Why Does He Only Whine At Me?

[Guest KTPrime]

So I've just returned from 5 days away on a business trip, and got some surprising news.

To preface, my boy Optimus is a whiner. He whines constantly for food, attention, walks, or sometimes no reason I can discern. I have to admit it is completely our fault since we have reinforced this behavior by responding to his whining with food, walks, and attention. I've been working on trying to alter the behavior with mixed results. In the past, BF has told me that Optimus only whines when I'm home, which I had kind of dismissed as anecdotal since BF is rarely home before me.

So I get home from my trip and found they had a great week, and BF reported that Optimus didn't whine. At all. He took his three walks a day and then quietly slept the rest of the time. This is in huge contrast to our usual weeknights, where he whines all the time and is constantly coming up to me and giving me the I NEED STUFF super-intense eyes.

What the heck!!

I would understand if I were the only one who responded to Optimus' whining, but we both reinforce the behavior with walking/feeding, etc. Perhaps I do a bit more because officially speaking Optimus is "mine" and he is very very attached to me. BF says it's because he loves me so much he constantly wants attention from me... a rather rosy explanation for this behavior. I know the whole alpha theory thing has been debunked, but if I had to pick an alpha in our group, it would be me. Optimus will tolerate things from me that he won't from others (the stuff he hates like cleaning paws), and has a 99% recall with me, but probably 70% with other people.

So I'm not sure if it's because I'm "in charge" he's always asking for things from me. But, I just can't believe he had a whine-free week! Any ideas?

[greysmom]

He's obviously more bonded with *you* than with others, so he asks *you* for everything. Sounds like he has *you* trained pretty well!

 

*You* need to be strong! Tell him to go lay down, or "on your bed" or whatever command you want. Take him to that spot and leave him and go back to what you were doing. If he stays there and is quiet, throw him a treat after a minute, then again a little later. If he gets up right away and resumes whining/begging, do the routine again - and again, and again. It will probably take you many repetitions to break him of this habit - and you too! - but keep at it, he will eventually get it. (And *you* will too!)

 

FWIW, my DH is a pushover in our house. The dogs all know, if they're persistent enough, they will eventually get something. They know better than to try that with me as I'm more inclined to NOT give them something just to spite them and their whining!

[Sambuca]

Because you're the sucker who gives in.

[Brandiandwe]

Princess Paige only whines, squeaks, huffs, squeals and grumbles at me. I like to think it's because I'm special. Please don't burst that bubble!

 

Having said that, she has also barked at DH once to get him out of bed. She generally wakes me up from a sleep in by putting her head on my pillow then giving a short sharp 'yap'. I'm usually aware that she's there so she doesn't startle me, but one morning she decided to experiment with DH while I was in the bathroom and he was sleeping in. I heard a yap, then a flurry of bedclothes and swearing and emerged to see a somewhat disheveled and unsettled DH sitting up in bed with the bed clothes on the floor looking around wildly, while Paige lay quietly at a safe distance watching him with interest. She hasn't done it since.

[Riverhound]

SUCKER!!!

 

(In this house, I get the whining and pathetic eyes. )

[Guest Lillypad]

quote Greysmom....Sounds like he has *you* trained pretty well!

This made me chuckle!!! I am pretty sure this sort of thing is going on in our house too!!!

[Guest Houston1219]

Same situation here, but not so much whining as testing "just how serious is she?" BF says "go lay down" and bam, he's on his bed. I say the same thing, in my best mimic of his exact tone, and I get the "are you suuure mom?" hesitating look. BF says I'm just too nice. I see us as a one child family and it's the "dad says no, go ask mom" mind trick I remember trying as a child. I occasionally find myself quoting my mother when he doesn't want to listen... "don't make me go get your father!" Lol

[Gryffenne]

Sammi "talks" to me all the time. I admit, I've enabled the behavior because I talk back to get her going.

 

DH's kryptonite is the head delicately placed in his hand. Or the full body lean in & sigh.

 

DSS is a sucker for the chattering.

 

DS caves at the "ASPCA commercial eyes" (she seriously can look like the pups in the commercial. Big, sad eyes. And if you're holding food in your hand, she can expose 2 more ribs and her hipbones a more thorough guilt trip. Is there PB in it? She will develop a full-body quiver, sometimes holding one paw up, to complete your trip. )

 

Sammi can keep track of who is most vulnerable to what

Edited April 10, 2014 by Gryffenne

[Remolacha]

I now have two whiners, and the cats sometimes add their I do not reward whining, I ignore it or say What? in an irritated tone of voice, or point out that whining is not productive, and, in fact, can slow things down (food, walks, etc) If someone is whining, I always wait to feed, walk, whatever until the whining has stopped (they have a dog door, so I don't have to worry about whining meaning need to go out)

 

All that said, they still whine just as much as always. I have decided it is just they way they communicate.

 

And yes, I have seen the trick where two more ribs and the spine appear in order to get more food

[2greyhoundMINI]

Weird... our one hound Sidney only whines for our neighbor?!

[Guest FinnsMama]

After Finn has eaten and pottied I try to ignore him until he settles down. Except he doesn't just whine but gets in my face too. I keep telling him he will get everything he needs/wants but not always at the moment he wants it.

I try to wait until about 10 minutes after lays gown on his bed, then I get him a treat or give him what I think he was asking for. Sometimes I have to offer to brush him to get him to calm down then I wait 10 minutes.

 

I would not say we are real successful, as it is sort of an ongoing process. But I think he is better MOST of the time. Lol.. :-)