If your dog keeps whining to go outside, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do to get it to stop.
So, why does my dog whine to go outside? Possible reasons why your dog whines to go outside are that it wants to pee or poo, it heard another animal outside, it is bored, you have encouraged the behavior or it might having a medical condition causing it to need to pee or poo a lot.
There are actually a number of reasons why your dog might be doing it and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main reason and there are a number of things you can do about it.
Why your dog keeps whining to go outside
Below are a number of possible causes and what would make them more likely.
It wants to pee or poo
The reason why it wants to do it could be that it wants to pee or poo. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more when it has not been able to pee for a while and if it tends to pee or poo as soon as it gets outside.
It saw or heard another animal outside
The cause might also be that it heard another animal outside. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more when you can see that there is an animal, such as a squirrel, another dog or a cat, outside or when you can hear animals outside. It would also be more likely if it tends to be very interested in other animals when you walk your dog.
Boredom
The cause could also be that it is bored and it wants to get exercise. This would be more likely if it does it more before getting exercise and if it does it less after getting exercise. It would help to ensure that your dog is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed.
It wants something that it hid outside
The cause could also be that it hid something outside and it wants to get it. This would be more likely if your dog tends to hide its bones or other toys, if it tends to want to go out into the backyard and if it goes to the location that it hides things when it goes outside.
A medical condition
The cause could be that there is a medical condition causing it to need to pee or poo a lot. This would be more likely if it has been going outside constantly and if it has been peeing or pooing a lot, it has been showing signs of being ill and if it has started doing it suddenly. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Encouraging the behavior
It might also be the case that you have inadvertently encouraged the behavior by giving it things that it wants when it does it. If you tend to give your dog things such as toys, treats or extra attention, when it goes outside or when it wants to go outside, it will likely do it more. It would help to reward your dog when it behaves the way you want it to and to avoid rewarding it when it does not.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.
What else happened when your dog first started whining to go outside
If it did not always want to go outside all the time, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a medical condition or if you stopped giving it as much exercise.
If there is a certain time that it wants to do it
It would also help to consider if there is a certain time that it normally wants to go outside. For example, if it usually wants to go outside when it has a bone, it would be more likely that it is because it wants to hide the bone.
What to do about your dog whining to go outside
Below are some options you have when dealing with it.
Ensure that it is not due to a medical condition
If you are not sure why it has been doing it, your dog has been peeing or pooping a lot or it has started doing it suddenly, it would be the safest option to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog and to rule out medical conditions as a cause.
Give it lots of exercise
If it is healthy, it would help to ensure that it is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed. By doing so, you should be able to help keep it stimulated and to reduce how much it wants to entertain itself.
Let it go outside to pee regularly
It would also help to ensure that it is able to go outside to pee or poop as often as it needs to and to give it the chance to go outside before you leave it for long periods.