Braden is a Boxer who was driving his owners and their neighbors stone mad with his obsessive and repetitive barking.
The problem was centered around Braden’s dislike of being left alone. Whenever his owners (Kelly and Brian) went out to work, or shut him outside at night, Braden would bark up a storm - which could last for hours!
We knew the problem wasn’t a lack of exercise or attention, because Braden got plenty of both. He simply didn’t like being left alone.
Brian decided to set up a video camera in the garden one day before he and Kelly left for work, and record Braden’s activity for a few hours.
The resulting footage showed what appeared to be a very anxious Braden:
he’d pace around in circles, barking repetitively, and scratching at the door of the house.
In addition to this, he’d also act up whenever the neighbors came too close to the fence line - this would result in a frenzy of barking, as well.
We advised Kelly and Brian that treatment for separation anxiety, as well as some basic “de-territorialization,” would most likely solve Braden’s problem.
The first step was to create a “safe place” for Braden - somewhere he could retreat to, which was his own private space, safe from the distractions of passers-by and other dogs. Brian accordingly built him a kennel in the corner of the yard, bordering on the house, where he could withdraw to when he needed some time out.
Next, we asked Brian and Kelly to involve the neighbors in Braden’s rehabilitation.
They needed to get to know Braden, so that he’d recognize them and not feel compelled to defend “his” property from these strange people walking back and forth on the perimeter.
The neighbors were also given a small supply of dog-treats, which they were asked to pass through the fence to Braden every so often over the next few weeks, just to really make sure that Braden wouldn’t feel threatened by them any more.
Involving the neighbors was pretty easy - Kelly and Brian just asked them to drop round for a few minutes, meet the dog, and give him a treat or two. They also told all neighbors what Braden’s name was, so if he DID start barking, they could address him by name (thus proving to Braden that they’re not strangers after all!).
Finally, we got Brian and Kelly to desensitize Braden to their leaving. A little bit at a time, they practiced leaving him alone in the house and yard - starting at five minutes, they worked up to half an hour.
By this time, Braden was starting to settle down during the day, but night barking was still a problem for everybody within earshot!
We asked Brian and Kelly to use “tough love” on Braden - essentially, they had to absolutely ignore him whenever he started barking.
After warning the neighbors that they were probably in for a noisy time (and apologizing in advance!), Brian and Kelly shut Braden outside for the night.
When he started barking, they told him to “go to bed,” saw him into his kennel, and then ignored all barking for the rest of the night.
On the second night, the barking had diminished significantly. By the end of the third night, Braden had finally quieted down - it had finally become clear to him that barking wasn’t going to get him what he wanted.
Brian and Kelly’s efforts had paid off - despite a few rough nights, Braden was a more well-adjusted dog, the neighbors were happier, and Kelly and Brian were relieved!
O. Whining
Whining is a form of communication between dogs which is most common among juveniles. It’s not something that dogs naturally do to communicate with humans - if whining goes unrewarded, dogs usually “grow out of” whining by the time they reach six to eight months of age
The reason that mature dogs whine when communicating with humans is because they’ve learned that whining has its own reward: it gets them what they want, whether it’s food, attention, or affection.
This section will deal with the causes of whining, and how to “un-teach” your dog to whine.
Why Do Dogs Whine?
A lot of the time, a dog isn’t even aware that she’s doing it - it’s like a nervous tic in a human. Usually it’s an unconscious reaction to stress of some kind.
Below is a short list of some of the more common reasons that a puppy, or a mature dog that’s learned to use whining as an effective communication tool, will whine:
Nervous or worried
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Insecure, lack of confidence
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Frustrated, annoyed
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Stressed
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It's quite clear to most humans that whining signals distress of some kind. For those of us with a compassionate nature, it's only natural to respond to such a troubling sound with sympathy and affection - after all, we'd usually try and comfort an unhappy human with soothing words and gestures, so the same reaction should work just as well with dogs, right?
In reality, reacting this way is actually the worst thing you can do for dog that's whining.
It sounds downright cruel, but the truth is that the more sympathy and compassion you show to a distressed, whining dog, the worse that dog will feel.
This is because - yes, we're going to repeat ourselves again - our dogs look to us for emotional and psychological cues. If your dog is whining and you try to comfort her verbally and/or physically, your dog won't feel better. She'll worry even more, because if YOU'RE so obviously concerned, then there really must be something to worry about - right?
What Not To Do For A Whining Dog
React with alarm, sympathy, or compassion to your dog's whining.
● Don't give any verbal reaction at all - no soothing murmurs or cooing.
Resist the temptation!
Cuddle, stroke, or otherwise physically reinforce your dog's worry.
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Tell your dog off. This will only make things worse. Your dog will become
● MORE anxious, not less.
The Best Thing You Can Do
Completely, utterly ignore your dog's whining. Pretend you can't hear it. You're not going to ignore your dog - after all, she’s trying to tell you something - but you are going to ignore the whining.
What you need to do is to redirect your dog’s attention, and make her forget whatever it was that she’s crying about.
You can do this easily: simply ask her to do something for you. Get her to
“sit-stay,” and, when she obeys, THEN you can reward her with attention and affection (it’s appropriate now, because she’s earned it). If she knows more obedience commands, run through those too.
A fantastic alternative is to involve her in a favorite game - the more active, the better. Just like with humans, physical exercise releases endorphins (the “feel-good” chemicals) in dogs, which elevate mood. Combine this with the attention from you and the sheer exuberant fun of a game, and she’ll be feeling better in no time - and with her improved mood comes an end to the whining!