Barking is a common reason people reach out to us for help. In order to solve any behavior, we first need to understand how dogs think, act and learn. Why do they do what they do? Let's talk a little bit about why dogs bark and potentially why your dog is barking.
The first thing to understand is that dogs bark for a number of different reasons:
- To call or alert the pack
- To warn of potential danger
- Out of anxiety or stress
- For attention or food
It's probably a mixture of all of those things for your specific dog. Dogs also mainly learn by association. What happens if a dog sees someone outside of your home, maybe on the walk and they begin to bark? What follows that action will determine what the dog learns, and normally, it’s people and other dogs moving away from you.
Your dog then teaches themselves that when they are very adrenalized, loud and barking, it solves their problem and keeps them (and you) safe. But clearly it doesn't solve any problem because it just leaves you and your dog more stressed out while your dog is learning to continue this adrenalized behavior pattern.
Barking Is a Sign Your Dog Needs Leadership
Calm guidance beats yelling every time
Dogs that are constantly barking are in need of leadership. It's almost a cry for help and structure. If dogs don't have the proper leader(s), routine and structure, you can guarantee that they'll stay adrenalized and continue to bark.
In order to stop their dogs barking, most dog owners become very loud. They get very out of control with their body and their voice. You don't need to yell at your dog. Your dog has excellent hearing!
We get louder because it’s a normal reaction when our adrenaline is up. It’s also typically what some might do around children (and we know most people view their dogs like their kids!) So, being loud is not the answer.
Being out of control with your body is not the answer. Instead:
- Stay calm and composed
- Use a firm, clear tone of voice
- Focus on your body language to communicate effectively
Tone of voice is key, and that's exactly what I teach and what Bark Busters teaches. We teach you to essentially speak dog. You need to learn how to speak in a way that your dog understands.
How Dogs Learn and Why Repetition Matters
Teach your dog new behaviors through consistent practice
The responsibility to teach our dogs is on us. We can get down to their level and help them understand what they should do during stressful environments and situations.
Since they learn best through repetition, setting the scene for your dog will help them understand that barking no longer serves a positive outcome. We want to gain the focus inside the home first, then take that and use it outside for these behaviors.
Dogs do not see us as humans. If you treat your dog like a human, they will treat you like a dog! They think we're weird looking dogs, and so if you are speaking English to them or whatever it is, it's not even the words that you're using, it's how you're using them that can be confusing.
How do we know this? If you took a few people from different countries and put them in a room together, they’d have a difficult time understanding each other through their language. However if you put dogs from different countries in the same room together, they’d have zero language barriers and issues communicating.
Get Professional Help with Barking and Reactivity
If you need help with barking and reactivity with your dog, I would love to help you and dive deeper into this issue with you. Contact us today by submitting a form or giving us a call.
You can also fill out a free behavioral quiz to get started. You'll get the results as well as us, and we'll then contact you for a consultation or to book a lesson. Thank you so much.