Barking Dogs

What is your dog telling you ?
Barking is a normal dog behaviour which can become a nuisance. If barking disturbs neighbours, keeps owners up at night or is frightening to visitors, dog owners can have a problem. There are many reasons why dogs might bark and it is important to understand these before trying to resolve the problem. Punishing the dog can make the problem worse so this should be avoided.

Excitement
Many dogs bark when they are very excited. They usually learn to do this at some time in their life because someone praised them for barking. This sort of barking occurs when there are visitors and also during any exciting times such as just before walks or meal times. Dogs that bark through excitement usually seem like they cannot control themselves and express their excitement in other ways such as jumping up, leaping around and whining to name a few.

The two most important factors with dogs which become over excited are control and exercise. Many dogs which become easily over excited do not receive enough physical exercise. Excitable dogs need to receive firm and kind obedience training before you can teach them not to bark. Sometimes it can help to teach the dog to bark on command so that you can allow the dog to bark at certain times.

Once you have given your dog good obedience training, decide how you would like your dog to behave during the times when he would normally bark. Then use the obedience commands you have taught him, such as sit, lay down and go to bed, to teach him what you want him to do.

It is important that you ignore all barking behaviour and stay calm at all times. Shouting at the dog or telling him off is likely to make things much worse as the dog will think you are excited too.

It is also helpful to get the dog used to the things that make him excited. If visitors make your dog excited, arrange for friends to visit several times in one day asking them to ignore your dog completely unless he is calm and quiet. If going for walks makes him excited, do the things you would do before a walk such as getting your coat, keys and dog lead. Then ignore him and put them away again. Do this several times until he is calm. Then reward him with his walk.

Dogs that bark from excitement fall into old habits easily. If you begin to train him, you must stick to the training and ensure that the household and visitors follow the same rules.

Frustration
Many dogs bark because they are frustrated about something. This often happens when they hear dogs outside, see cats in the garden or know that something exciting is happening that they would like to be part of. Dogs that bark because they are frustrated may scratch or chew at windows, doors, gates and fences to get to the object of their frustration.

First it is important to find out what is causing the dog to bark. Usually it is either something the dog can hear or see. Sometimes is something they can smell. An un-neutered male dog can smell a female in heat for up to six miles. This can cause them to become very frustrated.

In the case of dogs barking in the garden at cats and other dogs, it is important that this is managed well. This means that the dog should never be left in the garden without a responsible adult to supervise him. If time spent in the garden can be made fun for the dog by playing games with him, this will help.

If the dog is barking at things he can hear or see from inside the house, the dog must be prevented from having access to windows and doors. The introduction of an indoor kennel may assist with this. In the case of sounds causing the barking, tape recordings of those sounds can be played to the dog to get him used to them so that they are not so exciting anymore. Just start playing them at a very low volume, during calm, quiet times and increase the volume as the dog gets used to them.

Dogs which bark through frustration are usually active and intelligent dogs which need a lot of physical and mental exercise. Normal walks are unlikely to be enough for them. Walks need to include controlled games, training and plenty of physical activity.

It is also helpful to give the dog a fun toy or bone which he can take his frustration out on. When you know he is likely to become frustrated, encourage him to play with his toy.

Guarding
Some dogs bark to protect or alter their household. This is very normal for certain breeds but only is caused by similar reasons to excitement barking. The difference is in the way the dog acts while it is barking. Excited dogs will wag their tail and greet visitors enthusiastically. Dogs which are guarding may wag their tail, but not in an excited way. They tend to be very alert and forward in their behaviour. In fact, the easiest way to tell the difference between guarding and excitement barking is that the dog who is guarding will stop barking as soon as the threat to the property has ended. For example, if the owner answers the door and shows the dog that the person is welcome, the dog will stop barking.

Some dogs have been bred to be good guard dogs. These dogs probably started barking to protect the house from a young age. They often were encouraged to do this. Other dogs guard the house because they are uncertain about who is in charge of allowing visitors in. In both cases, the dog needs to learn that it is up to you to decide who can come in or out. This is unlikely to affect the dog's ability to protect the house when no one is home.

With dogs like this, the owners need to be very good pack leaders. Kind and firm obedience training will help, particularly teaching him to come when called and to walk without pulling on the lead. Other things in the household need to be changed. The dog should not be allowed up on the furniture without invitation. He should be taught that he must earn all attention by obeying a command first. He should be ignored if he ever tries to demand attention. It may be useful to put him on a lead and teach him to sit when visitors arrive. He should also learn to sit whenever household members come home and want to say hello to him.

It may be worth giving visitors tasty tit bits for your dog. If he sits and is quiet for at least 2 minutes then they can give him a treat. If he barks at all, he must not be given a treat because this might reward the barking.

Boredom
Some dogs will bark because they are bored and full of energy. Often these dogs are also destructive. Bored dogs may not bark all the time. They sometimes bark for a little while and then stop if they find something else to keep them busy.

Dogs which bark through boredom are usually young and active dogs. They need plenty of mental and physical exercise. The first solution to this problem is to make sure the dog is getting all of the exercise he needs. If you are not able to do this because you work, maybe you could get someone to walk your dog for you. Controlled play and training tire out dogs which are intelligent, sometimes even more than a long walk.

There are many good toys available which can be made more interesting by stuffing them with tasty treats. These can be left in places where the dog can find them when you go out.

Attention Seeking
Some dogs bark because they have learned that this is a good way to get attention. This often begins because they are told off for barking when they are a puppy. These dogs will bark in short bursts and then wait to see if anyone is coming. They will always stop barking as soon as someone gives them attention. Attention seeking barkers will bark when their owners are watching television, on the phone, talking to friends or at any other time when they feel that they are being ignored.

Some dogs bark while their owners are out, just to get attention and others will bark at their owners when they are being ignored. Both these problems are caused by the same thing. The dog believes that he gets what he wants when he barks. For many dogs, shouting at him or punishing him is attention and the dog will bark even more if he thinks that you might shout at him.

The first thing that needs to be done is to find all the ways that the dog demands attention. This might be as simple as nudging your hand to stroke him or dropping toys in front of you to play. Once you know all the things that he will try to do, the rule must be that all of these things must be ignored. It is possible that some of the attention seeking will become worse because the dog will try desperately to get what he has always received whenever he wanted. If you stick to the rules, the problem should begin to go away.

Teach the dog some basic obedience such as sit and ask him to sit before giving him any attention. Do not ignore your dog all the time. What is important is that your dog gets good quality attention. This means lots of controlled games and training when you have the time to give him 100%. Make sure you set aside a least 1-2 hours every day for this.

Fear
Some dogs bark because they are frightened of people, other dogs or certain situations. These dogs will bark but stand away from the object of their fear. Usually their ears are back and their tail is held low. Even small movements or eye contact sometimes set the barking off. These dogs usually stop barking when ignored.

Dogs which are frightened bark to warn that they are not happy in some ways; this is a good thing because the dog is telling us exactly how he feels. But dogs that bark because they are fearful could bite someone eventually, so it is something that must be taken very seriously.

Anxiety / Over Attachment
Some dogs bark because they cannot cope with being left alone. These dogs sometimes soil the house and become destructive. These dogs will usually start barking very soon after being left and seem very over excited and stressed when their owners return. They usually follow their owners from room to room.

Dogs which are anxious, bark to help themselves cope with the stress. It is very important to get these dogs used to being left on their own. Sometimes it is best to start by finding a room in the house in which they are very happy and relaxed. Start by leaving the dog in this room for only a couple of minutes at a time. Build the length of time up slowly so that the dog gets used to the idea of being left. It is best to ignore the dog for at least twenty minutes before putting him in the room and for twenty minutes after you return. Making sure the dog is well exercised, turning the lights off, closing the curtains and putting on some relaxing music or the television can help. Stop the dog from following family members from room to room. Sometimes placing an old item of clothing that smells of the owner outside the door at the base, will reassure the dog that someone is still in the house.

If you need further advice or help ask your veterinary surgeon for a referral to a behaviour specialist.