Barking Problems

Along with a baby's crying, the persistent barking of a dog is one of the most annoying sounds. But is there anything you can do as a dog owner to 'persuade' your pooch to stop barking?

It can be annoying.  There is nothing new with dogs barking. Dogs bark. It is part of their normal and natural communication and behaviour. Dogs can bark for appropriate and good reasons, such as when strangers approach our house, they hear an odd noise, or they are herding sheep. Most of us want our dogs to be "watch dogs" and alert us to anything unusual. 

But, in effect, it is the way the dog is communicating to you.  For example, it can mean, ‘hello’ or it can mean ‘go away.’ It can mean that they want to play or that they are protecting their territory. You may think your dog is barking too much, or your neighbours may think so. But, before you can put an end to your trouble, it’s best to figure out why she is barking in the first place. 

Some dogs have been breed to bark so it is instinctive that they bark endlessly.  For example, the beagle is a hunting dog and was trained to bark when it spotted the prey. Another example are some toy dogs which were bred to be a warning signals of invasion. Even so, some dogs within these breeds bark more than they should, some more than others.

Did you encourage this behaviour in your dog?  If you give your dog a reward for barking then they are thinking it’s a good thing.  Not necessarily a treat, the reward may have been attention.  Even if you think it was a scolding you gave her, she saw it as attention.  Are you trying to quiet her? Did you bend down and pet her, sooth her or just talk to her?  Yes, this is attention.  You are actually encouraging this behaviour when the dog barks and you react like this.

Humanity in its ways blended with the canine family more than anything in the animal kingdom. History of the two could be traced as early as men first walked the earth. They have been each other’s constant companion. Throughout the years, men and dogs could almost be associated with everything and recently this relationship has come over to an entirely new level.

Dogs are extremely social animals. Bringing a dog into your family is basically like bringing a wolf into a pack. It becomes a part of the family. Try not to leave it alone otherwise it will feel as if it was abandoned by the pack. Dogs are like having a baby in the house. They need love, attention, and someone to be there to take care of them. Like people they need a companion to blossom. Meeting your dog's emotional need for companionship and play will allow the two of you to form a strong bond together.

Dogs are treated more than just pets. They are treated just like family members. When we welcome them into our family, we have to see to it that we welcome them and make their 1st few days not as shocking as possible.

Bear in mind that these are our pets. They have needs but they cannot tell us what it is as they could not speak our language. The most they could do is to bark or whimper to let us know what they feel at the moment.

Do not mistake howling and barking as sign of discontentment on their part. Perhaps there are other factors at play like the environment and other dogs. By carefully listening to every action and whimper and bark they have, it would enable us to know and understand their present situation.

Is barking a form of language among dogs with precise significance, or just playful noise? Dogs exchange information among themselves less by voice than by a wide range of facial expressions, body postures and gestures, as well as by various scents. Dogs, who bark at night, are probably working off excess energy or announcing their presence, and this is undoubtedly the only message conveyed to other dogs within ear shot.

When a dog barks, he is protecting you or just warning you.  The dog is trained by ancestors to do just that; to warn people.  It makes sense then that the dog would be a little upset at there is a man approaching the house even though he visits daily with the mail.  The dog wants you to know that the man is there and that you should react to the mailman.  Those dogs that do bark too much may need some help.  You can find a lot of help on training your dog to stop barking in books or with professionals.  Use training as well as patience to help your dog learn when it’s okay and when it is not.

Over the years, dogs barking at our neighbourhood are a constant bother to us. Thus, the need for us, pet owners to take measures, to ensure that our dog will not be as bothersome, as most other dogs are. Sometimes nuisance dogs are the cause of trouble among neighbours and some even reach the courts to settle the issue. Now that is something we don’t want happening to us. The more we try to spend time and understanding with them, the more we will be able to get their trust and obedience. 

To fully understand them, try to know as much as you can on the present situation. Expand your knowledge so as to be able to know what to do or what could be the cause on your dog’s endless barking. Remember, things happen for a reason and some things could not be answered just by guessing.

The more you learn about dogs, the better your relationship will be. As the higher species, it is our best interest that we show them that we understand them despite the language barrier.

Remember patience with your dog is always the best!