How To Stop A Curly Coated Retriever Whining
Whining is a common dog behavior issue. Dogs whine for many of the same reasons that they bark. Whining is usually done mainly to get attention or to get something they want. Breaking a whining habit can take time, but if you start early when your curly coated retriever is still a puppy, you should not have a lot of difficulty breaking this bad habit.
One of the main things you have to do when whining starts becoming a problem is to figure out why your dog is whining. For curly coated retrievers many whining issues occur from lack of socialization or boredom. You may keep your dog outside, but this breed needs to be a part of your family and interact in order to ensure he is happy and doesn’t develop bad habits, like whining. Other reasons why your dog may be whining include being hungry or thirsty, separation anxiety, they need to go out, they are hurt or don’t feel good or they could be frightened.
Note what is happening and what is going on with your dog when he whines. For example, check his food dish. Is it empty? He may just want fed. Is there a storm outside? Maybe he is afraid of the noise. Usually you can narrow down the reason for the whining.
Control the Whining
Puppies whine a lot. This is normal, but it is the beginning of a bad habit. When your dog is a pup you have to avoid the urge to reward their bad behavior. When they whine it is best to try to respond according to the reason they are whining. The last thing you want to do in any case is reward a pup for whining as this will only teach them that whining gets them what they want and makes it a behavior they will continue.
If your dog is whining simply for attention then you should ignore it. To prevent future whining behavior make sure that you dog is getting adequate attention and that you are interacting with him daily. Ignoring the behavior will teach him that it is not an effective way to communicate and it should help stop it. You can also reward him when he is not whining. After a whining episode, when there has been a period of silence you can then give him attention and praise.
If your dog whines when he needs to go out then this is not the time to try ignoring the behavior. In this case, whining is much better than having him go to the bathroom on the floor. You can prevent future whining issues by letting him out at regular intervals.
If your dog is whining uncontrollably and showing other signs that something is not right you should immediately check him out and get him to the vet, if needed. Some whining comes purely from pain.
If the whining behavior is becoming a habit and there is no good reason, like pain, for the whining then you have to be very strict. Curly coated retrievers will quickly take control if you don’t and this can lead to out of control whining. You have to be firm and strict with your dog to stop unnecessary whining behavior for good.