As it is with barking, so goes it for whining. Dogs don't have a huge verbal capacity, and the whine just happens to be one of the ways it can speak and convey what it needs to.
Still, whining can become a problem. If it does, there are things owners can do to lessen the issue and make living with the dog easier and more enjoyable.
In general, puppies and dogs whine to get attention. As young babies, puppies learn quickly that whining gets them attention from their mother. Watch any female dog with a litter of puppies. She'll run to them right away if one starts crying. As puppies age, they learn to employ this attention getter on humans, too. If humans over-respond to whining, their puppy is likely to grow up to be a whining dog.
Still, there are other reasons for dogs to whine beyond the attention getting. Sometimes dogs that normally don't whine will do so when they are nervous, excited or even frightened.
Lessening unwanted whining can be done, but the first thing a person needs to do is to learn to walk away from a whiner that happens to have developed the habit for attention. It is okay to respond when there is concern for the animal's well being or safety, but answering every whine programs the dog to expect a response.
Beyond re-conditioning the dog to understand whining won't garner attention, there are a few others things that can be done. These include making sure a dog has the attention and love it needs. Also, be certain to properly train the animal and be certain it's well fed, watered and exercised.
It is possible to train the whine - almost - out of a dog, too. Achieving this will require rewarding the dog for ending its whining stint on command. A clicker and command sequence is often used to achieve this lesson.
Dealing with a whining dog can be a real problem for some owners. Depending on the reason for the problem, it can be remedied. If dogs only whine when they are excited or scared, no training is likely necessary. If they have been programmed to expect attention, comfort and love following a whining bout, some work will need to be done.
Handling the whining issue needs to start with figuring out the reasons for the behavior. If the person is a part of the blame, learning to recondition themselves likely will be in order, as well. It can be hard to turn away from a whining dog, but it might be a necessary step if peace is ever desired in a home.
