As a puppy your dog will naturally whine and cry. Just like human babies cry when they are tired, scared, hungry or ... Well anything. Same thing with puppies. The mother will naturally respond to her puppies whining with a warm place to snuggle, milk or protection.
Since dog's are quick to learn what types of responses their actions get the puppy quickly learns that whining will get him any number of things. The trick, as his new human parents, is to kick this habit. Most people suggest leaving your puppy alone on the first night and not responding to his whining. Now this does not mean you can't check on him. It does mean that you can't come in to see him while he is whining. Pick a spot where he has finally piped down and drop in on him. He's probably scared of his new surroundings and needs some attention. Just make sure he doesn't start associating his whining with your attention.
Some dogs don't stop entirely for the whole night. Now our goal is for him NOT to think the whining is getting him something. If he just won't stop you will have to pick a time when he has calmed down, for a few seconds even, and jump in to open the crate door. The further from a whine you open it the better. Use your best judgment to decide when to go.
The less you respond to your puppy's whining the better off you will be. This goes for anytime, not just the first night. The earlier you convince him of the fact that you won't be bullied by his whining the better. It will help even throughout his adult life.
Whining in adult dogs
Despite your not giving in to your puppy's whining he's gonna keep trying it for quite awhile. It's only natural. If see your dog still whining much past 6 months it is starting to become a problem. Most dogs will have outgrown the phase by this time. If he's still doing it after that it probably means he's either doing it unconsciously or he thinks it's gonna get him what he wants. Whining in adult dogs can occur for several reasons. Some of them are:
He needs to go outside
He's bored and wants to play
He's feeling lonely and wants some attention
He's hurt or in pain
He's scared or anxious
Depending on the reason the dog is whining you will want to respond in different ways. Sometimes whining is a valid communication tool, and sometimes it can be attributed to anxiety or used as manipulation. Here is a list of the aforementioned common reasons for whining and some advice on how to react to them.
He needs to go outside
Sometimes you may see your dog start whining standing over by the door. If he's whining because he wants to go outside and relieve himself you should be proud of him. And yourself. You have a well trained dog. Even though he's dying to go, hence the whining, he's not willing to go inside to feel better. This one is first in line because it is the easiest one. If he obviously needs to go out, let him out. This is one time its OK to give in to the whining.
He's bored or lonely and wants you to love him
Sometimes your dog might just be wandering around the room near you, or another family member, whining to himself. Yup, he's just bored. Or maybe he is feeling a little lonely since it has been like an hour since someone payed attention to him. In this case you want to wait until his whining subsides and take him out for some exercise. Take him for a nice brisk walk, jog or even rollerblading(you rollerblade not the dog!). The way to get this behavior to stop altogether is going to involve more exercise for your dog. Try to have your dog active for at least 45 minutes per day. Walks are the best use of your time because they are good exercise and because, if done properly, it will reinforce your status as pack leader. Also, if you have a nice yard, you can try playing fetch or frisbee with your dog. If you can teach him how to bring the toy back to you and drop it you are in business!
He's whining because he is in pain
If you notice your dog suddenly start whining for no reason and keep it up for a while, it may be from pain. This is true of dogs of all ages, not just elderly ones and puppies. If you think your dog is in pain you should start to check for signs of an injury. Start by looking for simple things like limping or favoring legs, holding up a paw from the ground, and look for scratches or splinters. If you don't find anything here start checking out his joints and muscles. Gently rub your hand down his limbs and squeezing his joints to check for inflammation or injuries. Check his tail for any type of lumps as well. If you still don't find anything and your dog keeps whining you should probably take him to the vet. You don't want to risk him walking around with a serious injury and making it worse. You know my motto when it comes to the vet - "Better safe than sorry".
He's scared or anxious
Whining from fear and whining from anxiety are actually two quite different things. Whining from a thunderstorm or a bunch of Harley Davidson's outside your house is fear. Anxiety is when the dog whines with no direct cause that you can see. Anxiety is actually a much more serious problem than fear. Dogs can be stressed for many reasons, including a change in their routine or even just feeding off of stress energy from you. In all cases the way to relieve anxiety is with exercise.
In either case, whether it be fear or anxiety, your reaction to the whining should be the same. You want to discourage the behavior as much as possible. Most people will react in one of two ways. Some will try to comfort the dog with kind words and affection. Some will yell at the dog to stop whining and quiet down(although probably not so nicely). These reactions are equally wrong. Yelling at your dog is just about always the worst way to teach him anything so that should be immediately ruled out. But how can comforting him when he's scared be wrong? By comforting you are actually giving validation to his fear. From his point of view you comforting him is your admission that he has a good reason to worry. This will actually result in his being more afraid or nervous and probably in more whining. You want to ignore the fact that he is whining. Just go about things like you normally would. It can also help to take him for a quick walk for some exercise or run an obedience drill to take his mind off of it.
There are many ways to give your pet its supplementation. By hiding it in food, you ensure that your dog still receives the benefits of its supplement. Protection Dogs
But what if your trying to get a dog used to new surroundings? I have an adult male pug and boston terrier mix with separation anxiety. How do i help him get over it?
There are many ways to give your pet its supplementation. By hiding it in food, you ensure that your dog still receives the benefits of its supplement.
Protection Dogs