Understanding Dog Barking and How to Minimize It
Barking is just one of the many ways dogs communicate with people, other dogs, and other animals around them. Some dogs bark minimally, while others bark constantly. It’s important to recognize that barking is normal. However, excessive barking can be frustrating and could also be a sign of an underlying behavioral issue. To prevent your dog from barking constantly and find a more appropriate way to communicate their stress, you’ll want to try to understand the “why” behind their bark. This will aid in finding solutions for modifying their behavior.
Reasons for Dog Barking
There are many reasons why dogs bark and different methods for deterring each. Barking is a normal part of our dog’s vocabulary and cannot be eliminated. However, you can help minimize the bark’s frequency, intensity, and volume by understanding the reasoning behind your dog’s barking.
Below are several common types of barking and helpful guidelines for minimizing the behavior:
Alarm Barking
Driven by their instinctual behaviors, dogs often bark to inform us of something or someone’s presence to scare it away. Alarm barking can also be a manifestation of feeling fearful, anxious, or stressed.
Reducing the Bark:
When addressing alarm barking, first work to minimize your dog’s exposure to what triggers them by, for example, blocking their access to the window they look out. When barking does happen, acknowledge what your dog is alerting you about by interrupting their bark, investigating the situation, and thanking them for keeping you safe. Then, redirect them to a more appropriate alternative behavior, such as going to their bed and settling. This redirect helps to set the expectation of what will happen when they need to tell you something or when someone is present. It’s also best to avoid yelling at your dog to be quiet, as this often only adds to their concern.
Boredom Barking
Dogs are energetic and engaging creatures, and barking may be one way for some to burn off excess energy when they do not have appropriate enrichment activities. “Boredom barking” is generally due to a lack of stimulation. If this lack of stimulation persists, stress and frustration can build and make the barking behavior more intense.
Reducing the Bark:
Boredom barking can be minimized significantly by providing your dog with regular enrichment. Increase your dog’s daily stimulation at home by establishing exercise routines, playing fun games, and doing virtual dog training to sharpen their minds. Be sure to spend as much quality time with your dog as possible. Having a schedule for daily stimulation helps your dog anticipate the interaction that prevents their bark from becoming the source of entertainment.
🐾 Pro Tip: Check out these tips to keep your dog mentally stimulated and prevent boredom barking at home.
Attention-Seeking or Demand Barking
“Attention-seeking” barking, often referred to as “demand barking,” is for getting your attention or to tell you that they need something. This need could be attention, food, going outside, treats, toys, etc. Dogs are expressive and quickly learn ways to get what they want.
Reducing the Bark:
The best way to address attention-seeking barking is to ignore this type of communication. Avoid giving your dog eye contact or physical confirmation that you’ve heard them (don’t even take the time to tell them to be quiet!). If you don’t want your dog to learn that barking gets them what they want, work to acknowledge and reinforce more appropriate communication styles, such as sitting quietly at your feet for love and pets.
Once you have identified why your dog is barking, training a more appropriate alternative behavior to help minimize their voice becomes easier. GoodPup provides private, one-on-one dog training over live video calls with plans that fit you and your dog. GoodPup uses science-based, positive reinforcement methods to teach cues to minimize dog barking.
