German Shepherds

[GermanShepLove]

Hey Guys,
I'm a first time dog owner and i have a pure-bred German Shepherd as a lovely pet. I was just curious... Do they the tendency to whine a lot... (especially for no reason at all)??? because mine sure as hell does!

[Angies Man]

My brother has a GSD, she whines a little sometimes. Whiny dogs can be trained to not whine, btw. A good, sharp "Cut it out!" has always worked for me. Tone of voice should communicate disgust and annoyance.

She does like to talk as part of her greeting when friends come for a visit--I find it endearing.

A GSD can be very headstrong--they are very smart and enjoy working. I'd strongly suggest that you and she go get obedience training--you'll both enjoy it.

[MyBirdIsEvil]

Whether a dog whines a lot tends to be an individual thing, not a breed thing.

Walnut whines a lot, and we don't encourage it, it's just how she is, it's how she communicates. Dogs rarely whine for no reason like you've suggested, they usually are trying to tell you something, even if you're not sure what they want.

Walnut will whine when she wants to go outside and play for example, and we'll say "No outside". She knows what it means but she tries to look all sad and whines some more. After about 30 seconds she usually goes "oof" as if to say "FINE!" and lays down.

It's just part of their personality, some dogs whine a lot just like some children may, while some are pretty quiet. There are plenty of ways to discourage it but some dogs are just more whiney than others and may do it quite a bit anyway.

Walnut also whines when we're all just sitting around watching TV or something and she's bored. To someone else it may just seem like she's sitting there whining for no reason, but if you watch your dog a lot and get to know them you usually learn what they're trying to say.

[SarahLynn123]

Mine whines all the time, but I usually know exactly what she wants now! When we first brought her home from the humane society she would pace and whine all the time, now its when the cat is in her way and she cant pass him, she is unsure of a situation, she would like to be fed a few hours early. I dont give in though, I just ignore her or a quick stern "enough" (not yellingh tough, she is quite sensitive!) usually does the trick if its getting out of hand.

When she's really excited she makes more of a growly sound.

[pitgrrl]

Originally Posted by MyBirdIsEvil

Walnut whines a lot, and we don't encourage it, it's just how she is, it's how she communicates. Dogs rarely whine for no reason like you've suggested, they usually are trying to tell you something, even if you're not sure what they want.

One of my dogs whines alot, and although it can be annoying at times, I wouldn't change it if I could.
It is absolutley how he communicates and it makes it much easier to know whats going on with him then with his brother, who is a very quiet dog for the most part.

Certainly it's not something one would want to actively encourage, but I think if you pay attention to what the dog is trying to tell you and assume it is for a reason, it can actually be helpful.

[mona_b]

I grew up with this breed, and have raised 3.And to be honest I really haven't heard them whine.If they did it was only becasue I left.Other then that,nothing.

My current can be quite the talker.I can only imagine what he's saying.LOL

To me the GSD is the most easily trained.BUT this breed must be trained from day one.And must be constent in the training.Do I think they need a job to do?No not really.Two of my three were couch patatoes.They enjoyed their walks.My current was a working dog.But when his job was done at the end of the day,he just lazed around.I did all the training myself.

[igauresh]

We also had a german shepherd when I was young. I agree that they are easy to train and they are very smart. They are really fast learner. Our dog also loves to whine, we also tried to stop him from whinning but he still whines sometimes but not that much.

[muckypup]

Mine are pretty vocal. They don't just whine they make all kinds of noises, grunting... moaning... growling... barking... screaming... etc

[100%doglover]

My shepherd was very 'whiney' when she was at her peak. I would give her 2-3 hours of solid exercise every single day and found myself taking up tracking to provide her with some extra mental stimulation. The end result? Well whatever you gave her, she got used to! Often after a nice 1 1/2 hour off leash brisk walk she'd sleep for 20 minutes and then be ready to do it all over again. It did drive me a bit nuts..... She needed just that much exercise and action all the time. Not all shepherds are as intense though, but exercise & mental stimulation is the key to stopping at least some of the whining.

[santos]

my 2 gsds are very vocal, they whine, yodel, moan and sigh all the time.

[Kristin7]

My dog whines all the time. He is not a gsd, but some type of mixed breed. I think he is bored when he whines, but haven't figured it all out yet. Maybe sometimes it's stress and/or he wants to go out. He has been like this since a puppy. I think it is probably not a breed thing.

[Catzig]

OMG, mine is 11 months old and she moans like a very old man.

[Byrd]

Maybe it's a shepherd thing because my Australian Shepherd doesn't shut up! It's like she's trying to speak human but just can't get it out. It can be annoying, but also can be cute because we do have conversations and people tend to get a kick out of it.

[2bigdogs]

As a 1st time dog owner and a first GS owner( always had cats), I was so surprised at home much noise my dog make! Our vet told us GS's are like that...hmmm..Bucky not only whines( yup, when we wants something) but he actually 'talks' ! its the funniest thing! He groans, moans, howls and speaks..most of it we just ignore as it can be really annoying but the 'talking' is quite funny. He seems as though he's really trying trying to talk...!! I suppose its way of telling us something.

[bendyfoot]

Originally Posted by santos

my 2 gsds are very vocal, they whine, yodel, moan and sigh all the time.

Mine's like this too. Noisy gal.