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The doghouse

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Original poster

Can I let my puppy whine for a short while?

14 replies

Superstorefan123 · 20/10/2023 08:37

A week into a new puppy and so far she’s doing great! She sleeps in her crate during the day (door open so goes in voluntarily) and at night.

My question is about letting her self settle. Once we’ve had a good amount of play time and gone to the bathroom, I tend to start getting on around the house/sit on the sofa and ignore her. She will follow me around for attention and whine which I’ve been ignoring and after about 10 minutes she’ll go off to her crate and sleep.

I’ve also occasionally been popping her in her pen (attached to crate) with some treats and shutting the door to get on. Again she’ll whine to be let out for 5 or so mins but then will fall peacefully asleep.

Is this OK to do? I don’t want her to be upset or associate the pen with being abandoned but equally don’t want to give in to the whining and create a problem for myself!

what have others done?

OP posts:

Original poster

Superstorefan123 · 20/10/2023 08:38

To add - I don’t think she’s scared as I’m normally close to her or accessible just not playing! But happy to be corrected if people think I might be scaring her

OP posts:

Changingplace · 20/10/2023 08:39

Yes absolutely fine, she’s safe and fed and will learn it’s ok to be on her own and self settle, it’ll help with when you start training her to be left alone a while when you go out too.

Worriedaboutc · 20/10/2023 08:40

Yes they have to learn and it’s only for short periods at first so it’s fine

hermioneee · 20/10/2023 08:42

Personally I didn't let mine whine to be let out for 5 minutes and it didn't make a rod for my own back at all.

Others will give you their experience but I didn't leave my dog alone for about ten months. We went from 0 to 30 minutes to 3 hours in the space of about a month with absolutely no issue at all.

All you need to do is raise a confident pup that knows if she needs you, you're there. Once she's older, like with humans, she won't need you as much.

But your mileage may vary.

TerrierOrTerror · 20/10/2023 10:45

I wouldn't put her in a pen and let her whine (to avoid negative association), but if she is free to roam, whining for attention and then takes herself off to her crate for a nap I don't see a problem.

IngGenius · 20/10/2023 13:07

I dont let my puppies whine. If you want to pop them into the crate or bed do so with a safe chew or food toy. This will occupy them until they fall asleep without the need to whine

Newpeep · 20/10/2023 17:54

I didn’t let mine whine. We’d give a chew to self settle if we needed to. We also didn’t leave ours at all until she was around 10/11 months and she has gone from needing us 24/7 to being an independent madam who doesn’t look up when we go out now for a while at just over a year.

slaggybumbum · 20/10/2023 18:23

Lucky mat is good for inducing exhaustion.

slaggybumbum · 20/10/2023 18:30

Bloody hell…licky mat is autocorrected to lucky!

margotrose · 20/10/2023 18:40

Yes, we let ours whine. Even if we put food in with him he either demolished it (then whined) or ignored it completely (and whined) until he fell asleep.

I see it a bit like a toddler protesting sleep - they just don't know what's good for them so they put up a fight. As long as they're not howling or actively distressed I don't see an issue with a puppy (or even adult dog) whining for a few minutes, though I know many disagree.

FoxRedPuppy · 09/11/2023 10:04

My puppy whines a lot. It varies in pitch and sometimes is like a squeak. I’m beginning to think some of it is him just talking to me.

He often does it while he is chewing and playing with toys- surely that is excitement rather than distress?

He is 12 weeks and when I know he is tired I put him in crate or encourage him to bed and sit with him until he sleeps. He still cries a bit with me being there, but only a few minutes.

He also sits and stares and cries at me when I’m in the shower, but to think he is concerned for me! I can’t always shower around his naps, although I try.

Riverlee · 09/11/2023 10:07

Whining for five minutes then sleeping is fine. It’s obvious she’s tired or she wouldn’t fall asleep. If she was distressed, she’d whine longer and/or would start barking.

FoxRedPuppy · 09/11/2023 10:09

For my pup I definitely think I can tell the difference between not wanting to sleep but tired pup and distressed pup. Honestly he’s constantly squeaking (as I call it!). The sleepy one is like when babies and toddlers are resisting and they grumble themselves to sleep.

ImJustHereLandOfLabs · 21/01/2024 00:43

I let my puppy whine . If you give in when they’re whining they will just keep doing it as they know they will get what they want. My pup barley does it anymore.

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