Dogs communicate in many ways including barking, howling, growling and whining. When a dog whines, it normally draws our attention immediately because we interpret it as some sort of a distress call. It sounds so pitiful, right?

Dogs, being smart creatures, have figured this out. And some dogs, especially those with dotting owners, have taken their whining skills to an art form.

The Reason Your Dog May Be Whining

A dog will whine if it is scared, anxious, or in pain. Some dogs have even learned how to mimic being anxious or afraid to get attention. However, dogs do not mimic being hurt, so if your dog whines in pain, take it seriously.

The other causes of whining are fairly easy to treat. All it takes is a few, easy to implement, steps.How to End the Whining

Let’s start with anxiety whining. This problem often starts when the dog picks up on clues in your routine, for example, putting on your coat to leave the house.

This then becomes the trigger that sets off your dog’s whining. In order to address this you’ll need to break the connection between your actions, and the dog’s reaction. There are a number of ways to do this.

You could quite simply change your routine. Or you could go through your “pre-leaving” routine and then not leave. Alternatively, you could leave and then return after standing outside for a few seconds.

These methods are all aimed at breaking the connection between the routines your dog sees, and what it leads him to expect, i.e. being left alone. It may sound a bit strange, but the fact is, it works.

Another cause for whining is fear. For example a dog left alone in an empty house may become fearful and anxious. The solution here is simply to cut down his space.

Confine the dog to a single room or, better yet, to a dog crate, and you eliminate the fear and, by extension, the whining.

Be aware that it will take a bit of time to accustom your dog to the crate, but it is relatively easy because the crate simulates a den environment. Once the dog is used to the crate he no longer feels the need to patrol his larger “territory” (the house). It is an effective way of addressing both fear and anxiety in your dog.

How to Address “Attention” Whining

Dogs are arch manipulators and usually have a bag of tricks that they use to get what they want. For example, small dogs love doing the “sit up and beg trick”, because they know it is cute and gets them attention.Likewise, if your dog works out that he just has to whine for you to come running, guess what? He’ll be doing a lot of whining, and you’ll be doing a lot of running!

As you get to know your dog you’ll soon learn all his little tricks and quirks. Turn a deaf ear to attention seeking whining and your dog will soon get the message.

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