How to Train Your Dog to Stop Whimpering

Whimpering and whining can be a problem behavior in dogs. Not only is it annoying, it can be maddening when it becomes an incessant behavior. 

Many canines go through a whining stage right around the time they start growing in their adult teeth, around 4 months. If their human companions encourage the behavior by inadvertently rewarding it, it can become a habit that will be tough to break. 

In the worst cases, dogs that whimper persistently are sometimes rehomed out of frustration. This is terribly unfortunate since problem whining is relatively easy to address with a little know-how, patience, and persistence. 

This guide will show you three methods that you can use to curb problem whimpering and restore your relationship with your Good Dog. 

Before you start any training program to curb whining, make sure that you have ruled out any legitimate reasons for whimpering such as:

• Pain from illness or injury
• A need to go outside to potty
• An empty water bowl
• A fear or phobia from a specific trigger

In the case of pain, sometimes it can take a vet to identify problems that you might not be able to assess from plain sight. If there is any chance that your dog could be whimpering out of pain, seek a vet’s help to identify the problem. 

In most cases, whimpering is for one of the following less urgent reasons:

• Attention seeking – in other words, “Play with me!”
• General anxiety – that is, not in response to a phobia trigger.
• Excitement – such as, during a greeting.

Chances are, you or family members have been rewarding whimpering by giving the dog exactly what he wants – usually attention. In other words, you may have accidently trained your dog to whine! 

Before you start working on reducing problem whimpering behavior, start by making some observations which can help you assess the reasons your dog is whining, as well as give you some tools to make the most of your training program. 

• Are there specific times when your dog seems to whimper?
• Is there a chance that your dog is in pain or has a legitimate need to get your attention?
• Are you or other members of your family rewarding whimpering behavior with pets, lap time, entertainment or praise?
• If so, what specifically is motivating your dog to continue whining? 

When you know what is motivating your dog to whine, you will know the exact kinds of rewards that will work to make him stop whining! 

The three methods suggested in this guide are meant to be used together, continuously. Training your dog not to whine is about responding to his whimpering with new strategies. Expect your training program to take 2-6 weeks depending on how long you have been rewarding problem whining.