This has nothing to do with alcohol, OK?  When dogs whine they’re not exactly drunk but you can say they’re in an emotional fix. And they’re doing this because they want to get a message across—to you or to other dogs. Like humans shedding tears, there are two sides to whining.

Common causes of dog whining

Being the sensitive creatures that they are dogs are subject to the smallest signs of annoyance. And it’s not anything that makes them feel good. Some of these are:

Dog Whine Why Does My Dog Whine

1. Sadness. Puppies are prone to grow sad in the absence of older dogs in its family, especially the absence of the mama dog. Dogs whine as a sign of distress. It’s a call that says they feel left alone and in pain.

2. Hunger. Your dog whines because it may be past its meal time.  You need to understand that more than the food, your dog wants you to be there while you feed it. It gets this warm and safe feeling if you’re there by its side. Look how it yaps and licks at you and its food.  This time the whine your dog makes doesn’t sound pained but certainly cheerful. It’s telling you it feels good and blessed.

3. Asking for something. Like a child, your dog whines to ask for something from you. If you’ve been giving in to your dog and suddenly bump his whims off, he’s not going to take it lightly. He’s gong to whine to make you feel it feels bad about the rejection. And the longer it gets the more annoying it becomes. At this point your dog wants to control you.

4. Seeking attention. Notice how your dog suddenly shifts his mood after you play with it for a while. It wants to play with you some more. And it thinks that’s what you’ll do for the rest of the day.  But you know you can’t oblige all the time. So your dog starts to whine for your attention. And every time you come near it assumes the play stance and yaps.

5. When they want to poop. Toilet-trained dogs whine when they feel like pooping but can’t because they’re not in the right place. In many cases before your dog whines, it goes around in circles and swipes at your leg to call your attention to how it feels.

How to stop your dog from whining

If it’s a minor whining that’s not rooted in deep physical and psychological pain, you can do these:

1. Understand the tone of whining. You are the most reliable reader of your dog’s feelings. After having lived with it for sometime, you’re in the best position to interpret what it wants and why. You know that there are many layers to a whine, depending on the cause. So listen and get clued in.

2. Play hard to get and deny his advances. When your pet dog’s whining is meant to manipulate you, don’t give in, but don’t reject it outright either. You have to meet halfway. If he persists to put you under his control, deny his advances and teach him a lesson—turn a deaf ear.

3. Teach him hand and body gestures to set limits.  Teach your dog a few hand gestures that mean enough is enough. Reward his good actions and set limits to his whims.

Unless your dog’s whining borders on the pathological, you don’t need to see a vet yet. Be on guard for unusually long whining. The fur and fangs have nothing to do with it—unless it’s a horror movie.

Categories: Animals

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