My 4-month-old puppy barks and whines a lot. How do I stop it?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are certainly things that you can do to help with this. One thing that can help is taking him for long walks and playing with him often. Another thing that may help is getting him plenty of toys that he can play with instead of whining. Part of this really is just a puppy thing that will eventually go away on its own but hopefully these things can help with this issue. Good luck and have a good night!

if you are giving in when he whines, you are encouraging the whining (he gets what he wants, right?) You need to ignorre the whining. Don't scold; don't reassure. just ignore him completely. He may increase the behavior at first, since it has always worked in the past. But if you stand your ground, it will eventually stop for good.

They key to stopping this kind of behavior is with training and positive reinforcement. If Panda spends a great deal of time whining for things she wants, you must learn not to give into her demands. Any time you respond to whining in a way that will make her happy, you are reinforcing her unwanted behavior. If you are outside and she is begging for you to play fetch, you can not throw the ball until she is sitting calmly and attentively. The moment that this happens, you should say praise her and play fetch. Continue with this in a repetitive way until she begins to see that being quiet and well-mannered is the key to her getting the ball. This type of positive reinforcement technique is the mainstay to training most dogs for any basic obedience. The use of a clicker is a great tool in starting this type of training. You can find countless videos on clicker training on Youtube that will show you just how to use this tool to your advantage. Other things that might be useful are things like the Adaptil collar (http://www.allivet.com/p-5327-adaptil-collar-for-medium-and-large-dogs-246-in.aspx?sku=49617&gclid=Cj0KEQjwi7vIBRDpo9W8y7Ct6ZcBEiQA1CwV2BJDnbVHCRFspwaa-XevpeDb6Tr5L9MFP5z4rAupDhoaApW08P8HAQ) and in some more persistent cases, certain medications that can be prescribed by a veterinarian. Hope you and Panda can work things out so everything is happy and well-adjusted.

Puppies will bark or whine due to hunger, fear, boredom, pain, infection, if too cold/hot or if they have to go outside. Check to make sure he or she is not experiencing any of the above. If the behavior persists or worsens, consider an exam with your veterinarian.

It's okay, but ideally we want Baxter to enjoy being in his crate and not whine or cry at all - so next time, I would recommend giving him a special, long-lasting treat of some kind when you put him in his crate. A Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter is a great option for many puppies. This will help him get into the habit of settling down right away when he goes in, and will also teach him to associate good things with being in his crate. This should cut down quite a bit on the barking and whining, and help to set him up for a lifetime of enjoying his crate :)

This is not unusual and most pets will out grow this. It is important to address this and remain patient and calm. Here are some links which may help: https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/behavior-appearance/why-is-my-puppy-whining https://positively.com/dog-behavior/puppy-knowledge/whiningcrying/ I hope this helps.

When she barks, she is looking for attention of some kind from you. Even negative attention, such as clapping your hands or scolding her, is better than nothing in her mind. Ignoring her is the correct response, but you can't give in after a while as you have been doing. The same is true if she is in her crate and barking. I know it is tempting to tell her to be quiet so you can get some sleep, but that is counterproductive. Because she knows that after some time you will interact with her, she will bark even more to get what she's always gotten in the past. You must be more stubborn than she is, and ignore her until she stops--then praise her immediately for being quiet! You also have the option of leaving the room or going outdoors when she is barking during the day. For further assistance, you can click on the prompt for a consult, where we can discuss this at length.