How to Stop Your Dog From Whining

Have you noticed that your dog has been whining frequently? While your dog may not be able to speak, it has ways of communicating with you as its owner, including whining. However, your dog may be whining for many reasons.

Your dog’s whining can be quite disturbing and annoying, so most owners want to correct or address the issue. Let’s admit it, your dog whining can certainly drain your patience. But why do dogs whine? How do you stop your dog from whining?

Why Is Your Dog Whining?

Your dog may be whining for many reasons. Here are some of the most common reasons that your dog might be whining and ways to stop it or address it.

They Want Attention

Your dog may start to whine when it wants you to hurry up to feed it, give it water, pet it, or do something else. Or your dog may keep on whining because it wants to get out of its crate. This type of whining will tend to get worse when you, as the pet parent, keep on reinforcing it.

In order to stop this behavior from happening, it is important not to give in when your dog is whining. What you should do is not to reward your dog by doing what it wants. First, don’t make eye contact with your pet when it whines; then ignore it until it becomes quiet. Once your pet is quiet, you can proceed to give it its food or open its crate door. If you keep doing this, the whining should begin to lessen until it stops completely.

They Feel Scared or Stressed

When dogs feel stressed or scared, they may begin to whine. To check if your pet is whining because of fear, look for signs of yawning, trembling, cowering, or being clingy. Your pet should look worried. Your dog may try its best to get away from what is causing its fear.

If you think that your dog is whining because of fear, then it isn’t the best idea to yell at your dog because of it. You have to find out what is causing your dog to feel stressed or scared. Help your dog address its fear. You can either eliminate the source of fear or try to train your dog into getting rid of their anxiety. You can use treats as rewards for good behavior.

Your Dog May Be Hurt

If your dog isn’t feeling well, it might begin to whine. If your dog is whining, which is also accompanied by acting strange or looking sick, then your dog may be experiencing pain. If this is the case, then it is important to take your pet to the veterinarian.

Some Additional Tips on How to Stop Your Pet from Whining

• Pay close attention to the way your dog whines. This way, you will be able to determine the various reasons for the behavior.
• Make sure to approach your dog carefully when you suspect it to be whining because of stress or pain.
• Assess the situation before giving your dog what it wants.
• Do not encourage whining. You can do this by responding selectively. If you feel that there is no reason for you to obey your pet’s wishes, then the best option is to ignore the whining.