If your neighbors have complained about the noise your dog makes when you are not at home, you are probably very keen to find out how to stop a dog whining!

Not only is it annoying and distracting to your neighbors, whining is also very distressing for your dog.

So, following is a little information that will help you make your dog feel much better about being left in the house by himself.

First you’ll need to understand why your dog is behaving this way. Also, take him to the vet for a check up to make absolutely sure he is not ill or in any pain.

The Three Minute Method

One method that can be used is to leave him alone for short periods of time – say three minutes. For example, leave your dog in a room and go outside for three minutes.  As soon as you hear him whine, fight the urge to rush back in until the three minutes are up.

After the three minutes, go back into the room, and ignore your dog. Only give him attention when he is completely calm and relaxed. If you hug and kiss him as soon as you walk in the door he will associate his whining with praise, a reward.

By ignoring him you are not punishing him, you are just letting him know that his whining does not get a positive response from you. It’s his calm state that you will be rewarding.



Repeat the Process Until He’s Comfortable

Do this many times over the course of a few days, gradually increasing the time you are out of the room.  Each time you come back, do the same thing. It won’t be long before you’ll be able to leave the room without your dog whining.

Training your dog in this manner enables him to learn that you will return and that whining is not something he will get any positive attention or praise for.  If at any point during the training your dog starts to whine for no reason, you should tell him  ‘NO’ in a firm tone.  He will quickly understand that his whining behavior is unwanted.

Preoccupy Him With Something Interesting

Another method that works is to distract and preoccupy your dog.  Purchase dog toys that have a holes in them into which you can fit a treat or two.

These toys will be enticing to your dog as he will want to get to the tasty treat hidden inside.  The dog is then preoccupied with getting the food out of the toy, thus, forgetting that you’ve left.

Once you know how to stop a dog whining, you will realize it’s not as difficult as it first seemed. The trick is to discover why your dog is whining and then use the techniques that have been proven to correct this behavior.