What Makes a Dog Bark Non-Stop?

Dog barking is a contentious issue and frequently a large source of bad feelings between neighbours. For anybody, a dog barking is a hard noise to listen to for even the shortest length of time and you can understand that when the dog next door barks on and off for hours like a faulty car alarm, it will try anyone’s patience. What we frequently overlook is that the dog will be barking for a good reason (as far as they are concerned) and that it is potentially just as troubling for the dog who is feeling the fear or anxiety.

Finding out what sets off your dogs barking can be the hardest part of the issue as dogs can bark at the slightest of things. External noise, for example somebody walking past your home will start some dogs barking , however, even within the house, some dog owners find they can’t leave their dog in a room on their own without them becoming hysterical and barking the place down, and the door bell or phone is frequently the cue for an outburst of barking.

Anxiety regularly lies behind a dogs excessive barking, even though on the face of it, it can look more like aggression. So to stop dog barking we need to beginby dealing with any anxiety problems, which will automatically reduce our dogs need to bark.

Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Separation anxiety is affecting more than fifteen percent of dogs (and some reports indicates as much as 50%). The anxiety leads to a number of behavioural symptoms from a dog pacing the floor, to chewing everything in sight as well as other destructive behaviour. Dog separation anxiety is nearly always the root of a dog barking excessively when left home on their own.

Reducing anxiety in dogs could be a lengthy process, dependent on how acute the symptoms are and will require both time and patience on your side. After you have worked out the things that set off the anxious behaviour you will be able to use desensitization training to help your dog.

Leading the Pack

Closely interlinked to separation anxiety is pack leadership. As a pack animal, dogs instinctively know there has to be a pack leader, one who is accountable for the safeness of the rest of its clan. If one of its charges goes missing, barking is one method of helping them to find their way back. Clever stuff, but then if we stop and realize the dog could believe itself to be the responsible member of the pack, what does it feel when everyone goes out, locks the door and leaves them in the house alone?

Excessive barking in dogs is very like any worried parents reaction to a child which has can not be found. In our anxiety we might bellow at the top of our voice in they hope they can hear us and come running back, so too a dog will try to let the missing pack members know the way to find their way back to the house. This is also why dogs will scratch wildly at the doors or windows, because they want to get out and search for you.

How To Stop Dogs Barking

One of the easiest paths to stop dogs barking is to remove the responsibility for the pack from the dog by showing them that you are the pack leaders and the ones to be trusted.

That does not necessarily mean using devices like the shock collar each time your dog is barking (why punish a dog for doing what it thinks is its job?) or removing its vocal chords (does it change the dog’s mind about its responsibility?) Neither does it mean you have to control your dog by pinning it down or pushing it around. Leadership can be established by showing your dog you are the decision maker, as an example by always making them sit and wait for their food and only start eating when you give the go ahead.

It could appear like an indirect way to stop dog barking, but by dealing with both dog separation anxiety and leadership problems you are more likely to bring calm to the house and the neighbourhood too.

Author Venice Marriott is a writer, rescue dog owner and runs a Dog Anxiety website, which provides help and information for dog owners dealing with dog anxiety. Get more information about how to stop dogs barking, when you visit the site.