Dogs
bark. It is part of their normal, and natural behavior. Dogs can bark for appropriate and
good reasons, such as when strangers approach our house, they hear an odd
noise, or they are herding sheep. Most of us want our dogs to be "watch
dogs" and alert us to anything unusual. But dogs can also bark
inappropriately. To control barking in our dogs, we first need to understand
why they are barking.
Types of canine vocal
communication
Dogs,
as well as wolves use many types of vocalizations to communicate. This
communication starts very early in life. Young puppies make a mewing-like sound
when they are searching for food or warmth. Louder crying sounds are heard if
the puppy is hurt or frustrated. As dogs get older, they make five main classes
of sounds: howls, growls, grunts, whines, and barks. Each of these classes of
sounds is used in different situations.
Howling
is used as a means of long-range communication in many different circumstances.
Howls are more often associated with wolves, but dogs howl too. Wolves often
howl to signify territorial boundaries, locate other pack members, coordinate
activities such as hunting, or attract other wolves for mating. Dogs may howl
as a reaction to certain stimuli such as sirens.
Growling
can occur in very different activities. It is used to threaten, warn, in
defense, in aggression, and to show dominance. But growling is also used in
play as well. By looking at the body posture we should be able to tell the
difference. Growls during aggression are accompanied by a stare or snarl, and
the growling dog often remains stationary. Play-growls occur in combination
with a happy tail and a play bow to signal willingness to play. These dogs are
often moving and jumping about to entice play.
Grunts
in dogs are the equivalent of contented sighs in people. They can also be heard
when dogs are greeting each other or people.
Whines
or whimpers are short- or medium-range modes of communication. Dogs may whine
when they greet each other, are showing submissiveness, are frustrated or in
pain, to obtain attention, and sometimes in defense. Dogs generally whine more
than wolves, perhaps because they use the whine more as an attention-seeking
behavior, and are often rewarded for it. Think about it. The first sound you
may hear from a new puppy is the whine at night when he finds himself alone. We
often are guilty of unintentionally reinforcing this whining by giving the puppy
the attention he wants.
Barking
is another mode of communication that seems to be more common in dogs than
other canine species. Again, this may be the result of human encouragement.
Certain breeds have been bred to bark as part of their watchdog or herding
duties. Barking is used to alert or warn others and defend a territory, to seek
attention or play, to identify oneself to another dog, and as a response to
boredom, excitement, being startled, lonely, anxious, or teased.
Why dogs bark
Alert/warning barks are the type of barks some owners
encourage. They want their dog to alert them to the presence of a danger or
suspicious stranger. Warning barks tend to become more rapid as the intruder
approaches. Aggressive barks are low in pitch and may be combined with growls.
We need to be able to distinguish warning barks from barks due to fear.
Attention-seeking barks are most often used
by puppies to get you to focus your attention on them. They can become very
insistent and hard to ignore, but ignore them we must.
Play/excitement barks are often short and
sharp. These barks are common if the dog gets too excited with the game. Often
a time-out is in order.
Self-identification barking is what you may
be hearing when your dog seems to be answering other dogs he hears barking in
the neighborhood. It is his way of saying, "I am over here."
Bored barkers simply need an outlet for their energy
and a more stimulating environment.
Lonely/anxious barking occurs if your
dog is experiencing separation
anxiety. The barking can become self-reinforcing as he
becomes more stimulated and anxious. Anxious barks tend to get higher in pitch
as the dog becomes more upset. This type of barking can be especially annoying
to your neighbors.
Startle barking occurs in response to an unfamiliar or
sudden sound or movement. As with an alert/warning bark, we need to be able to
control this type of barking quickly.
As
you can see, there are many reasons for barking and most barking is a normal behavior.
There are some instances in which barking is considered pathological. This will
be discussed later in the article.
Characteristics of a barker
Studies
have been done to try to determine which dogs are more likely to be barkers.
Although there was no difference in the percentage of excessive barkers between
males and females, there was a breed difference. Beagles, Terriers, and some
herding breeds tend to bark more. That is not surprising, since this is one of
the characteristics for which they were bred. Excessive barking can occur in
purebred dogs as well as mixed breeds.
General principles for
controlling undesirable barking
If
we want to control barking, we need a dog who can obey us and relax. The dog
needs to look to her owner for behavior clues. If we can call her, have her lie
down (dogs do not bark as much when lying down) and stay, we are well on the
way to solving a nuisance barking problem. In addition, there are some common
principles we can use in modifying barking behavior.
First,
in most cases shouting "No" is only going to make matters worse since
the dog is thinking you are barking too (and is probably happy you joined in).
Be
consistent. Pick a one-word command e.g., "Enough or Quiet" for the
behavior you want and always use that word in the same tone of voice. Everyone
in the household must use the same command and act identically.
Be
patient with your dog and yourself. Changing behavior takes a lot of time, and
you need to take it slowly, one step at a time. If you become angry at your
dog, the chance to correctly modify the behavior will be gone.
Reward
the dog for good behavior. Positive reinforcement is much more powerful than
punishment. Physical punishment will do nothing but make your dog fearful of
you and break down the bond you wish to have with her. Food treats
are fine to use as a reward at first. Often, picking a very special treat like
small pieces of cooked chicken or hot dog will make the reward seem even
better. As time goes on, you will not give a treat every time, sometimes just
rewarding with a "Good Dog" and a pat on the dog's chest.
Do
not hug your dog, talk soothingly, or otherwise play into your dog's barking.
Your dog may then believe there really was something of which to be alarmed,
afraid, or anxious. This reinforces her behavior and she will likely bark even
more the next time.
Control
the situation. As much as possible, set up situations to use as training.
Practice in short, frequent sessions, generally 5-10 minutes each.
Do
not be afraid to ask an expert. Animal trainers and behaviorists can help you.
Having them witness your dog's barking episodes may give them valuable clues on
helping you solve the barking problem.
Next,
we will look at the different types of barkers and more specific ways to modify
their behavior.
Alert/warning barkers
Dogs
that bark at mail carriers, joggers running by the house, or cyclist on the
street naturally have their barking reinforced. They see the mail carrier, they
bark, and the mail carrier leaves. The dog thinks, "Boy, I'm good. My
barking made that person leave." In modifying the dog's behavior, we need
to overcome this reinforcement.
Sometimes,
by just preventing the dog from seeing the intruding mail carrier, we can solve
the problem. Often, however, we need to do more. First, we must make sure we
are not rewarding the dog for any type of barking. If the dog barks when she
wants to eat, and we feed her, we are rewarding vocalization. If we try to
ignore the barking, but eventually cave-in and give attention, the dog learns
that short barks will not do the trick, but excessive and extended barking
will.
After
the dog has alerted us to an "intruder," we need a way to signal to
the dog after one or two barks that she was a good dog for warning us, but now
we will take control. Often the command "Enough" will accomplish that
goal.
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Remember: Do not
inadvertently reinforce barking by giving verbal or physical reassurance to a
barking dog.
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To
teach "Enough," set up a situation in which your dog will bark, but
not excessively; knock on the door, for instance. After one or two barks, stop
knocking and make a sound or distraction that will get her to switch her
attention to you. If she stops barking, immediately say "Enough" and
reward her with a treat and praise. If she does not stop barking, put that
delicious treat right in front of her nose. When she stops barking for a second
or two say "Enough," wait a few more seconds and if she is quiet,
give her the treat and praise. Timing is critical – she must be quiet when you
give her the treat or she will think she is being rewarded for continuing to bark.
Be sure to say "Enough" when she is quiet, not when she is barking.
Later, as she associates "Enough" with being quiet, you can use it as
a command to stop barking.
Fear barkers
Some
dogs may start with an alert or warning bark, but then progress to a bark that
is associated with fear. One of the more common examples of this is dogs that
bark at approaching strangers.
If
your dog is barking out of fear of people, first he must learn to be obedient,
defer to you for his behavior cues, and relax. Then you can start setting up
situations in which people approach from far off, and as your dog remains
relaxed, give him treats. Slowly (over days and weeks) have people approach him
only to the point where he remains relaxed and you can reward him. As people
come even closer, have them throw treats his way so he starts associating
people with good things happening. While this controlled training is going on,
it is best to not put him in situations in which you do not have control, e.g.,
walking down a busy street.
Do
not encourage your dog to bark at people. You may set a bad habit in motion and
he may become suspicious and even fearful of people. Chances are, he will bark
at odd situations and strangers without you telling him to.
Attention-seeking barkers
Young
puppies, as well as adults soon learn that barking will incite attention from
us. The problem is that dogs will be happy with any attention they receive, be
it negative or positive. A stern "No" from you is still attention, so
the dog got what she wanted and you reinforced the behavior. It is best to just
ignore this type of barking, as hard as that may be.
Sometimes,
the use of a remote correction is helpful in controlling this type of barking.
Coins in an empty soda can, foghorns, or other noisemakers can be used to
startle the dog while she is barking. When she is startled, she stops barking,
and at that point, you can give her a substitute for barking – a toy or a walk. Just make sure she stops barking before
you give the substitute or the dog will perceive it as a reward for barking.
Play/excitement barkers
If
your dog barks excessively during play, it is best to let her calm down and
slow down the game. If she continues to bark, stop playing until she has
settled down.
Self-identification barkers
This
type of barking is quite instinctive and can sometimes be difficult to control,
especially in a household of multiple dogs. Often there is an instigator dog
and all other dogs join in. This type of barking may be controlled using a
similar approach to alert/warning barks, i.e., obedience and relaxation methods
with a substitute behavior offered, like playing with a toy.
Bored barkers
Dogs
who bark when they are bored may be similar to dogs seeking attention or those
that are lonely. Dogs who are bored need something to do besides barking. We
need to give them a more stimulating environment and usually a lot more
exercise. A tired dog is less likely to be bored. Toys such as Kongs and Buster
Cubes that can be filled with treats can get your dog's brain, as well as his
body, working.
Lonely/anxious barkers
Dogs
who bark when they are alone may be showing a symptom of their separation
anxiety. As we mentioned, these dogs are in the midst of a vicious circle – the
more lonely they are, the more they bark, the more upset they get, the more
they bark, the barking gets them more upset and they bark more – and the cycle
continues.
We
need to work with the dog on the underlying behavior of separation anxiety. We
can do this several ways. As in alert/warning barking, we need to be able to
teach the dog simple obedience and how to relax. Then we can work on the
problem of the separation anxiety.
We
can start out by leaving or acting like we are leaving for a short time - and
before the dog starts getting nervous and barking (this may be one second at
first), we come back. This way, we are not rewarding barking, but rewarding
relaxation and silence. We gradually extend the time we are gone and return
before the dog gets anxious. If your dog is anxious even if you leave the room,
then you will need to start by just taking several steps away from her while
she remains relaxed. While going through this behavior modification, you cannot
go too slow – you CAN go too fast.
We
often need to change our habits too. Often the dog starts getting nervous when
we go through our routine of leaving. Maybe you are like me, and the last thing
you do before you leave is put on your shoes and pick up the keys. Vary this
and put on your shoes and pick up your keys – but do not leave. Go to the couch
and read a book. If you only play the radio on weekends when you are home, turn
it on during your workdays. As hard as it may be, set your alarm on weekends,
get up, but stay home. Continue these changes in routine until your dog does
not pay attention to your cues anymore. It is also very important to not give
your dog a lot of attention when you leave.
When
you are gone, make sure your dog is comfortable – light, warmth, a radio
playing, toys. If your dog is outside, a doghouse may help her feel more
secure. Some indoor dogs will be more content if they can watch what is going
on outside, be it traffic or chipmunks. Others may be more anxious if they can
look out and do better with the drapes closed. You will need to decide what
makes your dog less anxious. Make sure you give your dog a lot of exercise a
half hour or so before you leave. As with boredom, tired dogs are less likely
to become anxious.
If
your dog happens to not only bark, but destroy things while you are gone, a
crate may be necessary. Never punish your dog when you come home and find
something chewed or torn. If you do, your dog will soon associate your return
with being punished. That is going to make her even more anxious. If you
videotape these destructive dogs, you may see the dog is anxious when the owner
leaves but anxiety also increases just before the owner's usual time of return,
when the dog becomes anxious about the owner's impending return and punishment.
Just
as you should not punish your dog on your return, do not give her a lot of
attention either - then your returning home will not be such a big deal to her.
Instead, come in the door, say "Hello" and go about a household task.
Once your dog has settled down and is quiet, then you can spend some quality
time with her.
Initially,
while you are working on behavior modification it may be helpful to get a
neighbor or pet sitter to come in once or several times during the day. This
will help break up the long hours the dog has without you.
Finally,
if the separation anxiety is severe, medications are often needed during the
behavior modification process. Medication alone will not solve the problem, but
it can be a useful adjunct to the process. Consult with your veterinarian to
determine which medication would be most appropriate.
Startled barkers
We
can best curb startled barking using the similar techniques for alert/warning
barks. Teaching "Enough" will really help in this situation. If a
certain sound consistently startles your dog, record that sound. Start by
playing it back very softly so your dog will remain relaxed when she hears it.
If she remains quiet, then reward her. Over days and weeks, gradually increase
the volume until she is no longer startled into barking when she hears it.
Pathologic barking
Barking
that is a simple nuisance is not the same as barking that is pathologically
excessive. Most of the barking we have talked about thus far is normal barking
behavior except for that connected to separation anxiety. Barking can be abnormal
or "pathologic" in situations of separation anxiety, as a result of
an obsessive-compulsive disorder in which a dog barks very excessively or at
inappropriate things (a leaf falling), or in dogs who become hyper-excited with
the approach of people or other dogs. Dogs who become aggressive during barking
episodes need to undergo behavior modification for the aggression before we
attempt to modify the barking behavior.
For
dogs with pathologic barking or additional behavioral problems, it is highly
recommended to use a team-approach to the problem. The team consists of all
family members, an animal behaviorist, and a veterinarian. Each family member
must work with the dog in the same way, using the same commands. The animal
behaviorist may be able to cue in on unique characteristics of your dog's
behavior and help you set up training situations that will be most effective.
Your veterinarian may also be able to give you insights as well as prescribe
appropriate medications to enable the dog to be more responsive to the behavior
modification.
Preventing nuisance barking in
puppies
Teaching
your puppy appropriate behavior from the beginning is easier than changing
behavior that has become a bad habit. Some behavior we may think of as cute in
a puppy will not be cute in an adult dog. So, think ahead to avoid potential
problems.
The
first few nights after bringing your puppy home. will be the hardest. You may want to put his crate
in your bedroom. The puppy will be more secure with you near. Security builds
trust. Trust will decrease the possibility of separation anxiety in the future.
Just remember not to give any attention to the puppy if he is whining – that
will only reward his undesirable behavior.
By
starting to train your puppy in obedience and relaxation at an early age, you
can greatly reduce the probability your puppy will grow into a problem barker.
Nip problems in the bud and always look at why the puppy is barking. Is it
fear, anxiety, attention-seeking? Use the appropriate measures to treat the
underlying problem.
Remember
that if for some reason you want your dog to bark on command, or in a certain
situation, you must also be able to teach him to stop on command. Teach
"Enough" at an early age. This was described under
"Alert/warning Barkers".
Introduce
the young puppy to situations that may cause anxiety later on. Get your puppy
used to walking on the sidewalk along a busy street. Expose your puppy to
sounds like vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, and other noises. Take things slow so
your puppy does not become anxious while being exposed to these new things.
Reward the puppy when he is quiet and relaxed.
Puppy
classes are a great place for your puppy to meet new people and other dogs. He
can learn to obey you even when there are numerous distractions. You also have
a trainer present who can help you with any potential problems.
In
short, it will be a lot more fun for everybody if your puppy learns to
communicate through a wag of the tail and looking to you for guidance rather
than through excessive and relentless barking.
What not to do:
Controlling barking through
corrective collars
There
are numerous collars on the market that produce an electrical stimulation, an
irritating ultrasonic sound, or a smell when the dog barks. We DO NOT
recommend these collars, as collars will not cure the problem. They only punish the dog for doing a normal
behavior.
For
some of these hard-core barkers, the punishment for barking is not sufficient
to get them to stop. They would rather bark and be punished than not bark at
all. For dogs that bark when they are anxious, the collar's correction may make
them even more anxious.
The
electrical stimulation collars have been known to burn dogs skin and cause
permanent damage. Neighbor dogs can
trigger the ultrasonic collars, but your dogs gets a correction himself and the
citronella collars can permanently damage your dogs sense of smell.
All
the while you are simply masking the real problem of why your dog is barking.
De-barking
Debarking
is a surgical procedure that removes the vocal cords from dogs. There are two
surgical approaches, one through the mouth, and the other through an incision
in the neck. Debarking is a cruel and inhumane act that is illegal in many
states. We would NEVER recommend this is ANY situation. Imagine having a form of your communication
painfully and permanently removed.
Besides being a horrific thing to do to a dog, they WILL find another way to
communicate. If you never deal with the original problem it will find its way
out thru biting, digging, destroying or worse.
Try
these techniques to stop your dog from barking. All of them can be successful,
but don't expect miracles overnight. The longer your dog has been practicing
the barking behavior, the longer it will take for him to change his ways.
Keep these tips in mind
while training:
- Don't yell at your dog to be quiet—it
just sounds like you're barking along with him.
- Keep your training sessions positive
and upbeat.
- Be consistent so you don't confuse
your dog. Everyone in your family must apply the training methods every
time your dog barks inappropriately. You can't let your dog get away with
inappropriate barking some times and not others.
Remove the motivation
Your
dog gets some kind of reward when he barks. Otherwise, he wouldn't do it.
Figure out what he gets out of barking and remove it. Don't give your dog the
opportunity to continue the barking behavior.
Example: Barking at passersby
If he
barks at people or animals passing by the living room window, manage his
behavior by closing the curtains or putting your dog in another room. If he
barks at passersby when he's in the yard, bring him into the house to manage
the situation. Never leave your dog outside unsupervised all day and night.
Ignore
your dog's barking for as long as it takes him to stop. That means don't give
him any attention at all while he's barking. Your attention only rewards him
for being noisy.
Don't
talk to him, don't touch him, and don't even look at him. When he finally
quiets, even to take a breath, reward him with a treat.
To be successful with this
method:
- You must wait as long as it takes for
him to stop barking. If he barks for an hour and you finally get so
frustrated that you yell at him to be quiet, the next time he'll probably
bark for an hour and a half. He learns that if he just barks long enough
you'll give him attention.
- Be consistent. You must ignore the
barking EVERY time.
Example: barking when confined
If
your dog is in his crate or confined to a room behind a baby gate or other
barrier, he may bark because he wants to be with you.
- Turn your back and ignore him.
- Whenever he stops barking, turn,
praise him, and give him a treat.
- Make a game of it. As he catches on
that being quiet gets him a treat, lengthen the amount of time he must
remain quiet before being rewarded.
- Start small. Reward him for being
quiet for just a second or two. Work up to longer periods of quiet.
- Keep the game fun by varying the
amount of time. Sometimes reward him after 5 seconds, then 12 seconds,
then 3 seconds, then 20 seconds, and so on.
Gradually
get your dog accustomed to whatever is causing him to bark. Start with the
stimulus (the thing that makes him bark) at a distance. It must be far enough
away that he doesn't bark when he sees it. Feed him lots of good treats. Move
the stimulus a little closer (perhaps as little as a few inches or a few feet
to start) and feed treats. If the stimulus moves out of sight, stop giving your
dog treats.
You
want your dog to learn that the appearance of the stimulus leads to good things
(treats!).
Example: barking at dogs
Dogs
that are afraid of other dogs will often bark at them.
- Have a friend with a dog stand out of
sight far enough away that you know your dog won't bark at the other dog.
- As the friend and dog come into view,
start feeding your dog lots of very yummy treats (tiny bits of cooked
chicken usually work well). Keep feeding treats until the friend and dog
are out of sight.
- Stop feeding treats as soon as the
friend and dog disappear from view.
- Ask your friend and her dog to
gradually walk closer.
- Don't try to progress too quickly; it
may take days or weeks before your dog can pay attention to you and the
treats without barking at the other dog.
- Contact a behavior professional for
assistance if you need help.
It
may sound nonsensical, but to stop your dog from barking, first teach him to
bark on command.
- Give your dog the command to
"speak." Have someone immediately make a noise—such as knocking
on the door—that is sure to make your dog bark.
- Let him bark two or three times, then
stick a tasty treat in front of his nose.
- When he stops barking to sniff the
treat, praise him and give him the treat. Repeat until he starts barking
as soon as you say "speak."
Once
your dog can reliably bark on command, teach the "quiet" command.
- Start in a calm environment with no
distractions.
- Tell him to "speak." When he
starts barking, say "quiet" and stick a treat in front of his
nose.
- Praise him for being quiet and give
him the treat.
Example: Intruder at the Door
When
the doorbell rings, your dog alerts you to the presence of an
"intruder" by barking wildly. Once you've taught your dog the
"quiet" command in a calm environment, practice in increasingly
distracting situations until your dog can immediately stop barking when asked
to, even when that "intruder" arrives at the door.
When
your dog starts barking, ask him to do something that's incompatible with
barking.
Example: intruder at the door
Teach
your dog to react to the doorbell by going to his special place (his bed or
perhaps a mat near the door) and lying quietly while the "intruder"
comes into the house.
- Start by tossing a treat on his mat
and telling him to "go to your place."
- Have him go to his place before you
give him the treat.
- When he's reliably going to his mat to
earn a treat, up the ante by opening the door while he's on his mat. If he
gets up, close the door immediately.
- Repeat until he stays on his mat while
the door opens.
- Then increase the difficulty by having
someone ring the doorbell while your dog is on his mat. Reward him if he
stays in place.
Stimulate
your dog. Make sure your dog is getting sufficient physical and mental exercise
every day. A tired dog is a good dog and one who is less likely to bark from
boredom or frustration. Depending on his breed, age, and health, your dog may
require several long walks as well as a good game of chasing the ball and
playing with some interactive toys.
To deal with
barking issues or any other behavioral concerns, please contact:
Tails-A-Wagging
3959 Hammer Dr
Bellingham, Wa
98226
733-7387
www.tails-a-wagging.com
