Whining and whimpering are natural behaviors learned by puppies generally as a way to express a certain need. There can be various reasons for this behavior.
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Pain or Illness
Check with your vet if your dog is showing signs of pain or illness or there is not an identifiable reason for the whining.
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Stress
Your dog may whimper or whine as a way of communicating that they’re stressed. Dogs who are anxious when their people leave may whimper and whine.
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Anticipation
Some dogs get so excited that they may whimper and whine with joy. They may anticipate a walk or dinnertime and beg for it to happen sooner!
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Alerting
Dogs vary in how much they vocalize. When alerting to something outside, they may whine instead of bark.
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It’s been reinforced
If your dog has whined for whatever reason, and you have responded in a way that was favorable, they may have learned that the whining has worked and will remember it for next time.