How To Teach A Dog To Stop Whining

Your dog is trying to communicate with you when he whines. One of the first actions a dog learns is to whine. A hungry puppy will whine to let its mother know that it is hungry. 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 is often one of a litter and will feel a sense of belonging to its brothers or sisters. A puppy that becomes separated from its litter will be distressed and will whine to let the litter know about its distress.

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.

You should start to train your dog not to whine at this time. The dog will continue to whine if you reinforce this action by paying attention to its whines. 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. Always ensure that your dog has food and water and is comfortable and is not trying to communicate to you that he is thirsty or hungry. Have your dog seen by a vet if it whines when running, eating or gong to the toilet.

You must not neglect your dog and you must spend time with him and play with him. If you spend time with him when he is quiet and not whining it will reinforce good behavior.

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 naturally pack animals so remember that it may feel quite anxious when you leave it. If you put your dog outside before you go out try spending a few minutes with it in the outside environment and make sure you leave it toys to play with. The dog will soon learn that he can have fun outside, as well.

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 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.

Your dog requires exercise and stimulation. 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 can quickly become bored if they do not receive the stimulation that they require as intelligent animals. A bored dog may whine for attention.

Tend to your dog’s needs and don’t let him manipulate you with his whining. You will soon learn to recognize the difference between a dog’s genuine needs and his need to get your attention.  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.

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