Border collies don’t make many different sounds, but they all mean something. If your dog is whining, then he must be needing something, whining for attention or because he misses you or some other pet that may have died or run away from home. Whining is considered a major problem by dog owners. This is mainly because stopping it is one of the hardest things to do when it comes to training a dog. Training can be effective if started early, but older dogs can also be trained on this topic. To deal with a border collie whining problem, the first thing you need to do is understand the reason for the whining. With this mystery cleared up, more can be done to fix the problem.
Dogs whine because they want to show what’s bothering them. Just like people cry, border collies whimper. They might try to say that they are upset, in pain, or maybe scared. Usually this is a behavioral response to feeling upset or abandoned by the pack. However, since your border collie has probably never been part of a pack, nor has he complained before and suddenly started doing this, he is probably sick, injured, or upset about something you have done. If you notice that your dog is hurt in any way and is not acting like he used to, take him to the vet, and the whining will stop as soon as his health problem is fixed. However, if you see your border collie whining even though he’s not injured, then his problem must be related to a feeling of abandonment or fear, in which case the whining works as a rescue alarm. Do not punish him to curb his behavior, as this will only increase the feeling of anxiety he has. In return, try to train both him and yourself. This will have a greater effect than the punishment could have.
Whining can also occur in cases where the border collie does not see you. If this is the case, teach him to accept short periods of time with you away. Increase these periods of time until your dog gets used to the idea that he will be left home alone from time to time. Begin this training procedure by getting the dog used to the area where it will be left alone. After playing with him, leave him alone for a few moments to see how he reacts. If he starts to whimper, this sound will probably hurt you. So this is a big challenge for you too. Do not enter the room again under any circumstances, because if you do your dog will see how he can emotionally blackmail you, and his whining will never stop.
You have to work hard not only where your beloved border collie is concerned, but also where you are concerned. When training the dog, if the whining doesn’t stop within a few minutes, then you should go back to the room you left it in. This way you will let him know that you are the boss and that you will return when you want and not when he asks you to. If he still complains even after you’ve returned to the room, you should keep playing with him some more until he stops. After a couple of times of doing this, you will notice the whining lessen. If not, he looks your border collie right in the eye and tells him a straight “no.” Praise him if he listens to you and continue the process until the whining stops for good. However, if the whining happens when you are in the house with him, it means that he is looking for attention or because he wants to play.
