How To Stop Dogs Whining
Your dog is trying to communicate with you when he whines. Whining is one of the first actions that a dog learns. When it is hungry the puppy whines to let its mother know. The mother dog feeds the puppy and the puppy learns that whining produces the desired result.
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 it becomes separated from its litter it will whine as a sign of its distress and to let the litter know that it needs to be rescued.
When the puppy has to leave its litter to join 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. Make sure that your dog is comfortable and has a supply of food and plenty of fresh water and is not trying to communicate to you that he is thirsty. If your dog whines when eating, running or going to the toilet it will need to be seen by a vet.
You must spend time with your dog and play with him; do not neglect him. Reinforce his good behavior by spending time with him when he is being quiet and good.
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. Remember that dogs are naturally pack animals and it may feel quite anxious when you leave it. If it is your habit to put your dog outside before you go out spend some time with him in the outside environment and make sure he has toys to play with. Soon your dog will understand that he can have fun outside with his toys, too.
Pay attention to your dog’s whines and you’ll begin to understand what he is trying to tell you and why. Your dog may be trying to communicate to you that he needs to go outside to the toilet, or that he is hungry, thirsty, hot, cold, lonely, bored, or he could be in pain.
Provide plenty of exercise and stimulation for your dog. 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 stimulation or they can become bored. A bored dog may whine for attention.
Attend to your dog’s requirements and don’t allow him to manipulate you by 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.
