Whiny Dog

Question
Hi there, I have a 3 year old male American Staff cross and whenever i put his leash on he whines really loud like crazy for at least 30 minutes.  Is there any tips you have to calm him down before i leave the house, as it has resulted in me not wanting to walk him!

Answer

Hi Kali,

Not wanting to walk your dog may cause your dog to develop all sorts of behavioral problems, ranging from becoming destructive, to barking when left alone, to self mutilation. If your dog is having a training problem, the solution is NOT to give him less exercise.

Leave the leash on your dog, when he's in the home. Just let him drag it around while it's attached to his collar. In a week or two you should notice him being calmer with the leash, as he becomes desensitized to it.

This is going to take several weeks to train your dog, so be patient. Practice the following exercise everyday, and you will see progress.
When you take your dog outside, stop walking every few feet, command your dog to sit and give him a treat for his attention and obedience. Start walking again. The dog will probably walk right out ahead of you. Turn around and walk the other way again. The leash will tighten, he'll be forced to follow you and catch up. He'll try to pass you. Turn another direction again. You will look crazy, walking in circles, but your dog will catch on quickly. Repeat this every time you start out for your walks with your dog. Gradually, the dog will become calmer, and more focused on you. Luckily, your dog is not a puppy and can focus on you longer and get tired faster than a puppy. He'll become calm just from being out and getting exercise. This will help speed the training process.

You can read more about leash training here:

http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/all-or-none-reward-train-sit-stay-and-walk-...

http://hubpages.com/hub/Dog-Walking-Leash-Training-Your-Dog

You can read about training your dog to behave well on the leash, but frankly most training issues isn't so much the dog's fault, as it is the fault of the human who doesn't know how to train their dog. If you find reading about how to fix this problem isn't working, the next step is to get the help of a professional dog trainer. You will learn from the trainer, as much as your dog will.

Best of luck,
Patti