Easy Ways to Stop Dogs Whining

15 July 2009 No Comment

by Craig Clemins

There are many reasons that your dog may have a whining problem. When you learn why they are whining, you will be able to control the problem.

One of the main reasons for whining is because your dog is lonely and needs some attention. Whining is the way your dog will likely convey this message to you. She may simply need some more love and affection. Alternatively, you dog may be whining because she’s not feeling well, if you suspect this to be the case, get him to a vet as quickly as possible.

Your dog may also whine due to the fact that you are not at home, in this case she may be experiencing anxiety about you being away. The best way to cure this is by slowly getting your dog used to the fact that your leaving does not mean you will not be back. You may try leaving the dog for much shorter periods such as 5 or 10 minutes. This gets them used to the fact that just because you left, it is no big deal, you will return shortly.

When using this method to teach your dog that you will always return, ensure you make no big deal about leaving or returning. Don’t get too excited when you return, only start giving your dog attention after you’ve been home for ten minutes or so. This way your dog learns that leaving is no big deal, and in fact, it’s a normal occurrence.

If you are trying the 5 or 10 minute training, where you leave a return after being gone this short period, you may add more time to this absence, increasing the time to 15 to 20 minutes, then 30 to 40 minutes then finally a few hours. Eventually your dog will not really pay attention to the fact that you have returned home and it won’t be such a big deal for her.

Another way to stop dogs whining (which is fairly controversial) is to ignore your dog totally. This is not always a good idea as your dog could have some real underlying physical problems which are the reason for the whining. The way this method works is that you first give the dog a firm command to stop the behaviour, if the dog doesn’t stop whining, you can then use negative reinforcement. You can do this by making some loud annoying noise that your dog will associate with the whining. This may be effective in stopping the whining altogether.

Regardless of how bad your dog is whining; never resort to physical violence as this doesn’t resolve the problem. It will in most cases only make the problem worse. Abusing dogs is a crime and your dog will be far less likely to train well if it is abused. Always treat your dog with love and respect and have patience in fixing his whining problem.

About the Author:

Craig Clemins is a dog lover who is very experienced in solving all types of dog behaviour problems. Craig rates Secrets to Dog Training as the number one dog training guide, read his Secrets to Dog Training Review now or visit http://www.dog-solutions.com for more information.