Whining in young cocker

I have a young working cocker spaniel bitch who is five and a half months old. She is perfect, but she whines constantly. She will whine when I return home, she whines in her crate, when other dogs are there or when I take them away. She is going to go out into the kennel, but I really do not want a noisy dog as I intend to work her.

A noisy gundog is a big no-no. There could be many reasons but the most likely, at her age, is anxiety or excitement. Make sure she is getting enough quiet crated time alone to settle so she is not overtired or overstimulated. Take her out alone or with one other calm older dog, so any influences around her are calm and quiet. Sit with her and let her be a little independent. If she is doing it for attention, you can wean her off a little.

Play little hunting games with food or balls, so she starts to focus on something else rather than whining. If it is still not improving, it may be that you have a line of dog that is noisy.

Breeding and the power of nature is strong in gundogs and noise can often be an inherited trait. However, for a start, assume it is not and slow everything right down for her. ES