Your dog delights you with its good company. And most dogs can become charming family members. You enjoy it when they play around or protect you. However, sometimes dogs bark excessively that can irritate you. Also, you may be worried about what is making your dog bark excessively. And do dogs get tired of barking?
Dogs play with your children and can lay down their lives while protecting you. So you enjoy the presence of your canine as a loyal, brave, and intelligent friend. So when your dog starts barking and your neighbors object to it, you become concerned about how to stop it.
There are several reasons behind the excessive barking of dogs. And we will discuss those reasons here. So let’s know why dogs bark, do dogs get tired of barking, and how to control it.
Do Dogs Get Tired of Barking?
The truth that we could find till now says that dogs do not get tired of barking. And there are several reasons behind the barking of dogs. For example, your dog may bark to greet, out of fear, boredom, or as an alarm.
However, while you will worry if your dog is silent, excessive barking irritates you and your neighbors. And you cannot expect your dog to change this trait with maturity. So instead, you need to analyze your dog’s behavioral issues. And find a way to control the continuous barking.
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Reasons for Excessive Barking of Your Dog
The constant barking of your dog can be a problem for you, your family, and even your neighbors. However, with proper analysis and care, you can resolve this issue. And for this, first, you need to find out the reason that makes your dog bark. Here are some common reasons for the non-stop barking of dogs.
Barking as Communication
Dogs have no other way to communicate than barking. And sometimes, they bark only to communicate with humans. For example, suppose a stranger comes to your house. Now your dog will bark to greet the person and at the same time to alert you about a stranger’s presence. Also, a dog barks to make the passerby know about its territorial right on the area.
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Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is a psychological state where your dog worries about being apart from the family members. It is a kind of mental health issue that needs medical care from the beginning. It is because the condition may get worse with time. So if you notice your dog starts barking whenever you are apart, it may be separation anxiety. And it will help if you talk to your vet immediately.
Loneliness/Boredom
Dogs have been companions of humans for thousands of years. And canines love to be around their owners and families. So if you leave your dog alone for a long time, it will start barking out of boredom. Hence it is a good idea to drop your dog at a dog daycare when you are outside. Also, it will help if you spend a lot of time with your dog to control excessive barking.
Stress
Stress is something that can cause your dog to bark excessively. And to overcome this, your dog needs plenty of exercise. Also, it will help if you find out the reason for which your dog feels the stress. And if the situation turns out to be severe, it will need medical care or behavioral therapy. However, plenty of exercises and extended playtime may help remove your dog’s stress and control barking.
Alarm or Fear
Dogs are generally courageous animals, but in some situations, they may feel scared. And barking when scared is normal behavior. Also, some dogs keep barking at night. So it is due to their fears for darkness. However, if your dog becomes afraid without any valid reason, it needs special care. And with proper training, your dog will overcome this issue.
Attention Seeking
Dogs react the same way as children when they don’t get enough attention from their owners. And it causes them to bark constantly until you address your dog.
So if there is no external reason for your dog to bark, it must be seeking your attention. However, it is not an excellent initiative to pay more attention to your dog in this situation. Instead, wait for a silent moment from your dog and reward the pet at that particular moment. From this, your dog will learn that silence brings reward.
How to Control Excessive Barking of Your Dog?
Now you know the various reasons that make dogs bark incessantly. So it is now easy for you to discover what makes your dog bark. And you can take the measures accordingly to control the barking. So here are some tricks to follow to address the excessive barking of your dog.
Reward The Dog for Good Behavior
If you go through any professional dog training activities, you must hear about the phrases “positive training” and “positive reinforcement.” It refers to rewarding your dog for a positive behavior instead of punishing for the wrong behavior.
As we have already mentioned, if your dog barks to seek your attention, you should not acknowledge it. Instead, you can reward the pet when it becomes silent. From this, your dog will learn what a rewarding act. And your dog will prefer to stay quiet to please you and get the reward.
This concept is applicable in other situations like separation anxiety or boredom. For example, You can wait for an opportunity when your dog is silent, seeing you are getting apart. And offer a reward to the pet.
It will focus on good behavior that will train your dog to do what will bring reward. And you can do it all without punishing the pet.
Remove the Stimuli From Your Dog
It is the easiest way to prevent your dog from barking excessively. The only thing you need to do is take away the item on which your pet barks. For example, suppose your dog barks at the passerby to tell its territorial right. Here you can hang a screen so your dog cannot see outside people. In the same way, if your dog barks because of fear, then take away whatever makes your pet afraid.
This tactic is good to use as a short-term measure but is probably not suitable for a long-term benefit. However, it is a simple process of removing and reintroducing the stimulus to your dog. And wait until the pet becomes familiar with the object or situation.
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Provide Enough Mental Stimulation
Most dogs need a lot of exercise to stay happy. Especially the powerful and active breeds like Bernese Mountain and German Shepherd need a high level of physical activity. But like physical stimulation, mental stimulation is an equally important component for a dog to stay fit.
There are various ways to help your dog stay mentally stimulated. It includes learning new commands, playing games, or training them to work to earn rewards. If you can keep your dog mentally active, it will keep them away from boredom. This trick will, in turn, help to control excessive barking.
Teach Your Dog Various Commands
As per the previous discussion, it is not helpful to respond when your dog barks. It is because acknowledging the barking will tell your dog that it is the right way to demand something.
In this case, teaching your dog the quiet command is the most helpful way. However, for total control over barking, first, you need to teach speaking commands. It will ensure that your dog will bark when you ask for it.
To start with, introduce the word speak to your dog. And when it starts barking, encourage the pet. Repeating this method will teach your dog to bark on command. Once the dog learns the speak command, it is time to introduce the word quiet.
Now you can make your dog bark with command. So it will be easier to stop barking with another order. And for this, stay quiet when your dog barks. Then wait when it stops barking and reward the pet.
It will help if you repeat this tactic several times to teach your dog quiet commands. And once it learns, you can stop your dog from barking with command.
Conclusion
So, it’s clear that dogs bark for several reasons. And most of the time, they bark for a genuine reason. However, if it gets excessive, you need to address the issue.
There is no timer for dogs, and when they start barking, you don’t know when your dog will stop doing so. Also, it raises a question: do dogs get tired of barking?
So it is crucial to take some measures to control your dog’s excessive barking. And for this, first, you need to find out the reason behind your dog’s excessive barking.
This post describes the reasons and remedies for excessive dog barking. And hence the Article can guide you to find a happy solution to control your dog’s barking.
Meet John Patterson, an accomplished Dog Trainer and a dedicated advocate for building strong human-canine relationships.With years of experience as a Professional Dog Trainer, John firmly believes that well-trained dogs are a reflection of patient guidance and unwavering care. Beyond his training skills, he finds solace in grooming and playing with dogs, nurturing their physical and emotional well-being.