How To Stop A Whining Dog

Note: this is page 2 of our tips on stopping a whining dog – page 1 is here: How to stop whining dogs

As discussed on page 1, dogs will whine for a variety of reasons from excitement to anxiousness, or maybe to let us know that they are injured.

If your whining dog displays this behaviour when he is anxious or frightened, try and work out what it is that is causing his distress. Maybe it is a cat in the garden, an unfamiliar noise around your house or maybe it’s the vacuum cleaner that sets him off. 

Either way, the key is to desensitize him by getting him into a calm and obedient state, then exposing him to the stimulus (i.e. cat, noise, vacuum cleaner etc) for a very short period to begin with.

If he stays calm and does not begin to whine, then reward him with lots of praise and a food treat for this behaviour.

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Gradually increase the length of time of the exposure, remembering that we are looking for a positive outcome each time for the dog, so each time he lasts a few seconds longer without whining, give him more praise and a food treat.

If he starts to whine however, do not give him any reward at all, stop the re-training for a few minutes and do something else. This will encourage your dog to try and work out which of his previous behaviours got him the reward.

You should soon find that he works out how to get the treat, and you can then start to work on lengthening the period of time he is around the stimulus of his previous anxiety.

Be consistent – never reward your whining dog with food or attention for repeating his undesirable behaviour, but always reward when he displays the desired behaviour.

It will not always require food to achieve the desired outcome – eventually he will be happy just to get your praise. But initially, food certainly will help to focus his mind.

Another approach to dealing with a whining dog is to make sure that they are fully exercised. A dog who has got rid of his excess energy through exercise is far more likely to relax and be calm.

Also, ensure that your dog gets adequate mental stimulation. This may be by letting him have a good long sniff around the dog park, or maybe by giving him a food treat puzzle to solve. A’ Kong’ dog toy stuffed with dry dog food for example, and then sealed at the top with some cheese, can keep your dogs mind busy for hours as he tries to work out how to get at the food inside.

This also has the dual effect of keeping his attention away from the things which make him anxious in the first place.

A whining dog may be feeling abandoned by his pack - i.e. you and the family. It may be possible to simply invite him to come in closer to you, but if this is not possible, you will need to re-train him to stay at distance quietly until you give him permission to return to the pack.  Use the technique described above to gradually increase the length of time that he will happily sit away from the pack.

If your dog is whining because he is insecure in his environment – locked in the yard, for example – consider getting a kennel for him so that he can feel like he has a safe area of his own to retreat to.

Finally, never forget that a whining dog may be trying to let you know that he is injured. Get to know what the full range of your dogs different whining sounds mean – each will be conveying a different message.

Remember that an injured dog will growl or bite if he feels threatened by an approach, so always do this with extreme caution. Never let a child approach a dog who you suspect may be injured, and consult a veterinary expert immediately.

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