Teaching A Dog To Stop Whining
When your dog whines he is attempting to communicate. One of the first actions a dog learns is to whine. The hungry puppy whines to let its mother know that it is hungry. When its mother feeds the puppy the puppy learns that whining produces the desired result.
As a dog grows it will continue to whine when it is distressed or requires attention. A puppy is often one of a litter and will feel a sense of belonging to its brothers or sisters. 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.
This is the time to begin 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. Have your dog seen by a vet if it whines when running, eating or gong to the toilet.
Your dog must not be neglected; you must play with him and spend time with him. You can reinforce good behaviors by spending time with him when he is quiet and not whining.
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 naturally pack animals so remember that 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 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 are intelligent creatures and require exercise and stimulation or they can easily become bored. A bored dog will sometimes whine to get attention.
Always take care of your dog’s needs and don’t let yourself be manipulated by his whining. Your dog has genuine needs and also needs attention; learn to differentiate between the two. Reinforce good dog behavior. He will soon learn that his whines do not get him the results that he wants if you only show him the attention and love that he needs once the whining has ended.
This was great – Thanks!
Thanks for the reinforcement. I just got a Papillon and it helps to know I’m doing the right thing ignoring his whining and only going to him when he stops. Right now, it can take over half an hour for him to stop, which does seem excessive, but I’ve had him less than a week, so I will persevere!
Thanks Karen,
you sound like you have the right attitude. Sometimes, those little puppy eyes make you feel sorry for them, but remember patience and consistency is the key.