Squeaky toys are actually what the name suggests; they squeak when the dog plays with them or instead hold them in its mouth. Getting your dog a squeaky toy is common. Although the noise can annoy us, we assume our dogs enjoy it.
To be honest, dogs associate the high-pitched noise with small animals that make such noise in distress which draws them to the toy. This may initiate your dog’s prey drive or just make the toy the most precious, which needs to be protected at all times.
I have added a new family member to my house by adopting one of the Schnoodle puppies from a reputed breeder, and she has the strange habit of crying while playing with a squeaky ball which got me confused.
Does your dog do the same? Pace and whine with a toy in their mouth? Or wail while carrying their ball in their mouth. This behavior may leave you puzzled, and you may feel bad as well as you cannot seem to figure out what they want.
Do not worry, as we are here to help you figure this behavior out so that you can deal with it in the right way.
You see your dog carrying around a toy whining, and you may assume it wants to play, so you throw the toy for the dog to fetch, but it makes the dog more worried instead, and they whine even more.
Confused about what is happening?
Is your dog, by chance, an unspayed female? then it could be that she is experiencing a false pregnancy and has developed a motherly love for the toy. This is why she might be carrying it around like a newborn pup. She may be crying because she is unable to find a safe nesting place.
You may get confused about how she is assuming it is her pup when she has not reared any child. This could be mainly because of hormones that are produced when they are in heat, which may increase their maternal instinct.
This hormone, prolactin, prepares them for pregnancy, but if their eggs are not fertilized, then the dog may have a phantom pregnancy. This may happen 4 to 9 weeks after heat.
So what should you do? There is no treatment for this as such other than spaying the dog, which could be considered if this behavior happens frequently. Do not fret about it much, though, as this may last around 7 to 21 days only.
If the signs get serious, then do consult a vet. They may give the dog some medication to lessen their anxiety.
Just like how you value certain things more than others, your dog may value some toys more than others.
So, they may try to keep it safe to find a perfect spot, and if they have a hard time finding one, they will whine. Once they find the right spot to hide it, they will stop.
If you own a hunting dog breed such as Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Poodle, English Cocker Spaniel, or English Pointer, this may mean something different.
These bird-retrieving dogs or gun dogs have been bred to hunt for centuries. After shooting a bird, these dogs remember the exact location where the fowl fell, and they go for it when it is signaled to retrieve it. It is their responsibility to bring it back safely using their soft mouth.
So, if your dog sees a toy as a small bird or animal, they may try to hold it gently, and if the toy squeaks, they assume that they have hurt the bird, and that makes them whine.
Dogs can get anxious at times if they cannot find a good place to hide their treasured item. They know they have to do something but are unsure what, as they have not seen any canines burying a toy.
So, automatically this stresses them out, and they whine in response to the stress. This may be because you have other pets in the house that stress them out more than others can steal their toy away.
So, they may search for the right place to hide the toy, and once they do, the problem is solved.
This could be the most common reason why the dog is whining. Your dog does not seem to have any signs of false pregnancy or does not seem anxious. Then, you may probably wonder what could be the reason for whining.
Well, if they just bring the toy to you and whine, it means they are just looking to play with the toy and whining about grabbing your attention. It is like asking you to start a game.
If they love to fetch, they may ask you to throw the ball by crying or whining. If you ignore them, they will whine more and more. How to stop this? Simple, just play the game of fetch with them.
A few dog breeds are naturally vocal, such as Huskies and Chihuahuas. This also means they whine in several situations, and this cannot be uncommon to you.
So, when they whine about carrying a toy, it just means they are being vocal as usual. In fact, this might be their happy sound, which could be weird to hear.
So, if you have a chatty dog, then do not bother about this much, as it is not an unusual thing.
Though, there is no need to worry if your dog whines while playing with its favorite squeaky toy. But if you still want to do something about it, you can try the following tricks.
There are some ways by which you can bring your dog’s mood back to momentum. It is a request not to punish them but just follow the right steps.
These were some ways that you could try to console your whining dog. Well, this is the end. Let us conclude the things that you read in this article.
Crying is a sound that will get your attention for sure. Especially when you return home from work to find the noise of a squeaky toy along with a crying dog, it can get really annoying.
Do not get frustrated and take it out on the dog; rather, get to the bottom of this behavior to understand the cause. You never wanted your dog to be unhappy.
In fact, the reason you got the toy was for happy experiences. You can also destroy the squeaker of the toy, which may solve both issues together.
