Barking is communication, barking is fun, barking can tell us alot about our dog

5 Reasons Your Dog is Barking and How to Use Positive Reinforcement for Better Behaviours

Introduction:

What Is Causing My Dog To Bark?

As a dog owner, you may have found yourself wondering why your furry friend is barking incessantly. And it is probably driving you nuts!?

My dog Bert loves to bark, particularly when he is excited, or when he is worried about situations. Both barks are different and distinctive. I can tell the difference in his barks and interpret what he is feeling. 

Every bark means something. Dogs never do, just because. There is always a reason behind their behaviour.

Understanding the reasons why your dog is barking can be a crucial part of effective dog training. 

Identifying the cause, you can use positive reinforcement techniques to modify their behaviour. Here are five common reasons why your dog might be barking and how to address them.

Barking is communication, barking is fun, barking can tell us alot about our dog. It is important that we don't try to 'stop' barking. The best way to reduce it is to understand why and work backwards, dealing with the why and not the barkinng itself.

Do Dog Barks Mean Anything?

Yes, barking is communication and is happening for a specific reason. Here are five reasons why your dog is barking.

1. Attention-seeking behaviours, Also Known as ‘Action Prompting’.

One of the most common reasons dogs bark is to get attention or to get you to do something. They might want to play, go outside, or simply crave some petting. This behaviour can become problematic and it is reinforced inadvertently. 

I have seen people feed their dog whilst barking, probably to stop them doing it, but if their intent is to get food or you attention, you have basically invited that behaviour to occur again, because it worked well for the dog, they will try it again. 

One popular solution is to Ignore the barking and only give attention when your dog is quiet. Once they stop barking and remain quiet for a few seconds, reward them with praise or a treat. This way, they'll start associating being quiet with receiving rewards. This may work well sometimes, but this could escalate barking as they try harder to get you to do something, especially if it has got them the end result they wanted in the past. 

A more effective alternative may be to teach an alternative behaviour. 

Action prompting can be changed by giving the dog a different alternative to the one that they desire. If they jump up to prompt play or attention you could walk away and place a piece of food on the floor. They eat this treat, walk the other direction (slowly) and place the food on the floor, let them find it. Then you could scatter feed, have a lick mat or a kong handy and give your dog this then you go and sit away from them. 

What this has done has engaged your dog in another activity which is fun, but not given them the excitement of play or you attention and kept arousal levels low. 

2. Fear or Anxiety

Dogs often bark when they're scared or anxious about something in their environment - it could be a loud noise, an unfamiliar person or animal, or even separation anxiety when left alone.

Positive Reinforcement Solution: Counter-conditioning can be an effective method here. This involves changing your dog's response to the stimuli causing their fear or anxiety. When experiencing fear, you feed regardless of whether they are barking or not. You cannot and will not reinforce baking in this instance because a different part of the brain is directing their behaviour. 

This solution seeks to change a negative experience into a positive one, changing the behaviour because when they are not scared they do not need to bark.

In this instance, my advice is to seek professional help. Why not book a free discovery call with Rovers Return Dog Training and find a suitable program for you?

3. Boredom, A Lack of Enrichment and Exercise

Just like humans, dogs get bored too! If left alone for long periods without any mental stimulation or physical activity, dogs may resort to barking just to entertain themselves.

Positive Reinforcement Solution: Regular exercise and mental stimulation are key. Try incorporating  scent work, enrichment, puzzle toys, regular walks, and playtime into your dog's routine. When they're tired and content, they're less likely to bark out of boredom.

4. Territorial or Protective or Alert Barking

Dogs are naturally protective of their territory. If they perceive a threat - like a stranger approaching their home or yard - they'll bark to warn off the intruder and alert you. They could also be noise sensitive and not territorial at all.

Positive Reinforcement Solutions:

Desensitisation can help here. Gradually expose your dog to the stimulus causing the barking in such a way that it doesn't provoke the territorial response. For example, you could have a friend walk by your house at a distance where your dog notices but doesn't bark, rewarding them whether they are barking or not. More often than not, this behaviour is driven by fear.

5. Lack of Rest

Dogs need alot of sleep. About 50-80% of the day should be spent asleep or resting. (more for puppies and older dogs).

But some dogs find it difficult to rest, especially in a busy household. 

Ensuring that they have enough exercise and enrichment will help, but you may have to put them into a quieter area if the house hold is busy, or if they are disturbed by movement. 

A lack of sleep means excess energy, cortisol levels don’t get the chance to reduce and they can become grumpy (much like us).

Dogs don not sleep like we do, they have shorter nap periods (around 45 minutes).

What Is Classed As Unreasonable Dog Barking?

That is a human perception. Some people think that their dog is being naughty, however, barking is communication and when it happens alot it means that it is being reinforced and finding the root cause is the key to stop the behaviour from happening.

Your dog may be in pain and a vet referral may be necessary to rule out pain or illness

How Do You Discipline A Dog To Stop Barking?

Barking is communication. Imagine if someone punished you for saying that you are excited, happy or sad? Studies show that punishment increases aggressive behaviour in dogs. It goes against animal welfare and should not be used. Calmness and positivity releases happy hormones.

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding why your dog is barking is the first step towards effective dog training and better behaviour management. By using positive reinforcement techniques like ignoring unwanted behaviour, counter-conditioning, providing mental stimulation and exercise, desensitiaation, effective rest and addressing health issues promptly; you can help manage your dog’s barking habits effectively.

Remember that patience is key when it comes to training any animal – changes won’t happen overnight but with consistency and positivity, you’ll start seeing improvements in no time!

Rovers Return Training Academy Leicestershire specialises in reactive dog behaviour. Book your free call to find out more