Multiple reasons lead a dog to feel the need to bark. To put an end to it, we must know what are the possible causes that lead him to make barking a compulsive behavior. Once the problem has been diagnosed, we must adequately know the different solutions that exist and know how to apply the best one depending on the specific situation of each dog.
Knowing your dog well and knowing how to treat him on time and correctly is essential.
Table of Contents
Why is my dog barking and what to do to fix it?
The bark is a mechanism common to use dogs to express their emotions and communicate with the media. We must not forget that dogs do not bark to annoy but to get your attention. Their motivations can be both internal (joy, fear, excitement) and external (hearing the bell ring or reacting to thunder).
The moderate barking in situations that justify it is normal in the behavior of a dog, be this puppy, adult, or elderly. The problem appears when the dog turns barking into his main communication tool and uses it uncontrollably.
The causes that cause the barking of our dogs are many and in many cases, they are related to each other. Some of the most common situations are the following:
When he barks from health problems:
Some pathologies can influence the behavior of dogs. Therefore, before any change in your dog’s behavior, do not hesitate to visit a veterinarian or an ethologist, professional experts in animal health, who can help you understand your dog’s problem and will know how to advise you so that together, you can overcome it…
Barking from Stress:
Stress can be caused by many reasons. It can occur in specific situations and end once they get out of hand, or it can remain continuously over time for various reasons. The response of some dogs to this state is barking.
Stress from lack of care:
Dogs, like people, have basic needs that they must cover. Eating, drinking, walking, or playing every day are just some of them. In case any of these needs are not covered correctly, the dog may develop a compulsive behavior, which leads him to bark in an uncontrolled way to release the accumulated stress.
This situation is not recommended for any animal, however, its solution is easy, you just have to detect what the problem is and remedy it. The dog will return to normal behavior free of unnecessary barking in a short time.
Stress from traveling by car:
The car trip is not suitable for all tastes. The fear, the insecurity, and fear of the dog being locked up in a place that can not leave at will can be a cause of stress for dogs transport by car. On the other hand, the excitement of knowing the destination of the trip (the field) or the frustration of seeing other dogs free on the street and not being able to be with them also cause stress.
An anti-bark device with high frequency:
If the training does not give too many results or goes too slow, there are anti-barking devices on the market that do their job well. It is a system that stops the dog’s barking, activating a high-frequency sound each time the dog barks.
The sounds, which exceed a certain frequency threshold and are inaudible to humans, are annoying to dogs, distracting them and causing them to stop barking. Although it may not seem like it, this device does not cause any harm to dogs.
The advantage of this method is that the dog learns to stop barking without the need for personal training. It is also a very comfortable device to use, which is only activated when the bark is detected and it does not need to be in physical contact with the dog.
Anti-bark collars:
There are different variants of collars that make a dog stop barking. On the one hand, there are the spray collars, those with ultrasound, and finally, the collars that give electric shocks.
Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages.
The spray collar, for example, does not harm the dog, it is only annoying since it sprays the spray towards the dog’s muzzle every time it barks. The drawback is that it also activates when it detects a louder noise or the barking of another dog that is nearby. The good part is that it uses a scented liquid that does not harm the dog, it just distracts him from the action of barking.
In the case of the collar with electric shocks, it has different adjustable powers and is only activated when it detects a louder sound accompanied by the vibration of the body of the dog that wears it, thus ensuring its activation only when necessary. It is a system that does not harm the dog, however, the term “electric shocks” is what leads some owners to consider the moral implications of this method.
Conclusions
- Barking is a form of communication for dogs. Its use is normal as long as it is not uncontrolled.
- Dogs do not bark to annoy, but because they need something.
- To know why a dog barks, you have to learn to interpret the different types of vocalizations they use.
- The causes that lead a dog to bark are many and varied. If you are not clear about your dog’s motives, it is better that you go to a veterinarian specialized in ethology.
There are many ways to train a dog to control barking, you just have to find the most appropriate method for each case.
