# Why the sudden whining



## buddieandtails (Feb 13, 2014)

HELP!

Haven't been on in a while. My Toy Poodle/Bishon Frise cross, Buddie is now thirteen months old and was getting on great, so smart, cuddly everything. We went away for a two week holiday and she was in the kennels, which she loved, on her return, she whines ALL night long! She used to love her crate, it was like her safe den. Now she wants to be with us all the time. I know all her needs have been met before she goes to bed, she has two long walks a day she is fed and watered and has toys and a kong with her in bed, so why the whining? I live in a semi detached so i cant let her whine all night. Last night i had to go downstairs and sleep on the couch, take her out of her crate so she could sleep next to me (she settled down instantly and went to sleep). I know she is doing this for attention but i dont know how to make it stop. We have now been back from holiday for two weeks and she has whined almost every night. Why the change in behaviour and how can i make it stop and go back to the way it was? Any suggestions would be so appreciated.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

buddieandtails said:


> HELP!
> 
> Haven't been on in a while. My Toy Poodle/Bishon Frise cross, Buddie is now thirteen months old and was getting on great, so smart, cuddly everything. We went away for a two week holiday and she was in the kennels, which she loved, on her return, she whines ALL night long! She used to love her crate, it was like her safe den. Now she wants to be with us all the time. I know all her needs have been met before she goes to bed, she has two long walks a day she is fed and watered and has toys and a kong with her in bed, so why the whining? I live in a semi detached so i cant let her whine all night. Last night i had to go downstairs and sleep on the couch, take her out of her crate so she could sleep next to me (she settled down instantly and went to sleep). I know she is doing this for attention but i dont know how to make it stop. We have now been back from holiday for two weeks and she has whined almost every night. Why the change in behaviour and how can i make it stop and go back to the way it was? Any suggestions would be so appreciated.


If she was Kennelled and away from you for two weeks when you were on holiday and the whining happens every time shes not with you since you have been back, then probably the most likely cause is anxiety due to separation.
She may now have a fear or gets anxious when you are leaving her by the sounds of it. She may not have loved being in kennels as much as you thought. Its likely going to take time and some training until she feels settled again and confident that when you leave you will always be back.

There are several things you can try, it might be worth trying an adaptil plug in diffuser, these emit an artificial version of the pheromone mum emits to calm and soothe pups. Its often works on dogs of all ages, there is a link below explaining all about it. Cheapest place to get them is at on line vet pharmacies, although you can get them in pets and home and vets, but sometimes they are double the price.

Adaptil helps dogs and puppys learn settle travel and in kennels

There is also things like zylkene which is a supplement based on casein a protein found in milk so not a drug but can help stressed an anxious dogs, again you can buy it at on line reputable vet pharmacies.
Details if you want a read of that too are on the link below.

Home

Sometimes if a dog is stressed or anxious then giving a natural calmative can get them in a calmer better place and make them more responsive to retraining.

Other old tricks that will cost nothing and worth trying that often helps settle puppies and even older anxious dogs are, leaving an old tshirt or jumper in their bed that you have worn so they still have your familiar smell, smells are important to a dog. In the litter pups often sleep touching for security and warmth, so another old trick is to put in their beds a large soft toy to cuddle up too or a couple of smaller ones. If she is specifically whining and seems anxious at night time, then one possibility might be the darkness in the kennel if they were left in darkness, so she may or its possible that she associates night and darkness more with the anxiety, in which case might be worth getting a baby night light to see if that helps any, they are relatively inexpensive. Don't leave bright lights on as it can stimulate them awake more which is not what you want. Some dogs don't like deadly quiet, so for some, leaving a radio down low on a talking type station can be more comforting then silence, something else you could perhaps try.

If she is with you and allowed to be with you all the time you are in, often the best way with dogs when they don't cope when left alone or when you are out is to start to wean them off slowly teaching them to cope, by making a few sessions of wind down and alone time as part of their daily routine when you are in at first. 
you start with short periods, leaving them with something like a kong or safe chew, often after a walk or training session when they will be more tired gotten rid of excess energy and be more likely to settle. Some do better being separated with a baby gate, rather then having a solid closed door to separate them which can be to some, more isolating. Just start to give her these very short alone times in the day if shes always with you. You need to return, before she gets anxious, whining or stressed even if its only literally minutes at first, just walk up let her out but nothing else, ignore her for another minute or two and then call her and give lots of praise and attention. You then build up the alone times, as she begins to be more confident and will settle for longer and longer.

Other alternatives at night if she really cant settle, may be to have the crate in your room, next to the bed for now, just getting her to get used to and feel secure in it again, as long as you do the alone times as part of her routine in the day, it should be OK. You could then try at night moving the crate, further and further from the bed a bit at a time, as she settles and is OK in it again, then out onto the landing, and finally bottom of the stairs until its back in the normal place or she is back sleeping in her usual place downstairs without it.
That would be another way to wean her off and hopefully make her feel secure again.


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## Hagrid (Dec 10, 2014)

That is some great advice! Something to keep in mind


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