Why does my dog talk to me so much?

If your dog has been talking a lot, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible reasons and what you can do to get it to stop. 

So, why does my dog talk to me so much? Possible reasons why your dog talks so much are that it has learned that the behavior is rewarded, it wants something from you, it is trying to alert you to something or that it is fearful of something.

Since there are a number of possible causes, it would help to consider what would make each of them more likely. Once you have a good idea of the main cause, it should become a lot easier to get your dog to stop doing it.

Reasons why your dog talks to you so much

Below are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been doing it and what would make each of them more likely to be the main reason.

Encouraging the behavior

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

Hunger

The cause could be that it is hungry or thirsty and it is trying to let you know about it. This would be more likely if it does it more when you have not fed it for a while or it has not got access to water. In this case, it would help to make sure that it is being fed the right amount and that it has access to water when it needs it. 

Boredom

Dogs are generally meant to get exercise on a daily basis. When dogs do not get enough exercise, it can cause them to start to behave abnormally and it might be why yours has been talking a lot. This would be more likely if it tends to behave that way before getting exercise and it stops after getting exercise. It would help to ensure that your dog is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed.

It wants something from you

The cause might also be that it wants something from you. This would be more likely if it does it when you have something that it might want such as food or a toy. 

It is trying to tell you something

The cause might also be that it is trying to alert you to something. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more at a certain time such as when there are noises outside or when you would normally feed or exercise it.

Nature

It could be the case that your dog talks a lot naturally. This would be more likely if it has always talked a lot and it has not started doing it suddenly. However, even if it has always talked a lot, it could still be the case that it learned to do it if you tend to reward it. 

Illness or injury

The cause could be that it is ill or injured. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and if it has been behaving differently in other ways as well. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet for a checkup.

Fear

It could be the case that it talks when something is causing it to be fearful. This would be more likely if it does it more in situations such as when there is thunder and lightning, sirens or when you are about to leave home. 

Things to consider

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

What else happened when it first started doing it

It would help to consider when it first started talking a lot since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start doing it.

If it started doing it suddenly it would be more likely to be due to things such as illness, injury or a sudden change in its daily routine. It would help to consider what else changed when it started doing it.

Whereas, if it has always seemed to talk a lot then it could be the case that it learned that talking gets it things that it wants from an early age or it could be that it talks to let you know that it wants something.

What is different when your dog does not talk to you a lot

It would also help to consider the timing of when it tends to talk more since it could also be the case that the timing has something to do with it.

For example, if it tends to talk more when you are leaving home it would make it more likely to be the case that it does it due to separation anxiety.

Whereas, if it seems to do it at random times then it could be the case that it is ill or injured, you have inadvertently trained it to do it or that it does it naturally. 

How old it is

It would also help to consider the age of your dog.

If your dog is still young it will be likely that it will talk less as it gets older and that it talks a lot now naturally because it is looking for attention.

Whereas, if it is an adult it would be more likely that it learned that talking gets it things that it wants but it could also be due to one of the other reasons mentioned above. 

What to do about your dog talking to you so much

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

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 reward it when it behaves the way you want it to and to avoid giving it things such as treats or extra attention when it does not.

Ensure it’s getting the right diet

It could also be the case that it has been talking due to an issue with its diet or hunger. It would help to ensure that your dog has been getting the correct diet, that it has not been eating things that it shouldn’t be, that it has been eating the correct amounts and that no one else has been feeding it without telling you.

Get help

If your dog has been talking excessively, it could help to get help from a dog behaviorist in your area. By doing so, you should be able to see what has been causing the behavior and how to get it to stop. If it has not been to the vet for a checkup, in a while, it would also help to take it for a checkup.

Give it exercise

If it is healthy, it would also help to ensure that it is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed. 

Give it distractions

In addition to the things mentioned above, you could also give it things to be distracted with so that it is less likely to want to get attention from you. Things that you could give it would include toys, chews or bones.