There’s no problem when your canine companion barks, as barking is one of the effortless communication options for your dog to convey a message to the rest of the world. But in a scenario where your fido barks excessively and relentlessly, it causes a headache for all.
If you’re hunting high and low for not only what are the underlying causes that result in excessive barking but also how to stop dogs from barking at every noise, then you’re in the right place as here you will find what state-of-the-art strategies you can put into service that will bring favourable outcomes.
Before jumping into this detailed guide on how to stop your dog from barking at every noise, let’s keep an eye on why your canine companion barks at nothing.
Why do Dogs Bark at Every Little Noise
It’s not a rare instance that you come into contact with a situation where your four-legged friend barks at nothing.
But let me tell you that no dog barks unreasonably. There must be underlying causes that give rise to uncontrolled barking. Let’s take a closer look at the 7 underlying reasons why do dogs bark at nothing.
Reason #1. They want to alert a canine parent
Whenever your rover encounters any unknown person, be it a mailman who arrives at your house to deliver the letter or one of your siblings who is residing miles away from your paternal home and comes on the scene the first time after you have adopted your canine companion, it’s no wonder that your tyke will bark in order to notify you about someone is at your doorstep. A huge number of the canine population think that alerting their parent is a part of their job. They consider themselves as a watchdog of the property and want to let you know everything.
Reason #2. Maybe your canine friend hears something that humans don’t
It’s public knowledge that your canine companion can hear shrill sounds when compared to Homo sapiens as they are endowed with a state-of-the-art sense of hearing that lends a helping hand in detecting and hearing any sound that is anything between 40 and 60000Hz frequency which is a distant dream for humans. For instance, your rover becomes aware when a cat starts a bull run to catch the mouse or a rabbit plays or moves in good spirits, with no exception. That’s why when you are in a scenario where your tyke is barking at nothing, it’s supposable that it is responding to notices that you have failed to hear.
Reason #3. Fear
It’s as clear as the sky is blue that your dog is quite sensitive to certain noises for instance when it hears the sound of hammering or you’re bouncing the basketball. No matter what is the source of the sound, if they become aware of something scary sound, they express the state of fear via barking. When you run a proper examination of your canine companion’s body language and behavior, you can find whether your fido is in a state of fear or not. If your Fido’s ears are back with your four-legged friend’s tail tucked between your tyke’s legs, it’s a clear signal that your tyke has perceived a threat, and barking is the response to that threat.
Reason #4. Maybe your bow-wow has detected an unpleasant nasty smelling odor
Where humans have 6 million receptors, your canine companion has 300 million receptors in the nose, which grant your hound the right to detect smells or odors. It’s hard to believe but it’s no bullshit that your dog can come out with flying colors when they are assigned to dig up the life-threatening diseases including cancer that we put complex machinery into service to track down. Hence, when they bark, it’s a clear indication that they want to alert you when they find danger, fun, or prey on the wings of the extraordinary capacity of smelling scents or odors.
Reason #5. Maybe your dog has watched something frightening scene in the dark
It’s commonly known that your dog has a higher number of rods which is nothing but the light detecting cells as compared to the humans above and beyond which means your four-legged friend needs only one-quarter of the light that homo sapience needs to see in the dark. So, whenever you come in contact with a scene where your dog is barking in the dark, there’s a possibility that your mongrel gets a glimpse of chilling sight in the low-light environment that you have failed to see.
Reason #6. They are Anxious and feel stressed
At the time of this writing, are you filling the food bowl of your canine friend twice a day, contrary to offering it 3 times a day since you adopted it? Or have you shifted from Connecticut to California without any notice? If yes, then there’s a chance that your tyke feels anxious and stressed. To express the feeling that they are anxious and stressed, they bark time and again.
Reason #7. Over-excitement
When you come home after long working hours, and whenever your best friend hears the sound of your vehicle or motorcycle, it gets overexcited and expresses its emotion via barking. On top of that when you fill your tyke’s food bowl with mouth-watering treats right after you place your laptop bag on the sofa day in and day out, it’s highly likely that it rushes to you and barks to signal you that it is ready to consume the meal without a complaint. Other than that when your neighbor’s dog barks at cats, your furry friend wants to coadunate with your neighbor’s counterpart and that results in excessive barking.
How to Stop Dogs from Barking at Every Noise
After you discover the reasons why your pup starts barking, now, it’s time to bring the enterprise-level blueprint to light that will bring a favorable outcome when it comes to becoming aware of how to train a dog not to bark at every noise. However, it’s a distant dream that you will get success on day one, but when you apply the state-of-the-art strategies without fail, one thing is sure, you will witness favorable outcomes.
Strategy #1. Ignore the barking
It’s no secret that significant canine parents become aware of the fact that whenever their dog needs attention, mouth-watering treats, [61% Off Your First Box!] or something else, the first thing it acts with no exception is start barking. Whenever you are very attentive to a dog whenever it barks, being an intelligent one, it assumes that the trick brings fruitful outcomes. And you notice that their barking increases on the whole in case you pay the much-needed attention that they are crying for.
To solve the riddle, plug the earphone and enjoy soothing music tracks, and pretend that you’re not paying close attention to your dog at first, and whenever it stops barking, it’s time that you should yell at your dog. This act will forward a message to your dog that irrational barking won’t attract either attention or delectable cuisine.
Strategy #2. Find the underlying cause and fix it
If you notice that whenever your neighbor enters or leaves his house at late night either to attend the duty or after finishing their night shift, and hearing that sound your dog starts barking, you should bring innovative strategies to fix it. You can play soothing music in that intensity that you and your dog are able to hear, and your family members won’t hear the sound that are falling asleep in the adjacent room in order to distract the attention of your dog.
If fireworks, thunder, or noises that bring into existence thanks to construction work that force your dog to bark, you should devote particular attention to fixing those sounds with the intention that your dog sleeps tight at night. In that case, you can install the white noise machines in your four-legged friend’s room or close the blinds with the aim that your dog does not hear the unnecessary sounds at night that result in barking.
Strategy #3. Put multiple physical and mental exercises into service to make your dog tired
Do you belong to those canine parents who are always on the move to execute tasks assigned to them to earn bread and butter? If yes, at that moment you feel tired once you reach home and there’s a little possibility that you play flying disc or flyball in the yard/nearby park on all occasions. When your dog isn’t getting sufficient physical and mental exercise day in and day out, it tends to bark from boredom or frustration.
Hence, as a caring canine parent, take a walk with your barking friend when you have vacant hours, be it in the morning or in the evening. Give your dog the green light to chase a flyball in your yard, or in the local garden and play puzzle games with it. After prolonged hours of exercise and play, your tyke gets tired and wants to sleep and relax which in turn results in a good night’s sleep for you, your dog, and your family altogether. Another mentionable aspect of daily exercise is that if your tyke gets the much-needed physical activity, its noise sensitivity will decrease to an extent of 95%.
Strategy #4. Socialization training
No matter what the age of your rover is, they put barking into service to communicate with the rest of the world. When you have adopted a puppy, it’s a good idea to bring socialization training from day 1 to keep your pup busy with the intention that it will not bark on every occasion to attract your attention. Instead, teach the alternate behavior to communicate with the world other than barking in order to reduce the frequency of barking throughout the day.
If you are at sea when it comes to choosing what training courses can bring favorable outcomes, I suggest that you should subscribe The Brain Training For Dogs. It will help your dog in multiple ways. The dog trainer will find what underlying issues turn your dog aggressive which results in excessive barking and put out-of-the-box strategies on the payroll that will keep the loneliness, boredom, stress, and anxiety issues at bay.
Strategy #5. Bring ‘stop barking’ command into service
A significant number of canine parents stumble onto the fact that when anyone knocks on the front door or when they clean a house or car by putting a vacuum cleaner into service, their dogs bark in a loud voice.
If you successfully come across what noise triggers your canine friend to bark, then if possible make that noise yourself or instruct your family members to bring that noise into existence, and observe carefully how your dog reacts. It’s more likely that your dog starts barking in a heartbeat. When they start barking, allow them to bark another couple of times. Now hold a succulent treat to interrupt the barking.
Now the next step will be instructing them on the ‘quite’ command in a calm voice and giving them the treat whenever they stop barking. Then repeat the above-mentioned steps multiple times in a day, and you will find favorable outcomes as dogs anticipate when they stop barking at the ‘quiet’ command by their parents they will get rewarded.
Strategy #6. Redirect your four-legged companion’s attention
Many canine parents find it the most viable option to redirect their bow-wow’s attention when they are conducting a fishing expedition for out-of-the-box strategies to keep their doggy quiet. To distract your tyke’s attention, you should offer your dog the chewy toys that are stuffed with the peanut butter that is your fido’s favorite. Whenever they bark, you should put the kong toy stuffed with savory items into play with the intention that they pick the ball to block their mouth.
As a preventive measure, don’t choose an object where there is any possibility of harm in case your tyke chews. It’s a good idea to bring a rubber ball into the equation that won’t harm. In this way, you can engage their mouth, not for barking but for something else, and in that scenario, the barking will be a distant dream.
Strategy #7. Make a routine and stick to it
Are you offering a meal to your canine companion three times a day, once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once in the evening? If yes, then failure to maintain this routine will create a fighting chance that your dog barks incessantly. The scenario won’t alter in case you have failed to take a walk after your mongrel has had dinner. That’s why, it’s a good idea to make a routine and stick to that routine day in and day out with the intention that the barking of your dog will be your distant memory.
Final Thoughts
In a scenario where your dog barks without any reason, then it’s highly likely that you fail to hear that sound. Put the above-mentioned strategies one by one into practice and see what strategy dreams up remarkable results. Other than that it’s not a good idea to put bark collars into service in the hope of quick results. Instead, apply the strategies with patience as Rome was not built in one day.
- Read also: How to Stop Dogs from Barking at Strangers
- Read also: How to Stop a Dog from Barking When Left Alone
Hope this article has helped you to discover why dogs bark at nothing and what strategies you can employ to bring a positive outcome.
Have I missed any excellent strategy that may bring the desired outcome? Make a comment so that I can add that strategy ASAP.
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