Ensure Your Dog’s Needs are Met
Many of the reasons your dog may bark at you are to fulfill their needs. For instance, a dog that is barking because they are bored requires more mental stimulation. A dog that always barks because they want to play may need more physical exercise. Fulfilling these needs can prevent the barking before it even starts.
If your dog needs more physical exercise, take them on long walks. Alternatively, some dogs may have very little stamina but still need to run around quite a bit. These dogs may benefit from many relatively short walks or play sessions. Greyhounds and Siberian Huskies are a good example of this.
For mental stimulation, provide puzzle toys or do more training sessions with your canine. Many dog breeds are intelligent and need something to do with their minds, or they’ll get bored. If you aren’t home, puzzle toys are an easy way to combat this. For times that you are home, try training or even games, like hide-and-seek.
Check for Medical Problems
If training doesn’t work and your canine’s needs seem met, the barking may be caused by an illness. Pain is a common reason for dogs to bark. They may seem to bark like they need something, though their needs are currently met. However, dogs are equally as likely to be quiet and lethargic when in pain. It depends on the dog.
Dogs can develop dementia when they get older, which can cause excessive vocalizations. They may bark because they are confused or think they’re lost. There are simple lifestyle changes you can make to help these older dogs feel more comfortable, which should reduce the barking.
Certain brain problems can also cause confusion, which can lead to barking randomly. The dog may give an alarm bark for seeming no reason, or they may bark to fulfill needs that were just met. For instance, a dog with dementia or other brain problem may bark to go outside after they just came back in. Or, they may bark for a meal after they were just fed.
Anxiety can also cause excessive barking for seemingly no reason. This problem can be treated with both medication and behavioral training.
Anxiety Or Arousal Around People Or Other Dogs
Dogs are emotional and complex creatures. Your dog may bark at people or other dogs for a variety of reasons. These can include …
Why Do DOGS BARK at NOTHING? ️❗ (+ Solutions)
As a dog trainer, I find barking problems are one of the main reasons dog owners ask for help … clients want to know how to stop their dog from barking.
First, I’ll talk about the purpose of barking. Then I’ll cover common reasons a dog barks and provide you with some solutions to curb your dog’s barking.
When a dog barks, he wants to communicate. Your dog is barking to talk and try to get his message across.
To stop your dog barking, you must first find out WHY he’s barking. What does he want to say to you?
Barking is a symptom of something else, and that something else is what you need to address. You don’t just want to stop your dog from barking … the reason why is key.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons why dogs bark. Then I’ll give a few suggestions on how to change your dog’s behavior.
For example … your dog brings you his favorite toy, drops it at your feet, then barks at you to throw it.
Dogs who bark, howl or whimper when you leave may have a case of separation anxiety … a serious condition that you need to address.
If your dog barks when you leave, he may continue to get more stressed over time and injure himself.
I often think of these dogs like kids at Disneyland. The ones who are so excited about their adventure they run around and scream.
Often these dogs have triggers that get them so wound up … to the point that they can’t control themselves.