Typically, dogs communicate through barking. A person is usually impressed when their dogs bark, since it informs them of a specific situation. For instance, a dog’s barking can indicate the presence of a person or an animal in your compound. Dogs can also bark when they need or want something. However, a dog may bark excessively sometimes, and since a dog may bark for various reasons, it is essential to identify the dog’s motivation for barking. This article outlines barking behaviors for dogs and how to deal with barking.
Do Dogs Get Tired Of Barking?
Many people ask themselves whether a dog can get tired of barking. Typically, a dog cannot get tired of barking; however, a tired dog can bark less. Dogs may use their voice to express fear, boredom, or even as a form of greeting. Although you shouldn’t expect your dog to remain silent all the time, excessive barking may indicate an issue. Furthermore, you should expect a dog experiencing this condition to stop barking due to tiredness. You should identify the reason for the behavior and focus on addressing it.
Reasons Why a Dog May Bark Excessively
When a dog barks excessively, it may be a problem for the owner, neighbors, and the dog itself. Fortunately, you can solve most of these barking issues if you correctly address them. Some of the reasons why your dog may bark continuously include:
Separation Anxiety
This is a condition that you should not ignore. Although some pet owners usually think that the condition may vanish on its own, this is not often the case. If this condition is left untreated, it may get worse. The treatment options differ based on the seriousness of the anxiety. However, the initial step should be to communicate with your dog.
Loneliness or Boredom
Since dogs are pack animals, they should not live alone. When you always leave your dog in your house or yard, it may bark due to boredom or loneliness. In such situations, you should spend more time with them or leave it with another friendly person. You could also consider sending the dog to daycare to correct the issue.
Stress
A dog may feel stressed due to various issues. These problems may cause excessive barking. Luckily, you can solve this condition by using calming collars, diffusers, or shirts. However, severe conditions may need behavioral therapy or medication.
As mentioned above, since a dog may not get tired of barking, you should ensure your pet has enough exercise and playtime because this may help you to solve continuous barking.
Can A Dog Hurt Itself Barking?
If your dog is a constant barker who can bark the whole day, it is common for a person to wonder whether it hurts them when they bark that much. The answer is yes, it can, since excessive barking may cause a sore throat, hence damaging the dog’s vocal cords. Additionally, intense stress linked with continuous barking can cause various behavioral problems.
Therefore, when a dog’s throat hurts, he may contract laryngitis due to excessive barking. This causes inflammation of the larynx. Laryngitis is a painful condition for dogs, and it can take a long time to heal fully.
Moreover, when dogs suffer vocal cord injuries, their bark may sound throatier than usual. Therefore, if you detect such changes, it is certain that the throat is painful. Frequently, this condition entails a dry cough. It is also crucial to contact a veterinarian immediately and ensure that the situation is checked and treated immediately.
So, why does a dog continue to bark if it hurts? Since external and internal stressors make a dog bark, they may continue with this habit regardless of whether the throat continues to bark or not. Besides, the pain may lead to more anxiety and stress, hence making the dog constantly bark. Therefore, you should not expect your dogs to stop barking when they experience some pain. Instead, you should remove or reduce the stressors since this can help in solving their behavior.
Are Dogs Happy When They Bark?
Although barking may express excitement, a dog can also bark to get the owner’s attention due to external or internal stressors. Therefore, dogs have different barks for different moods. Some of these barks can be explained as follows:
Pitches
Low-pitched sounds like a growling dog usually show anger, threats, and the likelihood of aggression. A dog uses these sounds to inform the other party to stay away from them. On the other hand, high-pitched sounds usually mean the opposite, whereby the dog uses the sound to indicate that it’s safe to approach or you should move closer to them. Therefore, sound pitches are crucial communication elements for animals, since many animals, especially dogs, apply and understand the law of pitches.
Durations
Typically, dogs make a long sound to indicate a conscious decision concerning their signal nature and following behavior. Therefore, the threatening snarl of a dog with no intention of usually backing down uses long, continuous, low-pitched sounds. If the snarl entails shorter bursts held briefly, the sounds may indicate some fear elements and that the dog is worried whether it can fruitfully handle the threat.
Frequency
Frequently repeated sounds that have a faster rate may indicate a level of urgency and excitement. Spaced-out sounds or unrepeated sounds may also indicate a lower degree of urgency or excitement. Furthermore, a dog that barks only a few times at the window shows mild interest. On the contrary, a dog that barks while repeating the same thing in a minute may signal that he feels the situation is crucial and even poses a potential threat.
Should You Ignore A Barking Dog?
Since many reasons may cause a dog’s barking, responding to the barking immediately is crucial.
First, you should determine the type of barking expressed by your dog to reduce the barking. Besides, the barking may also indicate a threatening situation for you or your family. You can use the following questions to assist you with which kind of barking is expressed by your dog, since this can help you address the dog’s problem or deal with the prevailing situation.
- Why is the dog making a particular sound or barking?
- Where and when does the barking happen?
- What or who does the barking target?
- What things such as sounds, objects, people, or animals trigger the barking?
It would help if you thought about the answer based on the dog’s situation and environment to deal with the condition effectively.
How Can I Get My Dog To Stop Barking?
As seen above, a dog can bark when he startles or when responding to a potential threat. This is usually natural for dogs. However, some barking that expresses situations such as compulsiveness or frustration should be remedied. Besides, it is also essential for your dog not to bark if they are greeting another dog.
The first step for stopping your dog from barking should be to understand why your pet is expressing this behavior, whether the dog barks without provocation or incessantly. Furthermore, the following are ways you can use to stop your dog from barking.
Desensitization
Observe what the dog is barking at. For instance, does your dog bark at the delivery person when they come to your residence? Or does he bark when they see a kid riding a bike to school during the morning hours? In this situation, you should desensitize the dog to this stimulus in a positive way.
If you know when the bike riders make their way down your street, relax with your dog and wait. As the biker or delivery person makes their way to your sight, reward the dog by treating them while you gently communicate with them. Continue rewarding the dog as the person gets closer. When your dog barks, cancel the treats.
Use of Commands
Typically, dogs are trainable to command. So, how does a person prevent their dog from barking using a command? You can communicate with your dog to stop barking by using a sound, look, or gesture. However, you should ensure that the dog relaxes both physically and mentally before you resume what had occupied you.
Another method suggests that you should train your dog to bark on command. Treat–based training is an effective way for teaching this method. For instance, you can reward them by using a treat when they bark in order and withdraw the treat when they fail to do so.
Removing Offending Things
Certain things or objects may make your dog bark. For instance, the presence of squirrels in your backyard may irritate dogs. If the dogs don’t see the squirrels, they won’t bark. Although it’s not recommendable to eliminate the entire squirrel population, you should consider eliminating some visual stimuli.
Moreover, a dog may bark at certain sounds. For example, if they hate the sounds of kids playing or a mail truck, you can cover the sound using music or white noise. You can use a radio or a small desktop fan to eliminate the external noises, making your dog remain calmer and quieter generally.
Use Anti-Stress Devices
You can use several things to help dogs who get stressed when left alone. Typically, stress-minimizing collars use an herbal mixture or pheromone technology to assist in relieving anxiety. You can also use anxiety jackets or wraps to help anxious or stressed dogs who bark excessively. Many firms usually market these items, and they are also available in pet stores and online.
Furthermore, you can also make an area in your garage, house, or yard to be a ‘’safety zone’’. For instance, a dog’s room containing toys, a bed, and adequate water can make them feel secure and safer.
Alleviate the Boredom
Some dogs also bark as a way of getting rid of boredom. Typically, they express this behavior when the owner leaves their yard or house or returns. Therefore, you should ensure your dog remains active. For instance, before you go and come back, you should spend some time playing with your pet for around fifteen minutes. Furthermore, this is also healthy for you.
Dog Bark Spray Collar
Since shock collars are not advisable for dog training, spray collars are a somewhat safer alternative and very effective. Generally, they use citronella, which is extracted from oil and possesses a slight lemony scent. When the dogs bark, the collar sprays a liquid mist on their face. This discourages and distracts them from excessive barking. Typically, since dogs hate the smell, they usually avoid triggering the collar. Eventually, you can remove the collar when the dog stops barking excessively.
Hire a Professional
You can effectively train your dog to eradicate most of the barking habits. This requires time and patience. However, you can also hire professionals such as trainers, psychologists, whisperers, and massage therapists. You only need to figure out the best expert to seek their services based on your dog’s condition.