If your dog has been barking at you when you sit down you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you common reasons why they do it and what you can do to get yours to stop.
So, why does my dog bark when I sit down? Possible reasons why your dog barks, when you sit down, are that it wants your food, it wants attention, it is bored, it wants to sit in your spot or you might have been encouraging the behavior by rewarding it.
There are actually many reasons why your dog might bark when you sit down and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are also many things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are multiple things you can do about it.
Why your dog barks when you sit down
Below are a number of common reasons why dogs do it and what would make them more likely to be the main cause.
Hunger
The reason why it does it might be that it is hungry. This would be more likely if it tends to start barking when it has not been able to eat for a while and if you tend to give it food when it barks.
It would also be more likely if it barks at you when you are eating yourself. In this case, it is likely that it is hoping to get some of your food. In this case, it would be important to make sure not to reward the behavior.
Boredom
Another possible cause is that it is bored and it wants to do something such as get exercise or play. This would be more likely if it tends to bark more when it has not already gotten exercise and if it barks less after getting exercise. In this case, it would help to make sure that it has been getting the daily recommended amount of exercise for its age and breed.
Encouraging the behavior
The cause could also be that you have been encouraging the behavior by giving it things that it wants when it does it. If you tend to give it things such as toys, treats, food or extra attention when it barks, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards. Instead, it would help to reward it when it does not bark and to stop rewarding it when it does.
It wants attention
Another possible cause is that your dog is barking for attention. This would be more likely if it does it more when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it more attention when it does it. It would help to give it attention throughout the day in the form of training, exercise and play. But, it would also help to avoid rewarding it with attention when it barks at you so that it does not learn that barking results in it getting attention.
It wants to sit in your spot
It could also be the case that it does it because it thinks that you are in its spot. This would be more likely if it only barks at you when you are in a certain spot and if it tends to sit there a lot itself. In this case, it would help to give it a lot of training so that it learns where it is meant to sit and so that it respects you as the leader.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider about your dog barking when you sit down.
What else happened when your dog first started barking when you sit down
If your dog did not always bark when you used to sit down, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it.
If it did start doing it suddenly, it could be because you rewarded it for doing it one time, you started sitting where it likes to sit, you stopped feeding it at the same time or it started getting less exercise.
What is different when your dog does not bark
It would also help to consider if there is anything different when it does not bark.
For example, if it only barks when you are eating, it would be likely that it is doing it because it wants some of your food. Whereas, if it does it when it has not gotten exercise, it might be because it is bored.
How to get your dog to stop barking at you when you sit down
Below are some things you can do to get it to stop doing it.
Avoid encouraging the behavior
As mentioned above, it could be the case that it has learned to bark when you sit down because it gets rewards when it does it. Instead, it would help to reward it when it is not barking at you and to stop rewarding it when it starts barking.
Positive reinforcement training
It would also help to give it positive reinforcement training. This is where you encourage it to behave the way you want it to by rewarding it when it shows signs of behaving that way.
To use it to get it to stop barking when you sit down, you could sit down multiple times and reward it when it does not bark until it figures out that not barking results in it getting rewards.
Exercise
It would also help to make sure that it is able to get daily exercise. By doing so, it should help to reduce its barking due to boredom.
Ensure that it is getting the right diet
It would also help to ensure that it has not been barking due to hunger or an issue with its diet. It would help to make sure that it has not been eating things that it should not be and that it has been eating the correct amount of daily calories. It might also help to ensure that it does not have to wait too long to get fed.
Give it attention throughout the day
It would also help to reduce how much it feels the need to seek attention from you by giving it attention throughout the day by giving it exercise, training and by playing with it.