Most dog owners have the same thought at some point: “Will my dog ever just stop barking?!”
Whether your dog has been barking for your attention or she’s at the window and barking at every leaf, animal or person who passes by, it’s always an owner’s not-so-secret hope that she’ll just wear herself out. But, do dogs get tired of barking eventually?
It turns out they can, but it can take a while. So instead of waiting for her to tire herself out, you should learn why she’s barking so much in order to get her to stop.
We reached out to Lena Abuarafeh, dog trainer and owner of K9 Master Dog Training in San Mateo, California, and Dr. Michelle Burch, a veterinarian from Safe Hounds Pet Insurance, to learn more about why dogs bark — and what to do if your dog won’t stop.
Why do dogs bark?
According to Abuarafeh, dogs bark for a variety of different reasons.
The most common reasons dogs bark include:
Boredom
Dogs who have not had proper mental and physical stimulation can become bored. “Their solution to boredom is to bark and get your attention,” Dr. Burch told The Dodo. “The barking can be intermittent or continuous.”
Separation Anxiety
According to Dr. Burch, dogs are social pack animals who can become anxious and stressed when separated from their owners.
“Their response to the anxiety can be barking to obtain your attention and reunite the pack, especially if they sleep in a crate,” Dr. Burch said. “The barking tends to be constant yips and can be mixed with whining and crying.”
Wildlife
Because your dog has very astute hearing, she can pick up on small wildlife noises that you probably won’t hear.
“Your dog may listen to a squirrel, raccoon or opossum outside and be triggered to start barking and protecting their environment,” Dr. Burch said. “The barking can be a short burst of a deep tone of barking.”
Territorial
“Territorial dogs are prone to much more barking as they can be very protective of their homes,” Abuarafeh told The Dodo.
So if your territorial dog hears a weird sound or sees a stranger walking down the street, she’ll start to bark.
“Alerting the family is a priority to your dog while also letting the noise know there is a house protector,” Dr. Burch said. “Your dog’s bark will be a short burst of deep-toned barking.”
Loss of vision
If your dog happens to be losing her vision, she may start barking more to help find where you are in the house.
“Barking at nighttime can be the first sign of vision loss,” Dr. Burch said. “You may also see your dog running into objects when they are placed in typical walking paths. Barking can be consistent and steady.”
Why do some dogs bark more than others?
“Certain breeds of dogs will bark more than others based on their breeding and genetics,” Dr Burch said.
Breeds more prone to excessive barking include:
Beagles
Fox terriers
Yorkshire terriers
Miniature schnauzers
Cairn terriers
West Highland terriers
Your dog might also bark more just because she likes it. When a dog finds something she loves to do, this is called a “self-rewarding behavior” — meaning that she does it just because it makes her happy (even if it drives you crazy!).
Do dogs get tired of barking eventually?
When it comes to whether or not your dog will actually get tired of barking, it can happen, but it might take a while.
“Dogs will eventually get tired of barking or [become] physically exhausted, but typically this happens long after an owner’s patience has worn out of hearing it,” Dr. Burch said.
According to Abuarafeh, your dog won’t bark as long if the barking is stress-related. “They will end up panting if they go on for too long,” Abuarafeh said.
But if your dog’s barking just because she likes it (and not due to separation anxiety or other stressors), she might bark for longer. “For many dogs, it’s a self-rewarding behavior, and they actually do enjoy it,” Abuarafeh said.
How to stop a dog from barking
If your dog is barking excessively, you’re probably wondering how you can get her to stop barking — or at least, not bark as much.
“If your dog suddenly has an uncharacteristic barking episode, then I recommend investigating why,” Dr. Burch said.
Sometimes, the cause of your dog’s barking is something harmless, like an animal running by the window. Other times, your dog might bark excessively because she’s territorial or has separation anxiety, which might require special training in order to fully stop the behavior.
To help reduce excessive barking in dogs, Dr. Burch generally recommends these tips:
Make sure she’s exercising
Ensure your dog has proper mental and physical stimulation to prevent excessive barking throughout the day. “Dogs need at least one hour of exercise, broken into a morning exercise session and an evening exercise session,” Dr. Burch said. “A tired dog tends not to bark as much or be on constant alert.”
Make sure she’s mentally stimulated
Give her activities to complete throughout the day to help keep her mind stimulated and occupied. “Acti
vities can include puzzle toys they must complete to obtain a treat, hide-and-seek with their favorite toy or agility training,” Dr. Burch recommended.
Drown out unusual sounds
Turn on a white noise machine to minimize the outdoor noise your pet may be hearing, making sure to put it in the room where she relaxes the most.
“You may also choose to turn the TV or radio on to help block noise,” Dr. Burch said. “Ensure that you are not selecting a station that can cause reactions, such as Animal Planet with wildlife and other animals present.”
