You’re at the dinner table having a family meal. You’re 5 mouthfuls in and an argument hasn’t erupted yet so the meal is already off to a surprisingly good start. But when you get up to fetch a glass of water you notice a pool of liquid trailing across your kitchen floor. Your poor dog has wet himself. You sigh and clear it up, but you just wish he’d let you know when his weak bladder needed the loo. The older he’s got the more unpredictable his toilet habits have been. What you really need is for him to be able to signal to you at these crucial moments.
Training him to whine can come in handy in a variety of situations. From letting you know when he needs the toilet, to telling you he wants to leave the room. Not to mention it makes for an entertaining party trick.
Training your dog to whine is surprisingly straightforward. The hardest part is initially conveying to him what you want him to do. Once he makes the connection though, you just need to use tasty treats to reinforce the behavior. If your dog is a puppy and a quick learner he could be whining on command in just a few days. If he’s older and not quite as receptive as he once was then you may need 10 days to get consistent results.
Training him to whine on command makes for a neat party trick that is guaranteed to see him featuring in Snapchat stories all over the state. Especially if you’ve got a baby crying on the left and your big strong German shepherd whining on the right. Once he knows how to whine he may also use it to get your attention in a whole range of other useful situations.
Before your work can begin you’ll need to make sure you have a few things. The most important component will be food. Break his favorite food into small pieces, or stock up on some doggie treats.
You’ll also need a quiet room to practice in where you won’t be distracted by noisy children tearing through the house. For swift results, set aside 10 minutes a day for the next week or so.
The only other things you need are patience and an optimistic attitude. With all of that, you’re ready to get to work!