If only dogs could talk to us, it would save a whole lot of guesswork trying to figure out what is wrong with them when they start to whine. But, why do dog whine?
If a dog is part of your family, you have probably heard it whine on many different occasions. But do you even know why do dog whine? Unfortunately, dog whining can drive you crazy wondering what is disturbing your dog.
While we can’t translate your dog whining into human speak, we can explore the range of reasons why your dog might be whining so you can investigate. So, in our today’s article, you’ll learn and understand why your dog whines even when it seems like nothing is wrong with her.
Without a doubt, the best way you can make your dog stop whining is to get to the bottom of what the dog is trying to communicate to you. Below is a quick and simple guide with some of the most common reasons why dogs whine and how to stop it before the neighbours start to complain!
1. Fear or stress whine
If your dog is stressed or frightened may whine. Look for related signs such as lip licking, cowering, being clingy, yawning, and looking worried to be sure if it’s stress or fear whine. In this case, he might try to get away from or avoid the thing that’s causing him to be afraid.
Further, he may pace forth and back while his tail is tucked. Basically, when you notice that your dog is afraid, try and find out what is leading to his stress may, other dogs, noise, people, vacuum cleaners, etc. And help him be less afraid, and his whining will start decreasing.
To address this type of dog whining, ensure you take your dog far from that scary object or person. Avoid forcing him to get close to what frightens him. Work slowly without rushing things, it might take some time for your dog to know that what he fears is not as scary as he thinks. For more help, consider working with a reward-based trainer and work with a dog professional.
2. The excitement whine
This type of whine comes most probably when your god is inside your car when you grab her leash when approaching his park overall, whenever he gets excited. The two ways for managing this are training and management.
For training, you should teach your dog that such an approach, which makes it whine, is just similar to others that don’t make it whine. For management, someone may be forced to remove his dog right from the situation that’s making him whine. Overall, excitement is another reason why do dog whine.
3. The attention whine
In some cases, dogs will whine and whine as a way to seek attention. For example, she may whine at you to try to get you to hurry and feed her, she may whine so you’ll pet her, she may whine so you’ll pass her the ball, to get outside, because she wants water, to get back inside, etc. This type of whining be worsen if you reinforce it by responding to it.
To fix this, stand strong and don’t reward the whining. Don’t look or talk to him when he starts whining, seeking attention. If you give him attention once he starts whining, then he will keep doing it because it’s paying off. This is one of the most popular reasons why dogs whine.
4. The alert whine
Have you ever noticed that some dogs are just watchdogs naturally? When they see or hear something, they may feel compelled to tell their owner about it… And, sometimes, he may do it in the form of whining (or, worse, sometimes barking). To solve these, after just a handful of whines, call him and reward him with a good treat. With more practice, your dog will simply whine a few times and then come to you instead of fixating on the disturbance (and continuing to whine!).
5. Hurt dog
Pay attention to what your dog is trying to tell you. A dog can whine because he has an injury or sickness. Note if he is acting strangely, his breathing, his eating habits, etc. If you suspect something abnormal and the dog is whining due to pain or not feeling okay, consult your veterinarian immediately.
Final remarks on why dogs whine
There you have it… hopefully you now know why your dog whines, and what you can do about it. While whining seems to be annoying sometimes, it is a form of communication. This way, your favorite dog is trying to make you understand his or her feeling. And what you can do best for your dog is help him stop whining by solving the cause of whining.
