Whining is the current theme song of my life

[Ravenbird]

Lordy am I in for it now. I think you’ll get a good laugh out of this story:

Ravenbird mentioned barrier anxiety and I never really noticed that much because our walks used to be hell on earth and now they are quite peaceful. But holy crap the ungodly sounds coming out of this dog today when we went out as a family to walk him was something to behold! My husband was walking him as my two small kids and I walked ahead, and he sounded like he was a human man-baby yelling for us to get back (or for my husband to move quicker). This WEIRD “AHHHH-AHHH!!!!” sound. Mind you, he normally walks just fine and responds to leash pops or leash corrections fairly well, but today, he decided to scream like he was being murdered via multiple stabbing. I have the most dramatic dog on the planet. It’s official. It was even worse when applying spacial pressure. Usually walking into him on our walk gets him to focus back on us if he pulls ahead. Today, it made him yell and thrash around like a 70lb toddler having a temper tantrum. And the weather is beautiful outside so we had quite the audience of neighbors. We switched to see if it was just a reaction with one of us. Nope. Happened when he and I switched. He just didn’t like us being “too far” ahead. Walked behind him, not a peep. This boy is going to drive me into an early grave.

I feel for you, I hope you get some input on how to manage this. What I've learned is some things can't be "trained out" but they CAN be managed for certain periods. Although we are making light of the whining, behavior at this level would send many dogs to be re-homed. @Doberman Gang or any other professional trainers here have suggestions for MelonJ?

 

[MyBuddy]

Although we are making light of the whining, behavior at this level would send many dogs to be re-homed.

I can't remember where I read it, but there was a dog on here that was rehomed just for this reason! Seems a little over the top. I mean, I can understand how maddening whining can be, but I would never give up my dog for that.

 

[Doberman Gang]

I feel for you, I hope you get some input on how to manage this. What I've learned is some things can't be "trained out" but they CAN be managed for certain periods. Although we are making light of the whining, behavior at this level would send many dogs to be re-homed. @Doberman Gang or any other professional trainers here have suggestions for MelonJ?

It is possible your dog is whining as a soothing mechanism and doesn’t even realize he is doing it. Similar to someone having a hyper active disorder, always wiggling there foot or leg. I haven’t really had a problem with whining from my dogs, we are on s schedule with crate and rotate but my dogs are used to it being working dogs more than just pets. They are not allowed to make noise when crated if they do it is corrected barking chirping whining and it is just nick, nick, nick on a low setting of the ecollar until it stops. Sometimes I can just walk by the problem dogs kennel and show them I have a remote in my hand and they will immediately settle down. With your situation I would have to see the dogs actual demeanor before giving to much advice. Unfortunately you have probably done something that has created or reinforced this behavior so figuring out how to break the habit might be tough.

 

[BamMoMoMommy]

It is possible your dog is whining as a soothing mechanism and doesn’t even realize he is doing it.

I'm sure this is the case with Bam.....and I'd put good money on the fact it stems from the environment he was in before we got him. It was just never such an annoyance for us we felt it needed to be corrected, add to the fact he was such a neurotic mess when we brought him home...it was lowest of low in the list of behaviors that needed to be addressed.

my dogs are used to it being working dogs more than just pets.

And therein lies 99% of the issues we have with Bam. The dog is disciplined.....the owner...mmeeehhhhh not always so much.

 

[Kaiser2016]

This boy is going to drive me into an early grave.

My hb is convinced that Kaiser’s puppy phase took years off his life, but these dogs also cause marital troubles - Those first 2 years when you’re arguing over whose fault this is That’s why we say, it’s not just a dog, it’s a Doberman

 

[Rits]

Someone should tell my field type lab that she isnt a Doberman. You would think after 13 years of whining she would have figured it out. No amount of corrections, body checking, ahhts, exercise or even a stim on an ecollar will stop her. Trust me, Ive been hoping one day itll stick and the whining will stop. She will whine even in her grave Im sure about that.

 

[BamMoMoMommy]

Someone should tell my field type lab that she isnt a Doberman.

Our son has a lab...and when I read that it dawned on me....Hank..might be the biggest whiner out of ALL our dogs!!

 

[Sudaia]

Oh God, MAKE IT STOP!!! LOL!

Wonder where I’ve been??? Wonder no longer! Been too exhausted to do anything but manage my big brat of a whiner.

I should establish:
-He gets a two mile structured walk in the morning AND at night.
-He gets 30-45 minutes of training and fetch and open-space running play time daily.
-He is completely healthy according to the vet.

So he is definitely not understimulated or in pain. His obedience is beautiful and we practice NILIF. He is for the most part, the most respectful puppy I’ve ever known even for an energizer doberbunny.

HOWEVER, the freaking whining is like nails on a chalkboard!
The whine to meet someone I’m talking to across the street while I have him in a sit. The whine to keep moving when I stop for something on a walk. The whine to go for a walk. The whine to get out of the crate in the morning (and no it’s not because he has to pee bc he’s taken his freaking sweet time to do that once he’s out). The whine to wind down on his bed after an activity session is over (like a walk, or training, or playing with toys, etc.). The random occassional whine when we walk out of the room or get ready to leave the house with or without him. The whine when I start the car to take him somewhere. The whine when I turn off my car because we’ve reached our destination.

It’s like...now that the crate whining has stopped, it’s bled into everything he does outside of it. We’ve tried ignoring it, interrupting it, correcting it. It just does not compute. I’ve even tried to give a little grace when he’s excited and trying to control his impulse with a more muffled whine rather than a full-out giant puppy whine. Hell, if I waited for him to stop before doing anything with him, we’d literally do nothing all day.

WHY DID NO ONE WARN ME ABOUT THE WHINING?! Jk, jk...sigh.

Please, please, PLEASE tell me this is a phase. Because it’s one of the last things (other than his excitable energy and skittishness around nearby dogs) that needs fixing. The only time he doesn’t whine is when he’s working/training/playing, when he’s sleeping, or when he’s relaxing at our feet with everyone in the home before the end of the night.

Lord help this dog if he wasn’t so frikken beautiful and non-destructive...

I have had Dobes since the 70s and only my last one became a whiner as she grew older. She whined when she wanted something, and being a spoiled thing, she always wanted something! I was frequently irritated by it and grumbled under my breath to my husband that her whining was driving me crazy. He seemed to enjoy it! Now that she is gone what I wouldn’t give to hear that whine!

 

[GennyB]

Now that she is gone what I wouldn’t give to hear that whine!

Isn't that the truth! Their most irritating habits are what you miss the most. My most recent male (I lost him 4 months ago) loved balls, especially ones with a squeaker. He could squeak that thing all day. Drove me nuts some days, now I'd give almost anything to take a ride on the crazy train hearing squeak, squeak, squeak.

 

[KitCap]

OMG I was wondering this too. Mine also Whines if he isn't exactly beside us. I thought maybe he will grow out of it. But eventually he will stop if we don't pay attention to it. But totally understand sometimes it goes right through you lol.

 

[MelonJ]

It is possible your dog is whining as a soothing mechanism and doesn’t even realize he is doing it. Similar to someone having a hyper active disorder, always wiggling there foot or leg. I haven’t really had a problem with whining from my dogs, we are on s schedule with crate and rotate but my dogs are used to it being working dogs more than just pets. They are not allowed to make noise when crated if they do it is corrected barking chirping whining and it is just nick, nick, nick on a low setting of the ecollar until it stops. Sometimes I can just walk by the problem dogs kennel and show them I have a remote in my hand and they will immediately settle down. With your situation I would have to see the dogs actual demeanor before giving to much advice. Unfortunately you have probably done something that has created or reinforced this behavior so figuring out how to break the habit might be tough.

Thanks! I know we didn’t create this behavior because his breeder warned us when we picked him up and he and his brother were majorly whiny. But either this is a genetic predisposition or like you mentioned, we somehow reinforced it. I’m not sure how because we’ve done everything we could to stop the behavior with age-appropriate corrections, and we have a fairly rigid daily schedule with him when it comes to walks and training and crate time. My husband was doing low nicks with each whine for a bit but he didn’t see much improvement. For now, we’re still “fishing” with the ecollar to see if any combination sticks and are trying to teach that “quiet” is meant for whining as well as barking (though he doesn’t bark much at all yet). He has begun a new behavior which is quite sweet during all of this. I will have to out a video up. Seems to be the doberman equivalent of covering your mouth to try to keep quiet.

 

[Ravenbird]

@MelonJ I look forward to your video. I'm very interested in your progress with this whining problem and wishing you success. Before I got my pup I was pretty sure all the whining stories were just people who never corrected the problem, but now I know it's a terribly difficult thing to correct.

 

[MelonJ]

@MelonJ I look forward to your video. I'm very interested in your progress with this whining problem and wishing you success. Before I got my pup I was pretty sure all the whining stories were just people who never corrected the problem, but now I know it's a terribly difficult thing to correct.

Here’s two of them:

This first one, hubby is prepping his food after a walk. He knows he’s not supposed to whine so he does this now. It was the first time my husband saw it happen. Lol!

This second one was the next morning right before his walk when he whines the most as he sees us getting ready. I’m brewing coffee, so that's the background noise, while hubby is putting on his sneakers and jacket.

Edit: Not much correcting going on here. Was just trying to catch and record the new behavior.

 

[Viemarangelrock]

We experience the nose whistle on car journeys

 

[MelonJ]

Haha! We get the nose whistle at the start right before he begins the whining and then usually right after the whining when he’s been told “no” or “quiet”, lol.

 

[Kaiser2016]

Omg he’s so cute trying to shut up! If this was Kaiser he would sit up straight and elongate his neck for maximum vocal projection, so it could be worse

A nose whistle is usually our indicator that the whining will start soon if we don’t distract him, and if the whining isn’t stopped then the torture chamber is coming To think we paid for this

 

[jazzies mum]

Here’s two of them:

This first one, hubby is prepping his food after a walk. He knows he’s not supposed to whine so he does this now. It was the first time my husband saw it happen. Lol!

This second one was the next morning right before his walk when he whines the most as he sees us getting ready. I’m brewing coffee, so that's the background noise, while hubby is putting on his sneakers and jacket.

Edit: Not much correcting going on here. Was just trying to catch and record the new behavior.

He KNOWS he shouldn't whine! He just. can't. seem. to. stop!

 

[MyGirl2]

Noooo! He’s been groaning like a teenager since day one! I’m DOOMED! Although the groaning is so human it makes me laugh. Kinda like when a child does something naughty and equally hilarious so you have to scold them while holding back a fit of giggles, lol.

@Viemarangelrock, I had no clue the whine came without the whistle lol! He gives me both in equal measure so much that I want to implode.

And yes, at least I’m not alone in this, lol. Solidarity for the win.

What do you mean “whistle”?

 

[MyGirl2]

@Viemarangelrock, I had no clue the whine came without the whistle lol! He gives me both in equal measure so much that I want to implode.

And yes, at least I’m not alone in this, lol. Solidarity for the win. [/QUOTE]

what do you mean “whistle”?

 

[MyGirl2]

Oh God, MAKE IT STOP!!! LOL!

Wonder where I’ve been??? Wonder no longer! Been too exhausted to do anything but manage my big brat of a whiner.

I should establish:
-He gets a two mile structured walk in the morning AND at night.
-He gets 30-45 minutes of training and fetch and open-space running play time daily.
-He is completely healthy according to the vet.

So he is definitely not understimulated or in pain. His obedience is beautiful and we practice NILIF. He is for the most part, the most respectful puppy I’ve ever known even for an energizer doberbunny.

HOWEVER, the freaking whining is like nails on a chalkboard!
The whine to meet someone I’m talking to across the street while I have him in a sit. The whine to keep moving when I stop for something on a walk. The whine to go for a walk. The whine to get out of the crate in the morning (and no it’s not because he has to pee bc he’s taken his freaking sweet time to do that once he’s out). The whine to wind down on his bed after an activity session is over (like a walk, or training, or playing with toys, etc.). The random occassional whine when we walk out of the room or get ready to leave the house with or without him. The whine when I start the car to take him somewhere. The whine when I turn off my car because we’ve reached our destination.

It’s like...now that the crate whining has stopped, it’s bled into everything he does outside of it. We’ve tried ignoring it, interrupting it, correcting it. It just does not compute. I’ve even tried to give a little grace when he’s excited and trying to control his impulse with a more muffled whine rather than a full-out giant puppy whine. Hell, if I waited for him to stop before doing anything with him, we’d literally do nothing all day.

WHY DID NO ONE WARN ME ABOUT THE WHINING?! Jk, jk...sigh.

Please, please, PLEASE tell me this is a phase. Because it’s one of the last things (other than his excitable energy and skittishness around nearby dogs) that needs fixing. The only time he doesn’t whine is when he’s working/training/playing, when he’s sleeping, or when he’s relaxing at our feet with everyone in the home before the end of the night.

Lord help this dog if he wasn’t so frikken beautiful and non-destructive...

This fella is so darn handsome!! What style crop does he have?