Does Your Dog Bark Non-stop?

When a dog’s barking stops being useful and becomes annoying

Does your dog bark non-stop?  Dogs are early warning systems and bark to alert us that someone or something has caught their attention.  Perhaps someone is at the door or is walking a little to close to your home or car.  Perhaps they’ve heard a sound…they will hear it seconds before you do!

Dogs bark for many different reasons, and it’s essential to understand this. To eliminate a barking problem, you must identify the root cause of it. Why is your dog is barking in the first place?

• Breed related: Many breeds are genetically engineered to bark and many guarding breeds are bred to bark until the threat disappears. These dogs are simply doing the job they were designed to do and tend to do their “jobs” with great enthusiasm!
• Over excitement:  Dogs become overly excited when confronted with verbal or visual stimuli.
• Boredom or frustration: The bored barker may be the most annoying, and most pitiful of all.  Dogs that are lonely, under-exercised or under-stimulated will bark excessively to relieve their stress and anxiety. The dog feels better after barking non-stop because it drains energy and tension. This type of barking quickly becomes addictive as a stress relieving mechanism and will typically increase in intensity and duration. Dogs kept in backyards may bark all day to relive their anxiety but if you live next door to one of them, your anxiety is undoubtedly rising!
• Attention seeking:  Some dogs have been accidentally rewarded for barking. Running to the door excitedly, attempting to soothe the dog or giving in to the pet’s demands when he “barks at you” are all reinforcers from your dog’s perspective. If you yell at or hush your dog while he’s barking, then he thinks you’re joining in!

• Insecure barking : Insecure dogs bark excessively because they are anxious about new things in his environment.
• Separation anxiety: Dogs who bark all day while their owners are at work may be anxious about their owner’s absence. These dogs are typically quiet as mice when their family members are home.
• Territorial barking: These dogs typically only bark when a perceived threat gets too close to the home, car, yard or the dog’s owner. These dogs begin barking as soon as the “threat” is noticed and continue barking until the threat is gone.Territorial barking is also addictive for dogs because it is a self reinforcing behavior.  The dog believes that his barking is what drove the “threat” away. He does not understand that the person walking by the fence, would have been gone in seconds regardless.

  Because the dog was rewarded for barking, (the threat went away) he will repeat the behavior the next time someone walks by the fence.