A whining dog is as bad as a whining child is, and actually, more similar then you may think. Both can grind down your very last nerve. Whining is a natural behavior in dogs; a way in which they communicate a need. Puppies whine to their mothers when they are hungry, and mature dogs whine when they figure out they can train you to do their begging. Sound like a kid? It should.
In order to stop the whining, you have to know what the goal is. Dogs may start to whine when they want something to eat (dinner table whining), want to go outside, want to come inside, want to go to their kennel, want out of their kennel, want a toy, and the list can go on. The whining to be let out to take care of business is one most owners can deal with and deem acceptable, but the rest – no.
To stop a dog from whining is similar to stopping your child from unnecessary whining. Ignore the behavior. As soon as you tell either a child or a dog to stop whining, you are playing into their power control and you lose. Redirecting the negative whining can also be helpful. Try giving several commands such as sit, stay, come, etc. to get your dog focused on behavior that is more productive. Reward your dog accordingly.
When the whining is related to whining when your dog wants released, keep the kennel or crate in a room that is distant from you. This will avoid the temptation of responding to the whining either verbally or by giving in. Otherwise, to eliminate whining for when your dog wants in the kennel, keep it open so he/she can come and go as they please.
If the dog only whines in certain situations look closely at the situations to determine what is bothering the dog and change them if possible. Reward the dog for being in the situation without whining. Spend extra time with the dog when it is quiet. This reinforces the good behavior.
If the dog whines for no apparent reason, or starts whining when eating, going to the bathroom or when moving, immediately have a vet check the dog. Whining can be a sign of pain. The most important factor is to avoid giving into the whining behavior. If, at any time, you do respond to the dog when it is whining, the dog simply understands that it has been rewarded for the behavior. Stay firm and respond only when the dog is behaving quietly.
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Cute picture and I sure could use it for my dog. He whines a lot and I'm at my wits end. I'm going to try the things you mentioned in hopes than one of more of the will work. Thanks for the tips.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I was able to break my dog from whining. It took a trip to an obedience class but it was well worth the time and effort. I wish I had known the techniques you mentioned before I paid for a class.
ReplyDeleteWhining needlessly is something that would drive me right up the wall. I'm glad our dog never had that problem. The only time she whines is at the vet's and he's usually giving her injections. That, I can tolerate.
ReplyDeleteA whining child is annoying but understandable since they cannot talk. A whining dog just drives me crazy. I know that some people aren't affected by it. I think it's the pitch of the whine and it really hurts my ears. I couldn't abide a dog like this.
ReplyDeleteI NEEDED this! My dog is driving me crazy and this whining has to stop.
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