While some dogs are naturally more vocal than other animals, we will share 6 of the main reasons, why dogs bark excessively and bark everything, to understand if this behaviour is healthy.
6 Common Reasons for Excessive Barking
1. Genetic Inheritance
Certain dog breeds have a greater genetic predisposition towards being attentive to stimuli in their environment. So they may be more reactive as a consequence, for example, small dogs tend to be more vocal and bark excessively than larger ones. The course of action in these cases should be based on the main factor. Firstly we need to direct this behaviour towards appropriate situations and environments for example taking them for regular walks allows them to expand their energy interact with others and express themselves freely outdoors, where excessive dog barking is not a nuisance. Secondly, as we now explain, we need to address the underlying cause of this behaviour.
2. Stress
Stress is one of the most common causes of excessive dog barking and is often related to a sedentary lifestyle or a poorly enriched environment. Dogs that do not exercise their bodies and minds daily tend to accumulate a lot of tension, which they need to release at some point. Suppose your dogs bark excessively at everything and show other signs of stress. In that case, they may need more walking or exercise to supplement their daily physical activity needs, as well as a more enriched environment for physical and mental stimulation.
3. Changes in the dog’s routine or environment
Dogs are smart creatures. They love consistency, any change in routine or environment requires a period of gradual adaptation. This can be a case if you move home, a new family member arrives or even if you change their diet. For example, greater outside noise or increased foot traffic in a new home can cause your dogs to bark excessively at everything as a response to being overstimulated. You should also bear in mind that some of the dog’s senses are more developed than our own. So they can perceive a greater number of sounds and smells, movements and other stimuli that otherwise go unnoticed by us.
4. Old age and health problems
Another situation in which dogs bark excessively is when they are in pain or feeling more vulnerable due to illness or a health problem that affects their senses or nervous system. In these cases, the barking can intensify. The dog uses it to avoid any type of contact or interaction, that could make them feel uncomfortable or insecure. It also happens when their ability to perceive and interact with their environment is diminished causing an exaggerated and disproportionate reaction. If you find any sign that your dog may be sick, be sure to take them to a vet as soon as possible to start appropriate treatment.
5. Call for attention
You must pay attention to the behaviour you carry out when you’re with your dog, especially in terms of the methods you use to educate them. Your actions and decisions can lead to unwanted behaviour such as excessive dog barking for example if you don’t spend time walking your dogs, playing with them but generally showing you love them. They will likely try to get your attention, as they can even if this means barking incessantly until you react. There are other signs of attention-seeking behaviour in dogs that can accompanied by excessive barking.
6. Improper training
Many guardians unconsciously reinforce certain behaviours in their dogs especially when they are puppies. When a puppy or adult dog barks excessively, some guardians may give them a treat toy or other reward to stop them. From doing so while they may be placated in the moment, the dog may internalize the idea that barking will provide them with a positive experience. This means they will keep barking in the future even if we stop giving them treats. Because they think they will eventually get what they want. The longer this reinforcement of negative behaviour occurs, the more difficult it can be to prevent this in the future.
How to stop a dog from excessive barking
If your dog barking all the time we understand it can be incredibly frustrating. But it doesn’t need to be because this is the behaviour that you can fix through a simple technique and we are going to tell you how. 90% of excessive dog barking cases are due to the mistakes of the dog’s parents. As we stated above training mistakes can lead your puppy or adult dog to bark inappropriately. Now if you identified the mistakes that you may have accidentally been making you are not going to make those mistakes again.
The last thing you have to ask yourself is, can you communicate with your dog? To teach them that they are doing something wrong and can do so in a way that they understand. In the language that they listen to because that’s where the magic happens. We would call this the empowered verbal correction.
Empowered verbal connection
A correction is something that makes your dog stop and informs him that he is doing something he is not supposed to do. It’s not something that you have to be doing firm-like aggressive correction. It’s all about your posture, energy and body language. You need to be able to communicate with your dog to be quiet. The most common word that you can use is “shush” or “quiet” and that is going to be a command that lets your dog know that they are being too loud and you want them to be quiet. Once your dog can understand your command, it becomes easy to calm him during irritational barking. So when dogs realise that they are doing something wrong about that particular behaviour, they are getting corrected for it. Remember this above practice can take some time to achieve results, consistency is the key.
Medical reason
Some medical reasons can also cause your dog to bark excessively such as bee stings, brain diseases and pain. So if you are unable to understand the reason behind the excessive barking in your dog, you can talk to your vet for further assistance.
Also Read: Why do Dogs Pant? Common Reasons for Excessive Panting in Dogs
Frequent Asked Questions
Excessive barking in dogs can be triggered by various factors, including changes in the environment, illness, or anxiety. Identifying the root cause is important.
Dogs may bark excessively at night due to loneliness, discomfort, or responding to nocturnal wildlife. Understanding the underlying cause can help address the issue.
Separation anxiety or boredom can lead to excessive barking when you’re away. Solutions may include training, providing toys, or seeking professional help.
Some breeds are more vocal than others. Breeds like Terriers, Beagles, and Shetland Sheepdogs may have a higher tendency to bark, but individual temperament plays a significant role.
