Barking

Dogs will bark. They can bark for very obvious and appropriate reasons, or the barking can be a nuisance, inappropriate and excessive. Most dog owners would like their dogs to alert them whenever someone is approaching their home but are at their wits end when their dogs barking is disruptive and out of control. A qualified dog trainer or professional behaviorist may be needed to assist in training to correct the unwanted barking.

Dogs communicate in various ways. Vocal communication includes whines, grunts, howls, growls, and barking. Whines can be heard from puppies, when dogs greet each other, show submissiveness, are frustrated or in pain. Grunts too can be heard when dogs greet each other. A howl might be heard from some dogs when they hear sirens. A dog will growl when threaten, or to warn, in defense, in aggression and to show dominance. But dogs will also growl during play. Understanding their body language is necessary to determine whether they are being aggressive or playful.

There are many reasons why a dog barks. Puppies will bark when seeking attention. A dog will bark when an unfamiliar or sudden sound or movement occurs, and they are startled. They will bark out of excitement during play. They will bark to identify themselves to another dog. They will bark to alert or warn of danger or of someone suspicious. A dog will bark when teased. They will bark when they are lonely and to relieve boredom. They will bark to defend their territory.

In May 2009 the Arizona Republic reported on Scottsdale's new mediation program. The police were being called on neighbor issues that should have been resolved between themselves. The city set up the program using volunteers as mediators. Many of the complaints were because of barking dogs.

Throughout the country many communities are adopting laws that address the noise from barking dogs. The law in Anne Arundel County, Maryland states "It is unlawful for a person who owns, keeps, or has possession of an animal to permit the animal to disturb the quiet of a person or neighborhood."

Many dog owners reinforce the barking by trying to calm the dog down. This only causes the dog to believe that there is a reason to be alarmed, afraid or anxious and will bark even more the next time.

Responsible dog owners will take the steps needed to not only keep peace and quiet in their own homes but also lessen the tension that excessive barking can create with their neighbors.

There are many different methods as well as tools for dog owners to use to control the barking of their dogs. They range from using a mechanical device, such as a bark collar to seeking professional advice.

 There are several different types of bark collars that will produce a response that a dog will notice. The citrus (citronella) spray collar sprays citrus around the dog's muzzle when the dog barks. The device may also make a hissing noise before spraying. Citrus is used as dogs do not apparently like it. The sonic or ultrasonic collar, which also includes vibration, produces a tone that a human may or may not hear. The tone is annoying to dogs and therefore will deter barking. An electrical shock collar produces a stinging sensation in response in the barking. And there are collars that are a combination or escalation of the different devices. One uses both sound and spray. Another will escalate the sounds, quiet or low levels then raising the sound gradually until the barking stops. An ultrasonic bark collar has been combined with an electronic shock collar where a sound will first be delivered and if the behavior continues a shock.

There have been numerous studies conducted to determine whether the collars are effective since it is believed the collars may inflict pain and stress on the dog. the purpose of one study was "to (1) measure plasma cortisol and ACTH levels as indicators of physiological stress in healthy adult dogs wearing electronic and lemon spray bark control collars; (2) determine the effectiveness of the two collar types for control barking." [i]They concluded that "both the electronic and lemon spray bark collars significantly reduced barking, with no significant difference between the two types of collars." They believed that "the findings of this study may contribute additional information in the animal welfare debate regarding whether the use of bark control collars is humane." And that "the collars effectively deterred barking without statistically significant elevations in plasma cortisol, compared to controls, at any of the time points measured."

Dog owners that use a bark collar usually chose to do so because they are either unwilling or unable to correct their dogs non-stop barking.

Many dog owners will yell at their dog to be quiet, but this is ineffective. Yelling or screaming at the dog will not solve the problem of excessive barking as the dog will probably view their owner is joining in their chorus.

There are some dog owners that choose a more extreme and drastic way of trying to quiet their dog and that is to surgically remove the larynx (voice box). This procedure is called a vocal cordectomy. There are two methods; one is where the surgeon goes through the larynx. The second procedure costs more but is preferable because the airway remains free of scar tissue. However, this surgery does not create a totally silent dog. The bark becomes much softer and harsher and does not solve the problem of excessive barking. There are several drawbacks to this procedure. One is that the dogs' voice could come back to its original level two or three years after the surgery. Another is that scar tissue could develop and block the dog's airway. Over half of the dogs that have the procedure will have problems from it.

A more effective method uses positive training to correct the behavior rather than using punishment which can cause problems by reinforcing a cycle of bad behavior. Positive training can be accomplished by several means. One way would be to distract the dog by making a noise and once he is quiet reward him using treats or praise. Another way is using a clicker to condition or shape the desire behavior.

A good way to stop a dog from barking is to teach the dog to bark on command. When the dog is barking give the command a name, such as "speak" or "bark." Once the dog understands the command to speak, the command "quiet" or "enough" can be taught to him. Use praise, a toy or treats to reward or reinforce the behavior.

It's natural for a dog to bark. Unknowingly some dog owners only reinforce the bad behavior and become frustrated when their dogs' barking is out of control. In their frustration, believing the dog is stupid and can't learn most will relinquish the dog to an animal shelter. On the contrary, dogs are not stupid and learn very quickly. A dog owner should seek the assistance of a qualified professional dog trainer if they are unable to train their dog to stop barking on their own. They should find one who trains using positive reinforcement. Although each training method may or can have the same result, there is no reason to hurt a dog in training them on command to stop barking.

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[i] Applied Animal Behavior Science Volume 106, Issues 1-3 Evaluation of plasma cortisol levels and behavior in dogs wearing bark control collars