Help! Growling and whining

[pikkupupu]

Hi, so we have Minnie for around 2 weeks already and all that time everything went ok. Except whining. She learnt how to sleep in other room, she usually sleeps through the night and don't wake us up if she wakes up earlier, she plays her toys. So she is ok when she can't see people in the room. But if there is someone (usually me as my computer is there) she starts whining and barking even though we fed her, took her out and played with her. It is not the pain bark and whine either. We ignore it completely for 2 weeks already but it seems that it doesn't help at all

Also she developed a really strange habit for 2 days already - when we let her out of her crate to run around, she starts jumping around and growling! Usually I say "No" and ignore her for some time but doesn't seem to work either

I don't know what to do, has anyone else experienced such things? Or is it just too little time passed for such little puppy? But why has she started growling - is she testing me?

Thanks for any help.

[Karlin]

That's normal for dog to whine and bark for attention. Puppies in particular do this -- it is hard wired into them to try and get attention as that is how they would survive in the wild! Just do what you are doing -- ignore it. You can also teach her to speak -- and then use that to teach her to 'shush' (see Ian Dunbar's book below).

On growling -- some puppies growl in play and when excited. Tow of my adults do -- Tansy runs around growling and going into play bows! Don't scold a dog for growling -- you WANT a dog to give a warning if the dog is truly annoyed. But I am sure this is just playfunless and a pup testing out all the sounds and actions she can do.

have you used the wonderful puppy resources and downloaded After Yu Get Your Puppy (a FREE download of this well known book) at www.dogstardaily.com? You will get lots of advice and reassurance from this book and Ian Dunbar's guidance.

[waldor]

Also she developed a really strange habit for 2 days already - when we let her out of her crate to run around, she starts jumping around and growling!

Thanks for any help.

That sounds like playing to me, too. Our Sophie will growl when she and I are playing - serious play time with fake chasing around the room, etc., which she loooves - and I growl back at her with a fake growl, one she knows is not serious. We have a lot of fun. She will sometimes growl when I want to put her leash on, and she loves her walks, but she has a different perspective of "play" than I do and I just put up with it.

[Cathy T]

On growling -- some puppies growl in play and when excited. Tow of my adults do -- Tansy runs around growling and going into play bows!

My 7 year old does this! This is how Jake wakes up in the morning. He has his breakfast, goes outside to do his business and then speeds around the house growling and trying to get Shelby to play with him. She sits on the couch and ignores him I never scold him for his growls, even when we are playing. He likes to tug on a toy while I hold it and he growls. As soon as I bend down and kiss his nose, he stops growling, gives me a kiss and sits to wait for me to throw his toy. I can kiss him on the nose while he's growling because I know he isn't going to be snappy and I know what that particular type of growl is, it's all a part of our play. There are times he gets a little too wound up and we just ignore him and he stops.

[SamT]

Charlie would whine when he was in his dog play pen in the middle of the night but we think now this was because he wanted out to our other dog who was 2 months older.

When Sam was a puppy he used to growl and bark at the zip on the playpen, he would hit the zip and growl when it made noise, he would also lick the radiator and then bark at it!! He is a very strange dog but we love him!! At the moment he barks and growls at the halloween decorations!

[hbmama]

My 7 year old does this! This is how Jake wakes up in the morning. He has his breakfast, goes outside to do his business and then speeds around the house growling and trying to get Shelby to play with him. She sits on the couch and ignores him I never scold him for his growls, even when we are playing. He likes to tug on a toy while I hold it and he growls. As soon as I bend down and kiss his nose, he stops growling, gives me a kiss and sits to wait for me to throw his toy. I can kiss him on the nose while he's growling because I know he isn't going to be snappy and I know what that particular type of growl is, it's all a part of our play. There are times he gets a little too wound up and we just ignore him and he stops.

Sounds like our household in the morning to a tee! Dottie gets the zoomies and Claire just wants to do her morning "business", have a bite to eat and go back to snoozing. Dottie does the play bow, while bouncing a circle around Claire, then grabs Claire by the ear (gently), then play growls and tries to get her to play. Claire just looks up at us with the "oh well" look and does her senior citizen trot around the room with Dottie, trying to keep her happy.

Dottie also loves to play tug of war with her toy and does a cute little growl while she is pulling. If my hand gets near where her mouth is, she gently backs off, licks me, then picks up the toy to try again.

I think you can tell when dogs are happily play growling or doing the "stay away from me, warning" growl"....

[pikkupupu]

Yes, thank you all! I have been just ending the game when she started growling and just ingored her and this technique actually helped! She just stopped doing that and went to do some other business.

But the whining still continues Now we understood that mostly it is usually when she wants to eliminate, so we take her out. But sometimes she starts whining even after we take her out and start doing out business. We really strictly ignore her so now it is much better as she just whines for maybe couple minutes and then tries to entertain herself. So we are teaching and hoping for the best

How old were your cavaliers when they grew out of whiny stage?

[Cathy T]

Even at this age (6 and 7) if either of mine cries in their crate at night I get up, take them out to potty (no play time...no kissy face...no lovey dovey....strictly business). If they potty I praise them, give them a treat and put them right back into their crates. If they don't potty....no treat...and back in their crates. Then I know the crying is only for attention and ignore it.