Would You Like Some Cheese With That Whine? Kenzo’s Impatience Problem

I have a 140# toddler. Those very words could cause alarm in many circles but in this case, I am referring to Kenzo. At the still very young age of not quite two, Kenzo is probably less toddler, more teenager. But the whining that occurs within both age groups is quite similar most of the time. The rebellion is less teenage than toddler so I am sticking with that age group for the explanation to the whining.

Kenzo whining as he waits.

So back to the whining. What prompts it? Anything that he can’t have as fast as he wants it. This could and does include dinner, heading downstairs to prepare for a walk, arriving at large dog social, attention from favorite people. Note that I excluded breakfast. That is because I don’t think Kenzo is a morning dog. He is far happier barking at the deadly porch outside my back door before he gets his breakfast than whining. Sort of like humans are cranky before their morning coffee.

So of course being the professional trainer than I am, I don’t ever reinforce this whining. But it doesn’t necessarily go away with the extinction approach either. For now, I will trust that with maturity, my big toddler will become more patient.