Are you looking for some dog training tips on how to train a dog to stop whining? Most dog owners love dogs, but surely do not appreciate their incessant whining. If you love your dog, then you probably want it to be healthy and happy. This dog care article will show you how to train the dog to stop the incessant whining!
As dog training experts say, a dog is a pack animal and it follows its pack leader. Because of this fact, whining is considered as a form of submissiveness by some breeds of dog. To effectively train this dog behavior, you need to establish what its pack leader is. In this case, it is you! It means that you are the one who determines what your dog’s behavior is like.
First, you need to make it clear that whining is not a sign of happiness or approval. Thus, before you begin training, you have to eliminate the notion that your dog gives you any sign of approval or happiness. Some dog owners interpret their pet’s behavior as a sign of approval when in reality, it is just a sign of distress and anxiety. The key here is to be an observance more than feedback. When your pet is showing distress or anxiety, simply stop what you’re doing and try again later in a different situation.
Second, use clicker training. Clicker is a harmless toy that produces a high pitched sound only audible to dogs. When they hear the sound, they will stop their annoying behavior and will do their activities normally. So, you have to be consistent and never let your dog do tricks without the clicker. There are different types of clicker, the quiet clicker and the exciting sound clicker. For instance, the quiet clicker produces a low-frequency sound that is barely audible to the dog, while the exciting sound emits a high-pitched sound that can easily be heard by the dog and to which it is attracted.
Third, use treats and rewards. Rewards and treats can be given to your dog when it exhibits acceptable whining behavior. If the dog stops whining when receiving the treat, then the dog has passed the point of whining entirely. Rewarding the dog will also encourage it to repeat the behavior as it is a good thing for it to feel good when doing it.
Fourth, only give the treat and reward when the puppy stops whining. Puppies can be smart, so you have to be consistent on this one. Just like the clicker, if your puppy doesn’t perform the behavior after hearing the treat and reward, don’t give it to it. It is useless to punish the dog because the behavior won’t change. Also, the puppy might be scared of the “punishment” and will therefore begin whining once again.
Fifth, always make sure that your dog is ready to receive the treat and reward. Dogs, especially puppies, are eagerly waiting for their food or to be praised for certain positive behaviors. Always make sure that your dog is excited about the reward so that they will learn fast.
By following these simple steps, you can easily train your dog not to whine at everything that moves. Remember that dogs love to please their owners. However, when your dog begins to whine and barge around the house whenever you want to go out, immediately correct it with either a sound or with a treat so that it won’t be repeated. Don’t ignore your dog’s whining either. Always correct it so that your dog will learn quickly. In no time, you can have your dog going on all those walks with nothing but a happy, hyper-excited dog walking beside you all the time.