If your dog keeps barking when you leave you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you eight common reasons why they do it and what you can do to get it to stop.
So, why does my dog bark when left alone? Possible reasons why your dog barks when left alone are that it is fearful, has separation anxiety, has a problem with the room it stays in, is hungry or it needs to pee.
It is actually possible that there is a combination of causes at play. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main causes and there are many things you can do about them.
Why your dog barks when left alone
Below are eight common reasons why dogs bark when left alone and what would make them more likely to be the reason why yours has been doing it.
Fear
It might be the case that something has been causing it to become fearful. This would be more likely if it tends to bark more when there is something that might cause it to be fearful such as a loud noise or other pets that it does not like.
In this case, it would help to remove the thing that is making it become fearful if possible or to try desensitization training.
Separation anxiety
The cause might be that it has separation anxiety. This is where it does not like being left alone and it gets anxious when it is left alone. This would be more likely if it has started doing it since you have been leaving your dog for longer. It would also be more likely if it starts getting anxious when you normally leave home.
It might be worth following the tips given in this book on Amazon about dealing with dog separation anxiety.
Mistreatment
The reason why it has been doing it could be that something has been happening to it when you’re away. If there are other animals or people that stay with it when you’re gone it could be the case that it is barking because it doesn’t want to be around them. This would be more likely if it tends to avoid them when you’re around as well.
A problem with the room it stays in
It could also be the case that there is a problem with the room that you leave it in. This would be more likely if it tends to bark more when you leave it in a certain room. It could be the case that the room is too hot, noisy, small or that it can’t lay down anywhere.
Hunger
Another possible cause is that it is hungry and it does not have to wait a long time before getting fed. This would be more likely if you tend to feed it when you get back home instead of before. It would also be more likely if it does not bark when you have already fed it.
Boredom
Another possible cause is that your dog gets bored when you are away. This would be more likely if it does it more when it is not able to get exercise before you leave home. In this case, it might help to try and exercise it before leaving home and to make sure that it is getting the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed.
Encouraging the behavior
It could also be the case that you have encouraged it to bark when you leave by giving it things it wants when it does it. If you tend to give it things such as toys, treats or extra attention when it barks, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.
Wanting to pee
It might also be the case that it barks because it wants to pee and it does not want to have to wait for you to get home. This would be more likely if it does not bark when it has been able to pee before you leave.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider about your dog barking when you leave it alone.
When your dog first started barking when left alone
If it did not always bark when left alone, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it since it might be the case that there was an event that caused it to start.
If it started doing it suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as if you stopped exercising it, feeding it or letting it out to pee before leaving or if you started making it stay in a different room.
What is different when your dog does not bark
It would also help to consider what is different when it does not bark since the timing could also have something to do with it.
For example, if it does it less when it has been able to get exercise, it would be more likely that it does it due to needing more exercise. Whereas, if it does not bark when you have already fed it, the cause could be due to being hungry.
What to do about your dog barking when left alone
Below are things you can do to get your dog to stop barking when you leave it alone.
Feed it sooner
If you have been leaving it for a long time, before you have given it food, it would help to try feeding it before leaving it instead since it might be doing it due to hunger.
Exercise it
It would also help to make sure that it is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed. If it is already getting exercise, it might also help to try to wear it out more by doing things such as playing fetch with it.
Reduce its separation anxiety
It is likely that it barks because of having some separation anxiety. As a result, it would help to take measures to reduce how anxious is becomes when you are leaving it alone.
To do this you could do as follows:
- Make it seem like you are about to leave by doing something such as picking up your keys
- Reward your dog for not being anxious and repeat these two steps a few times
- Make more moves towards actually leaving such as by picking up the keys and putting your hand on the door handle
- Reward your dog for not being anxious and repeat the process a few times
- Actually open the door and go outside for a few moments then come back and reward your dog
- Repeat the above, each time staying outside for slightly longer
It might be worth following the tips given in this book on Amazon about dealing with dog separation anxiety.
Try to avoid leaving it for too long
If you have been leaving it alone for a long time, it would also likely help to try to periodically check up on it so that it can eat, pee and get some exercise.
Crate training
Another option would be to try giving it crate training which is meant to give it an area where it can feel secure. Giving it crate training properly should help to make it feel less anxious when you are leaving since it will be able to stay in its crate when you’re gone.
You can watch the video below for more tips on how to crate train your dog.
Let it out to pee
It would also help to let it out to pee before you leave it so that it does not have to wait a long time to pee. If you leave it for a long time, it would also help to try to quickly come back and let it out to pee when you’re gone.
Avoid encouraging it
As mentioned above, it might be the case that you have been encouraging it to bark when you leave by giving it things it wants when it does it. Instead, it would help to avoid rewarding it when it barks and to wait for it to stop barking for a while before rewarding it.
Ensure the room it stays in is comfortable
It would also help to make sure that the room it stays in is not too hot, loud and that there is an area that it can lay down comfortably.
Get help
If you are unable to get it to stop doing it or it has been doing it excessively, consider getting help from a dog behaviorist. By doing so, you should be able to see what has been causing the behavior and how to get it to stop effectively.