Puppy whining comes very naturally to puppies when they are hungry, cold or tired. The mother dog will react to puppy whining by providing warmth, milk, and a secure sleeping place.
Eventually, puppies connect the two actions and begin to whine deliberately. This lets the puppy’s mother know that something is wrong or he needs something.
Puppy adoption should occur between eight and ten weeks of age. It’s at this time that puppies learn that their whining doesn’t have any impact with their new family; or they may use whining to compel their new mom (you!) into giving them what they need.
Therefore, it is commonly believed that a new puppy should be left on his own for the first night is his new home. If you react to your puppy’ s whining with kindness, cooing, hugging, your dog is certain to believe that whining will get him what he needs.
For a fantastic guide to stop your pup from whining, I suggest that you check out: Puppy Whining.
Of course, this will require good judgment and common sense on your part. A scared puppy will require affection, reassurance and attention. The secret is to respond quickly so he doesn’t think that puppy whining is what got the desired result. Your pup must not be conditioned to whine every time he wants something.
You should teach your puppy to be comfortable with isolation and privacy by leaving him alone even when you are at home. This will help to stop separation anxiety in your puppy when you leave him alone. 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 he must be taught that whining is not acceptable.
This does not mean that a puppy that is highly distressed, whining, and crying should be cruelly 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.
In this instance, you don’t need to extend your puppy’s anguish – as soon as he stops whining for even a few moments, you should open the crate door. This is certainly not ideal but, under the circumstances, it’s probably the best you’ll be able to do.
Most dogs have grown out of puppy whining by the time they are six months old. 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.