How often do you give in to his whining? I had that problem with Joel and I didn't even notice until my sister told me I was doing it lol. I never told him 'no' and pretty much got him whatever he wanted because I knew he would go crazy, but I thought it was normal.
He was about 1 when my sister pointed it out and said I need to tell him 'no' so I started with his treats which he whined a lot for. He was not happy and the first few days were rough but he eventually got the idea. Now he listens a lot better......most the time
