Behavior Tip of the Month

By Carole Beck Schatz

Whine Not!

QUESTION

My puppy whines whenever he wants something. How can I make him stop?

ANSWER

“I want what I want and I want it right now!”

Does this describe some toddlers you’ve met? Well, it also describes some puppies and dogs. Because they haven't learned the skill of patience and delayed gratification, they whine to get what they want. “Feed me now! Pay attention to me! Open that car door and let me out”! Non-stop whining is a “pain in the ear”.

My favorite method for stopping this auditory assault is by simply ignoring the dog and not giving him what he wants until he's quiet. This is harder than it sounds.

For example, my last puppy, Teddy, continuously whined to get in and out of the car. It was time to teach him silence and patience.

Here are the steps I followed:

  1. Buy a book or magazine that you really want to read.
  2. Go to your pup’s whining location. In my case, it was the garage. Take your dog and your magazine.
  3. If your K9 whines, don’t say a word. Turn your back on him and read. Keep reading till he takes a breath. Silence for a nano second!
  4. Instantly reward his silence by starting to turn around.
  5. He will probably start whining again. Immediately turn your back on him and read. Don't stay say a word. This is TUF-LUV doggie style. The first time it took 20 minutes to achieve blessed quiet. Be prepared to spend time. Silence is worth the effort.
  6. The next time, he will likely whine even longer. He’s having a tantrum since he’s not getting what he wants. Don’t follow his orders. Take your book, turn around and read. Repeat steps 5 and 6. Keep this up until he's finally quiet.
  7. Continue to do this inside the house. If he whines for dinner, turn around and read. Repeat steps 5 and 6. If you yell, “BE QUIET” or even look in his direction, you're giving him the attention he wants. He’s rewarded for whining. My mantra is, “be more stubborn and patient than your dog”!
  8. Finally, when he's quiet, give him a love fest of rewards. Pet, praise, throw him a ball, toy or treat. Play his favorite game. Make him feel he's won the lottery. You both deserve it!

Can we teach silence? WHINE NOT!

Carole

Carole Schatz, CPDT Certified Pet Dog Trainer
Best Friend Behavior Counseling and Training
San Diego, Ca.
619-460-6888
www.sancarlosvet.com and click on "Behavior Tips"

"Positively teaching pets and their people since 1977"

Do you have a question for Carole? You can reach her at the email address listed on her resume. Perhaps she will use it in an upcoming article on this Web site.