Cries Like a Human Baby - Maltese Dogs Forum : Spoiled Maltese Forums

**Nervusrek** · 02-20-2013, 10:29 AM

I've never heard any dog make this crying sound before. Six month old Skye sounds like a human baby when she howls.

Her brother, Sawyer, never ever cries. Her brother, Sebastian, will sometimes whimper when he's unable to access something or someone he wants. But Skye cries all the time, or so it seems.

She makes a "puppy cry" every time she wants something -- wants to be held, wants to eat, wants up on the couch, wants to go to bed, wants out of her crate or x-pen. She cries; we ignore her. We make a concious effort to NEVER reinforce the crying. Yet she STILL cries. Will this ever stop?

Then there are moments when she howls like a "human baby." And I mean EXACTLY like a human baby. People on the phone hearing her cry will ask if I'm babysitting. She does this whenever she's been left alone too long (say when I'm outside gardening -- I can hear her) or when she seems to be scared (of my husband playing the drums). We do not reinforce this crying behavior either.

She is a happy, healthy, energetic, playful & loving six-month-old who just happens to express herself more like a skin baby than a fur baby.

Has anyone else experienced a dog that cries all the time? Or one whose howl sounds like a human cry? Just curious. And...kinda hoping it's something she will outgrow.

**eiksaa** · 02-20-2013, 11:32 AM

Gustave whines a lot. We never reinforce it either but from the looks of it, I don't think this will change. He just whines to communicate.

Everyone calls him Chatty Cathy at agility class. He whines to go on the obstacles, whines if I don't let him get close to other dogs, just whine whine whine.

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**Summergirl73** · 02-20-2013, 11:34 AM

BUMP. Sounds like your sweet baby may be experiencing some anxiety issues. I'm "bumping" your post in hopes that someone with experience in that area will reply. In the meantime, it might help to try searching anxiety in the SM forums. Best wishes.

**Madeleinesmommy** · 02-20-2013, 11:54 AM

Yes I've experienced this. My brother's dog was a constant cryer. It was an all day / everything thing unless he was home with her and should only cry a fraction of that. She would cry for no reason. It was never related to any fears or anxiety that we knew about. She'd cry to go potty which was nice because we always knew when she needed to go, she'd cry for another treat, she'd cry to play, and sometimes she would just cry. We tried not to reinforce the crying but after a couple of years we knew it wasn't going away so if she was crying especially bad I'd pick her up and she wasn't a fan of that so she'd stop crying.

The only time she didn't cry was when she was in the crate. I would her in the crate here and there for an hour and it seemed to relax her. Or if we'd put her on the back porch on the deck ( but I wouldn't recommend doing that with a Maltese, she was a bigger )

Now that she lives in a one dog household, she doesn't cry as much.

Sometimes it would sound like she was trying to "talk" and she would get annoyed that we didn't understand her.

**AshleyAndSophiePup** · 02-20-2013, 12:57 PM

Sophie's a crier too. And it's those loud heart wrenching cries that makes your mommy instincts kick in and just want to make her feel better. She cries the most when I'm out of her line of sight, like if I take the kids I nanny upstairs for a nap, if I go outside to get the mail, she sits wherever it was that she saw me last and cries. She cries REALLY loud when I put her in her xpen to go out of the house, because she knows mommy is going bye bye without her. I feel like I should hire a babysitter just to go to the store

she's very much like a skin kid, though that could partially be my fault. I don't have any kids myself so I treat her like she's my baby.

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**Nervusrek** · 02-22-2013, 12:37 PM

Thankfully, Skye's crying does not appear to be anxiety-related. I think it's her unique way of communicating.

I am hoping she'll outgrow it.

Ironically, soon after I'd gotten the boys, a friend asked me what it was like having two at the same time. I told her it was just like having twin toddlers -- everything was twice as difficult & took twice as long to complete. But I also insisted that it was easier than skin twins because they didn't cry when they were hungry or sleepy or needed a diaper change.

Yeah, right.

02-20-2013, 10:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
Nervusrek Member Name: Bobbi Dog's Name: Sawyer, Sebastian & Skye Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 120	Cries Like a Human Baby I've never heard any dog make this crying sound before. Six month old Skye sounds like a human baby when she howls. Her brother, Sawyer, never ever cries. Her brother, Sebastian, will sometimes whimper when he's unable to access something or someone he wants. But Skye cries all the time, or so it seems. She makes a "puppy cry" every time she wants something -- wants to be held, wants to eat, wants up on the couch, wants to go to bed, wants out of her crate or x-pen. She cries; we ignore her. We make a concious effort to NEVER reinforce the crying. Yet she STILL cries. Will this ever stop? Then there are moments when she howls like a "human baby." And I mean EXACTLY like a human baby. People on the phone hearing her cry will ask if I'm babysitting. She does this whenever she's been left alone too long (say when I'm outside gardening -- I can hear her) or when she seems to be scared (of my husband playing the drums). We do not reinforce this crying behavior either. She is a happy, healthy, energetic, playful & loving six-month-old who just happens to express herself more like a skin baby than a fur baby. Has anyone else experienced a dog that cries all the time? Or one whose howl sounds like a human cry? Just curious. And...kinda hoping it's something she will outgrow. __________________ __________________ . __________________ We can sometimes resist temptation...but never mischief. Sawyer & Sebastian at the Koi pond April 2012 (...after Sebastian got a LITTLE too close to the fish...)

02-20-2013, 11:32 AM	#2 (permalink)
eiksaa Maltese Guru Name: Aastha Dog's Name: Gustave & Mieka Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 2,424	Cries Like a Human Baby Gustave whines a lot. We never reinforce it either but from the looks of it, I don't think this will change. He just whines to communicate. Everyone calls him Chatty Cathy at agility class. He whines to go on the obstacles, whines if I don't let him get close to other dogs, just whine whine whine. Sent from Petguide.com Free App __________________

02-20-2013, 11:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
Summergirl73 Maltese Guru Name: Bridget Dog's Name: Lady Bella (and Katie & Lucky at The Bridge) Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 3,825	BUMP. Sounds like your sweet baby may be experiencing some anxiety issues. I'm "bumping" your post in hopes that someone with experience in that area will reply. In the meantime, it might help to try searching anxiety in the SM forums. Best wishes. __________________ "A weed is just a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."

02-20-2013, 11:54 AM	#4 (permalink)
Madeleinesmommy Maltese Guru Name: Hannah Dog's Name: Madeleine "Maddie" Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Ohio Posts: 312	Yes I've experienced this. My brother's dog was a constant cryer. It was an all day / everything thing unless he was home with her and should only cry a fraction of that. She would cry for no reason. It was never related to any fears or anxiety that we knew about. She'd cry to go potty which was nice because we always knew when she needed to go, she'd cry for another treat, she'd cry to play, and sometimes she would just cry. We tried not to reinforce the crying but after a couple of years we knew it wasn't going away so if she was crying especially bad I'd pick her up and she wasn't a fan of that so she'd stop crying. The only time she didn't cry was when she was in the crate. I would her in the crate here and there for an hour and it seemed to relax her. Or if we'd put her on the back porch on the deck ( but I wouldn't recommend doing that with a Maltese, she was a bigger ) Now that she lives in a one dog household, she doesn't cry as much. Sometimes it would sound like she was trying to "talk" and she would get annoyed that we didn't understand her. __________________ Madeleine

02-20-2013, 12:57 PM	#5 (permalink)
AshleyAndSophiePup Maltese Guru Name: Ashley Dog's Name: Sophie Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Western Washington Posts: 938	Cries Like a Human Baby Sophie's a crier too. And it's those loud heart wrenching cries that makes your mommy instincts kick in and just want to make her feel better. She cries the most when I'm out of her line of sight, like if I take the kids I nanny upstairs for a nap, if I go outside to get the mail, she sits wherever it was that she saw me last and cries. She cries REALLY loud when I put her in her xpen to go out of the house, because she knows mommy is going bye bye without her. I feel like I should hire a babysitter just to go to the store she's very much like a skin kid, though that could partially be my fault. I don't have any kids myself so I treat her like she's my baby. Sent from Petguide.com Free App __________________ Ashley & Sophie

02-22-2013, 12:37 PM	#6 (permalink)
Nervusrek Member Name: Bobbi Dog's Name: Sawyer, Sebastian & Skye Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 120	Thankfully, Skye's crying does not appear to be anxiety-related. I think it's her unique way of communicating. I am hoping she'll outgrow it. Ironically, soon after I'd gotten the boys, a friend asked me what it was like having two at the same time. I told her it was just like having twin toddlers -- everything was twice as difficult & took twice as long to complete. But I also insisted that it was easier than skin twins because they didn't cry when they were hungry or sleepy or needed a diaper change. Yeah, right. __________________ __________________ . __________________ We can sometimes resist temptation...but never mischief. Sawyer & Sebastian at the Koi pond April 2012 (...after Sebastian got a LITTLE too close to the fish...)

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