BarkingBarking Dog
While most dogs bark, they bark for many different reasons. Dogsbark when playing, as an alert and as a warning. They bark from fear anddistress and excitement. They sometimes bark from boredom. It’s up to theirpeople to figure out the reasons they’re barking — and to hopefully respond inan appropriate manner.
“When assessing canine vocalization, pitch is a veryinformative variable,” explains Novack. “In general, low-pitched vocalizationsare distance-increasing (go away) and high-pitched vocalizations aredistance-decreasing (come closer).” For example, she says, the high-pitchedbark of a puppy in a crate, along with whining and whimpering, is a call for youto come back and let them out. “Comparethat sound to the low-pitched barks a guard dog emits when a person enterstheir home. Once the person is recognized, the bark often raises in pitch tomid-range, indicating recognition and excitement.”
By observing your own dog’s body language and the situation and/or environment, you will learn to understand what your dog’s barks mean. In general, according to a study by Sophia Yin, DVM, low-pitched barks with a harsh tone and little variation in pitch or volume indicates a “disturbance,” whether that’s someone at the door or some kind of perceived threat. Sometimes, these barks are so loud and frequent that Yin refers to them as “superbarks.”
Higher-pitched barking with more tonal and frequency changes may indicate what Yin calls an “isolation bark,” when the dog is left alone, for example. This type of bark often occurs as one single bark at a time (a little like yelling, “Hey!”). A play bark is similar in pitch to the isolation bark, but play barks occur in clusters.
Kayla Fratt, certified dog behavior consultant at Journey Dog Training, uses “the ABCs of behavior analysis” to determine the meaning of an individual dog’s bark. This refers to the Antecedent, the Behavior and the Consequence. You have to look at what happened right before the dog barked (the antecedent), what his behavior and body language indicate, and then what happened right after the dog barked (the consequence).
For example, she says, if the dogs are playing, and one orboth dogs bark, but the dogs continue playing with relaxed and happy bodylanguage, we can assume that it was a play bark. “But it’s a very differenttype of bark if the antecedent is that the dogs are playing, and then the dogbarks, and then he nips at his playmate and then the play stops or escalatesinto a fight.” By observing your dog’s body language in both situations, youwill be able to read the signs before any negative consequences occur.
If instead of a hostile growl, your dog is grumbling lowly, he may be perfectly happy! Dogs also growl in play. It’s common for a dog to growl while playing tug – and that’s perfectly appropriate as long as the rest of his body language says he’s playing. If there’s any doubt in your mind, take a break from play to let him calm down. Some dogs also growl in pleasure. Rottweilers are notorious for “grumbling” when being petted and playing, and absent any signs of stress, this is interpreted as a “feels good” happy dog noise.
Why do dogs bark? Dogs bark for many reasons, including alert (there’s something out there!), alarm (there’s something bad out there) boredom, demand, fear, suspicion, distress, and pleasure (play). If you know how to tell between different kinds of dog barks, you can easily understand why your dog is so vocal in the first place! Believe it or not, dogs’ vocal communication methods aren’t just for annoying neighbors – they’re for telling you something important has happened!
A whimper or a yelp is often an indication that a dog is in pain. This may happen when dogs play, if one dog bites the other dog too hard. The whimper or yelp is used to communicate the dog’s distress to a pack member (or human) when they are friendly. The other dog or human is expected to react positively to the communication. Whimpers can also indicate strong excitement such as when an owner returns at the end of a long workday. Excitement whimpering is often accompanied by licking, jumping, and barking. Dog whimpering is softer and less intense than whining. Puppy crying sounds are just little whimpers.
Dog whining sounds are high-pitched vocalizations, often produced nasally with the mouth closed. A dog may whine when it wants something, needs or wants to go outside, feels frustrated by leash restraint, is separated from a valued companion (human or otherwise), or just wants attention. It is usually an indication of some increased level of stress for the dog. Most often the dog crying sound is an exaggerated whine or whimper.
Demand barks are sharp and persistent, and directed at the human who could/should ostensibly provide whatever the dog demands. At least, the dog thinks so. Suspicious barks are usually low in tone, and slow, while fearful barking is often low but faster. Play barking just sounds . . . playful. If you have any doubt – look to see what the dog is doing. If he’s playing, it’s probably play barking.
Diagnosis of Excessive Vocalization in Dogs
Let your veterinarian know if your dog has suddenly had a change in behavior besides the excessive vocalization because the presence of other symptoms can help lead to the correct diagnosis easier and faster. The veterinarian will do a physical examination of your dog, including heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, weight, and reflexes. He will also do a hearing and vision test to determine if this may be causing the barking.
Some laboratory tests will need to be performed, such as electrolyte panel, urinalysis, complete blood count (CBC), chemical panel, and possibly some x-rays. If medical conditions are ruled out, the veterinarian will give you some advice about behavioral treatments or seeing a veterinary behaviorist.