Vocalising: Barking, howling or whining.
Vocalisation in dogs, particularly barking, is a natural form of communication used to express excitement, alertness, anxiety, need for attention, or due to genetics and breed purpose.
Whilst natural, excessive barking can be very stressful for owners living alongside it and make everyday events such as having friends over or working from home really difficult.
Common Reasons for Excessive Vocalising:
Alerting or Guarding: Barking at strangers or noises to protect their territory.
Boredom or Loneliness: Lack of mental and physical stimulation can lead to barking as an outlet.
Anxiety: Separation anxiety or fear can cause dogs to bark excessively.
Playfulness or Excitement: Dogs may bark when they’re happy or engaging in play.
Frustration: This can occur when a dog is unable to reach something they want, like a toy or another dog.
Medical issues such as dealing with pain or discomfort, cognitive dysfunction in elderly dogs, hearing loss, vision problems and effects of certain medications.
Reinforcement: If the barking has been rewarded with attention such as a glace from its owner, a shhhh, a pat or stroke to calm the dog down or negative attention such as telling the dog off (this is still attention).
Never punish your dog for barking!! This will most probably make the behaviour worse. Shouting might stop your dog barking as it is either shocked or because it has received the attention it wants. This is temporary! Any attention is good attention so even shouting will get the desired effect and make the dog bark more.
Positive trainers often quote the very true statement ‘What gets rewarded gets repeated’. But remember this doesn’t just apply to the good behaviour. If we reward our dogs with attention for their barking….guess what…..ear plugs at the ready!
Look at my blog on extinction bursts!
With so many possible reasons why your dog is barking, it is important to get professional help especially if the barking is excessive, sudden or you are simply getting nowhere trying to stop it yourself.