It is a joy to have a puppy in the house. However, it involves a lot of work for the pet owner. You need to take care of it, provide the proper nutrition, house train your pup, and help it adjust to its new house.
Most of the time, putting your puppy in a crate makes it whine or cry. If you are having a hard time controlling your puppy’s whining, here is a guide on how to get a puppy to stop whining. But before we provide you the steps, it is best to know first the reasons why puppies whine.
Tips on How to Get a Puppy Stop Whining
Here are tips that will help you deal with your pup’s whining.
- Potty Training
Your puppy cannot hold its bladder longer, so you have to take it outside every night before going to bed to pee. When you wake up in the morning, take your pup for a walk and urinate. However, if your puppy whines in the middle of the night, follow the steps below:
- Make sure that your pet will not get the wrong idea. Like if you are talking too much with your pet, it might think you want to play.
- Do not praise or give treats to your pet yet. Just pick your pup and bring it to its toilet spot. Wait until your dog releases everything. Make sure not to give too much attention to your pet or look eyes to eyes.
- After urinating, praise your dog for a job well done because it urinates at the right place.
- Then place it back to where it is sleeping and leave without saying goodbye.
That is all you need to do. It might look a bit of being harsh on your dog, but it is the only way to make sure your pup will not get excited.
- Crate Train Your Puppy
Before doing this, make sure that crate training is what your pup needs to stop whining. Carry out some research. Crate training is not easy. You need to help your puppy to have a good association with the crate, so your pup will feel safe and comfortable on it.
By crate training your puppy correctly, the whining will turn into snoring. Provide all the meals your dog needs in the crate, a reward for entering the crate, and ensure that no one will disturb when inside.
If you add more training to it, you will find your dog more comfortable and ask for naps in the crate. The added training can be opening the door if the dog is quiet, and if it is whining, you will not let it out.
- Give Comfort and Not Attention
Your pet’s whining is quite annoying, so you have to deal with it by not giving attention but by providing comfort. Remember that your pet is crying because of discomfort, pain, or wants to do its thing. Giving the same comfort every night will help your pet understand that your dog should do the whining if it feels terrible, wants to pee or hungry, and not play.
So, rather than giving cuddles, you can start pooch off by allowing your dog to sleep in the crate, dog bed, or pen in your room. As they become more comfortable in their crate, you can slowly transfer it outside your room to the area designated for your dog. Adding something with your smell on it in its sleeping area can provide some comfort.
- Wear Out Your Pet’s Energy Every Day
If your puppy is tired and worn out at night, it will not have time to make a fuss and get to sleep easily. Try different ways of wearing out your little pup like playing games, exercising, and others. If the weather is bad, you can do indoor activities with your pet to wear out its energy.
- Follow a Routine
Make sure that your puppy sleeps in the same place and at the same time every day. It is essential that the lighting and the sounds are the same, so your pet will get used to it. If you need to keep the doors or windows open and close, then do it every day. This way, your dog knows that it’s the same sleeping area. Try to wake up and be on your puppy side before it wakes up. By doing this, your pet will feel safe, and you will not hear its whining.
- Make Sure There are Fewer Distractions
Their sleeping area must be free from distractions. If you cannot avoid it, let your pet hear the same noise again and again so your little puppy will get used to it and feel comfortable even if your pet hears it. Do not leave toys or any playing material on it, as your pup might get naughty, and instead of sleeping at night, it will stay awake and play all night. Never leave food at night, but make sure it has access to water. You can allow your pup to eat and drink before bedtime but make sure to take it out to do its thing before it goes to bed.
- Evaluate and Assess for Other Issues
If you have done all the above tips and are still having problems with your pet’s whining, there might be other reasons why your pet is doing it. Check for any injuries, or it could be a sign of illness. Keep in mind that it may take several days for a new approach to work, so you need to be patient. If it is still not working after several days, maybe it’s time to bring your pet to the vet.
Reasons Why Puppies Whine
Puppies whine to communicate their mental, emotional, and physical situation, and not all whines are the same. Below are the main categories and what message your pet is trying to convey.
- The first thing that you usually think when you hear your puppy whine is that it is in pain or physical distress. If your pup is also crying while lying down in a submissive posture and trying to get your attention, it can be suffering from something which makes it discomfort. Bring your pet to the veterinarian right away to rule out pain or medical problems.
- Whining is also a sign of submission. It is a way for the dog to tell a more dominant dog that “I surrender.” It is followed by a posture where the tail, head, and ears are down. Also, your pup may squat and position the body low on the ground.
- For a dog that shows appeasement whine, you can acknowledge it and then walk away quietly. Your pup understands that it means you accept its apology.
- Whining is also an expression of excitement, along with jumping or spinning around. You should ignore your pet until it starts to calm down.
- It is also their way to give you a signal that they need something. Before reacting, make sure that your pet is in a calm state.
- Dogs are using whining to communicate what they feel. You can also manifest what they think through their actions. Some dogs show their frustration by combining obsessive behavior while whining. A scared dog whine with submissive body language.