No one should expect a dog to never bark. That’s as unreasonable as expecting a child to never talk. But some dogs bark too much. If that’s a problem in your home, the first step is figuring out what causes your dog to bark too much. Once you know why they're barking, you can start to treat their barking problem.
Why Dogs Bark
Barking is how dogs communicate. It can mean different things depending on the situation. Here are some reasons why dogs bark:
Territorial or protective. When a person or an animal enters an area your dog considers their territory, that often triggers excessive barking. As the threat gets closer, the barking often gets louder. Your dog will look alert and even aggressive during this type of barking.
Alarm or fear. Some dogs bark at any noise or object that catches their attention or startles them. This can happen anywhere, not just in their home territory. Their ears will be back and tail tucked when they are in a state of fear.
Boredom or loneliness. Dogs are pack animals. When left alone for long periods, whether in the house or the yard, dogs can become bored or sad and often bark because they're unhappy.
Greeting or play. Dogs often bark when greeting people or other animals. It’s usually a happy bark, accompanied by tail wags and sometimes jumping.
Attention-seeking. Dogs often bark when they want something, such as to go outside, play, or get a treat.
Separation anxiety. Dogs with separation anxiety often bark excessively when left alone or when they see their parent leaving them. They usually show other symptoms as well, such as pacing, destructiveness, depression, chewing on things around your house, and using the bathroom inside.
Compulsive barking. Compulsive barkers seem to bark just to hear the sound of their voices. They also often make repetitive movements such as running in circles or along a fence.
Why do dogs bark in their sleep?
Dogs bark in their sleep when they're dreaming. They may be having a happy dream or a nightmare and may vocalize their feelings through barking. Small dogs dream and bark more frequently than larger ones because they spend about half their sleep in the REM cycle, where most dreams happen.
How to Handle Excessive Barking
Take time to train your dog
Getting your dog to bark less will take time, work, practice, and consistency. It won’t happen overnight, but you’ll see progress with proper techniques and time.
Here are a few tips to remember as you start trying to control your dog’s barking:
- Shouting stimulates your dog to bark more because they think you’re joining in. So, the first rule is to speak calmly and firmly to your dog, but don’t yell.
- Most dogs don’t know what you want when you yell at them to “shut up.” So, train your dog to understand the word “Quiet!”
Here are two methods:
When your dog is barking, say “Quiet” in a calm, firm voice. Wait until they stop barking, even if it’s just to take a breath, then praise them and give them a treat. Just be careful never to reward them while they are barking. Eventually, they will figure out that if they stop barking at the word “quiet,” they get a treat (and make it a delicious treat, such as chicken, to make it worth more than the barking).
Alternatively, you can teach your dog to “speak.” Once they learn that reliably, signal for them to stop barking with a different command, such as the word “quiet” while holding your finger to your lips (dogs often pick up body signals faster than voice commands). Practice these commands when they're calm, and in time, they should learn to stop barking at your command, even when they want to bark at something.
Desensitize your dog
If your dog gets upset and barks when you leave, you can help them get used to being alone by leaving them alone for short amounts of time that don't make them anxious. Then, gradually, you can make the alone time longer over several weeks.
You can also speak with an expert such as a certified applied animal behaviorist (CAAB or ACAAB) or a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT) about the best way to desensitize your dog. If not done correctly, they can become even more scared and bark more whenever they see you leaving.
Intervene early
Don’t allow problems to go on and on. The longer a dog does something, the more it becomes a habit. Barking can give dogs an adrenaline rush, which makes the barking pleasant. Allowing a dog to bark in certain situations, such as when the mailman arrives, can eventually make a dog aggressive in those situations. What if your dog escapes one day as the mail is being delivered? Deal with barking problems as quickly as possible.
Ask the vet
Some medical problems can cause excessive barking, from bee stings to brain disease to ongoing pain. Older pets can develop a form of canine senility that causes excessive vocalizations. It’s always a good idea to have a pet checked by a veterinarian to be sure there’s no medical reason for a problem.
How to handle territorial, protective, alarmed, or fearful barking
Because this type of barking is often motivated by fear or a perceived threat to their territory or people, it can be lessened by limiting what your dog sees. If they are in a fenced yard, use solid wood instead of chain fencing. Indoors, restrict access to windows and doors or cover them with an opaque film.
What to do when your dog barks due to boredom and loneliness
If your dog barks excessively while you’re gone, you need to provide more activities or companionship to keep them from being lonely or bored.
Bringing an outdoor dog inside will lessen the noise impact on neighbors and provide extra security for your home. It’s also safer because dogs left alone outside can face theft, escape, poisoning, harassment, and other dangers.
But dogs can still bark inside if bored. So, if your dog barks while you’re at work all day, get someone to walk your dog or play with them for at least an hour a day.
Providing something for your dog to do during the day also can help. Try leaving out a couple of food-dispensing toys, which come in different shapes and sizes. These can keep them busy for several hours. Then, they’ll probably nap.
Dogs that bark all night should be brought indoors. Dogs quickly learn to sleep quietly inside.
You can also drop your pet off at doggie day care two or three days a week or take up agility, obedience, or another active form of dog training.
How to handle excited or frenzied barking
To stop your dog from going into a barking frenzy every time you come home or the doorbell rings, you’ll need to teach them other behaviors. One way is to train your dog to go to a spot and stay there when the door opens. It’s best if they can see the door but not be too close to it. Pick a spot and practice getting your dog to go there and stay, but don’t touch the door yet. Use lots of treats and praise, making it a game.
Once your pet is doing this reliably, start opening the door while they are in their spot.
Once you can open the door, your dog will stay in their spot. Have someone come in the door. Of course, your dog will break from the spot at first, but with time and practice, they’ll learn to stay in their spot when the door opens, and guests come in.
Never reward your dog for barking at you when you come home. Do not pet them or make eye contact until your dog stops barking and sits quietly. Then, acknowledge and praise them.
What to do if your dog barks for attention
Never reward barking. If your dog barks when they want water, and you fill the dish, you’ve taught them to bark to get what they want. If they bark to go outside, it’s the same. So, teach them to ring a bell you tied to the door handle to go out. Bang the water dish before filling it, and maybe they’ll start pushing it with their nose to make the same noise. Find ways for your dog to communicate without barking.
If they bark and you see their dish is empty, wait a few minutes, do something else, then fill it, so they won’t know their barking was effective.
Remember not to scold your pet. For a dog, that’s still considered attention. The key is to ignore your dog and what they want until they stop barking.
How to handle separation anxiety and compulsive barking
Separation anxiety and compulsive barking are difficult to treat and should be handled with the help of a veterinary behaviorist or a certified applied animal behaviorist. Dogs with these problems often need both behavioral training and drug therapy to help them cope while learning new, more acceptable behaviors.
Also, a tired dog is a quiet dog. If your dog barks when alone, tire them out before you go. Take a long walk or run, play ball, or take a trip to the dog park before leaving.
Should you use bark collars?
Many products on the market, called bark collars, promise to stop barking quickly. These collars are made to discourage barking in dogs by reminding them through an unpleasant trigger to be quiet. This reminder can be a sound, a puff of citronella mist, or a small electric shock.
Collars that go on your dog can deliver audible or ultrasonic corrections to your dog, but they aren’t effective on all dogs. Citronella-spraying collars often work, but some dogs learn they can run them out of spray and then bark at will.
Shock collars, which deliver a painful jolt to your pet, can harm your dog and may make them aggressive, especially if they associate the person or animal they are barking at with the pain.
Other off-collar devices work well if your dog barks in a set area. Bark-activated water sprayers or noisemakers switch on when they pick up barking, shooting water at your pet, or emitting an irritating sound. These can sometimes break a dog off barking in a given area, but they work best if you are home to reward your pet when they stop barking. That helps reinforce what you want your dog to do. Don’t use anti-bark collars that pick up the sound of a dog's bark using a microphone when you have many dogs at home. Another dog's bark can set off the collar.
Most dogs learn not to bark when wearing their anti-bark collars, but they start barking again when they're not wearing them.
Don’t use anti-bark collars as the first method to reduce barking, especially if it's due to fear or anxiety. See an animal behaviorist, a veterinary, or a dog trainer for help.
Debarking
Debarking is very controversial and is considered inhumane by many. Debarking, also called devoicing, devocalization, or bark softening, is a surgery in which the folds of tissue on either side of a dog’s larynx, or voice box, are removed, leaving dogs with a raspy bark instead of a full bark.
The procedure does not stop the barking. It only reduces the loudness, pitch, and intensity of the dog’s bark. Most of the dog's vocal cords may be removed if the surgery is to prevent barking. The dog’s barking may become almost normal within a few months if only a tiny part of the vocal cords is removed.
Some people may opt for debarking if a dog's barking persists despite other interventions. They may also choose to debark to reduce noise, protect hearing, or follow rules about noisemaking if they live in areas with these rules.
However, this surgery is not recommended because barking is a normal behavior in dogs used to communicate. Even when your dog is barking too often, it might mean an underlying problem needs to be addressed. It could be that they’re bored, anxious, or lonely. But removing your dog’s ability to express themselves the way they want won’t solve these problems.
Debarking also comes with potentially life-threatening risks, such as:
- Bleeding
- Airway swelling
- Infection
- Coughing
- Pneumonia
- Narrowing of the throat
- Noisy breathing
- Breathing difficulties
- Higher incidents of choking
- Ongoing pain
Many experts recommend training your dog instead if you want them to stop barking too often. See a certified veterinary behaviorist for help training your dog about their barking behavior.
Other things not to do:
- Don’t encourage your dog to bark at some noises (a door slamming, people walking by), and discourage them from barking at others. Be consistent.
- Never use a muzzle or other means of constraint to keep a dog quiet for long periods or when they aren’t supervised. It can be dangerous to your pet.
Takeaways
Dogs bark as a way to communicate and play. But it can be worrying if it’s too much or it's disturbing to you or people around you. But with proper training, you can reduce how often your dog barks. If training them or keeping them company doesn’t seem to work, see a behavioral expert for guidance.
Dog Bark FAQs
Are there any devices available to stop barking?
No device can stop your dog from barking, but a bark collar can discourage your dog from barking as often.
Is ultrasonic bark control safe?
Using an ultrasonic bark control as a training method is safe, but the sound may be disturbing to them, which could be similar to punishing your dog for barking.
How can dog bark affect my mental health?
You might feel distress or worry when your dog barks too much. The noise from the barking may also affect your sleep or make you feel extra alert, stressed, anxious, and moody.
Are there any dog foods that can prevent or lower dog barking?
You can distract your dog from barking by giving them their favorite or delicious food, such as peanut butter or chicken.
Why do dogs bark at nothing?
If it feels like your dog may be barking at nothing, they might be bored, scared, excited, or expressing other emotions.
Why does my dog bark at me?
Your dog might bark at you as a way to talk to you or play with you.
Why do dogs bark at other dogs?
Dogs may bark at other dogs to greet them or play with them.
