Constant wheezing in dogs can indicate a lack of attention, boredom, or even anxiety. Under certain circumstances, poisoning, Alzheimer’s, cold or other pain can also be responsible.
In almost all cases, whimpering is a kind of “whining” – rather negative. Puppies and young dogs tend to behave much more often because they want to test their limits.
Older dogs, on the other hand, are usually caused by pain or illness. In addition, the respective situation often allows statements about the possible cause.
| Initial situation | Possible causes |
|---|---|
| When walking | Inflamed joints, cold, and other pains |
| While sleeping | Unsatisfied longings, Alzheimer’s, chronic fear, other pain, chronic stress |
| While stroking | Submissive behavior, unfulfilled desires, Alzheimer’s |
| Post-op | Anxiety, other pain |
| While driving | Stress, unfulfilled longings, fears |
| For loneliness | Lack of attention, chronic anxiety, unfulfilled longings, chronic stress, lack of workload |
| Simultaneous panting | Chronic stress, anxiety |
| At night | Alzheimer’s, poisoning, lack of exercise, fears, other pain, chronic stress, cold |
| Suddenly for no reason | Poisoning, submissive behavior, chronic stress, unfulfilled desires, lack of attention, other pains, Alzheimer’s |
Then let’s go through the 11 most common causes together below.
1. Lack of Attention
Very young dogs tend to require significantly more attention than older dogs. There are also some breeds that naturally need a lot of it.
These include Beagles, Chihuahuas, Miniature Schnauzers, Golden Retrievers, Alaskan Malamutes, Pomeranians, Siberian Huskies, Labradors, Yorkshire Terriers, and Miniature Dachshunds.
If the desired attention is neglected, you can usually recognize this from the following symptoms:
- The constant search for eye contact
- Constant jumping on the owner
- Tracking the owner at every turn
- Constant beeping and whimpering
- Hyperactive and restless behavior
Some breeds are also prone to jealousy. The cause here can be that a stranger or a new pet has received significantly more attention.
The following measures can help here:
- More pets for entertainment
- Playdates with neighborhood dogs or children
- Lots of toys ( like ours )
- Daily cuddles at the same time
If none of these tips bring any improvement, then the cause lies elsewhere.
Constant squeaking is often caused by dogs not getting the attention they deserve. What is striking is that the dog almost always makes eye contact with the owner during this time. In addition to more attention, more employment can also help here.
2. Chronic Anxiety
As fearless as some dogs may appear, many breeds are significantly more fearful than humans by nature. This is especially true for all lap dog breeds.
In addition, small, very young, and very old dogs tend to be more anxious. Typical causes behind the fears are:
- Social phobia due to lack of socialization
- Fear of separation when the master is absent
- Noise and noise above 85 decibels
- Severe weather such as storms, hail, and thunderstorms
Basically, the more scared your dog is, the louder and more often it will squeak. You can usually recognize existing fears by the following signs:
- Strong panting
- Dog avoids eye contact
- Restless behavior
- Constant beeping
- Rod between the legs
- Dog hiding
Here you should first go to root cause analysis. Because if you know the trigger for the fear, you can avoid it or get your dog used to it.
Chronic anxiety causes dogs to squeak all the time. The more intense the perceived fear, the louder it is. In most cases, it is triggered by loneliness or a lack of socialization. Here, the trigger should be avoided to solve the problem.
3. Lack of Utilization
In dogs, squeaking can also be an expression of frustration, among other things. For example, when dogs are bored or they simply don’t get enough exercise.
Typical signs of this are:
- The dog starts running in the apartment
- Howling, barking, whimpering, and whimpering
- The dog starts digging in the apartment
- Chewing and destroying toys and furniture
- Constant jumping on the owner
Surely you have already seen a child who starts to nag out of boredom. The constant squeaking here is the equivalent of dogs.
In addition to walks that are too short or too infrequent, the following things can also be responsible for the behavior:
- Large dogs are kept in small apartments
- Lack of mental tasks and utilization
- Active breeds are kept in densely populated large cities
- Strong guard, guardian, or hunting instinct
Basically, a tired dog is a calm dog. Here you should find measures of how you can exercise your dog sufficiently on a daily basis.
Inadequate physical and mental exercise leads to boredom and frustration in dogs. As a result, most dogs start wheezing all the time in protest. In addition, in this case, there is usually further hyperactive behavior.
4. Alzheimer’s
At around 70%, Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. It is a chronic and pathological decrease in cognitive performance.
Older dogs in particular are often affected. According to studies, almost 30% of all dogs over the age of 11 and around 70% of all dogs over the age of 15 suffer from it.
The most common symptoms of this are:
- Repetitive behavior
- Excessive grooming
- Confusion and loss of orientation
- Nocturnal wandering
- Ignorant and stubborn behavior
- Sudden aggressiveness
The constant beeping is usually an expression of increasing fear. Because memory loss is accompanied by unusual confusion.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for this yet. However, to slow down the spread of the disease, such intelligence toys, as well as mental brain teasers, will help.
The decline in mental capacity with age is a common trigger of anxiety, frustration, and confusion. Affected dogs, therefore, squeak more often all day long, because their entire environment suddenly seems unfamiliar and strange. There is still no cure for this.
5. Unsatisfied Desires
Dogs behave in many ways like toddlers and babies. For example, when babies want something, they start crying. Dogs squeak instead.
In comparison, young dogs report much louder than older specimens. Because they have yet to test their limits. The most common triggers are:
- Unsatisfied sex drive
- Strong urge to play
- Lack of attention
- Hunger and thirst
- Lack of utilization
- Squeezing Bladder
In unneutered male dogs between the ages of 9-18 months, a strong sex drive is often the cause. This is when the dog’s testosterone level is at its highest.
Unneutered bitches, on the other hand, are only in heat for about 2 weeks every 6 months. Even during this time, they almost always squeak with longing.
What is striking about Longings is that the dog is always looking for eye contact with its master. Here it is important to identify the longing and then satisfy it.
Unsatisfied longings lead to frustration and despair in dogs. They usually do this by looking at their owner and constantly squeaking. Here the possible longing should first be found out and then measures to breastfeed it should be initiated.
6. Inflamed Joints
According to studies, every fifth dog over a year is said to struggle with chronically inflamed joints. Doctors also speak of “arthritis”.
Basically, the older and larger the dog is, the more likely it is to develop arthritis. Common symptoms here are:
- Aversion to stairs
- Sudden limp
- Excessive licking of the joints
- Dog squeaks all the time
- Swollen joints
- Whining when getting up
- Avoiding jumps
While the disease itself is currently still considered incurable, the symptoms can usually be treated very well with medication.
In addition, it usually helps to adjust the diet, supplement omega-3 or even take the dog to physiotherapy to strengthen the joints.
When older dogs start wheezing constantly and avoid stairs and jumps at the same time, it is usually due to inflamed joints. This is where other symptoms often appear. However, medication can greatly reduce the pain.
7. Poisoning
If you take a closer look at the statistics from veterinary practices, you will find that poisoning is one of the most common reasons why dog owners visit the doctor.
In most cases, it is because the dog has ingested toxic things. Typical examples of these are:
- Chocolate, macadamia nuts and avocados
- Insecticides, rat poison, and snail killers
- medicines and drugs of people
- Toxic grasses and flowers
- Hops, alcohol, or sugar alcohol
The constant beeping is just a call for help. Because poisoning often leads to stomach pain and organ failure. Other typical signs are:
- Sudden tremor
- confusion
- Constant howling
- Restless behavior
- vomiting and diarrhea
- Breathing problems
Poisoning can sometimes be fatal. You should therefore contact the veterinary emergency service immediately if you suspect it. The earlier you act, the better.
Various poisonings can cause severe pain or even damage organs. Affected dogs often squeak here all the time to draw attention to their symptoms. In this case, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately.
8. Chronic Stress
Not only humans but also dogs experience stress regularly, which leads to the release of stress hormones such as “cortisol” and “adrenaline”.
However, the triggers are very different in dogs. Typical examples are here:
- Jealousy
- Violence in education
- Visit to the vet
- Weekly bathing
- Cushing’s Syndrome
- Existing trauma
- Threat to the territory
Constant wheezing is just one of many possible symptoms in dogs. Other typical signs of stress are:
- Sudden panting
- Strong thirst
- No direct eye contact
- Rod between the legs
- Frequent licking of the mouth
- Incontinence
- Dog hiding
Before you immediately resort to medication, I advise you to first narrow down the possible causes. Eliminating the trigger for the stress is often enough.
In addition, stressed dogs also need increased attention and exercise. Such a chewing bone (Amazon) made of coffee wood is also ideal here.
Chronic stress can cause dogs to squeak all the time. In most cases, this also manifests itself in heavy panting and constant licking of the mouth. Here it is important to find out the trigger and then eliminate it.
9. Submissive Behavior
If your dog frequently starts whimpering when in contact with other dogs or avoids eye contact with you, then this is usually a sign of submissiveness.
For strange dogs, this behavior signals that they have been recognized as alpha. On the other hand, when dogs squeak in front of people, it is often used as an excuse.
Because dogs are very aware of when they have screwed something up. Typical examples are here:
- Shredded toilet paper roll
- Chewed shoes
- Urinating in the house
- Throwing over the garbage
- Chewed pieces of furniture
Small and young dogs tend to behave much more often than large and old four-legged friends. It’s an instinct they inherited from wolves.
Because wolves that do not subordinate themselves to the alpha in the pack are usually attacked and repelled by the entire pack.
Dogs often show their submissiveness by constantly whimpering. This behavior signals to the master that he has been accepted as superior. At the same time, dogs also use their squeaks as an excuse for inappropriate behavior.
10. Other Pain
Unlike humans, dogs don’t show any pain until very late. It’s a survival instinct they inherited from wolves.
Because a wolf that shows pain often becomes the prey of other predators. In addition, packs of weakened wolves sometimes repel them for self-protection.
To prevent this, dogs always try to hide their pain. On the other hand, if they are too strong or of a permanent nature, you can still recognize them:
- Howl when you get up
- Sudden limp
- Restless walking around
- Sudden night activity
- Stooped posture
- Constant beeping and whimpering
- Retracted rod
The two most common causes of this are glass splinters in the paws and wood splinters between the teeth. But stomach and back pain are also common.
In older dogs, on the other hand, pain in the joints or in the musculoskeletal system is usually the cause. You should consult the veterinarian immediately.
In the case of chronic or severe pain, dogs usually express themselves through restless behavior and a tilted posture. Sometimes they squeak all the time. The veterinarian should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment.
11. Cold
Young puppies and dogs with little body fat are poor at insulating their body heat. The same goes for short-haired dogs as well as hairless dogs.
You are most likely to recognize this by a tremor. This stimulates blood circulation so that more warm blood circulates in the body.
In addition to a cold room temperature, cold drafts can also be responsible for this. Other typical signs of cold are:
- Trouble getting up
- Search for physical contact
- Constant beeping
- Stiff running style
Excessive exposure to the cold can cause the dog’s body temperature to drop well below normal – a condition known as “hypothermia”.
Here you should take action immediately and increase your body temperature with blankets and coats. Otherwise, it can even be fatal.
If dogs are consistently too cold, this usually manifests itself in trembling or a stiff gait. Sometimes they start wheezing all day long. This is a cry for help that should be taken seriously. Warming blankets can help here.