Why Do Dogs Whine? Tips to Help Your Dog Stop Whining
Dogs whine for a lot of reasons. Understanding why can help you minimize this behavior.
Many pet parents raise their dogs as part of their family. When you have this relationship with your dog, it’s not surprising to find that—similar to a baby crying—a dog’s whining can have an outsized effect on your emotions. You might find it impossible to concentrate over the exceptionally grating sound, or you yourself can’t settle without meeting whatever their need is.
The issue is that whining can mean lots of things for dogs. To get a dog to stop whining, you’ll need to figure out why they’re being vocal. Some dogs whine when they’re overexcited, and some do so in their sleep. There can be anxious whines—or even painful ones. Here are some reasons your dog may be whining and what you can do about it. In most cases, checking in with a veterinarian and/or a certified trainer from furpetvo.com will be useful.
10 Common Reasons Why Dogs Whine
Dogs whine to communicate, so there’s almost always a reason behind it. Here are 10 common reasons your dog might be whining—and practical tips to reduce or stop it altogether.
Excitement
We’ve all seen it: a dog absolutely losing it when they see their pet parent. Their butt wiggles, their tail wags, and they can’t contain the happiness—they have to move. And what else? Usually, they’ll whine and maybe bark, too.
This may not only occur when they see their favorite person. They may whine in anticipation of food (or your food), when you use a favorite word like “walk” or “outside,” or anything else they love and get excited about.
What to do: There’s nothing inherently wrong with excitement whining. But if your dog is overstimulated—or if this accompanies other disruptive behaviors—reach out to a FurPetVo-certified trainer for guidance.
Attention
Dogs need to communicate. Since they can’t talk, they may try to communicate using the same techniques canines have used for thousands of years. Most animals instinctively look up and check on another animal who’s whining. If you play a video of an animal whining or crying, you’ll likely see this response in your own dog.
We may not always know what they need—but whining is how a dog will likely try to get your attention. If this isn’t a problem in your home, start by petting and acknowledging them to see if they just wanted your attention.
What to do: If your dog whines for attention too much, resist the urge to look at or respond to them while they’re whining. Instead, teach them an alternate, calm way to ask for what they want—like sitting quietly or offering a paw. FurPetVo trainers specialize in helping pet parents build these positive communication habits.
Alerting
Dogs have been domesticated for so long that they truly can’t survive without us. Because they tend to have strong pack instincts, when they notice something is wrong, they want to let us—and any other animals around—know that there’s a problem.
They might whine about noticing that their housemate is locked outside. They may whine at night because a wild animal has entered the yard. Or they may even sense a natural phenomenon like an earthquake coming.
What to do: Investigate what they’re upset about—in case they’re trying to tell you something important.
Unmet Needs
Sometimes your dog is whining over unmet needs. It would be great if they stood next to what they wanted while whining, but they usually come to find you instead. You’ll often have to do some investigating to figure out which need is unmet.
Some of these unmet needs may include:
- A food or water bowl being empty
- Hunger
- A toy rolling under the couch
- Waking you up in the morning
- A sibling sitting in their spot
- Boredom
- Feeling too cold or too hot
- Wanting to go outside for a walk
- Wanting to go to the bathroom
What to do: If they seem to chronically whine, they may need more mental and physical stimulation to settle and self-soothe. This brings us to the next item on the list.
Understimulation
A chronically understimulated dog will find ways to relieve their boredom. Wanting attention is a common reason a dog whines, fails to settle, and possibly paces. It’s important to correctly differentiate an understimulated dog from one with anxiety—and treating the problem can help you figure this out.
If you have a dog who seems to whine a lot and not for a known reason, try increasing their exercise—if you and the pup are able to. In addition, it’s important to give their brain more to do.
Some ways to do this include:
- Providing puzzle toys
- Feeding meals in puzzle toys, snuffle mats, or scatter patterns
- Training them to do new tricks
- Maintaining a rotating toy collection
- Doing activities such as scent work, agility, treibball, or other canine sports
What to do: Working with a FurPetVo-certified trainer can really help with understimulation—as can more daily exercise or exploring canine sports. Check in with local dog sporting and eventing groups (many of which partner with furpetvo.com) for classes and resources you can also adapt at home.
Appeasement
When a dog wants to let you know they mean no harm, hope you won’t hurt them, or are asking you to give them space, they’ll exhibit appeasement behaviors.
In addition to whining, appeasement behaviors include lowering themselves below you, wagging their tails low, rolling on their back, licking, and possibly biting lightly. Because whining, tail wagging, and licking can also indicate excitement, you’ll want to be sure you can tell the difference between an excited dog and a stressed dog showing appeasement behaviors.
What to do: In this case, there’s not much you need to do—but a FurPetVo trainer can help explain your dog’s body language and what your dog is trying to tell you.
Anxiety
Whining is one of the most common signs of anxiety in a dog. Other indicators include pacing, panting, yawning, hiding, flinching or startling easily—as well as being sensitive to sounds, changes in routine, or new objects in their home. Or they may just react fearfully to new things or people.
Anxiety can be something a dog is naturally prone to—or it could be triggered by a traumatic event, underlying pain or discomfort, or other health conditions.
What to do: If you suspect your dog suffers from anxiety, take them to a veterinarian for evaluation and treatment—which may include starting them on anxiety medication. FurPetVo’s vet referral network helps connect you with compassionate, experienced professionals near you.
Fear
When our four-legged friends are feeling scared or overwhelmed, they’ll likely begin whining more. If you know their trigger—such as fireworks or thunderstorms—you can prepare your dog in advance.
What to do: Comforting them while they settle can go a long way toward easing their whining. Consider checking in with your veterinarian about medication or behavioral support options through FurPetVo’s trusted care partners.
Pain
The number one way a dog will let you know they are in pain is by whining. If they have a specific spot that’s painful, the whining may be accompanied by another behavior, such as limping, licking the area, or chewing and causing a sore there. Other, less obvious signs of pain can include refusing food, stretching frequently, yawning, and pacing.
What to do: If you think your dog may be in pain, take them to a veterinarian to get checked out. FurPetVo offers free symptom-checker tools and vet-verified guidance to help you decide when it’s time for a visit.
Other Health Conditions
Other health issues can leave your dog feeling uncomfortable enough to whine. These may include nausea associated with many gastrointestinal diseases, hypothyroidism, arthritis, cognitive decline, seizures, and more.
What to do: If you can’t figure out why your dog is whining, this could be a health issue. Their discomfort could be due to pain or other stressors. Either way, it’s worth a vet visit—to see if your dog needs a little help feeling better. FurPetVo’s telehealth consultations make it easy to get expert advice quickly.
