my puppy whines all the time

Question
I got a new German Shepherd puppy. He will be 8 wks. on Nov 22. We have had him 6 days. He whines all the time. He will even whine when we are in the room with him. Why does he whine all the time and how do I stop it?

Answer
It is typical of Shepherds to be more vocal.  Try to wait for even the shortest break in the whining and then praise him and give him attention.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/ For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm  For now you Will have to practice things at home.   He is much too young to be out around other dogs and his attention span means you can only do a few repetitions at a time.  

Once he learns sit, you can make him sit when you feed him.  If he whines, hold you hand out and say enough.  Don't put the food down until he is quiet for at least a few seconds.