Dog barking is one of those behavior problems that can turn into a huge issue if not properly understood or managed.
Anyone who's ever owned a dog will tell you that listening to Fifi barking her little head off for no good reason (at least none you can see) is enough to drive the most laid-back puppy parent to seriously question their sanity.
The good news is that if you identify a pattern of excessive barking at this stage you still have the time to prevent, or at least reduce, the amount of chaos your precious puppy will cause before he grows up to be a loud mouth!
Just like a lot of doggy behaviors that humans find undesirable, dog barking has it's roots firmly fixed in normal, canine behavior. Dogs bark to communicate with other dogs or their human family, and sometimes just to express themselves or to 'hear the sound of their own voice'.
Barking comes naturally to Fido and often serves an important purpose (e. warning of approaching strangers). It should only be considered a problem behavior if it becomes excessive or interferes with daily life or your relationship with your puppy.
- Is Fido bored or lonely?
If your puppy is spending too much time outside by himself or is home alone for long periods his barking could be just his way of complaining about the situation. Make sure you break up his alone time with periods of vigorous exercise, short training sessions or just some good, old fashioned puppy-to-parent loving.If the dog barking frenzy happens because little Fido is on his own for 8 hours every day while his family is at work or school, try to find a way to break up his day.
Perhaps a neighbor, relative or friend could come by and take him for a walk, or even a short playtime in the yard. Maybe you could come home at lunchtime. If this isn't possible you could think about hiring a pet sitter or dog walker, or taking Fido to a doggy day care/puppy playgroup (even 2 or 3 times a week would help).
- Does he need more exercise?
Puppies have energy to burn, but it usually comes in short bursts followed by the need for a nice nap. If your little furball isn't getting enough playtime or exercise the pent-up energy will make him 'antsy' or fidgety. This could easily lead to a lot of dog barking in his attempt to 'let off steam'.Some dog breeds require more exercise than others and you might want to check out our
breed groups
page for more information on this. To keep your puppy happy and healthy it's important to build several exercise sessions, play times and training sessions into his daily schedule.
- Is Fido looking for attention?
Puppies are like little children in that they think the world revolves around them! Since Fido can't pull on your sleeve and whine (although he may do his very best canine impersonation of this) he may resort to barking instead. If dog barking starts every time you're on the phone, cooking dinner or helping with homework your little furbaby could just be making a play for your attention.Some puppies are unusually nervous or jumpy. Certain breeds are more prone to this than others, but often it's a result of poor breeding or a lack of socialization. If the dog barking erupts whenever Fido sees a stranger (or the vacuum cleaner), hears a loud noise, or catches sight of an unfamiliar object he may be an especially timid puppy.
Lots of enjoyable socialization experiences will help with this. Take Fido with you whenever you can - to Petsmart, the kids sports games, on a picnic, make a 'social call' at the veterinarians' office, set up play dates with other puppies etc. etc.
A nervous puppy needs to get used to LOTS of different people, sounds, sights and smells but never force the issue. Just give Fido the opportunity to explore new place and see new faces and let him take it at his pace. Always take along a stash of his favorite treats and make a fuss of him when he's friendly and sociable. This can take a while but is one of the best things you can do for him.
- Body guard in the making?
Puppies of the dog breeds originally designed as guardians and protectors have very strong protective tendencies. These are hard-wired into their little brains and are generally a purely reflexive action. If the dog barking in your household is often a result of Fido seeing a stranger at the front door or his attempt to warn another dog that this is his front yard then he is just following his instincts.
A puppy with guardian breed heritage will develop this naturally protective instinct without any help from you. It is never a good idea to encourage this behavior earlier or more forcefully than comes readily to your puppy.
As little Fido matures he will learn to be more discerning about who he barks at. If your little fur baby thinks he's your designated body guard you need to be sure to take him to puppy classes and then to obedience school where you can both learn how and when it's appropriate for him to exercise all that macho stuff!
Nuisance or Persistant Barking
Sometimes your dog's barking can get to be excessive, causing all kinds of problems for you, your neighbors and more.If your dog is particularly stubborn, or just really (REALLY!) seems to like the sound of his own voice, you may need to get a bit of extra help!
In these situations, an electronic dog training collar can be just what the doctor ordered.
There are several types of dog training collars, some which use a tonal correction (a 'beeping' noise), some which use a mile electrical pulse (a 'zap'), and some which use a citronella spray (lemon scented liquid), as a correction.
Many models have both tonal and a fully adjustable range of impulse correction (for use separately or consecutively). You can pick exactly what's right for your situation, and the size and personality of your dog.
These types of dog training collar are usually extremely effective and are totally safe (test one on yourself if you're a skeptic!). Find out more about the no bark collar on the Petsafe dog training collars page.
A word of warning
- Dog growling is different from dog barking. A puppy should never growl at a human, period. If your precious baby has a tendency to growl when he doesn't get his own way, or at any other time really, you need to talk to your veterinarian or an experienced dog trainer and ask their advice. A puppy who shows signs of aggression could very well grow up to be an aggressive dog unless you deal with it now.
Is your puppy a chewer? Is it impossible to find a single pair of shoes without puppy teeth marks? If you're surrounded by destruction see our
puppy chewing page
to find out how to restore order without resorting to serious canine dental work. (This can be a serious problem but I'm joking about the dental work!)
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