Whining is instinctive for puppies when they are hungry, tired or cold. Mother dogs provide a safe place to sleep, warmth and milk to their puppies when they whine.
Eventually, puppies connect the two actions and begin to whine deliberately. This tells the mother that her puppy wants something or there is a problem.
Puppies should be adopted between 8-10 weeks of age. This is when puppies learn that whining doesn’t have any affect with their new family; or they may use whining to compel their new mom (you!) into giving them what they want.
It is for this reason that the general opinion is that a new puppy should be left alone on his first night in your home. If you respond to puppy whining with warmth, petting, cuddling, your dog is sure to think that whining will get him what he wants.
For a fantastic course to stop your pup from whining, I recommend that you check out: Puppy Whining.
Of course, this will require good judgment and common sense on your part. A nervous puppy will need affection, reassurance and attention. It is important that you act quickly so he doesn’t think that the desired result was achieved through his puppy whining. Your puppy should not get used to whining whenever he wants something.
To accustom your puppy to being left on his own, you should leave him alone even when you are in the house. This will help to prevent separation anxiety when you leave the home. Once you know that all your puppy’s physical needs have been met and you have taken the time to accustom him to isolation, then you must teach him that whining is unacceptable.
Of course, puppies that are very upset, crying, and whining should not be heartlessly ignored. You should show him some love and help him to relax once the whining has stopped. Some puppies whine for an extended period of time so it is not always feasible to wait until they have stopped whining.
If this is the situation, you don’t have to let your puppy’s suffering drag on - open the door of the crate as soon as he stops whining, even if it’s just for a matter of seconds. This is less than ideal but is probably the best you’ll be able to do under the circumstances.
By 6 months of age, most dogs will have outgrown puppy whining. If the whining continues after this period, the puppy is doing it by nature, or has discovered that this gets him what he wants.
For more information on how to handle puppy whining, visit Stop Dog Whining.
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