Why does my dog bark at every little noise? Get Your Pet Thinking

Why Some Dogs Bark At Noise

So why are some dogs more sensitive to noises? We can’t say for every dog with certainty, but there seems to be a few reasons:

Your dog is anxious and stressed and that manifests through barking at everything.

Your dog feels the need to guard his home and you from every threat, and that includes any noise he hears.

Over-excitement, like when they hear you dishing up their food or someone parks a car in the driveway.

Because other dogs in the neighborhood are barking and your dog feels inclined to join in.

What Not to Do: Punish the Dog for Barking!

In either situation, we want to avoid punishment. Punishment could make the situation worse and doesn’t teach our dog what we would rather them do instead.

Likewise, telling our dog “no” repeatedly, is likely not getting you anywhere. The word “no” would need to have some sort of consequence attached to it to have meaning for Barking Blitz’s dog.

For example, “no” could mean a raised voice, enough to scare some dogs. This would be a form of punishment, and doesn’t teach our dogs anything. “No” could also mean ‘stop doing what you’re doing and grab your toy, let’s have a game of tug instead.’

These are both a potential consequence of the word “no.” One is positive and one is negative.

However, it could also be completely neutral.

I suspect for most people, you have used this word repeatedly without it really meaning much of anything at all. It’s just become an annoying voice in the background rather than offer any type of information or solution.

Boredom/Loneliness: Dogs are pack animals. Dogs left alone for long periods, whether in the house or in the yard, can become bored or sad and often will bark because they are unhappy.

Territorial/Protective: When a person or an animal comes into an area your dog considers their territory, that often triggers excessive barking. As the threat gets closer, the barking often gets louder. Your dog will look alert and even aggressive during this type of barking.

Once you know why your dog is barking, you can start working on ways to decrease their annoying habit:Â Â

Greeting/Play: To stop a dog from going into a barking frenzy every time you come home or the doorbell rings, you’ll need to teach them other behaviors. One way is to train your dog to go to a spot and stay there when the door opens. It’s best if they can see the door, but not be too close to it. Pick a spot and practice getting your dog to go there and stay, but don’t touch the door yet. Use lots of treats and praise, making it a game.

Territorial/Protective/Alarm/Fear: Because this type of barking is often motivated by fear or a perceived threat to their territory or people, it can be lessened by limiting what your dog sees. If they are in a fenced yard, use solid wood instead of chain fencing. Indoors, limit access to windows and doors or cover them with an opaque film.

Does Your Dog Bark at Every Little Sound? Do This.