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Why Do Dogs Bark At Nothing?

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Tarun Sharma
Why Do Dogs Bark At Nothing?

Being a pet parent is not easy especially when your dog shows erratic behavior. While it is only natural for dogs to bark, excessive barking at strangers and at odd hours can cause a lot of annoyance at home. Not to mention your neighbors might complain because of the incessant barking as well. And this might lead you to not only constantly apologizing to your neighbors for your dog’s behavior but also end up highly frustrated yourself.

You can easily train your dogs to not bark but the first step to achieving this is to determine what is causing them to bark so much. If left untrained, the adorable little “woofs” might soon turn to troubling noise and disturb you out at odd hours. You have to be consistent with the training with a strict follow through and make sure no family member encourages the non-stop barking. Knowing your dog better might help you train them better.

So let’s get to the bottom of the reason behind your pet’s incessant barks.

1. Boredom

Some dog breeds like Chihuahua are naturally high on energy and bark continuously out of boredom. If your dog does not get enough exercise, its pent up energy will be realized in the form of barks. Therefore, make sure to tire your dogs out by taking them regularly out on walks. If you cannot spare enough time, hire a dog trainer that will do the job for you.

You can also resort to some techniques like tying a backpack on your dog or hide their treats to keep them busy. There are a lot of pet puzzles available in the market specially designed to keep the dogs busy, you can either invest in them or make your own game like making holes in a bottle and filling it up with treats. Your dog will be occupied and busy unearthing the treats and solving puzzles and you will be rid of the excessive barking.

2. Separation anxiety

Sometimes dogs bark excessively because of separation anxiety caused by their extreme attachment with their previous handlers or owners. If you have just recently adopted your dog then there are chances that it is just confused and releases that confusion in the form of incessant barks. What you can do in this situation is to be patient with them and try to calm them through various training methods. If the situation gets out of hand you can always take the help of a dog trainer to do the job for you.

3. Territorial bark

Hound dogs like German Shepherds, Beagles, and Basset Hounds, etc. are used to marking their territory and naturally howl the loudest. While you may think your dog is barking at nothing it might actually be barking at a stranger passing by or a kid riding a bicycle across the lane. Some dogs bark when they sense a strange presence in their territory and assume it to be a threat. The best way to control such stimuli is to give your dog some treats whenever a stranger passes by. And stop the treats when they start barking again.

 You can also invest in a dog anti-bark device like BarxBuddy. This amazing device uses ultrasonic sounds and laser lights to calm and distract your dog. And because the sounds are ultrasonic no human ears can hear them and your dig will be calmed without creating a ruckus in the neighborhood. They are also entirely healthy for your dogs. Read more here- BarxBuddy review.

4. Seeking attention

Some dogs might bark to get your attention. If you notice your pet barking whenever you are busy then your pet might just want some attention from you. No matter how cute this sounds, rewarding this type of behavior might cause a lot of trouble for you. The best way to correct this behavior is to ignore your pet when you hear it barking. They will eventually tire out and understand that this barking trick is no longer working on you. Also remember to keep your calm and follow through with this strategy strictly because if you end up getting frustrated and paying them attention, the next time your pet will bark for longer until it gets your attention.

Bottom line

Lastly, do not forget to take your dog to a vet if nothing seems to work or your dog has started showing erratic behavior out of a sudden. Their barking might be an indication of some kind of illness or pain. If there are no health issues, then patiently train your dog with the help of dog trainers, anti-bark devices, or stick to the advice of the veterinarian.

 

 

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