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Ask the Trainer: Why Is My Dog Always Whining?

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Whining

Dear Kevin,
Poppy just over 2 years old. She’s a whiner. We’ve tried ignoring her and that didn’t stop it. I don’t know what to do to make her stop. It’s driving us crazy.
-June

Hi June,

Whining can definitely get annoying. Sometimes ignoring can work, but if the dog really wants something then it probably won’t work for long. The best advice I can give is to make sure all the dog’s needs are met. Water, food, physical and mental exercise, and interaction with the human.

Most dogs live pretty boring lives. Especially this time of year depending upon where you live. Being cooped up in a house all day can be pretty darn boring. (I’m not saying this is definitely the case for Poppy.)

If Poppy gets everything she needs then the whining in theory should go away on its own. Things to think about are how much exercise is she getting, and how much interaction is she getting from the humans?

Every dog is different but 1-2 hours of physical exercise is a good base to start off with daily. This can come in different forms like walks, hikes, fetch, tug, etc. From there I would start to add in a few 10 minute training sessions a day. This can include teaching tricks, basic obedience, or giving interactive toys that makes the dog figure out what to do to get the good things.

As I mentioned above, by meeting all her needs this whining should start to go away. If you do meet all her needs and it doesn’t go away I would contact her Veterinarian and get her checked out to make sure there isn’t something wrong with her medically.

Thanks for your question!

Kevin Duggan CPDT-KA

Kevin is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT.org)  and is a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator through the American Kennel Club. He currently resides in Ohio with his dog, V, a six-year-old Shepherd/Lab mix, where he operates All Dogs Go To Kevin, LLC, specializing in helping build positive relationships between humans and their canine companions using clear communication, not pain and fear. For more training tips and tricks, and to meet his amazing dog, V,  follow him on Facebook by clicking here.

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4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Avatar Of Darlene

    Darlene

    says:

    I have 2 Pomeranians one is the long haired breed and mo matter how many times you take him out he still tries to pee in the living room on one of the legs of the couch or one if the legs of the foot stool. What can I do to stop this or is there something I can spray on there to stop him from doing this.

  2. Avatar Of Robert

    Robert

    says:

    Our 3 year old rottie mix whines about EVERYTHING! He wants treats constantly, he whines when one of his toys goes under the furniture. He whines when he wants outside and he whines when he wants my wife’s attention. He uses it to get his way. We can’t ignore him because he will not stop until he gets his way. He gets plenty of attention, has a lot of play time etc.

  3. Avatar Of Nancy Dodson

    nancy dodson

    says:

    I have two female Yorkshire terriers that are suppose to be sisters. the problem I have is the littlest one will try to take the other one’s head off if they are out together. what can I do to stop this behaviour.

  4. Avatar Of Vivian Denton

    Vivian Denton

    says:

    But my dog whines while in the crate at night….will not stop. She used to do fine in this situation. What is going on?

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