Anyone have any ideas for helping stop a young boy, 14 months, who whines all the time? All he does at shows is whine and whine at the end of the lead. At least he doesn't do it inside the ring but will just stand outside the ring and continuously whine to sniff or play with other dogs. He has done this since I've entered him at shows when he turned 6 months...so don't think its an age thing. Leash corrections or a "quiet" aren't working. He could care less....
That is tough, that anxious or eager whining. Take a lesson from the agility and obedience folks and maybe teach him things to distract him: tricks or other behaviors. The whine or a speak, followed by a whisper or whine, can also be on command, which helps you control it. Distract him by having him run through the tricks. Some tricks can be practical: rally-o moves that don't involve a lot of space, and can lead to a rally title someday, and others can just be fun. That may help in a big class, too. Just be sure to mix up the order, not performing them in the same order all the time. Haven't you seen a cute Lab begging, or high fiving, bowing, turning, or shaking hands? Just try not to interfere with other dogs or handlers. Let us know what works!
