# Endless whining/crying



## JackintheBox (May 30, 2014)

So first I would like to say Hi to everyone on this forum. 
I have a 7 month old chi that we have owned since xmas and all he does is cry/whine all the time. We put him in his crate he cries, leave him to roam the house he cries, take him for a walk he cries, take him to the dog park and he cries. He however does go outside for the bathroom, sleeps in his crate without issue. It seems like he just wants to be picked up or on top of us and the kids all the time. This is not possible and even if it was we are not holding him like a baby. What can we do to stop him from crying/whining all the time because it is very frustrating and we obviously do not want to get rid of him because it will destroy our kids. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.


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## Evelyn (Oct 14, 2012)

I would take him to the vet, because they tend to get bad knees, and he might be in pain with one or more knees and that is why he might whines a lot. I have a 9 month old girl that does whines a lot and now she is holding one back leg up, she whines when we take a walk so I have to end up picking her up. Mine just started in the last month holding her leg up.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I would start with a vet check first. If everything checks out OK, then I think this little one NEEDS your attention. Chihuahuas are generally needy when it comes to attention. Talk with him, play with him, etc. Your post states that " you're not going to hold him like a baby." Please, you don't have to hold him like a baby, but most chi's need some close attachment. Can you hold him while you watch TV, or while the washer and dryer are going?


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## JackintheBox (May 30, 2014)

We give him attention the issue is that when we want him to relax and just lay down he doesn't want to. If we put him in the crate he will cry, if we leave him outside he cries, we just want him to be independent and not cry all the time.


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

How much excercise does he get? Is he being mentally stimulated ? Is the crate a nice place to go in with lots of toys.Maybe leave a radio on when he's in the crate.As others have said maybe a vet check to make sure there's nothing wrong


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## JackintheBox (May 30, 2014)

We give him walks, go to the dog park, we had toys for him but he played with the toys so much they break and then he will try and eat it. The crate is where we feed him and sleep. I've had dogs before and none of them acted like this.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

It sounds as if this puppy is desparate for attention. I would get a kong and freeze it with p.butter. If you are worried about calories, try some of his food and add broth, and freeze. We use a Iris playpen for puppies. They can see out, but are safe and sound. My dogs LOVE their pens. There is medication for excessive anxiety in dogs. There is a new book out called "Decoding your dog" by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. Very good book to see what is going on.


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## Chiluv04 (Dec 19, 2013)

Is he just whining? Or legitimately crying? I agree with the others maybe you guys should get him to a vet. Chihuahuas can be needy but I've never heard of a chi or any other dog just going around crying all day as you make it seem. Leave him outside? I hope you aren't actually leaving him outside, especially unattended. If everything checks out at the vet and there is nothing physically wrong with him, maybe taking him to some puppy classes would be a great start. It will help build his confidence and make him a more "well rounded" puppy. Also try giving him a chew stick such as a bullystick to work on during times you guys want to be left alone. I've yet to hear of a dog turning down a bullystick 😊 and if you buy him a 6" or a bit larger, he should be working on it for quite a while. I truly hope you and your family find a resolution soon so that you can enjoy your little guy. Because it didn't sound like you're enjoying him, and if he can sense your anxiety towards him, that could be making things worse. Good luck!


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

7 months old is still a baby and needs lots of love and attention. Chis love to be on top of someone just about all the time. It's their nature. If this chi was taken away from it's mom too early, it might answer all the whining and crying, but I do agree with taking him to the vet to make sure it's nothing seriously wrong. Pics or a video would be great. I'd love to see your chi.


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## JackintheBox (May 30, 2014)

It's more whining and yes we leave him outside in the yard he loves it but only for a few and then whines. He just wants to be on top of everyone all the time and that gets a little annoying. I love the little punk butt lol but there are times we need to be left alone or our space. I play with him a lot and he gets a lot of exercise. I am looking into a vet in my area. I have chew sticks that I will give him and try that to see if the whining stops.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

When you are relaxing as a family will he settle on a comfy bed/blanket on the sofa? Chis do need to be with their people, but he shouldn't be so clingy that he falls apart without direct body contact. 
Does he spend much time alone? He sounds very insecure. All dogs need to be trained to be comfortable being alone, it goes against their nature, especially puppies and companion breeds like Chihuahuas. If he wasn't trained correctly at the beginning each time he is left it will reinforce his fears and insecurities.


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## JackintheBox (May 30, 2014)

We can't buy him a bed or blanket he has either peed on them or destroyed them. He is loose all the time and lays down when we watch tv. He has always slept alone in a crate since the beginning so I don't know what it can be. He runs and jumps and does all the crazy stuff a puppy does just when it's time to relax or crate time he whines and whines for a long time.


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## JackintheBox (May 30, 2014)

My wife took him to the bus stop to pick up our daughter and she said he whined the whole time and had his tail between his legs. There are times we take him to the dog park and he plays with other dogs and times he runs away and is scared out his mind.


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## zellko (Jul 3, 2013)

Chis really aren't just big dogs in a tiny body. They are companion dogs who live to be close to us and the closer the better. Is he happy when he is sitting next to or laying on someone? At our house, whining/barking at one of us is taken as chi language for 'please let me up'. If we can't let him up we say "not now" and he is expected to get quiet. (That took a while, we just said it once and then ignored him.) For every time we put him off, there are 4 or more times someone will let him up to sit with them. We also have a hand signal (patting the seat beside us) for "come on up". Also, if he's chewing up his toys, it sounds like he loves toys. I would keep him supplied with a variety. Another thought: any chance he's cold? Now that we understand our little guy, he asks for a shirt quite often. Good luck and keep us posted.


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## zellko (Jul 3, 2013)

Also, please buy him a new bed and blanket. (Most are totally washable.) Chis love soft cuddly spots. Maybe if he had a comfy bed in the living room he will curl up and be happy. If he's been trained and treated like a big dog he may be fearful and frightened. There's a really good book (out of print, but available on ebay, half.com, and Amazon) by Deborah Wood, "Little Dogs, Training Your Pint Sized Companion" that helped us understand their unique needs and her techniques are very effective. Good Luck and keep us posted on your progress.


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## Chiluv04 (Dec 19, 2013)

Maybe he doesn't like bein cooped up in a tiny crate. I think getting him something more spacious like a soft sided crate or a pen would be a great idea, and maybe put a potty pad on one side and a soft comfy bed and blanky on the other.









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## Evelyn (Oct 14, 2012)

Poor little guy is wanting to be loved and cuddle.


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## JackintheBox (May 30, 2014)

His crate is big enough and we had a bed for him he just destroyed it. He gets a lot of attention and love. All I simply want is for him not whine when it's time for him to but in his crate.


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## zellko (Jul 3, 2013)

If he's whining most of the time, something is definitely wrong. As loving pet owners, it's our jobs to figure out what is happening when they are not ok. He may have chewed up his bed because he was teething or stressed. I would start by making sure he has a soft bed in his crate, even if it's just a pile of soft old towels.


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

JackintheBox said:


> His crate is big enough and we had a bed for him he just destroyed it. He gets a lot of attention and love. All I simply want is for him not whine when it's time for him to but in his crate.


I really do wish I could help you because helping you helps this puppy. Some dogs are just chewer more than others, and at 7 months most are chewers. We have a 3 year old Maltese that will still chew a hole in a perfectly good bed. lol You can get great cheap beds at a Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, but he needs another bed even if he chewed his last one up. Get him the smallest antlers you can find and put them in his dog food to give them flavor and scent that will make them even more attractive. He can chew an antler forever before he can make a dent in it. When you see him chewing something inappropriate, give him the antler. Susan mentioned a frozen kong with a treat inside. That sounds like a great way to put him in his crate. Every night or crate time, pull out the kong from the freezer and put him in the crate with the kong. Hopefully it will occupy him long enough for him to get used to the fact that he is in the crate. Also, where is his crate? Many times people have complained about their chis whining in the crate but the crate was in another room, and the chi felt very separated and afraid. Once the chi's crate was moved into the room with their people they were better. If all is well and you know it, ignore him. Negative attention is still attention. This puppy is much like a child in that he must be trained--positively not negatively--and must have total consistency.


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## sugarmag (Jun 19, 2013)

It sounds like to me his whining behavior may have been unintentionally encouraged from the beginning. If the pup learned that by whining he would get what he wanted (attention) then that's what he's going to continue to do. Chis like to be babied and yours sounds like an especially needy one. Do your kids cater to the dog by rewarding his whining with love/attention/cuddles? At 7 months I know it's a bit late in the game, but perhaps you can start ignoring the whining and ONLY give him attention the moment he quiets down. It's going to be tough since the behavior seems to already be ingrained, but I think it'll pay off. Chis are so smart, he'll eventually learn what gets him the attention he wants if you're consistent. Give him attention only when he quiets down and teach him to sit before you pick him up and praise him for being a good boy and sitting. This'll make him feel more confident. Good luck! 7 months is still very young, a lot can change. It's so easy to baby and spoil chis because they are so tiny and cute, but they can learn appropriate behavior just like bigger dogs... Shoot, I think they're even smarter!


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## doginthedesert (Oct 10, 2011)

Toys, things to chew on and soft comfey beds are all must haves for a puppy, and yes- they chew up and destroy them, then you buy more! For beds you can get great deals at TJmaxx or even just get blankets at goodwill and fold them up for soft places to sleep. Kongs and antlers are going to last you a long time so those might be what you want to get if your little one is a destroyer. It is hard to tell if your peoblem is that he is whining because he was taught to do so, or if he actually is not getting attention he needs. How much time does he get to spend cuddling a day (as in actually touching a person)? Most chis need a fair bit of that, in your lap, next to you being pet, just touching you in general, its easy to indulge them while you are watching tv or reading. Also it is totally normal for him not to want to be outside alone, he is a little dog and the outside is big! Add that to the fact that he probably does not want to be away from his pack and it is rather justified whining foe the outside part. If he is getting a lot of physical attention then you need to really lay down the law with him and ignore the whining but it sounds like he might just need more time with his family and more toys to occupy his time. It sounds like he gets plenty of walks and that is great! They are little dogs but they still need exercise. Personally I would not take him to the dog park- that is not the place for scared dogs or dogs with ANY issues. Have you considered a group training class? They can help tire a dog out, learn manners and you will learn a lot and have the help of a trainer. It might be a good idea to check that out.

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## JackintheBox (May 30, 2014)

I just think that he wants to be on top of one of us all the time. The dog park was only one time were another little dog was playing with him and he wasn't having it. It is a dog park for small dogs only. We're not ones to be picking him up, and the whining was never encouraged. Maybe getting a chi or little dog wasn't a good idea for my family.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

Chis are very clever and easy to train. You can train him to only be allowed on laps or furniture at your invitation.
If you wanted an independent kind of dog then a Chi possibly wasn't the best choice.
I am not sure why sitting on you is a big problem though, he is a very little dog who loves your company.


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## doginthedesert (Oct 10, 2011)

Mine are trained to sit at my feet when they want picked up, then I either pick them up or tell them to go away. They would never go on an occupied couch without my permission. They are very smart dogs, I trained them simply by asking them to sit when they wanted up and if they jumped up without being invited I pushed them off. If they sat I would give them an OK and let them hang out on the couch for a while. It only took a few days with each dog.

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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

JackintheBox said:


> I just think that he wants to be on top of one of us all the time. The dog park was only one time were another little dog was playing with him and he wasn't having it. It is a dog park for small dogs only. We're not ones to be picking him up, and the whining was never encouraged. Maybe getting a chi or little dog wasn't a good idea for my family.


To be honest, I have thought this from the beginning of your post. I'm not normally an advocate of getting a dog and so easily discarding them, but it's my personal opinion it may be in the best interest of this particular dog and your family if you take the time to find him a home with someone who does want to devote lots of time to him and your children would be fine with that if you discussed and acceptable alternative to them. Also, they are children--sometimes we just have to make decisions for them, and they move on. If you are cat people, a cat would be a great alternate as they are very independent. Possibly a different breed dog--talk with the breeder or person you get the dog from about their personality first now that you know the potential issues you can face.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I second this. I had this impression too. Sorry, but I just don't think this family is the right one for this puppy.


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## JackintheBox (May 30, 2014)

So my family and I have sat down and decided that maybe we're not meant to have a small dog that requires the attention and time that he needs. As much as we love dogs we think we are better suited with a big dog breed that is more independent. I greatly appreciate all the help and advice from this site but we are looking to place Jack in a great home that can give him what we can't. Thanks.


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## sugarmag (Jun 19, 2013)

I think you're making the right decision. Thank you for being a caring person for this animal. You took the time to figure out what the right thing for him is and I commend you for that. I wish you the best of luck in finding a suitable home for him.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I'm so proud of you!! and your family. Most people just can't bring themselves to admit a mistake. Hopefully, maybe someone on this list may be interested in Jack??


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## JackintheBox (May 30, 2014)

Thanks it's sad to do this but we can't be selfish either. So if anyone knows of a great home that we can place him in please let me know. Thank you.


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