Dogs bark. It is a part of their normal and natural communication and behavior. Dogs can bark for appropriate and good reasons, such as when strangers approach our house, they hear an odd noise, or they just want to play. But sometimes dogs bark excessively. If we want to control barking of our dogs, firstly we need to understand the reasons.

Why Do Dogs Bark?

There are some dog’s natural means of communication such as whining, howling, growling and barking .

Dogs bark

• to express their needs (attention, willing to play, food).
• · to express dominance (puppies normally test you out to set up whether you are the leader).
• to stake out their territory.
• to alert other members of their pack (that’s you and your family) of impending danger.
• · to ‘complain’ about boredom or a lack of physical and mental stimulation.
• to let you know when feel stressed or uncomfortable for some reason. (feeling threatened or not having  an appropriate place to sleep).
• · when playing, just through sheer excitement.(common for puppies)
• · at other animals. (depending on what part of the world you live in, it could be squirrels or possums.)
• if they are isolated.
• when separated from their pack (you and your family).
• if they are trapped behind some type of barrier like a fence or window.
• just for fun.
• some dogs are bred to bark (Beagles, Terriers, and some herding breeds).

Being a natural trait, barking is not considered a behavioral problem, until it is produced in excess.

Pathologic barking

Abnormal or “pathologic” barking is when dog barks very excessively or at inappropriate things (a leaf falling), or in dogs that become hyper-excited when people or other dogs approach. Solving this problem includes the team – method which all family members, an animal behaviorist, and a veterinarian have to take part in.

Causes of Problem Barking

Problem barking has a variety of origins. Genetics influences a dog’s tendency to bark. As it was mentioned before, some breeds tend to bark more, it is just one of the characteristics for which they were bred.

But there are some initial causes:

• Improper confinement can be a major cause of problem barkers. It can include leaving a dog alone in a locked room or in a dog crate. This also may be restricted tethering outdoors, or even an enclosed yard without proper shelter from the elements. Such confinement can cause frustration in a dog and cause it to bark excessively.
• Lack of exercise is closely connected with improper confinement. When a dog is not provided with adequate exercise, kept-in energy releases through barking.
• Environmental sounds include such things like other dogs’ barking, the sound of passing cars, strange voices, thunder and mechanical noises such as ringing of the phone. A dog may not bark at usual sounds which it’s accustomed to during the day, but at night may be provoked to series of barking, by the slightest of noises to the annoyance of the neighbors.
• Separation anxiety or the temperament of the dog: an over-aggressive animal may bark at the smallest provocation. A strongly territorial dog may bark at any stranger, invited or uninvited, entering your property.

General principles for controlling undesirable barking:

First of all your pet has to understand that you are the leader and you for your turn should never lose the authority.

Some of us usually shout “No!” to stop barking dog, but in most cases it makes matters worse as your dog is thinking you’ve  joined in and is happy to bark with you. You should never yell at your dog, as loud noises may encourage your pet to bark more.

Be steadfast. Choose a one-word command like “Enough” for the behavior you want. It’s necessary always to use the same tone of voice, and everyone in the household must use the same command and act the same way.

Teaching “Enough,” set up a situation in which your puppy will bark, but not excessively; for example knock on the door. After one or two barks, stop knocking and make a sound so that your dog switches its attention to you. If it stops barking, say at once “Enough” and reward it with a treat and praise. If it does not stop, put that something delicious right in front of its nose. When it stops barking for a second or two, say “Enough,” wait a few more seconds and if it keeps silence, give it the treat. Timing is vital – your dog must be quiet when you give it the treat or it may feel that getting the treat is the signal to continue barking. Make sure you are saying “Enough” when the pet is quiet. Later on, associating “Enough” with being quiet, your dog will be easily stopped barking.

Be patient with your dog and yourself.  It’s obvious that changing your dog’s behavior you will need to change yours and get used to it slowly, step by step. Losing a temper once may lead all your previous attempts come to nothing.

Often the dog starts getting nervous when we go through our daily leaving. If you do the same things before leaving such as put on your shoes and take the keys, vary this- pick up your keys and  put on your shoes – but do not leave. Go to the couch and read a book.  If you like listening to music at weekends when being at home, switch it on during working days. Get over the desire of sleeping at weekend and set up the alarm. Get up but stay at home. Continue these changes in routine until your dog does not pay attention to your hits anymore. Not giving much attention to your dog when you leave is also very important.

Reward the dog for good behavior. Complimenting is much more powerful than punishment. Punishing your dog you will get nothing but a fearful pet and lost bond which you wish to form. Using some food treatment is helpful in the beginning. Try to pick a very special treat like small pieces of cooked chicken, something your dog never gets usually. With the time you don’t have to give the treat every time, saying ‘Good dog’ or patting its chest will be enough. Do not hug your dog, talk soothingly, or otherwise play into your dog’s barking because this way your dog may believe there really was something of which to be alarmed, afraid, or anxious.

Control the situation. As much as possible, set up situations to use as training. Practice in short, frequent sessions, generally 5-10 minutes each. If your dog barks excessively during play, it is best to let it calm down and slow down the game. If it continues to bark, stop playing until the dog is quiet.

Don’t hesitate to ask an expert. Animal trainers, behaviorists and your veterinarian can give you valuable advice. Invite a person to your house so he can be the witness of pathological barking of your dog; then he’ll be more aware how to help you.

Do not encourage your puppy to bark at people. Dogs that bark at mail carriers, joggers running by the house, or cyclers on the street naturally have their barking reinforced. They see the mail carrier, they bark, and the mail carrier leaves. The dog thinks, “Boy, I’m good. My barking made that person leave.” In modifying the dog’s behavior, we need to overcome this reinforcement.  Sometimes, by just preventing the dog from seeing the intruding mail carrier, we can solve the problem. Often, however, we need to do more. First, we must make sure we are not rewarding the dog for any type of barking. (If the dog barks when it wants to eat, and we feed it, we are rewarding vocalization.) If we try to ignore the barking, but eventually cave-in and give attention, the dog learns that short barks will not do the trick, but excessive and extended barking will.

Well, the relationship with your dog is an important part of your life, and maybe the most important part of his (or hers). So you are able to make your dog feel better through the days with you and yourself believe you make someone happy.

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