Barking dogs

Photo by Angelo CARNIATO on Unsplash

Why is my dog barking?

Barking is a natural behaviour for dogs. It’s a form of communication, just like talking is for humans.

And just like talking, barking occurs in lots of different situations and for lots of different reasons: for attention, out of boredom, out of frustration, when something spooks them, etc.

Most of the time, we actually like it when our dogs bark to let us know about something that’s not right, like a stranger on our property, but we’d rather not have our dogs let us know anytime a car (or person, or bicycle) passes by your home.

Certain breeds or breed mixes also may have a predisposition to barking. Guardian and herding breeds are some of the most common culprits. They bark as part of the jobs they were bred to do.

If you’re thinking of getting a dog, consider how much barking you’re willing to put up with before narrowing down your search.

Sometimes you may hear a dog make a vocalization that sounds more like a low woof than a big bark. I call this a “who’s there” bark. If there’s no further noise the dog hears, they don’t usually repeat.

On the other hand, a “woo woo woo woo woo woo” bark is what I call a spooky bark. This is sometimes the follow-up to the “who’s there” bark, if the noise the dog thought they heard is suddenly closer and they’re getting concerned about it.

It’s not very common to hear dogs bark when they play, but some do when they get frustrated, if the target of their play isn’t responding or isn’t responding the way they’d like. Think: chase games. Some of the more vocal dogs will bark during play or any highly arousing activity.

If your dog’s barking is disturbing you or others around you, look at the context of the barking and try to work out which elements are a part of the equation. For example, is movement involved (like a bicycle), or is the trigger a noise (like a skateboard or a truck), or is it the sight of another dog approaching that sets him off?

Depending on the cause, the way to resolve the issue may be different. Once you have a good idea what’s setting your dog off, reach out to me for help to reduce the barking.