Dogs can bark for appropriate and good reasons, such as when strangers approach our house, they hear an odd noise, or they are herding sheep. Most of us want our dogs to be “watch dogs” and alert us to anything unusual.
Humanity in its ways blended with the canine family more than anything in the animal kingdom. History of the two could be traced as early as men first walked the earth. They have been each other’s constant companion. Throughout the years, men and dogs could almost be associated with everything and recently this relationship has come over to an entirely new level.
Dogs are treated as more than just pets. They are treated just like family members. When we welcome them into our family, we have to see to it that we welcome them and make their 1st few days not as shocking as possible.
Bear in mind that these are our pets. They have needs but they cannot tell us what it is as they could not speak our language. The most they could do is to bark or whimper to let us know what they feel at the moment.
Understanding Barking
Do not mistake howling and barking as signs of discontentment on their part. Perhaps there are other factors at play like the environment and other dogs. By carefully listening to every action and whimper and bark they have, it would enable us to know and understand their present situation.
Over the years, dogs barking at our neighborhood are a constant bother to us. Thus, the need for us, pet owners to take measures, to ensure that our dog will not be as bothersome, as most other dogs are. Sometimes nuisance dogs are the cause of trouble among neighbors and some even reach the courts to settle the issue. Now that is something we don’t want happening to us. The more we try to spend time and understanding with them, the more we will be able to get their trust and obedience.
To fully understand them, try to know as much as you can about the present situation. Expand your knowledge so as to be able to know what to do or what could be the cause of your dog’s endless barking. Remember, things happen for a reason and some things could not be answered just by guessing.
The more you learn about dogs, the better your relationship will be. As the higher species, it is our best interest that we show them that we understand them despite the language barrier.
If you wish to know more about god training, we have the perfect entry for you: Puppy 101: A beautiful journey through dog training.
Barking Is The Way Your Dog Communicates
Oftentimes, we all ask why dogs bark? We all know that dogs descend from the wolves and that being their descendants; we also know why dogs howl. But why do they bark? One answer would be “because they can”. It’s pretty much like asking why people talk! Dogs however bark more often than wolves do. Wolves are more known for their howling, the kind that gives us the creep whenever we hear one.
Dogs bark to communicate just like us. They have these different pitches and sounds that convey different thoughts and emotions to another dog. We should not be surprised if our dogs bark but we should worry if they don’t. Barking is one way of letting us know as well of how they feel and how they think. It’s pretty much like wagging their tail when we arrive to show that they are happy.
The bark has evolved into a complicated means of communication between dogs and, potentially, between dogs and people.
There are also long lists of reasons why they bark. We pet owners have an indirect effect on their barking and the different nature of the barking. It has been suggested that the reason for the difference lies in the dog’s domestication by humans. An increased tendency to bark could have been useful to humans in providing an early warning system. Domestication has altered the physical appearance of dogs. Individual dogs bark for a variety of reasons. They may bark to attract attention, to communicate a message, or to express excitement.
Some people tend to shout or hurt their dogs when they bark. This is a no no! The most we could do is to train them or discipline them in a firm but gentle manner. Make the experience as positive as you can. Do not overreact to our dogs when they bark as this is their nature. It is natural for them to bark at things they don’t know or they think is a threat. The more we try to silence them, the more they will bark.
When A Dog Barks All The Time
There comes a time when our dogs can’t seem to stop barking. Since barking is one of the many vocal communications for dogs, it’s understandable why they bark when they see other dogs and this also pleases us because it alerts us when people approach or when they want something or something bad is happening.
But there are cases when their barking can be excessive. It’s very important to identify its cause and your dog’s motivation as barking serves a variety of functions before you start considering it as a barking problem. Every type of barking serves a distinct function for a dog, and when he is repeatedly rewarded for his barking, which means, if he gets what he wants-he learns to use barking to his benefit. For example, dogs who successfully bark for attention often go on to bark for other things, like food, play and walks. For this reason, it’s important to train your dog to be quiet on cue so that you can stop his attention-related barking and teach him to do another behavior instead-like sit or down-to get what he wants.
Now barking that is a behavior problem may result from one of several different issues. The key is to first identify the cause of the barking and then to change your dog’s triggers. As a pet owner, you have to know or identify why your dog is barking just by its specific bark. For instance, a dog’s bark sounds different when he wants to play as compared to when he wants to come in from the yard.
It’s crucial to determine why your dog is barking. It will take some time to teach your dog to bark less. Unfortunately, it’s just not realistic to quick fix or to expect that your dog will stop barking altogether. It’s extremely impossible that this would happen. It’s pretty much like a person. A person can’t stop talking suddenly! Not unless it’s traumatized or dead. Now we don’t want that. Our goal should be to decrease, rather than eliminate, the amount of barking. Bear in mind that some dogs are more prone to barking than others.
Our tolerance to dog barking varies with each person. Some can tolerate extreme levels of barking while others cannot. Canine barking however can be a nuisance to neighbors, and is a common problem dog owners or their neighbors may face. Thus we have to consider our neighbors’ tolerance as well. Different kinds of barking often require different kinds of approach to reduction.
Positive training is always the best way to train your dog, that’s why we made an article about it: Time for puppy preschool: Get the basics for positive dog training
Dog Barking And Danger
We cannot deny the fact that excessive barking can be troublesome for us. It can even be dangerous for us and for our pooch. Excessive barking must be kept at bay.
Intruders can also hurt our pets. A dog may bark to threaten intruders. This is usually a more menacing bark and may be accompanied by growling. Depending upon the situation, you may need to move the dog to a more secure location or quietly reassure him. Otherwise, the intruder might silence your dog for good. A dog will also bark to warn other dogs or people of danger. The barking generally continues until the source of danger is removed or the dog is taken to safety.
There are times when we are sleeping so comfortably and soundly when our beloved dog suddenly releases that long, hair raising howl followed by an entire night of barking!
Now this is troublesome for us but it’s worse for our neighbors. Some people tend to get violent when they’re disturbed especially at night when they are resting after a long day from work. At first they will air out their complaints to us and then when the barking continues, some take matters into their own hands.
What about chronic barking? This can pose physical threat if not damage to the dog. Do you know that exercise often stops your dog’s chronic barking? Well, barking is sometimes a sign of boredom and frustration. Therefore, you may actually be harming your dog by not exercising him! That’s because a bored dog is far more likely to bark than an active dog. So it’s up to you to make the time necessary to keep your dog active and stimulated.
If you want to stop your dog’s chronic barking then you should try increasing the amount of exercise that he or she gets every day. This will tire your dog out while also providing much needed stimulation. And both of these factors will work together to reduce or even stop your dogs chronic barking.
Dealing With Barking Problem
Dog barking has several explanations. Yes, it’s not threatening and can certainly be useful. But too loud, too often is annoying. Left as it is, barking leads to some problems. The most common problem would come from neighbors complaining. Nothing beats knowing what the problem is. We cannot find solutions to our problems if we don’t have enough knowledge on the matter.
The key to controlling any problem is understanding, what could trigger the behavior and how to deal with it. This holds true to any problems and thus could be used to deal with the dog barking. Below are helpful ways to deal with your dog’s barking problem:
- Have your dog eat at regular intervals. When they’re thirsty, dogs will respond to nature by barking for water. Dogs produce a different kind of howl, bark or growl when they want food. Feeding them at regular intervals would let them know when to expect they will get fed.
- Be certain your dog gets enough daily exercise. Dogs have energy reserves; they must use it up daily. If not, they get jumpy. Whether it’s rain or shine on any given day, let your dog have enough exercise – no exceptions. When the sun is out, just be imaginative with indoor exercises.
- Bring home a toy or a second dog to keep your little friend entertained. Dogs suffer separation anxiety if left by themselves for a long time. Keeping him amused or with company effectively de-stresses the dog and keeps him calm. If you’re entertaining a guest with their dog along, don’t let yours see this. Stay out of earshot when you’re into something interesting. Dogs like to take part in activities and would bark for it.
- It’s important for your dog to know when barking is appropriate and when it isn’t. One of the first commands you should teach your dog to obey is, “Quiet.”. Dogs can be fiercely territorial. They bark at anything unusual. Being warned of strange things or people around your house is a good thing. However, you’d like your dog to just stay and watch delivery people, joggers and the usual passers-by quietly. Teach your dog to discern strangers and bark only at them. But the most important of all is to have your dog learn to cease barking on a single command.
Please feel encouraged to say hello – we’ll be happy to help with any questions you might have, and if you’d like to comment on our site, products or service, we’d love to hear from you!
