A whining dog will drive you crazy and pull at your heart strings at the same time. If you give in, you know the whining will never stop. But, it's so hard to ignore the needs of your pet. Want to know how to make a dog stop whining? Follow these tips to stop this common nuisance behavior.
Your dog may be whining for any number of reasons. Whining is a method of communication for dogs. While it may be annoying to you, it's the only way they know how to communicate their wants and needs.
Whining is especially common in puppies. They have been pulled out of the only environment they have ever known and taken somewhere completely new. They are used to whining and receiving a response for their mother or litter mates. Thankfully, it's a phase that they usually grow out of in just a couple of months.
When older dogs, there is usually an underlying reason. Whining may be the sign of a health condition or injury. It could also just be the fact that they are begging for some table scraps. No matter what the cause, you need to know how to make a dog stop whining.
How To Make A Dog Stop Whining
1. Find out why
The only way to make a dog stop whining is to figure out why he's doing it in the first place. Does your dog want attention? Is he just bored? Is he excited or stressed? Is your dog in pain? You can't find a solution if you don't know the problem.
Observe your dog. Listen to the sound of the whining and observe his behavior. If your dog is very vocal, he will have different whines that may mean different things. For example, he may have a softer whine when he wants attention or a more high pitched whine when he is excited.
If your dog is bored or excited, you need to help stimulate him and burn some excess energy. If the excitement is due to stimulation from the environment (such as new people, a squirrel in your yard, etc…) desensitization training may be needed.
If your dog wants attention or he's begging for food, do not give in. If you give in to what he wants, you'll reinforce the training. This will do exactly the opposite of what you want, and your dog will actually whine more often.
Instead, redirect your pet to another activity. Give him a toy, let him outside to play or just simply walk away leaving him to entertain himself. Once he has been quiet for a few minutes, you can give him the attention or snack that he was looking for.
2. NEVER punish your dog for whining
Punishing your dog for whining could actually make things worse. If he's scared, anxious or stressed, punishing him is just going to make the situation more difficult. While it may stop your pup from whining, it's also going to cause some emotional damage.
If your dog is whining, he's trying to tell you something. Just because the sound is annoying to you does not mean he's doing anything wrong. He's following his natural instincts and communicating with you in the only way that he knows how.
3. Ignore nuisance whining
If there is no underlying health condition or injury, you have met all of your dog's needs and he's not stressed, anxious or excited, he might just be whining for no reason. It's not common, but some dogs are just more vocal than others.
Chihuahuas, certain terrier breeds, Schnauzers and Beagles are well-known as being some of the most vocal dog breeds. If you've looked into all of the other options, you're just going to have to ignore nuisance whining. Giving in will only teach your dog that he'll get attention when he whines.
I would recommend consulting a professional dog training that has experience dealing with this specific issue if you are struggling. Usually once you begin ignoring the whining, your dog quickly realizes that it's not getting him the attention that he is looking for.
