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.
As the puppy grows older it will continue to whine when it is distressed or requires attention. A puppy that is one of a litter will feel a sense of belonging to that 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.
Now is the time to start training your dog not to whine. 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. 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 spend time with your dog and play with him; do not neglect him. You can reinforce good behaviors by spending time with him when he is quiet and not whining.
Once your dog has become familiar with you as its new family it may suffer from separation anxiety when you leave it alone. 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 your dog is put outside before you go out try spending a few moments with it in its outside world and make sure you leave toys for it to play with while you’re out. The dog will soon learn that being outside can be fun, too.
When you pay attention to you dog’s whines you’ll soon begin to know what he is trying to communicate to you and why. 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 plenty of exercise and stimulation for your dog. Take him for walks, play games with him and take him to dog parks so that he can socialize with other dogs. Dogs can quickly become bored if they do not receive the stimulation that they require as intelligent animals. A dog that is bored 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.
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