How to Take Care of Your Whining Dog

There are many reasons why dogs whine. Sometimes they may be needy or fearful. It can also be a sign of boredom or loneliness.

Often the reason for all the noise in a dog's life is loneliness! You have loved and missed your dog so much that it is easy to slip into depression. Even if your dog is normally quiet, a dog that is seldom attended may react this way when he starts to get genuinely annoying. This is a psychological cry for help - which their human parents may actually be unwittingly responding to.

A lonely or neglected dog may start whining uncontrollably as a mechanism to cope with his isolation. Sometimes this is to get someone's attention. If the parents of the dog do not react in any way, this may continue until the dog is satisfied that his needs have been met. Somehow the dog is satisfied that he has achieved some kind ofighter voice friendship with his teenage owner.

If a dog whines because of mental disorientation, he may be reacting to stimuli in the environment he has never encountered. Dogs are sensitive to their environment. Whining is a dog's way of indicating that he is scared, confused or disturbed by a bump in the night.

A dog that is sick may be trying to tell his owner that he is in pain and needs medication.

A dog that needs to go out for a walk may be suffering from an overwhelming urge to explore his environment. He may want to look for a mate. It is possible that he may also be lonely. If the dog is trained to confine himself to a yard-lined area, he may not have been outside in a long time. If that is the case, he may be exhibiting behavioral problems such as digging a hole to China or exhibiting behavior that reminded him of his isolation.

An outdoor dog may also be trying to impress visitors with his praise-and- pleading body language.

You have to wonder why your dog is whimpering or howling in the first place. One possible cause is the dog's wish to gain the attention of his human friends, possibly to warn them that a pack member has stumbled into their territory. Another, and less desirable, explanation is that the dog wants to catch their attention by whimpering, since that is a highly effective form of communication.

If the dog's noise is accompanied by a tail wag and a body move that is an obeying signal, you may have a dominance issue on your hands. It could be that you have allowed your dog to walk all over you, which is partially to blame for his bad behavior. Whatever the cause, it is time to re-establish yourself as the pack leader.

Make sure you are the first one to greet and pet the dog. Do not let the dog lead the way. Do not respond to his clamor for attention. Hold your ground and call him to you for a pat and a cuddle. Then go ahead and ignore him for a little while. This will show him who is the dominant force in the relationship. It is extremely important to ignore bad behavior and reward good behavior. Hence, his milling around for attention will be positively reinforced.

If you have guests, make sure they are well aware of the rules for the dog in the household. Again, it is all about reinforcing the pack leader and making him one of the most well-behaved dogs in the house.

If you want to sound like a pack leader, you will have to spend more time in making the dog walk delicately on a leash beside you. His pulling, and although short lived at first, will be encouraged by your lack of response. Eventually his discomfort will give way to satisfaction as long as he believes that you are leading the way.

Just remember that a little bit of patience and freedom on your part will lead to a wonderful and rewarding relationship with your dog.