So you've got a whinging, whiny little puppy or older dog - it's got to be
one of the most annoying and frustrating sounds of all doesn't it? Firstly I should say that this whining is a
perfectly natural behavior for a young puppy - it is how they get attention from their mother from a very early age. It's when the
whining or crying drags on and on and becomes a long term persistent habit that it becomes a problem for us dog lovers. The best solution to this whining, screaming or whinging behavior is to
tackle it immediately, ideally before it establishes itself as an ingrained habit - try to nip it in the bud as they say. Always be fair, understanding and reasonable with a young puppy. Never forget that your puppy is a sociable little creature who hates to be left isolated and alone.
There are many measures you can put into place right now to help quieten your whiny little beast down. Put these ingredients in place and you will
eliminate many of the reasons why your puppy may be whining.
Provide a dry, warm, safe and comfortable area for your dog.
Ensure that your dog is well fed and has access to clean, fresh water. If your dog whines in one particular area you may want to feed him/her in this area. This will provide your dog with a nice positive association to the area where he is normally unsettled.
If necessary take your dog out to the toilet every few hours.
One or two tasty dog chew toys may help reduce whining in some situations - a stuffed kong toy is a favorite with my dogs.
"Never Reward And Therefore Reinforce Undesirable Behavior - Always Reward Desirable Quiet Time"
If you feel everything is ok with your puppy and he/she continues whinging and whining then ignoring the behavior is the best solution. I understand that this is not easy but it is worth the effort - short term pain for long term gain. Each time you respond in any way to your dog's whining you are in fact rewarding the very behavior you are trying to eradicate.
If you have a persistent whiner only ever go to him/her when all is quiet. Repeat the following training program over and over until your dog "gets it". If you can hear your dog whining in the other room go to the door and say "enough!!" and quickly slam the door shut. When the whining stops (even for 5 seconds) you can go into the room full of praise and give your dog a tasty treat.
Now that should help your puppies or puppy to stop whining at night or day.
I like your blog because you are talking about puupies. I am a dog lover I had a little puddle/shiatsu. He was liitle and white. But then you should show a video about how you do it. So if they have a dog like they will now what to do and how to do it write. I liked that part when you said Never Reward And Therefore Reinforce Undesirable Behavior - Always Reward Desirable Quiet Time". I think that every body will go to it and find it quit nice.
ReplyDeleteThis post is very helpful because I got dogs of my own. They whine all the time so I think I will use some of your tips the next time they whine. Instead of ingoring them like i normally do. I think you put to much information down but it was a great post.
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