Why does my Rottweiler whine a lot?

If your Rottweiler has been whining a lot this post will show you a number of reasons why it might have been doing it and what you can do to get it to do it less.

So, why does my Rottweiler whine so much? Possible reasons are that it is ill or injured, boredom, it wants attention, it wants to be given something, stress, fear or you might have been reinforcing the behavior.

There are actually a number of possible reasons why it might be whining a lot and it could be a combination of multiple reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when trying to figure out the exact reason. It should also become a lot easier to get it to stop once you have a good idea of the cause.

Why your Rottweiler whines a lot

The different reasons why your Rottweiler whines a lot will likely come with some clues in the way that it does it.

Below are some possible causes and what would make them more likely.

It is ill or injured

The cause could be that it has an illness or injury. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being ill or injured such as liming or being fatigued when awake. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Boredom

Rottweilers are a breed that is meant to get a lot of exercise on a daily basis. When they do not get enough exercise it can cause them to behave abnormally and it could be why yours has been whining.

Generally, it is recommended for them to get at least an hour of exercise per day and the American Kennel Club actually recommends 2 hours per day. If your Rottweiler is not getting much exercise and it is healthy, it would help to make sure that it does start getting more exercise.

It wants attention

It could be the case that it has been doing it for attention. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it more attention when it does it.

Instead, it would help to give it attention throughout the day in the form of training, exercise and by playing with it but to avoid rewarding it with attention when it starts whining.

It wants something

The cause could also be that it does it because it wants something from you like food or a walk. This would be more likely if it starts doing it more at around the same time that you would normally give it something.

Anxiety

It could be the case that something has been causing it to be stressed or anxious. This would be more likely if it does it more at a certain time such as when you are about to leave home which would suggest that it has separation anxiety.

Fear

It could also be the case that it has been doing it because something has been causing it to be fearful. This would be more likely if it starts whining at times such as when there are noises outside like fireworks or if it does it more at times such as when someone is around that it does not like.

Excitement

The cause could also be that it gets excited since dogs will often whine when they are excited. This would be more likely to be the reason if it does it more in situations such as when you come home, when you’re playing with it or when you would normally walk it.

You have been reinforcing it

The reason why it does it could be that you have inadvertently encouraged the behavior by giving it things it wants when it does it. If you tend to give it things such as toys, treats or extra attention when it whines then it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.

Instead, it would help to reward it when it is being well behaved and to avoid rewarding the whining. It would also help to make sure that there are no other causes.

How to get your Rottweiler to whine less

Below are some options you have when getting it to whine less.

Give it exercise

As mentioned above it is important to make sure that your Rottweiler is able to get daily exercise. Generally, it is recommended for them to get at least an hour of exercise per day and the American Kennel Club recommends 2 hours per day. Provided that your Rottweiler is healthy, it would help to make sure that yours is able to get enough daily exercise.

Reward it for not whining

It would also help to make use of positive reinforcement training which is where you reward your Rottweiler for showing signs of behaving the way you want it to and avoid rewarding it when it does not.

If you reward your Rottweiler when it does not whine but it normally would and avoid rewarding it when it does whine, it should encourage it to whine less.

Avoid reinforcing the whining

As mentioned above, it could be the case that you have encouraged it to whine when it whines. Instead, it would help to reward it when it does not whine and to wait for it to stop whining before rewarding it.

Give it distractions

In addition to the above, you could also give it things such as toys or bones to be distracted with so that it is less likely to seek attention from you.

Make sure that it is not ill or injured

If you are unsure of why your Rottweiler has been whining, it has started doing in suddenly or it has been showing signs of being ill or injured the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so you will be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular Rottweiler and to rule out the possibility of it being due to medical causes.

Things to consider

When the whining started

It would help to consider what else happened when your Rottweiler first started doing it since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start.

If it started doing it suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as illness, injury, a sudden change in its daily routine such as getting fed at a different time or realizing it gets rewards when it whines.

When and where it whines

It would also help to consider the timing of when it does it since it could be the case that the timing has something to do with it. For example, if it tends to whine more when you are about to leave home then it would be more likely to be due to separation anxiety.