6 month old whimpering for no apparent reason

[sonomagirl]

(I'm not sure if this is posted in the correct forum.)

My 6 month old female has been whimpering for no apparent reason. She doesn't seem to be hurt in any way. Any ideas?

Could teething be making her uncomfortable and making her a little whiney?

 

[boxer]

She should be pretty much finished with teething by now, but it's possible that it's still going.

I would be very surprised if that's the cause though. Dogs don't normally whimper in pain - they whine/whimper when they want something. It is an attention-getting gesture. And since your girl is just entering her adolescent stage, I'm even more inclined to think that's the cause.

How do you react when she whimpers? If you suspected pain, then I'd be willing to bet that you've given her attention for it (that's not a criticism, btw). But she'll have learned straight away that whining gets her attention

If you really think some sort of pain could be the cause, then you should have her checked out by a vet. But if there's nothing wrong, or the idea that something could be causing her pain was just that you couldn't see another possible reason, then I'd assume the cause to be attention-seeking and put an end to it.

I'd suggest that you ignore it (and her) completely when she does that. Even get up and leave the room. Since that isn't what she wants to achieve, she will learn that whining doesn't actually work at all and give it up. Not instantly, of course, because it's been successful so far and it will take time to convince her that the technique no longer works. But unless you want to have a permanently whiny dog, I'd suggest you nip it in the bud now.

 

[Lots]

Sindee, 7 months, does the same thing. I do not think she is in pain it is usually when she wants something. She is not allowed in the hallway to the bathroom so when the kids go to the restroom she will sit at the door and whine and whimper until they come back. I think it is to get attention. I figure it is just her way of saying, "hey I am bored somebody come back and play with me."
Tricia

 

[jenchrismeko]

Meko is 9 months old and still does this sometimes. Most times it's because he either has to go potty OR just wants to go for walk to be nosey. He can come in from potty and a long walk and want to go right back outside. So, he'll walk around crying until we either tackle him and play or give him some treats to distract him. Sounds like your baby is probably just bored and can't think of what to do. Much like human children....

 

[apollosdad]

as posted above, whimpering is used to get attention. at times it's used to draw attention when there is some sort of problem, such as the dog being injured and in pain.
however, if given attention, a dog can quickly learn that if it whimpers it will get attention. in a sense it can be a version of "crying wolf."
i would take your dog to the vet in order to rule out that it was a medical problem. if it doesn't turn out to be medically related, then i would ignore when she wimpers and give her affection and attention when she's quiet.

 

[TysonB]

get used to it. my 2 yr old still whimpers like a baby

 

[Tyseroni]

Wimpering

My 2 year old wimpers day and night just to get attention. I'm trying to deal with it but it's harder for my husband. It drives him crazy! I don't know if we can get through this. I have more patience at it but by the end of the day it even gets to me. Anyway, I'm open for suggestions to help, but my husband is considering selling our dog. We purchased him 5 months ago and I think a lot of his bad habits were learned with the other owner who abused him. It's hard to get past that. Just sent off for the Sit/Stay book. Thanks for any help I can get. Tyseroni's mom

 

[BeckyNC]

My 2 1/2 year old whimpers on a daily basis. She started when she was about 14-15 mos old. She does it when she's excited or frustrated or seeking attention. Most of the time, though, it's out of excitement.