Training Your Puppy Not to Whine

Why Puppies Whine

Puppies are baby animals, so a certain amount of whining should be expected. Puppies will whine if they are uncomfortable, in pain, lonely, suffering from separation anxiety, hungry, have to use the bathroom, have too much energy or simply want attention. As the owner, you have to play "mommy." Make sure your puppy has enough to eat and drink, and gets to go to the bathroom. Play with it to make it feel loved and burn off some of that restless energy. Most importantly, look for lethargy, decreased appetite and other signs of illness and take it to the vet when it is sick.

The Problem with Whining

The fact that puppies are naturally adept at using whining as a way to communicate is both a good thing and a bad thing. It is good for a puppy to be able to voice its displeasure. If it receives too much positive reinforcement, however, it will learn that whining is a valid way to get attention. It will begin to develop a whining habit, which will be hard to break.

How to Stop Whining

The most important thing is to show your puppy that it can't get attention by whining. When your puppy starts to whine, do not play with it, talk to it or even look at it until it stops whining. Once the dog has been quiet for a minute, you can go over and say hi. For most puppies, this works. For some really whiny ones, however, stronger medicine is required. You can sternly say, "stop whining," and walk out of the room when the puppy whines. Some people also spray the puppy with water from a squirt gun along with the command to stop whining. Generally, however, that isn't necessary. Once the puppy realizes that whining only makes you mad, it will stop.