My puppy dobe is now 20 weeks and getting on very well.  Yesterday I went upstairs in my house to do some housework (make beds etc), anyway my dobe started whining (he does whimper quite a bit anyway - often he whines as he walks about), well he started howling and crying.  I ended up staying upstairs longer than I needed to because I didn't want to come down while he was still crying.  Eventually the howling stopped but he was sitting at the bottom of the stairs whining.  I go out to work at 5.30am and my dobe is at home with the rest of the family (obviously they are in bed), I usually get home around 9.45am.  He may moan but yesterday he was howling!  When I eventually came downstairs he was fine.