Why Does My Dog Whine All the Time?

It’s the saddest sound in the world.

September 10, 2024

If your dog seems to whine all the time, it can be both concerning and frustrating for pet parents. Understanding the various reasons behind excessive whining, such as anxiety, attention-seeking, or pain, is crucial for addressing the issue effectively and ensuring your dog’s wellbeing.

Common reasons for dog whining

Whining is a form of communication. If your dog is whining, there is a reason: They are trying to communicate something with you. It is important to figure out why your dog is feeling some sort of disdain. The three main reasons for this behavior are anxiety, attention-seeking, or pain.

Interpreting your dog’s whine

How can we tell the difference between the three types of whining when they all sound the same? It will be important to look at the overall picture. What is happening around your dog? The environment? Does your dog have fears? Is your dog displaying other behaviors?

Anxiety

Is there something in the environment that could be scaring or bothering your dog? Is your dog whining and panting, trembling, pacing, or hiding? These may be signs that your dog is suffering from anxiety.

Attention-seeking

Is your dog a puppy or young? Could they be hungry, want a treat, or need to use the bathroom? Has your dog gotten their wiggles out today? Do you have a high-drive dog? Every dog has a different level of energy needs, some dogs need to get moving more than others.

If your dog is not expelling enough energy, they may try to seek your attention negatively. Whining may be associated with barking at you, nibbling on your clothes, trying to get you to play, looking towards the door to go out, and looking towards their food area. Your dog may be attention-seeking.

Pain or discomfort

Have you noticed your dog’s demeanor change as well as them whining? Is your dog also whimpering, yelping, or growling? Have you noticed your dog limping, laying down more than usual or not wanting to be pet? Your dog may be in pain.

How to stop a dog from whining

Once you have determined why your dog is whining, you can work with them to stop.

If your dog is whining due to anxiety it is best to seek outside help from a specialist. A dog trainer would be a great place to start. A dog trainer will help you understand your dog’s anxiety and how to help your dog work through it.

You may also need to enlist the help of a veterinarian depending on the severity of your dog’s anxiety, at times it is helpful to manage a dog’s anxiety with medication. Your trainer will be able to help guide you on the correct veterinarian to choose and how to use training methods along with the medication prescribed to help your dog with their anxiety.

Specific whining scenarios

Dog attention-seeking behaviors can range from whining and barking to being destructive. Helping your dog may be as simple as getting them a little extra stimulation each day. A great way to do that is a dog-led walk or “sniffari” where you let your dog sniff what and wherever they want (as long as it is safe or allowed).

A 10 to fifteen minute sniffari works your dog’s brain and body better than a hour-long walk where you don’t make many stops. An important thing to remember when your dog is whining for attention is to be sure you do not reinforce your dog or give in when they are whining. Ignore your dog, and once they are quiet, you can then give them what they want. If you give your dog what they want while they are whining, you will be reinforcing the whining, which may make your dog whine more.

Figuring out why your dog is whining is important for your dog’s health and wellbeing. If you hear your dog whining, be sure to investigate the reason and decide if you need further intervention.

FAQs (People also ask)

Is my dog whining for attention or pain?

Depending on the age of your dog or their energy needs, your dog might be whimpering for attention. Pay attention for changes in your dog’s demeanor to see if they are limping, lying down more than usual, avoiding contact, or otherwise whining out of pain.

Why is my dog whining for attention?

Your dog might be whining for your attention due to a number of factors, chief among them boredom or anxiety. To help stimulate them, try giving them a dog-led walk in the afternoon so they can explore and sniff to their heart’s content.

References:

Danielle Vrabel, CPDT-KA

Danielle Vrabel is a dog trainer who earned her CPDT-KA in 2020. Danielle is a proud pet mom of five pets: two dogs, two cats, and a corn snake. Danielle has fostered over 10 dogs and 15 cats/kittens as well as helped train shelter dogs before they are adopted. Both of Danielle’s dogs are pet therapy dogs, where she also volunteers her time helping evaluate future therapy dogs.