Why does my dog bark when we argue?

If your dog has been barking when you argue, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you common causes and how to get it to stop.

So, why does my dog bark when we argue? Possible reasons why your dog barks when you argue are that it thinks you will hurt each other, it is scared or that it thinks one of you are in danger.

There are multiple possible reasons why your dog has been doing it. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main reason. Once you have a good idea of the main cause, it should become a lot easier to get it to stop doing it.

Why your dog barks when you argue

Below are common causes and what would make them more likely.

It doesn’t want you to hurt each other

The reason why it does it might be that it thinks that you’re going to hurt each other and it wants you to stop. This would be more likely if you are arguing with someone that the dog also spends a lot of time with and if you argue with them loudly or aggressively. In this case, the best option would likely be to be calm around your dog and to deal with your problems with the other family member more calmly.

It is scared

The cause might also be that it finds one or both of you threatening and it might be causing it to get scared. This would be more likely if it shows signs of being scared, in its body language, by doing things such as hiding, crying or making itself appear smaller.

It thinks you’re in danger

The cause might also be that it thinks that you are in danger. This would be more likely if it does it more when the other person is being threatening and if it shows signs of being threatening such as growling, showing its teeth and curling its nose.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.

What body language it shows

It would help to consider what body language it shows since its body language will likely tell you a lot about why your dog is barking.

If it shows signs of being submissive, it would be more likely that it is feeling scared. Body language signs of being submissive would include hiding, crying, peeing, making its body appear smaller, hiding its tail or rolling onto its back.

Whereas, if it is showing more threatening body language, it would be more likely that it is doing it either because it thinks you will hurt each other or because it feels threatened. This would be more likely if it shows body language signs such as growling, showing its teeth, having a stiff body and curling its nose.

Who you’re with

It would also help to consider who it is you’re arguing with.

If it is another person your dog lives with would be more likely that it wants you to stop. Whereas if the person is someone that it doesn’t know, it would be more likely to be being protective.

How old it is

It would also help to consider the age of your dog. If it is still a puppy, it would be more likely that your dog is barking due to being fearful. Whereas, if it is an adult, it would make it more likely that it does it because it is being protective especially if it shows other signs of being protective.

What to do about your dog barking when you argue

Below are some things to do about it barking when you argue.

Avoid arguing

The reason why it barks is likely to be that you arguing is causing it to feel uncomfortable. Instead of arguing or being aggressive, it would help to deal with other people in a calm manner especially around the dog.

Be calm around it

Dogs tend to be highly responsive to their owner’s emotions, as a result, it would help to interact with your dog in a calm manner so that it feels more secure. Additionally, when getting your dog to behave the way you want it to, it would help to be calm with it and to use positive reinforcement training to get it to behave the way you want.

Reward it when it behaves the way you want it to

It would also help to avoid encouraging it to behave in a way you do not like by avoiding giving it rewards when it behaves that way. Instead, it would help to reward it when it is behaving the way you want and to stop rewarding it when it stops behaving that way by temporarily ignoring it.