Eating is one of the favorite and fun activities for a dog in the day. But why does your dog whine when he eats? Such occurrences can be confusing and devastating at the same time. Your dog is trying to communicate with you, and it is essential not to ignore this behavior.
Why does my dog whine when he eats? Likely reasons why a dog will whine when they eat are mouth problems, attention-seeking, injury, anxiety or excitement.
Numerous reasons could contribute to this behavior. If you are tired of your dog crying every time it starts eating, continue reading this article to the end. You will discover this and relate much more to your awkward dog’s behavior while eating.
Why Does My Dog Whine When He Eats?
· Mouth problem
Is it possible that your dog has a tooth infection? Pain in the moth resulting from a tooth problem is one of the reasons that causes your dog to whine while eating. Other mouth problems include sores in the mouth or in the throat, masticatory muscle issues. All these mouth problems can result in your dog whining while eating.
· It is a phase
If your dog is a puppy, it is likely to whine while eating. Puppies tend to cry a lot, even when eating. Do you have a puppy that constantly whines while eating? Do not worry. The phase will disappear with time, and it will stop crying.
· Attention-seeking
Dogs love spending time with their master. If you are always busy and only tend to pay attention to him when he whines, he is likely to cry regularly, including when eating. Does your dog get your attention after crying? If you have been spending less time with your dog, it is likely to take every opportunity it gets to receive your attention. This will include whining while eating. Your dog understands that it is only through whining that he can get much of your attention.
· Neck pain
Does your dog start whining after it gets up to eat? In most cases, neck pain is one issue that could contribute to your dog whining. What are the signs that your dog is experiencing neck pains? If your dog bends over to eat, neck pain can be a possibility if they move their neck the wrong way.
· Anxiety or fear
How often do you discipline your dog? How do you discipline it? If you are always hard on your dog, it is likely to develop some form of anxiety resulting from fear of punishment. Thus, please pay attention to what happens before serving your meal. If you punish it so hard and then give him food, it is likely to continue whining as it eats.
Similarly, if you force your dog to take meals when it is already complete, it is likely to start whining. Be observant of what happens before your dog starts crying while eating.
· Excitement
Does your dog whine only when you serve him his favorite meal? It is not unheard of for a dog to whine as it eats because of excitement. If you serve your dog its favorite meal, it is likely to whine as a way of communicating to you that it likes the meal. Excitement could be the reason.
Why Does My Dog Whine When He Eats A Treat Or Bone?
It is frustrating to give your dog a good treat, only to end up whining. However, let this behavior not discourage your effort to treat your dog. While there might be some medical issues, most of the problems are nothing to worry about. Let’s examine these reasons one by one.
· It is a form of gratitude.
Dogs communicate through body language. When you buy your dog some treats, instead of jumping on to you, it can result in whining as it digs in. This behavior is so similar to humans. When you buy an engagement ring, the first reaction is always to cry most of the time. They are usually tears of joy and gratitude.
Similarly, if your dog whines every time you buy it some treat, the possibilities are that it is just super exciting and appreciative of your efforts.
· Lack of hiding spot
Dogs from their history as hunters used to hide excess food for times when it was scarce. They also tend to hide the most precious things from the rest. Similarly, even now that it is a tame, domesticated animal, it still holds its behavior of burring things.
How do you know it is whining due to lack of a hiding spot? All you need is to observe its behavior. Does it run and pace around from one corner to another, carrying its treat? Possibilities are that it is searching for a suitable hiding spot, but it cannot get one. It will continue whining as it runs aimlessly until it finds the location it is looking for.
· When seeking a personal space
When eating, dogs do not like to be in the open. They prefer eating in a secluded spot from the rest of the pets. If you have other pets in your home with your dog, you may have already observed the hostility that exists when eating when the other pet is staring at the dog.
Similarly, when you give your dog a treat, it is likely to whine as it paces up and down, looking for a comfortable space.
· Mouth injury
Mouth injuries are one of the medical issues that your dog could suffer from if it starts whining after receiving a treat. The issue could be the teeth have cavities, bleeding gums, or even sores in the mouth resulting from some infection. The pain resulting from such medical problems could make your dog whine while given a treat.
How do you know your dog has mouth injuries? Since it will not allow you to check its mouth without a fight, it can be challenging. However, if your dog keeps lifting the treat, then dropping it now and then could be a sign of a mouth issue. Similarly, if it cannot eat another form of food or does so while whining, a medical checkup would be necessary.
· Possessiveness
Some dogs can be a little possessive. If you cannot go near it without whining after giving your dog the treat, possessive behavior could be the issue. In this case, your dog will not only whine but will also tend to be aggressive.
Why Does My Dog Cry After Eating?
· Sore throat
Dogs can develop tonsillitis. If this happens, you are likely to experience pain while swallowing food. As such, it will start whining while swallowing all the way through. Thus, if your dog starts crying while eating and continues after, it is a possible sign of a sore throat.
· Swallowing sharp food
Dogs love to crush and chew bones. In the process, they are likely to swallow some. If this happens, your dog will experience some level of discomfort after eating. Depending on the fragment of bone, it might whine a little or become extremely uncontrollable if the pain is extreme. Ensure the bones are not easily crushed, and neither do they shatter into small pieces.
· Stomachache
Stomachache is a common problem that can cause your dog to start whining. The pain could emanate from a wide variety of possibilities. If you had recently changed your dog’s diet when the problem started, your dog might have some allergic reaction to the new diet.
· Eating excess
When dealing with puppies, it is essential to measure their food to the required amount. Excess eating is primarily common among puppies. This is because, even when they are complete, they will continue to eat until their bowl is empty. Excessive eating will, in turn, result in stomach discomfort and hence whining.
What To Do About My Dog Crying When Eating?
· Ignore
As unreasonable as it sounds, ignoring your dog is one of the steps you could take. However, you should do this if you are sure that its whining results from its current stage. If you have a puppy that whines while eating, there is no immediate remedy to this. The best thing is to allow your puppy to whine until it grows out of it.
· Take your dog to the vet
Since whining while eating could result from a medical issue, it is essential to visit a veterinarian. Proper diagnosis and treatment are necessary for solving this behavior.
· Spend more time
Dogs enjoy it more when they spend more time with their master. For instance, you can decide to play fetch with your dog even after work or go for a long walk. In this way, your dog will enjoy your time together and eliminate the attention-seeking behavior of whining while eating.
· Reward your dog after it stops
You can train your dog always to receive a reward if it stops whining and especially on days when it does not weep. Dogs are trainable and will quickly learn the trend. If the problem is not medically related, it is likely to uphold good behavior to receive a reward after eating.