# Crying whippet



## laurenapp04 (Apr 6, 2014)

I love my whippet to bits, he is 5 months old and a rambunctious little git. But he's so affectionate and kind. However he has begun to cry...... a lot! 
He will stand by the window and cry, he will stand by his treat box and cry, he will stand by the door and cry, he will just sit in the middle of the carpet and cry! When he stands by the door I take him out thinking he needs a wee and he doesn't do one. I am up and down like a yo yo but I am beginning to think I am reinforcing his crying by getting up to try and find out what's wrong.
He is healthy and has been seeing the vet monthly to be weighed and to monitor his wormers. 
It's just beginning to drive me mad! Has anyone else had this problem with their dogs?
He's fine when we leave him, he's fine on a night when he goes in his cage its always when we are there!


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## Linda Weasel (Mar 5, 2014)

Assuming that your Vet says there's no physical reason for him to cry, then there MUST be, or have been, a reward in it for him for him somewhere, cos dogs don't perform a behaviour that isn't either instinctive ( and I don't think this is) or learned by being rewarded.

I think you need to look very closely at what this reward may be...even negative attention/comment can be enough attention for some dogs to learn to do something undesirable.

Have you tried leaving the room immediately he starts, without a word. Or if he does it while you're not in the room, closing the door ( not for long ), so he has totally no feedback from you.

Can't think of anything else for the time being..hope this might help.


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## agrumpycow (Dec 14, 2010)

Pumpkin is doing this a lot at the moment (she's the same age). I think she's realised she gets a reaction from us (and anyone else around as she sounds so pitiful!) so is doing it to get attention. 
It happens more when just one of us leaves the room, almost like her 'pack' isn't together. We think it also might be her teeth cutting through.
We just try to watch and give no attention, in the hope that she'll realise it doesn't work. The trouble is, she also does it at the back door when she wants to go out for a wee so she always gets attention then


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## laurenapp04 (Apr 6, 2014)

This sounds exactly like Rolo. My partner has gone for a shower so he's run to the living room door crying. So I've took him out, brought him back in and he's been crying at the door for 10 minutes. The problem I have is I'm trying not to give him attention but because he runs to door I'm reluctant not to take him out incase he needs to do anything. He's driving me potty at the moment though! Trying really hard not to reinforce his crying!


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## Phoolf (Jun 13, 2012)

I wonder if whippet owners here can let you know whether this is a breed trait? I have vague memories of someone saying it was once..... Some breeds are just vocal.


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## Sarahferret (Apr 25, 2012)

whippets are not generally vocal dogs, well none that I know are! They are however very smart, and very quickly learn to turn their owners into slaves to their every whim. It sounds to me like attention seeking, and it is working! Ignore all the crying and remember to give him lots of praise, love and attention every time he his quiet. The whining could be because he is teething maybe?


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## Skinnywhippet (May 23, 2013)

Hands up to a Whinging Whippet here  I believe it isn't that unusual for them to be vocal -they usually aren't "yappy" barkers but can be big on a range of other noises from grumbling to "roo roo" chattering to whining.

Mine was a shocking whiner as a youngster. It used to really get to me, it felt like she was sad all the time. I did my best not to reinforce - in fact I often turned my back or even left the room when she started it - but as you say, it is a fine line on screwing up the house training. 

You may find that, with consistent ignoring ( and very dull on leash potty trips at times you daren't risk it) yours will grow out of it. Mine largely has. I actually remember the first day I felt inexplicably happy at around 7pm, and realised it was the first time I hadn't heard a whinge all day!


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## WeedySeaDragon (Oct 7, 2012)

Ahhhhh, whingey whippets, I've got two of those :001_rolleyes:

Whippets generally are very quiet as far as barking goes but it's definitely not uncommon for them to be vocal in a variety of other ways.

I definitely agree with ignoring it as much as you can is probably the best thing you can do.

One of my whingers was dreadful as a puppy (think full on wailing whilst we were eating) and he's mostly grown out of it. Mostly........ He does have a fabulous singing voice which he puts to good use when he thinks we're not getting ready for bed quick enough so he can have his bedtime biscuit :laugh: He does rather like the sound of his own voice and makes a racket when they're playing. 

The other whinger was a very quiet puppy but as he's grown up he's become the most impatient dog I've ever known. He particularly hates standing still when he's on lead out on walks and will whine until we start moving again :001_rolleyes:

The youngest isn't a whinger but he does mock growl sometimes if he thinks his food isn't being prepared quickly enough :lol:


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## hazel pritchard (Jun 28, 2009)

I have a whippet x and ive never known a dog that whinges like him,


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