Whining

[lovemygracie]

Our new family member, Gus, is wonderful. He's so affectionate and smart and he is a perfect playmate for Gracie. He has one bad habit that is driving me nuts though--whining. He seems to whine when he wants something or when he is bored or sometimes for no reason that I can think of. I did a search and came up with a few threads that said to ignore it. I have been doing that, but I have to ask--is that really the way to go? Has anyone had any success with anything else?
He is a pretty independent puppy (seven months) and he seems to enjoy just the whining itself, even when it doesn't get him what he wants.
Whining really gets on my nerves--if I could convince him not to do it somehow, I would be able to enjoy him so much more.

 

[dharmadoodle]

My friend had a dog like that, & he drove her insane. She always gave into him in the end, so he never stopped.

How long have you been trying the ignoring so far?

 

[harlie'smom]

My girl does this all the time and its so very annoying. All i do is ignore her and soon enough she's stopped and is laying down. Really i think the only was is to conitinue to ignore. Give it time, it will work.

 

[lovemygracie]

It hasn't been very long--he has only been with us for a week and a half. I'll keep at it. I definitely never give in to it. Sounds like it is going to be a long process--I do wish there was another way!

 

[Simmons99]

Chloe will whine when we put her in her crate - sometimes. Everyone in the house knows not to even look at her. It can be really loud - I feel your pain - BUT she stops now after like 30 seconds and only whines about once a week. It used to be in the middle of the night or she would whine and bark at us from inside the crate - or when we are eating dinner. So it does get better!

He is testing you - sooner or later he will get it. Try to leave the room - so you aren't as annoyed.

 

[symr00]

Good luck! Our puppy (14 weeks, we've had her for about 3-4weeks) does the same thing. She whines for no reason - even when she is playing and having fun. The worst is first thing in the morning when I am still in bed and she wants to go play. I ignore her and wait for her to stop before playing with her, but it can over 30 minutes for her to quit! I am hoping she catches on soon!

 

[Ranvan]

I have a different spin on this.

When we got Emma, she was nine months. For quite a few weeks after, she would whine for no apparent reason. I would check to see if she needed to go out, check her food and water, pet her, etc. Now that I look back, I realize that she was just confused as to what her "schedule" or routine was. She needed to learn what was expected of her. And most importantly, she was in a strange place with strangers. We tend to forget that this is a new and confusing experience...what do my owners want me to do? What is going to happen next? For me, it was hard to hear, because I couldn't seem to fix her problem.

It has happened once again this week. That is why I am quite sure that is what it was. Emma's routine for the past three months has been pretty much the same. The kids were home with her and things were done pretty much the same every day....except our vacation. Now the kids are going back to school. Suddenly in the morning, they disappear out the door and leave her with my wife. The house is much quieter. Now Emma seems to wonder...what is going on? Are they coming back? This is my interpetation, but she whined at different times while looking out the window or going between rooms, she seemed unsettled, and she didn't eat her food until this evening at five o'clock when the kids were home and things settled down. For the past few days, she has had an upset stomach, some diarrhea, and has eaten less.

So, I say to give it some time. My guess that this is part of the adjustment period. I am going to suggest that you don't ignore him completely but don't go overboard either. Try to stick to a schedule and have things happening at the same time every day. Once he realizes what his routine and job is, I am willing to guess that he will settle down.

 

[lovemygracie]

Ranvan, I was thinking about your post over the long weekend--I think there is definitely something to your ideas about the whining for no apparent reason. It could be that Gus is just wondering where we are, what we are doing, what's going to happen next. For the last couple of months, he has been in a foster home where I think his only outings were walks around the block. His new home with us is quite different--we do a lot of hiking and climbing during weeknights and traveling on the weekends--probably his life before wasn't as active and full of different places and activities. He's made a lot of new friends in his couple of weeks with us, both with humans and other dogs (everybody loves him!). He seems to like the activities and meeting new people and dogs, but maybe it all is a little unsettling.

Thanks for reminding me how drastically the little guy's life has changed and that we should be patient during the adjustment period!

 

[JAKEY]

Whinning boxers...

It seems as though our boxers wish they could speak (they are such expressive dogs) and that is why they whine so much. I have a 5 yr. old fawn and she whines all the time, I always respond by asking her what she wants and I feel so bad that she can't respond and that I can't fulfill her request (her expression is priceless). HOWEVER, it seems as though they have a need and Sammy (our girl) typically wants to go outside for a walk or play with her frisbee so I have to just accept it and fulfill her request and she is over it, even if it is quick attention. This may cause your boxer to continue whinning but its part of being a parent. This is a great sign of a healthy boxer with lots of energy in my opinion and great communication skills.

 

[SorcasMa]

I believe they whine for communication and for routines. Our 8 year old, Micah, whines if its 8:30 pm, and you have forgotten his snack (routine), or if you have ignored him and have not spoken to, or looked in his eyes, to let him know that you know he is in the room. Ignore him for a while (no eye contact) and he will whine to remind you that he's there! :rolleyes: