Dogs they say are man’s best friend and they don’t mean to scare us in any way. Families live with dogs for years and they become a loving part of the family and they are even referred to as “son” and “daughter” by some families.
At sometimes, we find dogs barking maybe more than they should and it can really be scaring as it can lead to dogs acting aggressively and can even lead to attacking humans at times.
Why Dogs Bark
Barking is one of the ways dogs use in communicating. Depending on the occasion, it could mean something serious or just nothing much.
And just you know, dogs barking is normal and maybe finding a dog who does not bark at all is the problem here.
Among other communication skills of a dog is howling, growling and whining.
Dogs bark for so many reasons which may include:
1) To express discomfort: When a dog is not comfortable maybe with the environment he/she might bark.
2) To indicate danger: Dogs see far better than humans and they can sense danger with the slightest movement in their environment. This can cause dogs to bark excessively.
3) To get food: Oh yea, barking can also be a way a dog says he/she is hungry.
4) Protecting Territory: A lot of dogs don’t like other dogs intruding their territory. Immediately another dog comes in they can start barking to scare away them.
5) Boredom: One well-known reason dogs bark is boredom. Dogs love to be in the midst. They hate to be left alone for a long time.
Yes, barking can become a problem when it is excessive. You can call it Problem Barking in dogs. Some of the reasons listed above can also cause excessive barking in dogs.
If your dog exhibits excessive barking or problem barking then maybe one of the following reasons is causing it.
1) Noisy Environment: Some dogs really get uncomfortable in some areas with lots of noise. It makes them feel that something is wrong.
2) Genetics: Some breeds tend to bark more than other (E.g Sabena Husky and Yorkshire Terrier). It is n their gene to bark with the slightest discomfort.
3) When Hurt: If the dog has been hit by someone, it could be a neighbour or by children, he/she can bark excessively when in pain.
How To Stop Dogs From Barking Excessively:
If your dog is barking excessively, you have to do something since it becomes a nuisance and could really make everyone uncomfortable.
Remember the cause of excessive barking can differ. So, you have to be able to determine what causes your dog to bark too often and longer than normal.
Let’s see how to stop excessive barking depending on what the cause is.
1) Reduce the noise: If the environment is noisy, you should try and take away the cause of the noise. If it’s a gathering of people, you can take your dog to a neighbour’s house where the noise is a bit reduced until your home is calm.
2) Bad Health: If the dog is having a health condition, you should administer basic medication as instructed by a veterinarian. As a dog owner, you should be aware of these basic medications.
3) Boredom: Dogs feel lonely too especially when not given enough time. This differs among dog breeds as one breed needs more attention more than others.
4) Your dog should understand you. You could train your dog to understand when you need him/her to be quiet. It could be actually saying “Quiet” or body expression.
This is usually helpful in times when you want your dog to stop barking. It may take some time at first but it is very important you are able to communicate with your dog this way.
5) Exercise: Some dog breeds are more energetic than others. When some dogs have not been able to burn out some energy they become really active which might lead to excessive barking.
Create time to do a little workout with your dog. It could be a little run around the yard or a walk in the field but its absolutely necessary to make out time daily to do this.
6) Seek Veterinarian: Get help from a veterinarian when you’ve tried some of the measures above without a success. There might be some complicated issues causing the dog to be more vocal than before.
The veterinarian should be able to diagnose what the problem is.
Conclusion
Most cases reported about excessive barking in a dog were not as bad as the dog’s owner deemed them to be. It is sometimes a clear case where a person does not like when a dog barks. In this case, one should consider getting breeds of dogs that bark less.
However, in other cases, something led to the dog barking excessively and were treated accordingly.