My dobe is 7 months (actually tomorrow 16th ahh!!!), anyway he weeps and whines quite alot.  When I go upstairs he will sit at the bottom of the stairs whining and then lets out little howls as well.  I am upstairs doing housework and he is at the bottom of the stairs weeping.  When I come back down he is so excited, if I go out to empty the rubbish he sits by the door waiting for me.  I do ignore him as I come back down.  I had a dobe years ago and I don't ever remember him being like this.  He doesn't come upstairs, he sleeps downstairs.  He doesn't cry at night, but he will in the mornings if he's ready to be up and about.

He is still very young but sounds like he's suffering a bit of separation anxiety.  After you've come down the stairs do you continue to ignore him for a little while?  When you come in from putting the rubbish out - do you again ignore him?  Its best to do this and when you go out anywhere keep the situation calm, don't make a fuss of him before you go, don't say anything just walk out the door.  Equally when you return don't make a fuss of him ignore for a few minutes and then fuss him.  Its a good idea to put him in another room for a while at some point during the day (so that he's separate from you) for a while.  The best thing with the whining is to completely ignore it otherwise he could get into the habit of doing it for attention.

I think the problem is that I am with him most of the day.  I walk him and feed him.  He would not walk with my boys, but last night my eldest son (who is nearly 18) took him out and took some treats with him (at dog training they recommended doing this) and for the first time he actually went on a walk with him, normally he stops at the end of the road and will not move, and wants to come home.  They were gone for about 15 minutes. 
Also I do ignore him when I come in.  He tries to grab my wrist with his mouth.  I usually go upstairs to have a time away from him.

My Dobe will cry for England !! he moans and groans all bloomin day !! He too sleeps downstairs with out a peep and is left in the day for 3 hrs while I work and is perfectly happy -I think it is a dobe thing -my two mates who have dobes say both theirs cry -If I go to put the bins out -you'd think I'd been gone a month !!!
As I type this he is milling round crying as he knows its time to take the kids to school and after that its...............................WALKIES !!!!!!!! :D :D :D  

I am glad to hear that.  Mine is the same he weeps and whines.  I go to work in the morning at 5.30 and am back home at 9.30am, but everyone else is at home, then my sons go to school but my husband is at home until about 11am.  My dobe doesn't really surface properly until I get home from work and then he moans until I get changed and we go out.

Hi Debbie

Dobes are generally very chatty dogs and the more you talk to them the more they will whinge back, especially if they are only dogs.

It might be useful to try to spend a little more time apart from your pup so that he does get used to being on his own.

When you do go back downstairs avoid all eye contact and ignore him for a short while - even if it is only 10 seconds.

If I go out shopping and leave the dogs behind I ignore them when I first come inside - it used to be because I was carrying my daughter in and did not want them dancing around me and possibly knocking her, but it has now become a useful habit.  I can open the door and bring any shopping in and then greet the dogs rather than struggling to greet them and not drop anything :-)

I agree it is a dobe thing . My 19month Dobe is exactly the same ... she will whine for England , always has and always will . Again just ignore them , I can nip out to the car for a minute and when I return you would think I had been gone for a month. Would not change her though as she is just like a big kid pleased to see her dad.

Yup...it's a Dobe thing all right. They are just sooooo "into" their owners. Mine sobs if he can't be with me while I'm here any way. But he has gotten use to me leaving for periods of time. They are just the biggest babies and such velcro dogs. I've never seen anything close in all the breeds I've had over the years. LOL. I guess it's because that is what they are driven to do...."protect" us so they think they need to be near us every second. Lyric is such a ma ma's boy too.

Definitely a Dobe thing. The more you look at them and say "What"??? the more theny chat (whinge) on. Lola has developed a lovely line in howling (singing?)

Not just a 'Dobe thing', my 14 month old OES is just the same, and not just when he is alone in a rooom; he 'talks' to me all the time, even during play.  He moans even when he has a toy in his mouth. He too is quiet overnight and when left when I go to work, before my daughter gets up. He has only developed this over the last few weeks.  I know he isn't in pain or anything - he just likes to make himself heard.  At least he doesn't bark much and the muttering does seem preferable to me (and probably the neighbours)!!!