Barking was, is, and will be one of the main ways our four-legged friends to communicate with the environment. But why do dogs bark? You will find out today.
Sounds of dogs
Dogs also communicate using many other sounds. Those are:
- howl,
- snarl,
- panting and sighing
- squeaking and whining
- whine
How to stop a dog barking at home
Does your pet bark at night or suddenly start to make noise at home? This is probably boredom! A dog, like any other creature, needs attention, interest and love. The constant barking should be a signal that we devote too little time to it. But don’t worry, we can teach him that. All you have to do is make sure that he gets everything he needs.
First, the dog must regularly go for walks. They should be long enough, intense and interesting. It is a great adventure for our pet – let’s make sure that he has a great time during it. Tired, he will have neither the strength nor the desire to make his household happy with his barking.
However, if our friend is barking only when he is alone at home, the problem may be greater. Here, the key to success is the dog’s gradual habituation to loneliness. The worst solution is a sudden transition from constant care to all-day absence. The dog is shocked, he feels abandoned and lonely. No wonder he wants to tell everyone about it.
So we must teach him that there is nothing to be afraid of and that we will definitely always come back to him. We can start by temporarily separating it in another room – then we must quickly calm each bark. The key to success is to show him that the home is a safe place where wild noise is unnecessary.
A good and safe solution is also the introduction of a kennel cage – a shelter for a pooch who will find his dream lair in it.
Dog barking at people
If our pet is barking at people, it means that he must have been rewarded for this bad behavior in the past. The reward itself is also important. e.g. A dog is barking at a guest who has entered its territory. A person in fear of being bitten – goes away! A simple solution appears in the dog’s head, when he feels threatened I will bark, then the threat will go away.
This is a very common scenario, and how to redirect this bad behavior for good! Change the association of a dog by learning obedience.
Dog barking for everything
If the dog is barking at everything, it means that his arousal level is really high or he is a spitz. Unfortunately, but small breed dogs such as Spitz dogs were created to bark, as did Shih Tzu and Maltese. They earned their living by alarming. Their bark was to notify of danger. It’s so deeply rooted in their heads that it’s really hard to eradicate it. The only thing the owner can do is increase the dog’s sense of security. By setting clear and consistent rules for him. This is the key to working with a timid dog.
Another thing is agitation, if the dog is barking at everything, maybe it gets too energetic food. If he gets high protein and energy food and doesn’t play any sport – his level of excitement increases.
