Barking can be seen as a problem behaviour.
In fact – it’s a communication tool – but maybe what the dog is trying to say isn’t being heard so they keep repeating themselves.
Understand why the dog is barking – address the cause – you’ll reduce the barking
Some of the most common reasons for barking are
- ALARM – trying to alert you to something you need to know – unfamiliar sounds, visitors, movement.
- FEAR – the dog is protecting you and itself and is trying to tell to be alert
- TERRITORIAL – the dog is protecting their space and telling the intruder (even if that’s just a leaf) to go away
- EXCITEMENT – the dog is wanting to greet a playmate and initiate play.
- FRUSTRATION – the dog is trying to get to something it can’t, or do something it’s unable to do
- ATTENTION – the dog is trying to get you to interact with him
- HABIT – the dog knows that when he barks, you’ll engage with him (either negatively or positively – attention is attention)
- BORED / LONELY – the dog has unmet needs to will bark to vocalise even if he doesn’t expect to get a result.
