Dog Barking is Communicating

A barking dog can be a nuisance in your home and to your neighbors. Have you ever considered why your dog is barking? For dogs, barking is a form of communication. If you can figure out what your dog is trying to say, you can often eliminate this behavior.

Obviously, we as humans communicate with the words we speak. We also can communicate with our our body language, hand signals and facial expressions. You can display approval with a positive head bob or smile and disapproval by shaking our head no or with a frown.

Dogs too often communicate without uttering sounds as well. They wag their tales in excitement or approval. They often show their teeth in order to signal danger. A alpha dog will bow up too look big and make contact when trying to prove their leadership. They will also cower down to display submissiveness or in fear.

Most of these expressions are pretty obvious, even to the person who has not spent much time around dogs. Often when a dog is barking, it is not so obvious what they are trying to express.

If excessive dog barking is a problem with your pet, often figuring out what the dog is trying to communicate can help lead to solutions to eliminate the behavior.

Typical Dog Barking Expressions


Anxiety
Boredom
Playfulness
Warning
Announcement
Startling/Fear

Getting to know your pet in varying situations should help you determine which expression your dog is trying communicate. Once you learn which behavior your dog is exhibiting will make it much easier to eliminate it.

Keep in mind that some barking is completely acceptable and a positive behavior. It is appropriate for you dog to bark in warning when there is an unannounced visitor to your house, and in times when they sense something is wrong (an odd odor or unusual sound). Hopefully, your dog will learn to announce their feeling of uneasiness and then stop barking once you have acknowledged their communication.

Figure out why your dog is barking and you have won half the battle. Often it takes time and patience to break your dog of a bad habit. Never award poor behavior and give excessive praise when your do does the right thing. Many barking problems are associated with a lack of attention or activity or a lack of leadership in the home. Show them you are the leader and in control and do research on your breed of dog to see how much activity you breed needs.

Dog barking is a problem that is typically easy to eliminate by taking the right steps and having patience. Eliminating this behavior will help you have a happy home and an even happier dog.