My Dog Wont Stop Whining! What should I do?

Are you a dog owner that is upset because your cainine companion whines all the time? Are you scared that your adorable pup may be ill, or that something serious could be wrong? When your pup does whine, do you get mad at her for such irrational behavior?

If you answered YES to any of the above questions, the first thing to know is that you are not alone. Dogs that whine incessantly is one of the most common complaints of dog owners the world over!
The second thing to know is that getting upset or getting mad at your friend (however justified you feel in doing this) is unlikely to have a positive impact on the situation.

There is a possibility that if your pup whines a lot it might be sick or injured. But this is only a possibility! It may also mean that your dog is sad, depressed or scared. Just like humans, dogs also have feelings. You may want to do some investigation to find out the real reason for your dog's behavior before starting a course of medication or other extreme treatment.

Remember that dogs cannot talk. They can communicate their feelings only by barking or whining. That's the only communication methods they have available to them. When a dog whines, this means that your dog has a problem or needs something. First and foremost examine your dog thoroughly to check if there is any medical problem. A dog can indicate pain only by whining.

If there is no medical problem then you would need to take a step further in order to investigate why your dog whines so much. Another reason could be boredom. Dogs are very active and intelligent animals. A dog that is lazy might be a dog with a problem. Normally, a dog whines in order to indicate that it is getting bored and it needs some kind of stimulation. You must keep your dog busy for as long as a possible. Taking your dog to obedience training, or undertaking your own training with your dog, will help to keep its mind and body active and stem most issues.

Even a simple "Stay" command would be sufficient to keep your dogs mind out of boredom. This would make the dog feel that it is doing something important for its master. This simple trick might be sufficient to keep dog from whining in your home.

A few more reasons that may trigger dog whines are fear, bossy attitude of your dog or having a dog with a demanding nature. In such situations you must use efficient parenting skills to teach your dog good habits. Remember that a well trained dog should whine only when it is sick or in trouble. If your dog whines frequently then it will be difficult for you to know when they are truly in trouble, and this could lead to disaster.

Another common reason is that your dog is suffering from separation anxiety. This is a very common, but often misunderstood, clinical disorder that leads to dogs whining, crying and tearing your home apart when you are away.
If you think this may be a problem for you, I would encourage you to check out the dog separation anxiety diagnosis check list on this page>>

Dog Separation Anxiety- Capitalize On the Situation Before It Worsens!

Dog separation anxiety is the most common type of anxiety syndrome found in dogs; it usually occurs when the owner returns to work after a long break like a vacation, a maternity leave or even when children return to school. To be precise, dog separation anxiety occurs when the owner returns to work or comes back from work. As social animals, dogs are supposed to have a natural bond with their owners and thus are more prone to dog separation anxiety. One can say that dog anxiety syndrome is the fear of dog getting separated from his owner. A dog, when becomes overly bonded with his owner, starts behaving in a different manner that is by far not normal.

Dog separation anxiety is a cause of concern for the dogs who are suffering from this form of disorder. The dogs start behaving in different manner when he sense that his owner is coming back or leaving for work. Dogs suffering from these kinds of anxiety attacks start behaving in a different way than normal like crying, whining, barking and often spinning in circles in front of their owners. They cry, whine and bark at inappropriate times of the day, leaving their owner dazed and confused.

Dog separation anxiety is a dreadful situation of concern, as it can leave both the owner and the dog under a mental imbalance. One should find a way to treat it at the earliest; not doing so will unleash your dog to various health ailments including mental imbalances. The first step in treating dog separation anxiety is to see that whether or not your dog(s) are suffering from this ailment, this you can do by noting down the behavioral changes. You should first see whether or not your dog shows symptoms, some of the things to note are:

·         Does your dog(s) bark, cry and whine at inappropriate times or without any reason?

·         Does your dog (s) tend to tear off things and eat up your furniture when you are away?

·         Does your dog(s) spin in circles often sensing your departure?

If the answers to all the above questions are yes, then you desperately need some guide and remedies to help you and your dog. Some of the ways to get rid of dog separation anxiety are:

·         One of the efficient ways to overcome dog separation anxiety includes training viz. crate training and obedience training.

·         Owners can also try and put their dogs through plenty of exercises, work outs like walking, running, and frisbee and ball returning exercises, this will definitely tire the dog and a tired dog can easily accept separation.

·         Dog separation anxiety is caused because of low confidence in dogs, therefore a dog has to be given the lost confidence back. Owners can try and play those games with their dogs where their dog wins. This will make the dog obedient and also boosts up their confidence.

·         A usual break of few minutes alone will also help the dog being alone and thus helps a dog to overcome separation anxiety. Let the dog be alone everyday for a few minutes and slowly increase the time gap.