When your dog whines he is attempting to communicate. Whining is one of the first actions that a dog learns. When it is hungry the puppy whines to let its mother know. When its mother feeds the puppy 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 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.
It can be extremely distressing for a puppy when it has to leave its litter and its familiar surroundings to become a part of your family. It may whine to communicate its distress and sense of loss.
Now is the time to start training your dog not to whine. If you pay attention to its whines you are reinforcing this action and the dog continues to understand that if it whines it receives attention. 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. 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. Remember that dogs are naturally pack animals and it may feel quite anxious when you leave it. 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. 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 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. You must learn to recognize the difference between the dog’s genuine needs and his need for attention. 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.
