Whine Whine Whine

[candicek1]

Ok so I recently posted a different problem, and now I need some feedback on another issue my foster dog is having. He's extremely whiny all the time, and it's not just for attention.. he will continue to whine even while petting him and I'm thinking he might be traumatized since he was in a car accident. The lady that walks my dogs says there is a special medication that can be bought online (doesn't need to be prescribed) for dogs that helps them calm down. Does anyone know what this is called? Does anyone have any feedback as to whether this is even a good option for my dog? (He's a 5-6 month old puppy, does age matter?)

Also, if anyone else has any feedback or other advice on my other options to get him to stop whining please don't hesitate to respond

Thanks!
-Candice

[critters]

I wouldn't have remembered, but Carol just posted elsewhere that it's DAP--Dog Appeasing Pheromone. Some people also use flower stuff.

Have you tried behavioral options, like ignoring whining and rewarding the behavior you want to see? Given that he may be brain damaged, things like that are more iffy than with others.

[candicek1]

Thanks, critters. We just ordered that medication as well as one of those citrus collars to help the behavioral aspect. I've tried ignoring him and turning away while folding my arms and not making eye contact unless he stops whining. In the beginning, I would reprimand him and say "no" but I read a lot of articles saying that even negative attention is bad for this behavior. My reaction to him helped the whining a little but it only helps once the whining has already been going on. I think the whining got worse because of the way me and my boyfriend were handling him. I am going to try these two options, the medication and the collar. I also just signed him up for a personal trainer to come to our house once a week to work with him. Using these three options, it should be more clear to me whether he is improving or if he doesn't then it's clearly just a brain damage thing and that's okay. Either way, the trainer will help him calm down and be better at socializing without developing anxiety. At least I'll know I tried all my options. He seems smart to me just a little hyperactive like normal puppies but I guess it's impossible to know for sure. I will post what happens. Thanks for all your help.

Also, what did you mean by flowers? Are there specific natural things I can put in his food to calm him down?

Candice

[critters]

Some people use the stuff called Rescue Remedy. I think there's something called Bach Flowers, too, but I'm not as sure about that. We've never used any of them.

They can be QUITE smart and still be brain damaged; like humans, they aren't necessarily mentally retarded. My Baby is severely brain damaged and is VERY low-functioning, yet she's the smartest furball to ever have been in my house. Her motor neurons are nuked, so she has to be a genius to figure out how to do what she wants to do. My Ares, on the other hand, started off even lower, physically, than Baby, but is now about moderate--physically. His personality, however, is a wreck, yet he's relatively smart. It all depends on where the damage is.

I can't remember if I posted Baby's book for you, if you want an idea of how she moves. She can even get herself onto the bed. http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Easy-Reader- ... uslow+baby Ares has 2 books of his own; his fan club demanded more.