As much as we love our canine companions, a dog that is incessantly barking or whining can sour the the best relationship between the dog, hie owner and the people that live in their vicinity. While it is normal for sOME barking, even in a well behaved dog, what do you do when your dog is overtly vocal?

1. Listen to the different "voices" of your dog. Your dog is not whining or barking for no reason. Has he spotted another animal? Did someone enter your backyard and your dog is defending his territory? Maybe he needs food or water?

2. is your dog whining rather than varking? Whining is a sign that your dog is in distress and you need to check that your dog is OK.

3. If you have been out all day, your dog may whine because it has been lonely. Since dogs are pack animals and thrive on social interaction, this is a normal response to being alone and while you might not be in the mood for catching up with your dog after a long day at work, your dog needs to have that time. Fail to offer it to the dog, and it will let you know of its unhappiness by whining. Set aside 10 minutes to interact and play with your dog when you come home and culminate in filling its food bowl, and the odds are good that you can stop your dog's whining in its tracks.

4. Keeping a dog outside by itself is another way to get it to whine. It wants to come in misses the human companionship which is associated with the inside of the house, and will therefore stand by the backdoor and whine until you decide to open the door. This may take 10 minutes or 10 hours, depending on your work schedule. Dogs are persistent and your neighbors may also be when they ask you to put your dog inside the house before you leave next time.

Disciplining a whining dog is not a good idea. Remember, whining is a sign of distress. Punishing the dog will cause even more distress. Instead, find out what your dog's needs are to take him out of the distress.