[QuickSilver]

I read the original post differently. I think this is what she said:


- Her bf moved in last September (10 months ago). The bf brought in his dog, and the rules changed about being on furniture and sleeping in the bed. Bailey was fine.

- They got a cat in December (7 months ago). Bailey loves the cat.

- 2 months ago, Bailey started getting very clingy.


So I don't think it's the rule change... to the OP, I would look for other possible changes. Maybe you're right that it's the heater. Possibly he's cold??

Some other thoughts:

- while it's great to walk with your dog, it's not necessarily the best way to really tire your dog out. I'd suggest playing 15-30 minutes of fetch with him per day, indoors or out, and see if that helps.

- Is he possibly developing separation anxiety? Do you ever leave him alone by himself? How does he react?

- I would say it's okay to ignore the whining, but if you're going to do that, you have to COMMIT. If you have been letting him whine for ~ten minutes, and then picking him up, you've taught him he needs to whine for at least ten minutes to get your attention.

- If you do give him a "time out", can he see you / hear you? It can be very frustrating / anxiety provoking for a dog to see something he wants and not be able to reach it. I'd recommend a timeout in a distant part of the house if possible, or at least throw a blanket over the baby gate so he can't see you.

- Try giving him chews and see if it can pull focus off of you. You can also try training / spending more quality time with you in general. Can you sit on the floor so he can sit on your lap?

- There's a difference between a dog whining for a few minutes or even an hour, and a dog crying all night. If he is truly distressed, ignoring him won't help. You should keep thinking about what may have changed for him, and try different techniques.


Good luck!