Quieting Your Whining Dog

The best approach to whining is a pro-active approach. A healthy dog that has plenty of toys, plenty of attention, and plenty of exercise, fresh water and food will probably never bother you with whining. A well-cared for dog is confident and content. Take good care of your dog, and he will have nothing to whine about.

If your well-trained, well-cared for dog does whine, check to see why. Check for physical reasons first. Once you have ruled that out, be sure his food and water dishes are full and his favorite toy hasn't rolled under the refrigerator and there isn't a raccoon under the house (or some such thing). Check to see if he needs to go out. Is it almost time for a walk? If you can find nothing wrong and the problem continues, you may want to take your dog to the vet for a check-up.

Always be absolutely certain your dog does not have a valid reason for whining before taking a behavioral approach. If he is in pain or something is truly amiss, no amount of behavior management will stop his whining. You don't want to make your dog suffer because you misunderstand him.

Of course, the first thing you will do if your dog is whining is tell him to stop it. Tell him, "No! Hush!" in a firm tone of voice. If there seems to be no reason for the whining and it continues, you will want to use a technique called "extinction" to deal with it. With extinction, you simply go about your business and ignore the whining.

If your dog is following you anxiously or exhibiting other signs of anxiety, there may be something going on that you don't or can't know about. For example, my dog exhibits this behavior when a storm is approaching or when certain riding mowers are being used in the neighborhood. In this case, a dose of kava-kava and some down-time in her crate help her to get past it.

When your dog is quiet, be sure to give him positive attention and praise. He will soon learn that whining will get him nowhere and quiet behavior will get him what he wants.

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