Does your dog bark whenever it comes in contact with cats and starts yelling and growling without any reason?
If the answer is affirmative, then let me tell you that you’re not the sole canine parent. There are millions of pet parents out there who witness the same scenario and are all set to find a suitable answer for how to get my dog to stop barking at cats.
But when it comes to stopping the act, pet parents find themselves at sea to figure out what tactics they should bring into the equation to solve the riddle.
Before jumping into how to get your dog to stop barking at cats, let’s conduct an in-depth exploration of why a dog barks at cats.
7 Reasons Why do Dogs Bark at Cats
It’s an open secret that unlike humans your canine friend might not be able to talk, but that doesn’t mean that it will stop communicating with other living creatures. Your four-legged friend may bark, growl, yelp, and howl to express its emotions no matter whether you’re a pet parent or it is any other animal that you have adopted. Long story short, barking is a natural way of communication that a dog brings into the equation to communicate with other animals and humans.
When it comes to fixing excessive barking which is the #1 problem that pet parents face in their lifetime, you should track down the reason behind the boundless barking. Once you discover the underlying causes, fix that problem by making use of proper training without breaking a sweat.
Here are a few of the reasons that force your dog to bark behind the curtain.
Reason #1. Maybe your fido is alerting you
Irrespective of the fact whether your bowwow watches a mailman heading to your doorstep, or a neighbor or their pet either in the surrounding of the boundary or entering your yard, or there’s a rainbow in the blue it thinks that you should know.
If you hear the barking of your canine companion, there must be a reason behind that act. Maybe it wants your attention with the aim that you can take necessary action.
Reason #2. Expect a reward
Do you belong to that pet parent population who rewards the dog when it follows one of your commands during crate training?
If yes, then it’s highly likely your tyke has learned that when it barks at cats it may get toys, treats, and above all, extra attention and care. When it finds that its action is rewarded, you will witness that the frequency of barking at neighbors, other dogs, and cats increases to a degree.
Reason #3. Defending its territory
If your barking friend is barking by watching a tom that does not necessarily mean that it barks simply because they are cats. It’s an open secret that felines have no manner and on top of that, they enter someone’s premises without any permission. Alike a civil, upstanding citizen who never enters anyone else’s territory without a request, your tyke won’t allow them when they run along the fence, or in the backyard, and that’s why they attack cats in order to teach the feline a lesson.
Reason #4. Treat a feline as a prey
Alike their wild ancestors who hunt small, furry living objects for instance rabbits, rats, and wallabies in the forest, your dog is no exception. A dog with a strong prey drive treats a cat as simple prey. When a cat enters the premises then you may notice that dogs start whining and barking. When a cat finds that it is in danger and starts running, a dog treats the event as the prey is on the move and chases it at full tilt. Once the cat jumps and reaches on the safer side, then the dogs get frustrated and bark more than ever.
Reason #5. Your dog may be a jealous one
Have you noticed that whenever you are giving excellent treats to your dog and cat at the same time then the dog starts barking? If yes then it’s no secret that your dog may be a jealous one. There are significant pet parents who witness a scenario when they feed a cat or give attention to their cat, the dog starts barking. To solve this problem, feed your dog and cat in a separate room if possible unless jealous dogs are aggressive towards a cat.
Reason #6. Maybe your dog has genes from those ancestors who bark unreasonably
Like a human, dogs need a way of communication. Barking is simply a mode of communication. If your dog does not bark frequently then it’s not a matter of concern. If there’s excessive and unrestrained barking, it requires utmost attention as you need to find the main culprit behind the barking and fix it ASAP so that your dog lives a healthy life full of happiness.
Reason #7. You have failed to train your dog to be socialized
No matter at what age you have adopted a canine companion, just like a newborn baby you should train your dog in a proper way with the intention that your tail-wagger won’t become anxious, and aggressive whenever it interacts with not only other living souls, for instance, people, pets, but also non-living items. Proper training will save your day when you visit outdoors with your dog on the occasion of your kith and kin’s birthday or marriage ceremony.
If it barks at other people or cats or dogs, then it’s as clear as the sky is blue that you have failed to train your dog when it comes to teaching social skills with the aim that the four-legged friend behaves like a rational living human.
How to Get Your Dog to Stop Barking at Cats
It’s no fun when you have a dog that barks excessively whenever it makes a contact with cats. But the good news is when you apply a range of tactics during obedience training, you will witness favorable outcomes when it comes to abandoning old habits and adopting new ones.
Tactics #1. Encourage Exercise
When you set a daily routine where you encourage your dog to go for a walk with you in the morning and do some exercise, or after visiting from the office you play with your dog in the backyard in the evening, you will witness a significant improvement on its behavior. If your dog lives an active life where you play games in the yard, it’s an open secret that it goes tired which in turn puts a stop to barking out of boredom or frustration.
Tactics #2. Don’t offer treats whenever they bark
When you offer delicious treats whenever your pup barks at cats, it can make the situation worse. Alike other living beings, dogs are intelligent enough to figure out whether their actions attract rewards or not. Once they are rewarded with toys or treats when they bark at cats, then they assume that their behavior will be rewarded, and it’s highly likely that the instances of barking increase to a degree.
Instead of throwing delicious treats or interactive dog toys whenever they bark, you should give your dog obedience training where you teach some of the basic commands including sit, come, leave, stop, and many more with the intention that you are teaching your dog the much-needed self-control where it learns how to control the emotions. When your dog follows your command and stops barking at cats, reward it.
Tactics #3. Discover the triggers and fix it
When you are a pet parent of cats and dogs both, it’s a tuff call to make your feline friend out of the house. Again, if your neighbor is a feline parent, convincing your neighbor to turn your neighborhood into a cat-free zone isn’t an easy task. Instead of getting rid of cats, you must find out the reason why your dog starts barking.
If you notice that the dog is barking when your neighbor is feeding its cat then it’s a clear indication that your dog is expecting a delicious recipe alike the cat. To avoid the trigger you should fence your yard, close the curtains of the window, etc. in order to block your barking friend’s view.
Tactics #4. Separate your canine and feline friend
If you are a proud parent of a cat and dog at the same time, and your dog barks at the cat then let me tell you one surprising truth, a significant pet parent prefers to separate them. No matter what is the reason behind the barking, be it your dog is known for its high prey drive, or a jealous one, it’s a safer option to separate them in such a way that your tyke can go somewhere where your feline friend can’t.
On top of that, feed your cat in a place where your dog doesn’t have access, because your dog may be aggressive and attack the cat when it watches that you have filled the food bowl with delicious aromatic recipes.
Tactics #5. Distract your dog’s attention from cats
When you offer some interactive dog toys, chew toys distract its attention whenever your dog barks. Once it sees that its food bowl is filled with excellent treats or you’re giving it interactive toys, it’s not a distant dream that your fido will forget all about the cat and get immersed into its own world. If you’re fishing expedition for homemade dog treats or interactive dog toys then you may be interested in what BarkBox is offering. The manufacturer offers delicious treats, and interactive dog toys once a month without crying out for a tidy dollar amount.
Tactics #6. Socialize your fido
Alike humans, dogs are also social animals. When raised around other pets, your canine friend will see the other pets as part of their life under all circumstances and won’t count them as a threat. If you have adopted a puppy, and your neighbor has a cat, then the best time to introduce the cat to the pup is day one. In case you have a mature dog, then it’s not too late to start. If you’re introducing the cat in a low and calm voice, you can expect fruitful outcomes.
Tactics #7. Don’t punish your dog by bringing shock collars into the equation
While watching an exciting and thrilling web series, do you get excited and start jumping, clapping, cheering, or shouting? You can expect an identical reaction from your dog. There are none who don’t show any expression be it barking, jumping, or something like that when they’re excited, frustrated, or upset.
But when you bring shock collars into the equation to punish your dog for your four-legged companion’s behavior, it not only results in pain but also potentially uplifts the anxiety and stress where you can witness that it is not barking but digging at the door, and in the worst scenario bites your family members and friends who visit your house.
Instead of anti-shock collar installation, first notice what are the main culprits behind the barking and then fix that problem. If you notice that your tyke starts barking when it is bored or frustrated, then instead of scolding and shouting at it, interact with your dog in a calm and low voice with the intention that your dog won’t bark for a longer duration.
Final Thoughts
Putting a stop to excessive barking requires blood, sweat, and tears. Once you have pinpointed the cause, bring multiple training tactics into the equation to rule out the inherent reason behind the dog’s barking, it is highly likely that you will witness a favorable outcome.
If you’re not sure where to start, and how to start then you may be interested in what Adrienne Farricelli is offering. The Certified dog trainer brings 21 fun and simple games into the formula in order to transform your four-legged friend from brainless to brilliant, and genius one.
- Read also: How to Stop Dogs from Barking at Neighbors
- Read also: How to Stop Dogs from Barking at Night
Hope this article has helped you to fix the problem in the first place.
Have I missed any training tactics that you have applied and achieved favorable outcomes? Make a comment so that I can add the tactics ASAP that will help millions of canine parents.
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