Whining - how do you stop it?

[Hector]

Treat dispensers are also good boredom busters. I like the snoop and the pickle.

Amazon.com: Starmark Treat Dispensing Pickle Pocket for Dogs: Pet Supplies

Amazon.com : Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff Snoop Treat Dispensing Dog Toys, Orange : Pet Toys : Pet Supplies

 

[irina]

Thanks for the tips! I do train with food, but obviously I cannot give him treats continuously if he has to stay on his bed. Finding toys that can stand up to him is a challenge, he chews through anything. He figures out treat dispensers very quickly, and starts chewing them up when there is no more kibble left. I have to monitor and take it away as soon as it is empty. Unfortunately, they don't keep him occupied very long, maybe 5 min. Sigh!

 

[Hector]

Thanks for the tips! I do train with food, but obviously I cannot give him treats continuously if he has to stay on his bed. Finding toys that can stand up to him is a challenge, he chews through anything. He figures out treat dispensers very quickly, and starts chewing them up when there is no more kibble left. I have to monitor and take it away as soon as it is empty. Unfortunately, they don't keep him occupied very long, maybe 5 min. Sigh!

Try rewarding for long stays at the bed. Maybe try going over to his bed and dropping him treats and then tell him to stay and repeat this and randomize the rewarding. In the beginning, do it quite often and then slowly increase the time he remains on his bed. I think the pickle would be good for him if he is a strong chewer. Also treats stashed in layers of cardboard boxes can be helpful.

 

[irina]

Thanks! I will try that.

 

[Gabbi2008]

Disclaimer: I am not a professional trainer, and I do not claim to be. My advice is only worth as much as you make it out to be...

I adopted my dog Loki in June. She was a rescue. She is a hard headed presa canario mix. When we got her she would not eat dog food, and would not eat anything out of a bowl (only food tossed to her on floor). She had never been walked on a leash, she had aggression issues, etc.

I did a lot of research about training, and frankly I found that using only positive reinforcement failed. I understand it has its place, and can work for some things. But for working on recalls, excessive barking, whining, I found it useless. In my experience, Loki needed something to break her of the mindset she was in, and switch her attention to me.

I feel this way for a few reasons. But hypothetically, say a three year old ran into the street and almost gets hit by a car, you wouldn't remove the child, redirect to a toy doll, and hope she doesn't try it again. I felt this approach wasn't working for Loki at all.

I tried the pinch on the rear, the cesar tap with the foot, leash corrections, the whole deal. Finally I tried The Company of Animals Pet Corrector spray. It is literally just a can of air. It has changed the way I train with Loki. I taught her how to "drop it" in ten minutes. She has done it successfully now for weeks. It was previously almost impossible to teach her "drop it," because she is not at all food motivated. I have also corrected her barking with it, twice, and she now listens to a "quiet" command without fail.

I think it might work in your situation because you can use it from a bit of a distance, and it would work instantly. As soon as you hear her whine, give her the quiet command. If she continues, say quiet again, and immediately use the pet corrector. I bet she stops. Continue if she whines again, and she should get the message.

I have seen this can-o-air fail, but it was used incorrectly. The dog owners just sprayed it randomly when their dogs were doing anything incorrect. No verbal correction, no nothing.

The small can runs about $15, but I would have paid $150 since it worked so well for us. Maybe it is worth a try before the e-collar? I wish you the best of luck.

 

[irina]

Disclaimer: I am not a professional trainer, and I do not claim to be. My advice is only worth as much as you make it out to be...

I adopted my dog Loki in June. She was a rescue. She is a hard headed presa canario mix. When we got her she would not eat dog food, and would not eat anything out of a bowl (only food tossed to her on floor). She had never been walked on a leash, she had aggression issues, etc.

I did a lot of research about training, and frankly I found that using only positive reinforcement failed. I understand it has its place, and can work for some things. But for working on recalls, excessive barking, whining, I found it useless. In my experience, Loki needed something to break her of the mindset she was in, and switch her attention to me.

I feel this way for a few reasons. But hypothetically, say a three year old ran into the street and almost gets hit by a car, you wouldn't remove the child, redirect to a toy doll, and hope she doesn't try it again. I felt this approach wasn't working for Loki at all.

I tried the pinch on the rear, the cesar tap with the foot, leash corrections, the whole deal. Finally I tried The Company of Animals Pet Corrector spray. It is literally just a can of air. It has changed the way I train with Loki. I taught her how to "drop it" in ten minutes. She has done it successfully now for weeks. It was previously almost impossible to teach her "drop it," because she is not at all food motivated. I have also corrected her barking with it, twice, and she now listens to a "quiet" command without fail.

I think it might work in your situation because you can use it from a bit of a distance, and it would work instantly. As soon as you hear her whine, give her the quiet command. If she continues, say quiet again, and immediately use the pet corrector. I bet she stops. Continue if she whines again, and she should get the message.

I have seen this can-o-air fail, but it was used incorrectly. The dog owners just sprayed it randomly when their dogs were doing anything incorrect. No verbal correction, no nothing.

The small can runs about $15, but I would have paid $150 since it worked so well for us. Maybe it is worth a try before the e-collar? I wish you the best of luck.

Interesting idea! Never heard of this, worth a try. Thanks!

 

[DMikeM]

^ None of the above, any of it.

Odi is 7 months old and has been vocal since birth, it is just his way passed on from his father who is also vocal, whines, moans and groans. He will also look right at you and bark but it is not a screw you bark it is "hey I want something" type bark. Some of it I just ignore. But the whining while stopped on a walk or even for food I just tell him no and ignore. On the walk I say no and tell him focus and have him focus on me. He gets it and stops. If he barks at me I ask him "what" and let him show me what he is excited about. Sometimes he wants a cookie from the box sometimes it is he needs to go potty. He is doing his best to talk to me so why would I want to punish or correct him for it?
The whining is just him wanting to do something, he is bored and wants to keep moving and he is just a child. Whining for meal time I just say wait and ignore it until it is my time to feed him. I think a lot of this correction business will just leed to other problems later on if you press him into being intraverted.

During classes he will watch the other dogs being trained and he gets excited and you can see him physically quiver just so slightly, he will eventually grumble just a little. He is saying "I am bored and want to do this hurry up I need to do something" this is not bad behavior it is just a child that needs to keep busy. My trainer knows this and we will just do a fast heel and focus while the other dogs are doing other things. Use the excited behavior to your advantage. Eventually he will mellow out and the behavior will be something you will welcome because he will let you know what is on his mind when it is important.

 

[ruthcatrin]

If he's whining because he's bored then you need to step in before he gets bored. Not correct the whining after the fact. Either he needs more stimulation, or more exercise, or both.

If he's whining because you won't allow him access to something he shouldn't be having (regardless of what or why or if he can have it later) then you treat it just like whining to get out of a crate. Ignore it, he'll get a reward for stopping. Infact by not ignoring it you may be reinforcing it, cause it gets him attention.

 

[DMikeM]

If he's whining because he's bored then you need to step in before he gets bored. Not correct the whining after the fact. Either he needs more stimulation, or more exercise, or both.

If he's whining because you won't allow him access to something he shouldn't be having (regardless of what or why or if he can have it later) then you treat it just like whining to get out of a crate. Ignore it, he'll get a reward for stopping. Infact by not ignoring it you may be reinforcing it, cause it gets him attention.

^ Yep!