Why Your Dog Barks and What You Can Do About It

Barking dogs can affect an entire neighborhood and could be a violation of local animal ordinances. Following the advice below can help you figure out why your dog is barking and what you can do about it.

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Dogs that escape and bark excessively can result in disputes among neighbors and even violate an animal control ordinance. Barking dogs can become problems that are more significant that an annoyance. All dogs bark from time to time, but continual barking can be a sign that your dog has a behavioral problem that needs to be contained.

Do you know when and how long your dog barks? Do you know what is causing your dog to bark? If the barking occurs when you're not at home, you should talk to the neighbors (also a good idea to smooth potential problems) or pretend you are leaving and take a walk around the block and wait for the barking to start. Perhaps you have a video camera you could set up. In any event, your goal is to reveal which of the common problems outlined herein could be the cause for the dog's barking behavior.

Loneliness - Isolation - Frustration

Is your dog left for long periods of time without being able to interact with you or others? Does your dog have enough stimulation in his environment, such as other dogs or toys, or is it a rather sterile atmosphere? Is your dog young, or is it a breed such as a herd or hunting dog, and have an abundance of energy that she doesn't know what to do with?

Your dog may be suffering from a lack of attention and stimulation in her day. What you need to do is find ways to increase her time with you and/or other dogs. Here's some ideas:

• Walks - at least every other day, if not, every day
• Play fetch with your dog
• Find a dog friendly park so he can play with others and run around and go a couple times a week
• From time to time take your dog to doggie day care
• Set up a dog rotation where you can leave your dog with a friend who also has a dog. In exchange, you would be able to do the same for your friend's dog too.
• Just spend some time with your dog giving some special attention
• Have a plethora of toys that can be rotated. After she gets tired of one toy, bring out one she hasn't seen in a couple months. Temporarily retire the toys.
• Try to teach a new trick or command, something you can practice with him frequently
• Take your dog on errands with you

Defensive Behavior

Does your dog's barking start when others are around, such as guests, delivery people, or people just walking by? Does your dog bark with the neighbor dogs when they are startled? Have you encouraged your dog to react to outside stimulants like the ones mentioned above?

Your dog may be exhibiting natural protection and a defensive posture. Here are some recommendations:

• When your dog begins to bark at a perceived threat, allow a few barks followed by a command to be quiet. Sometimes you may also need to interrupt his barking by gently squirting water or creating a sound that will allow a momentary stop to allow you to tell him to be quiet while rewarding the good behavior.
• Teach your dog with positive reinforcement that the people he perceives as threats are actually friends and good to him.
• Don't encourage barking or aggressive behavior by at passerbys, cars, or other dogs.
• To decrease territorial behavior, have your dog spayed or neutered.
• Try not to allow your dog views of the street from your front window or backyard that may be making him bark when you're not home.

Fear

Does your dog bark when exposed to loud noises, thunder or fireworks? Does your dog exhibit a fearful posture - head down and tail between the legs? This type of behavior is typically associated with fear. Here is a couple of recommendations:

• Try to decrease the intensity or eliminate the noise by leaving a radio or television on. A fan might work as well.
• Keep your dog in a quiet location in the home, perhaps the basement or a large bathroom without windows. Another thing to try is keeping the front curtains closed and attempting to eliminate stimulation from the outside.

Separation Anxiety

Does your dog's barking start soon after you leave or shortly thereafter? Does your dog exhibit a strong attachment to you, such as following you around your house or unusual greetings or anticipation when you leave, such as peeing on the floor? Has your dog gone through a recent change that leaves him alone more than he has been used to, or without a person or another pet in his life he has been used to? See if these simple recommendations can help:

• Keep arrivals and departures low-key. For example, when you arrive home, ignore your dog for the first few minutes, then calmly pet him.
• Leave your dog with an article of clothing that smells like you, an old tee shirt that you've slept in recently, for example.
• Establish a "safety cue"--a word or action that you use every time you leave that tells your dog you'll be back. Dogs usually learn to associate certain cues with short absences by their owners. For example, when you take out the garbage, your dog knows you come right back and doesn't become anxious. Therefore, it's helpful to associate a safety cue with your practice departures and short-duration absences.

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Are you at your wits-end as to what you can do?

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