My dogs whining is driving me crazy!!?

[Mark M]

I've had my Jack Russell Terrier since 10/2007, and he was a little puppy when we got him. Besides being really hyper he was just fine. We've been following the same routine for the last 16 months. He goes into his kennel at night, and since I am a night owl at night means around 12am. We let him out in the morning and then back into the kennel when I go to work at 11, my girl friend gets home at 5:30 and then lets him out again.

What I don't understand is that's what been the routine for my dogs whole life, and then all of a sudden the last 3 months he just constantly whines while in the kennel, whether its in the middle of the night or in the morning before I wake up. He's out of the kennel from 5:30am to 6:30am, and then 9am to 10:30am and then 5:30pm to 12am on most nights. Why all of a sudden is starting to whine now after all of this time? it is driving me crazy. I mean he has always been a whiner, but it was if we left him outside in the backyard without any access to the house or if in the kennel when we have company over. We can't leave him outside because he whines and barks all day and the neighbor complained. I don't know what to do, if I just ignore him, he will literally do it for hours. It makes me very irritated at him and I don't want to be, i just want him to be what he used to be.
he's not sick because he doesn't whine at all as long as he is out of the kennel and has access to the back yard and house through his doggy door, but he is purposely destructive and I won't do that. I say purposely because when I am around he doesn't do anything but let me leave him home a lone without putting him the kennel, or fall asleep on the couch and leave him out, then I wake up to a big mess.
we walk him and then take him to the dog park 1 to 2 times a month.
he is out of the kennel every chance we get, its not like we just sit home and leave in the kennel. If we're home, he is out . If you do the math, he is only in the kennel 7 1/2 hours during the night when we sleep, and 6hrs during the day while we are at work, so he is out 11hrs a day.
He knows his kennel and lays in the kennel without having to be put in there. when it gets late at night he is already sleep in the kennel, its just when I leave the room to go to the bedroom is when he starts whining.
Oh, I have a second dog and he does just fine--doesn't give me any problems at all.

 

[v1rag0]

So he's out of the kennel 8 hours a day, and inside the kennel for 16 hours a day?

I would whine too.

 

[cupcakechaos]

This is only my opinion and things i've heard. But maybe he is whining and destructive when your gone because he's upset with you. Do you pay him plenty of attention when he is out? Or does he just kind of roam around and do his own thing and you feed him and pet him every once in awhile. Terriers are VERY MUCH attention whores, they have to have specific time put aside for playing and attention from you or else they will take out the fact their upset later. Also, I have a puppy who cried for hours just like you said, and it got to the point where I had to give in just to get 10 minutes of sleep! But it only made it worse, I sucked it up and ignored him, didn't even look at him when he whined and cried and it subsided. Also, I know he's older, but maybe you should go back to crate training, put him in there and only let him out when he's quiet and praise him when he's quiet, or if he has to go potty. Then reward him with a little play time then back in the kennel. Make sure the kennel has things that make him comfortable also. Never use the kennel for punishment or else he won't want to be in there, he should willingly go in on his own, it's like his bedroom, his safe place. I rambled on, but I hope it helps! Good luck, I know how annoying and frustrating it is to listen to that non stop whining / crying!?!