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Whining In A 2-Year-Old Grey


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Our 2-year-old boy grey we adopted six months ago. We are a retired couple so it is just ourselves with him. We love him a lot and he gets lots of privileges since our household is not as busy as it was when we had other grey (kids were around with their friends, etc.). So we admittedly feel kind of bad he is just with us most of the time. Anyway, lately he has been whining quite a bit. I understand it can be a stress response but sometimes it just seems it is out of the blue. We take him outside for walks frequently, which he loves. So it is not that he has to go out again. Sometimes I think he whines because he expects something else. Like when we go for a walk, come inside afterwards but sometimes instead go for a car ride. He loves going in the car and it feels like he might be disappointed at coming back to the condo instead of the car. Does anyone have any ideas of how to get rid of the whining. We do say "no" or "shhh" but it really is not effective. Sometimes it drives me nuts. It is like having a child whining for candy or something. Any advice would be appreciated. Never had this issue before with our greys.

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We also have a whiner. He doesn't always do it, but some weeks, it seems endless. Marvin is almost 7.5, and he's been 'talking' to us for years now. Sometimes, he does actually need to go outside, but most of the time, Marvin seems to whine if 'his pack' isn't all together, or he wants food, or his blanket's too far away, or the TV is too loud :dunno If you're sure he's not hurting or in need of anything important, then I would suggest just trying to ignore the whining. Marvin does not get his meals or us out of bed early (he wants breakfast...) until he stops whining. Most people told us to just give him some tough love when he's whining to teach him that whining for anything other than needing to go out won't get him anywhere.

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Dogs, like spoiled children, will whine 1) for attention, 2) to hear the sound of their own voice, 3) to get a reaction (and other, legitimate reasons, which clearly this isn't).

 

As with children, I think the only way to nip this in the bud is to totally ignore it, as hard as that is. Any reaction is likely to encourage the behavior.

 

We had a whiner--an English Setter. It was my father's fault. The dog would lay next to Dad's recliner, and Dad would pet his head. When Dad stopped, Davy whined. Dad would resume petting. When my father's Alzheimer's had advanced to the point where he couldn't make that mental connection, the whining got totally out of control. Sadly, Dad later became somewhat aggressive with his desire to always know where the dog was, and the dog started to hide from him, which was heartbreaking and really totally unrelated to your issue--sorry.

 

So, my suggestion, as hard as it will be, is totally ignore the whining. It may take a while, but he's very young, and if you don't stop it now, you have a lot of years of whining ahead of you!


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Susan,  Hamish,  Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck

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We have a very vocal hound. He used to whine when we got him. All. The. Time. Whine for food, then at 7h30 SHARP whine for a walk (even if we had a walk at let say 6h30). We would ignore him, and he would start pacing and whining higher and higher up. At which point I told him to lay down. That kept him quiet for a few minutes then he would resume the pacing and whining. Rinse and repeat...every day...until he stopped whining a few months later. He would whine when we were both (me and my husband) home only. If either one of us was alone with him, no whining.

I am not sure what did it. Was it because he knew we wouldn't give in? Was it because now when he wants something he lays down near us and wait (he got redirected)? Was it because he got older and more mature?

Who knows. Remember it will get worse before it gets better!

And now with 2 pups in the house, there is no whining...ever...unless one of them goes to the vet!

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Cynthia, with Charlie (Britishlionheart) & Zorro el Galgo
Captain Jack (Check my Spots), my first love

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My grey has times he gets whiney without (to me) any reason. IF I think it is stress I sing with him. He loves to roo along with Opera music..LOL So when he whines that way I get him rooing instead.
He only ever roos when I start playing the music or roo too. Once I stop, he stops and it also stops the whines. Pretty sure it relaxes him.

It's worth a try.

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