If your dog has been barking a lot, when you talk, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you common causes and what you can do to get it to stop.
So, why does my dog bark when I talk? The most likely reason why your dog barks when you talk is that it has learned that it gets rewards when it does it. Other causes could include excitement, rewarding the behavior, thinking you’re in pain, being confused or thinking you’re being aggressive.
There are actually a number of reasons why it might be doing it and it could be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are a number of things you can do about it.
Why does my dog bark when I talk?
Below are common reasons why dogs do it and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.
It wants attention
The reason why it barks when you talk could be that it wants extra attention. This would be more likely if it does it when you are talking to someone else since it might be feeling left out. It would also be more likely if it does it more when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it extra attention when it does it.
It would help to give it attention throughout the day by exercising it, training it and playing with it. However, it would help to avoid rewarding it with extra attention when it starts barking and to wait for it to stop before rewarding it.
Excitement
It could also be the case that it does it because it gets excited when you talk. This would be more likely if it shows signs of excitement by doing things such as wagging its tail, jumping up and having wide-open eyes. It would also be more likely if it does it more in certain situations such as when you are telling it that it is time for a walk.
The behavior has been rewarded
The cause might also be that it has learned that it gets rewards for barking when you talk. If you tend to give it things such as toys, treats, extra attention or you pet it more, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.
Instead, it would help to reward it when it behaves the way you want it to and to avoid rewarding it when it does not.
It thinks you’re in pain or in trouble
It might also be the case that it does it because it thinks that there is something wrong. This would be more likely if it does it more when you’re talking loudly or making large hand movements.
It causes it to get anxious
Another possible cause could be that it causes it to become anxious. This would be more likely if it shows signs of being anxious by doing things such as hiding, pacing or crying. It would also be more likely if you tend to become very emotional with it since it might be reacting to your own emotions.
It thinks you’re being aggressive
The cause might also be that it thinks you’re being aggressive towards it. This would be more likely if it shows aggressive body language itself by doing things such as crunching its nose, showing its teeth and growling. It would also be more likely if you tend to show what could be considered as threatening body language when it barks. Things that dogs can interpret as aggressive can include large movements, shouting and being stared at.
It’s confused
It might also be the case that it does it because it is confused. This would be more likely if it barks when you are talking directly to it. In this case, it might be that you are trying to train it to do something and it does not understand or you might be talking to it in a way it has not been trained to understand. Often dogs will also tilt their heads when they are confused as well.
Hunger or wanting to go outside
It might also be the case that your dog is trying to tell you that it is hungry or that it wants to go outside. This would be more likely if your dog tends to bark more before you have given it food or when it has not been able to go outside to pee for a while.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider when figuring out why your dog has been doing it and what you can do to get it to stop.
What else happened when your dog first started barking while you spoke
If it did not always bark when you talk, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started. It might be the case that there was an event that caused it to start.
If it started doing it suddenly, it might be due to things such as if you rewarded it when it was barking or if you started talking more loudly around it.
If your dog always barks when you talk
It would also help to consider if it always barks when you speak or if it only does it in certain situations and what is different when it does not do it.
If it does it when you’re talking to someone else in the room, it will likely be doing it because it wants attention. Whereas, if it does it when you’re talking on the phone, it might also be the case that it is doing it for attention, but it could also be due to things such as being confused or thinking something is wrong.
How to get your dog to stop barking when you speak
Below are some things you can do to get it to stop barking when you’re speaking.
Ignore it
If it seems like it is barking for attention, it would help to ignore it until it stops barking. It is likely that it has learned that it gets rewards when it barks when you talk, so by ignoring it, you should be able to teach it that barking will not get it what it wants.
Positive reinforcement training
Positive reinforcement training involves encouraging your dog to behave a certain way by rewarding it when it shows signs of behaving that way. To use it to get it to stop barking when you talk, it would help to reward it when it does not bark when you talk and stop rewarding it when it stops barking.
Don’t punish it
It might be tempting to punish it for barking when you talk but it would help to avoid doing so. Even verbal punishment is a form of attention and it could be considered as a reward to your dog. Instead, it would help to use positive reinforcement training to change its behavior.