whining problems as soon as you can. For a young puppy it is quite natural to whine, and there are valid reasons for this. Very young puppies whine instinctively because they are hungry, or cold, or just lonely for Mom. Upon hearing the puppies whining, the mother dog will respond to the whining and give her babies comfort in the way of food, warmth, and a nice safe feeling of security. The puppies soon learn to whine on a conscious level to get these responses from their mother. However, by the time puppies reach the age of 6 months, it is no longer a natural part of dog behavior, and the whining stops. The mother doesn’t respond favorably to whining anymore, so the puppies have already stopped that whining behavior. Why? There is no positive reinforcement to continue the whining.  Likewise, as a puppy’s new human family, you should not give positive reinforcement to whining behavior either.

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There can be several reasons for a grown dog’s whining. Some are acceptable and others are not. You’ll want to understand why your dog is whining before knowing how best to stop the whining problem. For instance, if your dog needs to go potty outside, and whines at the door, his reasons for whining are quite clear, and actually admirable. He’s letting you know he needs to relieve himself, and knows better than to soil the house. Another valid reason that your dog may whine is if he is injured or sick. Pay attention to this, especially if your dog does not normally whine for any reason at all. For other issues, such as whining for food, whining to get in the house, or whining because he is bored or lonely, you must stop these dog whining problems so that your dog is not training you, instead of you training him.

My female Lab had me well trained to let her in whenever she whined. she really knew how to use that lonely sounding whine to get me to let her in. Dogs are smart, and if you let them, they will find a way to boss you around. If you give positive reinforcement to these types of dog whining you are teaching your dog that his bad behavior is acceptable. You must always be the Alpha dog, the pack leader, in order to earn your dog’s complete trust and  confidence.  If you want your dog to always follow your leads, you have to be the one in charge-not your dog.

So, in order to stop dog whining problems, you must first understand why your doggy is whining and then deal with it appropriately. Here are some types of dog whining problems and ideas on how to deal with them.

• Puppy whining. You already know that puppy whining is quite natural, and its first  of communication. However, once the puppy is weaned and in your home, you must teach your new pup that whining is no longer acceptable. For instance, if the puppy is put in a crate, also called a kennel, for housebreaking purposes, he may cry to be let out (see my article on using the crate training method for puppies). He’s probably lonely or scared. If you respond to the whining and let him out, he will  soon naturally learn that he gets what he wants every time he whines. He was already operating under this principle with his Mom before he was weaned, so he’s already had success with whining. Now that he’s with you, you’ll want to stop the whining behavior as soon as possible. If your new puppy is doing a lot of whining, from inside his new crate. You should resist the immediate urge you probably feel to give comfort to you new little buddy. You should wait until the puppy has stopped its whining before you comfort him or let him out.  (An exception to this would be when he woke up from a nap or has been in his crate for a couple hours or more. He may be trying to tell you he needs to relieve himself. this would be a good time to whine, right?) This may be hard to do if he is whining incessantly, but try to wait till there is at least a short break in the whining to respond to his pleas. By the way, make sure he is comfortable in his crate, and has a blanket and some toys to play with. If he hates the crate and thinks of it as punishment, he will want to whine even more to get out of there. Make sure he knows that this is his little den, his territory, not just a place to get stuck when he has misbehaved somehow. Make sure he is comfortable in his crate-give him a blanket and a chew toy so he’ll be more happy inside his crate. Also, don’t leave the puppy for overly extensive periods of time in the crate. This too will give him another reason for whining. After all, he is a dog, not a goldfish. He’ll need plenty of attention and playtime. This will make him happier and also tire him out. Another win-win kind of idea. If the crate training, also called kennel training is done correctly, an older dog will sometimes use the crate as a den for just hanging out. The kennel has become his surrogate den, and he feels secure there.

• Dog whining when relieving itself. This could be indicative of a health issue. Also, your dog may whine because his paw or maybe some other body part has been injured. Carefully examine your dog to see if you can find any injuries. In the case of suspected health issues, your dog is whining to let you know he’s hurting. You should take your pet to the Vet and get him checked out right away. For a great guide on dog health and diagnosing your dog’s health at home, check out my reviews of The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health, or Veterinary Secrets Revealed.

• Dog whining to get out the door. This is one of the few instances you won’t mind hearing your dog whine, and you won’t want to stop this particular whining behavior. Let him out right away, and even praise him for letting you know he needs to relieve himself outside. On the other hand he may whine to get back in-like my Lab used to do. Don’t give in like I used to do. That gives the dog control instead of you. Stop this dog whining problem by only letting your pet in when you want to, and make sure that’s not in response to its whining. Once they learn that this doesn’t work anymore, they will stop doing it. It’s as simple as that.

• Dog whining because it is bored or feeling lonely. These dog whining problems are not acceptable and need to be corrected. Stop these dog whining problems by not responding until the dog has stopped the whining behavior. Otherwise, by giving in you will only be training them to whine whenever they want some attention. He’ll get the results he wants by whining, and think that this is acceptable behavior. So, only after the dog has stopped whining should you “reward” it for its silence by commencing a play and exercise session with him. To be fair, if you are not exercising your dog regularly it is natural that he will be bored. Be sure to give your dog lots of opportunities to burn off some energy and have a good time. Perhaps an obedience training session in addition to exercise will give him the attention and activity he craves. Getting lots of exercise, and some attention from you, will make your dog happy and tired. A tired out dog is not bored, and instead of whining at you for attention he will take a nap. This can turn the whining problem around and make it a win-win situation.  He’ll stop the whining behavior, because he learns that whining isn’t getting him anything, and after all the exercise, training, or just playing, he’s no longer bored, he’s learned something and has had some fun, too.

• Dogs may whine because they may be afraid or anxious.  Perhaps your dog is afraid of fireworks or thunderstorms. He may hear these noises and start whining to show his anxiety or fear. It is suggested that you do not comfort or sooth you dog for these reasons. The noises are non threatening, and its best to stop these types of dog whining problems by ignoring his fear and whining, and showing him how calm and relaxed you remain after hearing the same noises he hears. Through your relaxed attitude he’ll learn that everything is still ok. If you comfort and sooth your dog following his unnecessary whining you are just reinforcing its fear as a real issue, rather than letting him know there’s no need to worry about those loud noises.

So, understanding the various reasons your puppy or dog is whining, is the first step to stopping the dog whining problems you are facing. Use the above tips to try and stop dog whining problems before they become too ingrained. As always, it is easier to correct a dog training problem the less time it has been around. To learn more about dealing with puppy or dog whining problems or any of the many dog training issues you are faced with as a pet owner, I strongly suggest getting a copy of a great dog training book, or learning from a really good step by step dog training video program. He has provided an in-depth look at how to recognize and understand these various problems and teaches you how to train your dog to be its best. Read my full review of Secrets to Dog Training.

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