Why does my dog cry?

To dogs whining is another form of communication. She probably wants something from you. For example, she may be excited by jumping and spinning around, anxious by pacing, frustrated by scratching at the doors, or fearful by trembling or hiding. It it important that you wait for her to settle down before you give her what she wants or else you will actually be training her to whine.

It can be tricky to interpret the exact communication meant by a dog's cry because there are so many possibilities. With further examination of the entire situation&context, maybe you can determine if the dog is trying to convey excitement, anxiety, frustration, pain, attention seeking, and/or wanting other resources. Most often, it's a request for food, water, a potty break, a toy, attention (including separation anxiety) or such. It can also be a sign of pain or cognitive decline - involve your vet to rule that out.

I posted this on another question, but it's pertinent for this one too:

Whining in adolescent and adult dogs can be a sign of poor impulse control and way of trying to get your attention or have their way. And the reason why they continue the behavior is because it is being reinforced (they get their way).

I'll give an example: Say you're sitting down watching TV and your dog comes up to you and starts whining out of the blue. What do you do? You give them attention, a treat, play with them, etc. Assuming you want to stop the whining, it has to stop with the reinforcement.

There's an exercise I read in Adolescent Dog Survival Guide by Sarah Whitehead that works tremendously for dog's with impulse issues:

Put your dog on a leash, and sit in a chair.

Place your foot firmly on the leash. Leave enough slack so your dog can sit and stand comfortably but cant jump up or roam much.

Watch TV or read a book, usually you'll be here a while.

Ignore your dog no matter what! Whether they're chewing the leash, barking, whining, getting tangled up, acting like a crazy person. Don't even look at them! That is also a reward for a dog!

Eventually your dog will settle down with a big sigh of resignation. That's when you give praise. Make sure to keep them on the leash for a few more minutes before you let them go.

Continue this exercise each day until your dog settles down immediately when you put them on the leash.

Another piece of advice is to completely ignore the behavior you're trying to change. When your dog whines, turn your back on them, leave the room, don't make eye contact. Ignoring a dog is the biggest form of punishment for a dog. Most dogs will try and grab your attention, walk around to the other side of you, stare at you, or bark. Don't give in; even eye contact is a treat and a form of reinforcement. Once they calm down, give them attention and treat that behavior. Reinforce good behavior rather than the behavior you're trying to eliminate.

Depending on the severity of the behavior, I would ignore from anywhere to 30 seconds-1 minute for something small like getting too close to my plate, to upwards of an hour for something like using teeth too hard during play or something else that will simply not be tolerated. Once again the worst form of punishment is taking away attention or play.