Woof Woof!!
As you know we at INATD don't pussy fuss around or sugar coat anything so lets get straight to the point.
Us K9's bark and some of us feel the need to bark more than others. But hey dudes give your K9 buddy a break, as behind every bark there is a reason, yes it is a part of our communication.
Tail up high, as expecting us k9's never to bark is like expecting girls never to chit chat, come on, you know that's never going to happen. So, Woof! come on stop your whining, and please take the time to learn how to interpret our different barks.
Barking is very natural for us and just like you humans we like to be heard, so some of the reasons we bark are:
- Alarm barking
- Fear barking
- Territorial barking
- Frustration barking
- Anxiety barking
- Attention seeking barking
- Excitement barking, Woof this can be a special one as a dog could just be really happy or could actually be excitement barking due to a being in a high state of stress.
- Learnt barking (Many K9 parents unintentionally reinforce barking, but don't worry any learnt behavior can be unlearnt Yippedaddoda!)
Sounds
Some of the sounds of barking can be
- Howling
- High pitched bark
- Whining
- Growling
- Yappy bark
Bark out! What not to do
Barking in any situation, if a dog is not heard or is reprimanded, can become stressed. So K9 Parents things you should, tail down, never ever do.
- NEVER yell or punish your K9 buddy for barking as remember they are only communicating.
- Never smack, or pull/jerk on the lead if they are barking when out walking.
- NEVER EVER use anti barking collars as that's just plain darn cruel, I mean come on is it fair to correct your K9 buddy for a behavior that is normal to them, and even worse, when you have not taken the time to teach them a more desirable behavior to your liking as remember us K9s aim to please.
Alternate behaviours
High paw! Keep this in mind when you want to reduce or eliminate a behavior, you must teach us K9's another more appropriate behavior that you would like. For example:
- Alarm barking when someone is at the front door, teach your K9 buddy to go to their mat and stay until the guest is inside the house.
- Attention seeking barking when the family are sitting down to dinner, you could feed your K9 buddy their dinner at the same time at make it ever lasting by feeding them out of the good old reliable Kong.
Body Language
Now, when it comes to a bark, check out your k9 buddy's body language as they go paw in paw. Watching their body language can provide clues for the reasons behind their barking. Do they look stressed, anxious, aroused or excited?
Environment:
Check out your K9 buddies environment. What could be the reason behind the bark? Knowing why your dog is barking will help you know how to adjust their normal behavior to something more desirable to your liking!
Finally remember not all barking should be unwanted as it is our way of communicating so please be patient with your K9 buddy and remember that unless you have trained your dog not to bark how will they know any different?
Remember 'It's Not About the Dog!', as the dog only knows what we teach them.
Happy Training!
Woof Woof,
Ryda Boy,
