Puppy's protest (4)
I believe the answer is:
yelp
'puppy's protest' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for yelp that I've seen before include "old boast" , "Little dog's bark" , "Sharp shrill cry of dog (4)" , "Cry of pain" , "Short sharp cry or bark" .)