Barking

Have you ever noticed that when there is a dog in the neighbourhood that is outside constantly barking, everyone always says "I wish that stupid dog would shut up"!!! Instead they should be saying "I wish that dog's owner would pay attention to their dog and find out why they're barking"!!! What the average person doesn't realize is that dogs are social animals and don't like to be separated from their pack. So when a dog is left outside alone for a long period of time, chances are they will bark to try and get their owners attention. And I don't blame them!

Contrary to popular belief, dog's do not bark to drive us crazy. Dogs bark to communicate with other dogs, other species, humans and sometimes even inanimate objects. But what are they saying?

The two main reasons dogs bark are guarding (or warning) and attention seeking. However they also bark when they are anxious, afraid, bored, frusterated, playful, excited. Barking is normal and should not be discouraged unless it becomes excessive.

If you dog barks excessively and often, you need to ask yourself why? Has your dog been left outside alone for a long period of time? Is your dog bored and in need of some exercise? You owe it to your dog to find out what the reason is and how to deal with it. A well balanced dog who gets enough physical and mental stimulation won't bark more than necessary to communicate to you.

Anti bark devices are cruel and should not be used for any reason. Your dog is worth so much more than that.

There is a wonderful book I read called "How to Speak Dog, Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication" by Stanley Coren. At the end of the book he provides a collection of signals dogs use to communicate from barking to whining to yipping. I highly recommend this book to any dog owner out there who wants to understand their four legged friend better.

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