For many of us, it’s not our favorite dog behavior, but barking is very common among our canine companions.
It’s totally natural and normal, and it’s not something we can realistically train them not to do at all – particularly when they can bark at everything from one of the best dog toys to the mailman walking by. That said, there might be times when you’d like to reduce barking, whether for the benefit of your dog or for the humans around them.
Fortunately, Juliana DeWillems, the owner and head trainer at JW Dog Training & Behavior Consulting is on hand to tell us all we need to know about barking. Let’s take a look at her recent Instagram post here.
“In many cases, it’s totally normal for a dog to bark,” DeWillems begins. “At the delivery person, when they hear another dog barking, when they’re playing, when they’re trying to get you to refill their water bowl, to ask to go outside… the list goes on!”
She compares expecting a dog to not bark at all to expecting a cat to not scratch – it’s just not feasible. However, there can be abnormal barking, which is a sign your dog is stressed and struggling to cope, while it’s also true that barking can annoy us and often not fit into the ‘human’ world very well.
“Barking is normal and there are times when we might need to reduce it, whether that’s for the dog’s wellbeing, or the human’s, or both,” she explains. “But keeping in mind how normal and natural barking is for dogs – and that excessive barking can be a sign of anxiety and stress – can prevent us from reaching for harsh and stress-inducing interventions to reduce barking. Instead, we can approach barking with curiosity and compassion.”
If you would like to reduce your dog’s barking, why not work with a professional? Take a look at our guide to learn how to spot dog trainer red flags to make sure you’re working with the best trainer for your pup.
Take a look at how to stop excessive barking here, too, in the meantime, and keep in mind that there could be all sorts of reasons for your dog to be barking so much. It might just be that they’re excited or they want some treats!
Remember, a barking dog is not a badly behaved dog. They might simply be trying to tell you something in the way that’s most natural for them.
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