Barking is a natural doggy-trait and dogs bark for all sorts of reasons: it’s their natural way of communicating.
There’s the defence bark, “Get orf my land!”
The dominance bark, “I can bark louder than you because I’m better/bigger/tougher…etc”
The social/excited bark, “Oh my goodness I’m so glad you’re back.”
And the self-identification bark which alerts the other dogs in the neighbourhood to the fact that, “I’m here guys. It’s me at number 12.”
All of these are entirely normal and if practised in moderation cause no problems.
The trouble begins when barking is done to excess. That’s when the neighbours begin cast dirty looks in your direction, or worse, bang on your door in a menacing manner.
Certain breeds are more prone to barking: those bred for guard duties for example, such as German Shepherds. Hunting dogs, such as beagles are also great barkers and the worst culprits seems to be the terriers who just love the sound of their own voices.
However, no breed is immune and it’s perfectly possible to end up with a problem Poodle, Greyhound, or Shitzu.
The main causes of problem barking are:
Frustration Lack of exercise Separation anxiety Territorial – defence and alert Fear In this short article we’ll discuss why these types of barking occur and methods of dealing with them.
Frustration Your dog will become frustrated if he’s bored, or tethered or inappropriately confined. Think about it. If you were locked up, without any stimulating activity, or maybe tethered to a post all day, wouldn’t you go stir crazy after a short while?
There are loads of great dog toys around, designed to stimulate a Fido’s brain and reward him periodically by dispensing a little treat. Buy a selection of these toys for and leave them around where he can find them. It’ll make home, or the garden seem a more interesting and positive place. Keep tethering to a minimum. If escaping is a problem, have a more secure fence built.
Lack of Exercise Children kept cooped up indoors all day become cranky and argumentative. Fido is no different. All that pent-up energy has to be dissipated somehow: cue problem barking.
This one is easy to solve. Take him for a few daily walks. Run him ragged in the garden with a ball or a toy designed to be pulled. If he’s very active, consider joining an agility class. It’s fun and sociable. Don’t underestimate basic training. This tires a dog mentally so he’d prefer to sleep rather than bark.
Separation Anxiety This can be a tricky one to solve as the barking associated with it is self-reinforcing.
Fido becomes anxious because you’ve left, so he barks, which upsets him, so he becomes more anxious, so he barks more, which upsets him making him even more anxious…get the picture.
Make sure he is left in a comfortable environment, with toys and chews, preferably where he can’t destroy anything. Some dogs prefer to be able to see out; others prefer the curtains to be drawn. Go with your own dog’s preference.
If the environment is right but the anxiety continues you need a different approach. Dogs are highly observant. They notice all manner of things. They notice that on work days you looks different; you smell different; you behave differently…oh-oh, you must be going out and LEAVING him. So Fido is already on anxiety-alert. By the time you’ve checked your tie or your hair and grabbed your car keys he’s beside himself and is nicely primed to bark his doggy head off when you leave.
To solve this particular barking problem requires patience and deviousness in equal measure. Take a day off in the week but get up, shower, and dress in your work garb then hang around the house. On another occasion pretend to leave but simply go to another room and read a book. Repeat this on a weekend a couple of times (if you can bear to get up, showered and dressed early on a weekend!). Vary your morning routine. Don’t apply your perfume until you’ve left the house; pick up your handbag last instead of your car keys; check your hair then sit down for another cup of tea or coffee; anything to confuse the dog and break the habit.
If you are out for long periods, two dogs can be company for each other (but beware those partnerships which simply double the trouble!). Alternatively employ a dog-walker; someone who pops round to provide some company and interest during the day.
Defence of territory, or ‘alert’ barking This is Fido’s way of telling you someone is approaching your property and it’s a good sort of bark as one of the benefits of owning a dog is the improved security he provides.
Normal alert barking is a few short sharp barks to let you know someone is here, and then it’s over to you as pack-leader to decide how to deal with them. Problem alert barking occurs when the normal ‘handover’ from dog to owner doesn’t happen and Fido sees it as his role to continue barking until the stranger (the postman or delivery driver for example) has left the premises. This is self-reinforcing behaviour of course as the postman or delivery driver will naturally leave once they’ve made their delivery but Fido thinks it is entirely due to his efforts so will bark all the more the next time a stranger approaches.
In this instance we need to re-establish ourselves as pack leader and make sure he knows that a couple of short barks is great, and that he’s a good boy for alerting us to the stranger but now that’s enough. Yelling NO at him probably won’t work as NO sounds like you’re barking along with him which must mean that you want him to continue!
Try a firm command like ‘enough’ or ‘cease’. Reward as soon as he stops barking, even for a second. Extend the time gradually so that he’s calm and quiet for a few seconds before he receives the treat. Be careful to give the treat only when he’s quiet or he’ll think you’re rewarding him for barking! Ensure everyone in the house uses the same command for this and Fido will soon get the message.
Fear Occasionally, some dogs become fearful of certain situations: cars, lawn mowers, children on bikes...the list is endless. Rescue dogs in particular seem very prone to this type of barking. My first dog was a lovely rescue terrier who was terrified of old people. A man in a flat cap would send her into a frenzy of barking. I can only assume she’d been maltreated by her previous owner, an elderly gentleman.
My instinct was to soothe her but unfortunately that reinforced the barking because if I was soothing and calming her there must be something worth worrying about…right?
The trick in this case is to play on how observant dogs are and how they take their cues from us. First, work on getting Fido to concentrate on you. Use your voice and treats to encourage him to think that you are the centre of his world. Act relaxed and completely normally around whatever it is which is making him nervous. Reward Fido when he’s calm and gradually introduce him to the object of his fear over a period of time, continuing to reward all the time he stays calm.
Inappropriate barking can be a tricky problem to solve but with patience and positive reinforcement the results are worth it, especially for your neighbours! Jayne Deakin has written a range of articles for Dog Training at StuffRecommended.com covering all aspects of dog behavior problems and how to fix them. Have a look at http://dogtraining.stuffrecommended.com for more details.
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