Why does my dog only bark at me?

If you have a dog, you’ve likely wondered why they bark. It’s quite natural for a dog to bark, and if they do it excessively, it’s not usually a cause for concern. Dogs bark for a variety of reasons and will bark at some people more than others. This post will show you likely reasons why your dog only barks at you and what you can do about it.

So, why does my dog only bark at me? Likely reasons why your dog only barks at you are you are the one that gives it food, attention, and that lets it outside, you play with it the most and that it trusts you the most.

Your dog might only bark at you for a number of reasons and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.

Why does my dog only bark at me?

Below are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been doing it and what would make them more likely.

It wants attention

The cause could be that you are the one that usually gives it attention and it wants attention from you. If other people do not give your dog much attention, it will be less likely to bark for attention from them and more likely to bark for attention from you. This would be more likely if your dog also gets you to pet it and it shows positive body language when it barks at you.

It wants something from you

Another possible reason is that your dog is hungry and you are the one that feeds it. This would be more likely if your dog tends to bark at you before it has been fed and it does not bark at you so much afterwards.

If you are the one that normally lets it outside, it might be the case that it barks at you because it wants you to let it outside. This would be more likely if it does it when it is by the door.

Another possible cause is that your dog wants you to give it exercise. This would be more likely if you are the one that gives it exercise and if it normally barks at around the same time that you normally give it exercise.

Encouraging the behavior

It might also be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior is rewarded. If you tend to give your dog things such as toys, treats or extra attention, when it barks at you, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.

It trusts you the most

It could also be the case that your dog trusts you the most. If you are the one that has been around it the most, it might bark at you more because it is more comfortable around you.

Intimidation

It might also be the case that your dog has actually been barking at you because you intimidate it. This would be more likely if it shows negative body language such as by moving away from you. In this case, it would help to interact with it in a calm manner and to figure out what might be causing it to get intimidated.

You tend to give it things

If you tend to give your dog things such as treats or your food, your dog will likely bark at you in the hope of getting something from you. This would be more likely if your dog barks at you while you are eating.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.

If your dog has always only barked at you

If your dog did not always only bark at you, it would help to consider what else happened when your dog first started doing it. For example, if it started barking at you when you started being the one to feed it, the cause would be likely to be that it has learned to bark at you for food.

What is different when your dog does bark at other people

If your dog does bark at other family members sometimes, it would also help to consider what is different when it does do it. For example, if it barks at other people when you are not around, it could be the case that you are the person it prefers to go to for things such as attention and rewards.

How to stop my dog from only barking at me?

Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.

Share responsibilities

One option would be to get other family members to interact with it more. Ways to do so would be to get them to feed it and to pet it more instead of it always being you.

Avoid encouraging it

As mentioned above, it might be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. Instead, it would help to avoid rewarding it when it barks at you and to reward it when it does not.