There are a lot of reasons that your dog could be barking, but in this post, we will focus on the ones that fall under the category of Verbal Communication. We talked about the other categories in a post called “Why Does My Dog Bark?”
This kind of barking is when your dog is trying to tell you something. There are many things that your dog could be wanting to say. It’s all about paying close attention to when they bark. If you can do that, you’ll know exactly why they’re doing it and that will help you stop their excessive barking.
Regardless, we’re going to list some of the most common things that our furry friends might be trying to tell us.
They Need to Go to the Bathroom
As humans, we sometimes forget that our pups count on us to take them outside to go potty. We will hear them bark and think that they’re just trying to annoy us, but really, they just want to go to the bathroom. If this is your dog, before anything else, make sure you take them outside.
Now, we can get down to solving this problem. Although we can’t cover the specific strategies all in this blog post (we’ll write one specific for that!), we can give you the gist of it:
- Wait Until Your Dog Stops Barking and Then Take Them Out
- Train Your Dog to Ring Bells to Go Outside Instead (Super Easy!)
- Keep Your Dog on a Regular Potty Schedule
Although there is more to do than just these things, it should be enough to get you started.
My Dog is Barking When They’re Greeting Someone
If every time your friends walk in the door your dog is happily barking and maybe spinning around energetically, you shouldn’t be asking yourself the question, “Why Is My Dog Barking?” In this case, it’s obvious that your dog is just trying to communicate with your new guests!
Of course, this can still be a problem, especially if it’s excessive, it happens late at night while young children are sleeping, etc. Even though your dog really means no harm by barking, it’s still something that can be irritating at times.
With that being said, here are some things you can do in any barking situation:
- Don’t Yell at Your Dog (They’ll Think You’re Barking with Them)
- Stay Positive: Don’t Get Upset or Frustrated
- Be Consistent: Don’t Let it Be Okay Sometimes but Not Others
That should be enough to keep you busy while we work on an in-depth post on the strategies for making it through this issue. We’ll keep this page updated!
ALERT: Doggo is Barking to Let You Know Something is Going On
Similar to their owners, dogs like to tell people when something fishy is going on. A lot of times barking is the way they do that.
Now, this isn’t always a bad thing. A lot of times, you want your dog to let you know that something isn’t right! Some owners even get dogs with this exact reason in mind. They don’t just want it, they expect it!
Obviously, if you’re reading this post, your dog’s barking is probably excessive. If this is the case, they’re likely alerting you of silly things like the raccoon across the street, the lizard on the front porch, or some other event that isn’t really something we want to be alerted of.
In this situation, here are some things you can try:
- Desensitize Your Dog to These “Silly” Things: If you want them to stop barking at these things, try showering them with attention (and maybe some treats) when you see the thing happen. This shows them that there is more to gain than barking to let you know.
- Use a Humane Bark Collar to help you intervene with your dog when they start barking at this event. These will help a LOT with this problem. Click the button below to get one:
Humane Bark Collar
Only $19.99
- Beeps & Vibration Only
- Does NOT harm your dog
- Adjustable Sensitivity
- Easy Training with included eBook
They Just Want Some Love: They’re Lonely or Bored
If your dog barks when they’re lonely or bored, it’s time to give them some love!
However, there’s a catch! You can’t just give them love when they bark; that’s actually going to encourage their behavior! Here is what you should do:
- Make sure that you are giving your dog attention when they are being quiet throughout the day
- When your dog does start barking, ignore them until they stop and then PRAISE and REWARD them with a nice treat
- Be patient and calm with your dog – they can sense your emotions
If you stick with these tips, your dog will be much quieter! Of course, we will update you when we have a more comprehensive strategy to tackle this particular barking problem. Stay tuned!
Final Thoughts on Why Your Dog Is Barking
Although there are many reasons why your dog is barking, verbal communication is one of the big ones. If you think about it for a second, it actually makes a lot of sense too. As humans, we take the exchanges of words we have with each other for granted. Our pups need to have a way to express themselves too! Our goal is to get them to do that within reason.
Please let me know what your #1 biggest question is around bark training and dog barking! I’d love to reach back out and get you an answer and hopefully even turn it into a new post just for you that others could learn from as well! I hope to hear from you all soon!
