We've all fallen victim to it. It is more weakening than kryptonite. Yes, I am of course talking about The Whine. All puppies do it and it tugs at our heartstrings, but if we do not wish this behavior to continue as an adult, we have to teach our pup that whining is not an acceptable behavior in our home.

Before we go about correcting or addressing this behavior, it is important to understand what the whine is and why our dogs and puppies do it in the first place. Just like human babies cry to get attention, to communicate discomfort, get food, or dispel energy, our puppies are exactly the same: whining is one of their forms of communication. They use it to get attention (and this is the one we want to manage), but we first must make sure that we have addressed all of their basic needs. Puppies will whine to alert us if they are not getting proper food, water, shelter, or exercise. These are termed "responsible dog ownership basics" and should be addressed without the dog having to complain. That being said, numerous owners are aggravated by constant whining, only to find out it was due to a simple lack in one of the above-mentioned categories. So before you attribute his whining to a cry for attention, check out this list every day:

• Have you let your dog out to use the bathroom recently?

• Does he have fresh food and water?

• If it's cold or hot out, have you made the necessary arrangements to keep him comfortable?

• Have you gotten him out for exercise today?

• Might he be in pain? If you have checked off on all the above and your puppy is still whining, a prompt visit to the vet is necessary. Your puppy may be trying to tell you that something is wrong.

If you have provided for all his needs, you have taken him to the vet and the vet has given him a clean bill of health, then you can be fairly certain that he is just trying to get attention from you. Once you are sure of this, then you can go about correcting the unwanted behavior. The steps listed below must be followed consistently and regularly if you wish to have success in your training endeavors.

Much As You Want to, You Can't Give In to The Behavior

The first step to addressing your puppy's whining, is to not react to it by comforting him. By doing this, you're only giving your puppy what he desires and therefore, reinforcing the behavior. No matter how painful it is to hear him crying for you or to put up with hours of noise, you must if you wish your puppy to learn to be quiet. You can also make a loud noise with your voice or an object, to get him to quit whining. Once he quiets down, say, "good quiet" and reward him with a treat. (Not all trainers advocate the use of treats. If you are following a program that doe not, simply rewarding with "good quiet", followed by a pet on the head, this is sufficient). This is called teaching the "quiet command." In this way, your puppy is learning that he will not be rewarded for his noise. Another way to achieve this is to put the puppy in a room, tell him to be quiet, and close the door. Don't go back into the room until he has settled down. When he has stopped whining you can go in and reward him. Whining then, becomes a fruitless activity. If he wants to be with you, he has to be quiet.

Breaking this habit in your puppy will take time and commitment from all members of your family, but you will all be rewarded for your hard work. Your dog will be a quiet dog, keeping you and your neighbors happy.

It is important to note that giving into this whining or other unwanted behavior expresses to your dog that you are not Alpha or Pack Leader. By communicating that your dog is pack leader, you will eventually see signs of aggression that are highly undesirable.