Dogs bark for no reason
Expecting a dog to never bark is like expecting a small child to never speak. Some dogs bark more, others less, and there are only a few non-barker breeds. Most owners try to stop their dog barking in the apartment, but do not understand the reasons why the problem arose.
Barking is one of the methods of communication that all canines use.
A dog can make a number of different sounds, which are interpreted depending on the circumstances and state of mind of the animal. There are several types of bark. To correct a dog’s behavior, you need to start by identifying the reason why it barks.
Causes of barking at night or early in the morning
Barking is like a call to action - the dog can bark, trying to show the owner that it needs something. Regular barking in the morning may indicate that your pet needs to go outside (to the toilet). Most dogs become very excited when they realize that their owner is going for a walk. To avoid waking up everyone in the family in the morning, it is recommended to take your dog out as soon as you get out of bed.
Tip: To optimize the process of getting ready for a walk, you need to select a suit that you can quickly and easily put on. When toilet training a puppy, it is advisable to wake up before the dog, have time to get dressed, and only then wake up the pet.
Regular barking at night is most often associated with extraneous irritants or anxiety. It is important to understand that a dog has a more acute sense of smell and hearing. Your pet may hear noise from a neighboring apartment or smell from the entrance and react to them.
Owner mistakes
To ensure that your efforts are not in vain, you need to approach training thoughtfully. Common mistakes include:
- Manifestation of a “violent” reaction (positive or negative). Any response is perceived as encouragement.
- Inattention to the animal. Barking often indicates complexes and a feeling of uselessness.
- Increased attention to a barking dog. You should not approach a barking dog until it stops talking. Otherwise, she will use barking as a means of manipulation.
- Use of prohibiting commands. The animal quickly gets used to the commands “fu” and “no”. Very soon it will stop reacting to them and accept the consequences.
- Screaming and nervous behavior. The owner's excitement is transmitted to the pet.
During the training process, it is important to take into account that the dog does not bark over trifles. Minor causes can be very significant in the animal world. If education does not bring the desired results, it is better to consult a specialist.
Irritants - what can provoke barking
You may think that your dog is barking for no reason when he is reacting to specific stimuli. Note that to establish the exact cause, long-term observation and reduction of events into certain algorithms (chains) are necessary.
TV
Many dogs bark at the TV because they are irritated by the unusual sound. In addition, the TV literally steals the owner’s attention. If you notice that your pet is irritated by the TV, listen carefully when he starts barking for no reason. Perhaps the pet hears sounds from a neighboring apartment.
If you determine that your pet is irritated by television, behavior adjustments will not be difficult. Set the TV to a low volume and start playing with your dog. As soon as the game is over, turn off the TV. In just 2-3 days, the pet will stop paying attention to the TV, even if it works at normal sound volume.
Intercom
Quite a lot of owners complain that their pets bark at the intercom. There are two possible reasons for this behavior: a protective instinct or irritation from a high-pitched sound. Guarding a territory is a natural behavior of a pet.
Important! High-pitched, squeaking sounds can be very annoying for your dog.
To confirm your suspicions, try turning down the intercom sound or changing the signal. If the dog continues to bark, the reason is territorial instinct or lack of training.
Doorbell
A dog barking at the doorbell is a very common occurrence that does not bother most owners. As soon as the pet hears the bell, he understands that they want to invade his territory and warns strangers about the possible consequences.
As practice shows, it is quite difficult to wean a dog from barking at the doorbell. Every time someone comes to you, put your dog on a leash and walk nearby. When the doorbell rings, pull the collar up to your chin and keep the leash taut. The dog feels that you are in complete control of its movements and surroundings, it stops barking, for which it receives praise and rewards.
Extraneous noises outside the door
A protective type of barking - a dog barks at a specific subject (person, animal) who has crossed the boundaries of a protected area. It is important to understand that a dog may consider a walking area or some radius near the entrance to be its territory. Pets living in private homes quite often guard the entire territory they see.
The defensive or territorial type of barking can be called excessive; the dog can bark monotonously and for hours if the stimulus is observed for a long time. You may think your dog is barking for no reason when he smells a stranger but doesn't see him. If the subject approaches, the dog barks louder and more actively.
Note! While guarding, the pet looks courageous, behaves actively, takes a stance, keeps its tail tense and its ears raised.
Most apartment pets react to sounds outside the door. The dog runs to the door and begins to bark loudly; most often, it does not listen to the owner’s commands and calms down only after the irritant is removed. This behavior is associated with a protective instinct, and in some cases, with self-doubt.
Experience shows that dogs of small breeds most often react to noise in the entrance. Due to its small size and physical inconsistency, the dog asserts itself by barking, realizing that it is safe.
Note! Some, especially temperamental pets, not only bark at the door, but also mark it.
Barking expressing anxiety or fear is a complex defensive reaction. When a dog barks, adrenaline is released into its blood. Simply put, a dog barks to feel more confident and not afraid. Alarm barking can be a response to any noise, surprise, or behavior of a person or animal. This type of barking is not “tied” to a protected area.
Note! During alarm barking, the dog appears uncertain, flattens its ears, may tuck its tail, or try to hide.
A dog barks at a cat and other animals
Many owners experience pet conflicts. Most often the behavior is attributed to jealousy. If a dog already lives in your house and you decide to get a kitten, the pets need to be accustomed to each other gradually. To begin, isolate the animals in different rooms and introduce them through the crack in the door. If the pet reacts calmly, take the kitten in your arms and try to introduce the animals closer.
When faced with barking and aggression towards a cat, you need to be patient. Isolate your pets in different rooms for several hours and then switch places. This procedure is repeated several times, and sometimes for several days in a row.
Important! During introductions, for safety reasons, it is better to place the cat in a cage or carrier.
The purpose of the procedure is for the dog to get used to the unfamiliar smell without contact with the cat. When the pet stops rushing around the room and diligently sniffing out the cat's scent, take the dog on a leash and try to introduce it to the new pet. If your dog starts barking at your cat, distract it with a toy.
If the dog starts barking at the cat, take it out of the room and distract it with more active play. Your goal is to instantly switch the dog’s attention to the toy in the presence of a cat. When the pet starts playing in the room with the carrier, you can move on to the next stage.
Open the door of the carrier, keep your dog on a leash and watch what is happening. As soon as the dog gets tense, start stroking and distracting it. If the cat leaves the carrier and the dog does not start barking, do not rush to intervene. Give your pet time to watch the cat for a few minutes and take the dog out of the room.
Give your dog generous rewards and play with him to reduce his agitation. It usually takes 3 to 7 days for the dog to completely get used to the new pet. The main rule is to take your time and not push your pets together.
This is interesting! As practice shows, cats often take the initiative and make contact with their new neighbor.
Control over emotions
A pet can be taught to control emotions. Constant training will help, the purpose of which is to learn the uselessness of barking day and night for any reason.
For small breeds (such as the toy terrier), it is advisable to consult a veterinarian about increased nervousness before using corrective measures to eliminate causeless barking. Soothing decoctions, infusions and remedies recommended by a specialist will help.
The emotional state of the owner and family members is transmitted to the animal in full. The fact calls for special control over one’s own behavior. Screaming and swearing will only intensify the dog's barking, which may result in growling and aggression.
The sequence of actions must be maintained with a clear attitude to stop causeless barking. Encouraging a reaction to a stranger walking past the door will not help stop barking at the doorbell.
How to stop a dog from barking in the absence of its owner
Dogs are naturally pack animals and tend to be around people all the time. All domestic dogs live in unnatural conditions and therefore require constant attention from the owner. Owners especially often encounter barking and whining from loneliness when raising a puppy who has recently moved to a new home.
A dog that barks from boredom also suffers from a lack of physical activity. Practice shows that tired dogs feel much calmer and rarely bark due to anxiety.
Important! Constant feelings of loneliness and anxiety can lead to the development of persistent stress and depression.
A pet's barking in the absence of the owner often becomes an acute problem, since neighbors suffer from the dog's behavior. The pet begins to howl and bark as soon as you leave the house and does not show signs of anxiety while in your company.
To train your dog to be quiet when no one is home, you need to use a comprehensive approach:
- First of all, physical activity increases, that is, you need to actively walk the dog before leaving home.
- To prevent the pet from suffering from boredom in the absence of its owners, it must be provided with a sufficient number of toys.
- Puppies are more likely to suffer from loneliness, so in addition to rubber toys, they need to be given chewable treats.
It is important to understand that a dog really suffers when he is alone. The only sure way to eliminate behavior problems is gradual, step-by-step training.
Important! If the problem is acute, it is possible to combat unwanted barking with the help of sedatives prescribed by a veterinarian.
The use of sedatives is important if the veterinarian has determined that the dog suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Pets with a weak psyche are difficult to train; they achieve positive results, but it takes a lot of time.
A serious mental disorder may be indicated by dogs that are overly active or depressed when their owners are away.
Note! Fear of darkness and silence is also considered a symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder. To alleviate the dog’s condition, leave a working night light, TV or radio in the house.
Ligament cutting
Uncontrollable barking can be eliminated surgically . It is important to understand that although barking will disappear 100%, this method is still quite dangerous for the pet.
Some owners resort to cutting the ligaments. This method is effective, but it should be remembered that surgery carries great risks.
Before agreeing to surgery to trim your vocal cords, you should carefully consider the following:
- anesthesia has a negative effect on the animal’s heart;
- deep anesthesia is accompanied by a small chance of patient death or serious complications;
- dogs of small breeds, such as the West Highland White Terrier (they often complain about the barking of such animals) tolerate surgery and anesthesia less well; Ligament cutting is a complex and dangerous procedure, during which irreversible complications can occur.
- the operation is quite complex from the technical and physical aspects, even a small mistake can lead to damage to the larynx and significant blood loss;
- a frequently occurring postoperative complication is laryngeal edema: in a mild stage the dog will breathe, but will not be able to swallow; with more severe edema, the airways will be blocked and the animal will die;
- the occurrence of mental disorders is likely: the dog, having lost the opportunity to “tell” the world what he thinks about him, suffers, it is difficult to imagine how intervention in the body of such an animal could end, sometimes everything goes smoothly, but the development of aggression, fear, and complexes is possible;
- if the ligaments are cut and not removed, the voice may recover, becoming lower; however, this problem is more likely to occur in cases where the operation is performed by an insufficiently qualified surgeon;
- long recovery period, acute pain.
If a dog, left alone, barks from fear of being left alone forever or lack of attention, it is necessary to spend more time with the animal, instilling in it self-confidence.
A simple exercise for teaching a dog to be alone: you need to get dressed and pretend to leave, return after 2 minutes and praise for waiting. The time interval is gradually increased.
We invite you to watch a video that will help you stop your pet from barking at home. We wish you pleasant viewing!
