What can I do about my older dog, a twelve year old Shiba Inu who whines a lot when he seems to want something?
I have a 12 year old Shiba Inu who is generally pretty laid back and independent. But lately he seems to whine a lot when he appears to want something. Sometimes we figure out what he wants and once he gets it he stops whining immediately. For example...he likes to go to bed after his evening walk and sleeps with my wife and I. He will whine like crazy until we go to the bed at which time once he's on the bed with us he immediately stops whining. The other challenge is sometimes I don't know why he's whining. He may whine while I'm working in the office and then he gives me the "death stare" which is where he stays completely still and doesn't take his eyes off me. At that point I don't know what he wants. He seems to be eating and drinking normally. He is walking normally, and plays fetch normally with no signs of pain. The one thought that crossed our mind was that it's hot and maybe he is not happy with the heat which is why he's whining. is it more then likely just behavioral? Maybe have the vet take a look? Any suggestions on how to make him whine less?