Whenever your dog barks excessively, there is a variety of reasons why this happens. While some barking is a normal and natural behavior, excessive barking may not be. Because we have socialized our dogs, they are used to interacting with other people and animals. The lonely and other dogs may become irritated and agitated when your dog is alone or when it doesn’t get the proper amount of attention and exercise.
It may also happen that your dog is acting aggressively. This sometimes happens when the dog is not properly trained and it sees an intruder. Dogs can bark and growl and they may be trying to warn you that there is an intruder. If your dog is growling at you, it is probably feeling threatened. Sometimes, dogs may even become aggressive towards another dog in order to prevent that dog from entering his territory. Anxious dogs and puppies may tend to bark and growl when they are around other dogs. It is important to know the different types of barking and how to deal with them.
Here are 5 tips that you should keep in mind whenever you are confronting excessive dog barking issues:
- Your dog could be barking because it wants to be a part of the pack and is bored.
If your dog seems to be lonely, then it gets frustrated whenever you leave it by itself. It barks in order to get the attention of others. Also, dogs that are social and know how to behave around others usually make less noise. They are better behaved companion dogs.
- Your dog could be barking because it wants your attention.
The most common reason why your dog barks is to get your attention. Therefore, instead of yelling at your dog the moment you see him barking, you can tell him to stop barking (use a certain word such as “stop”). You can continuously reward him for stopping the unwanted behavior and even give him a treat whenever he does. Thus, by using this kind of training, your dog can learn what is expected of him.
- Your dog could be barking because it is frightened.
Sometimes, your dog may be scared of something, or he just wants to warn you of something. Therefore, your dog’s bark could be nothing else but a warning. A friend was running a CPR training Portland course so strangers were at his house and the dog went nuts with his barking. Sometimes, your dog can also be stressed and need a calm environment. When your dog is stressed, he can also bark nonstop.
- Your dog’s barking could be because he is hungry.
Not hungry enough, maybe? If your dog is looking for a way to get your attention and is barking nonstop, he may be looking for the way to get his daily bowl of food. Try to ignore him and when he stops barking, give him his food. This way, he will know that he will have to quiet down in order to eat.
- Your dog’s barking could be because he wants to play.
Sometimes, dogs may bark simply because they want to play. If your dog is in a cage or chained outside the house, perhaps he just wants to go out and play with you. In that case, you may allow him to do so. But maybe your dog wants to play during a certain time or certain place. You have to try to figure out the reasons. Playing with one’s dog is a special moment that can only be experienced by a dog.