Barking dog: the 6 types of bark and how to respond

Barking is not a flaw

Selection made dogs that bark: to alert the farm, gather the flock, signal game. Some breeds talk more than others by nature: the Chihuahua, the Dachshund, the German shepherd. The goal is never zero barking, it is a dog who signals then settles, because he was heard and does not need to insist.

Before correcting, you therefore need to understand what the bark does for him: what it informs him of, what it gets him, what it relieves him of.

The six types, and how to recognize them

Six families, recognizable by voice, body and what triggers them.

• Alert. A few sharp, low barks, body forward, ears up, tail high, eyes on the source: the doorbell, a passer-by, a noise. He is signalling. He stops when the source disappears or when you have “checked”.
• Demand or frustration. High-pitched, repeated barks, looking at you or at the object: the ball, the bowl, the door, the dog on the other side of the leash. Often with jumps, a whine, a scratching paw. He wants something, now.
• Fear or request for distance. Low barks mixed with growls, body backward, tail low, hackles up, he backs away while barking or barks from a protected spot. He is saying “do not come closer”.
• Excitement or play. High, short barks, loose body, play bows, tail wagging wide: during play, when a friend arrives, before the walk. Not a problem, except when it no longer comes down.
• Boredom and loneliness. Monotonous, regular barks, sometimes howls, in a dog who is alone and under-stimulated, often at the window or in the garden. He is keeping busy, and calling.
• Separation distress. Barking and crying that start within minutes of your departure and do not stop, with drooling, pacing, scratching at the door. This is no longer boredom, it is panic: our article on separation anxiety details what to do.

Three keys to tell them apart

Pitch: low means alert or threat; high means excitement, demand or distress. Body: forward and tall, he asserts; backward and low, he is afraid; loose and bouncy, he plays. Context: what just appeared, who is he addressing, what stops him?

Filming helps enormously, because in real time you hear the noise and miss the body. Ten seconds of video, and the posture immediately tells whether this dog barking at the window is proud or worried.

What to do for each

Alert: reduce the view (window film, solid gate), give him an allowed observation post, and teach a “thank you”: he barks, you look, you say thanks, you bring him back to you for a reward. He was heard, he settles. Demand: never give in during the bark, and reward silence, even one second at first, then longer and longer. Teach him another way to ask, like sitting.

Fear: distance, right away. Do not force him to approach what scares him, and work at a distance with treats, a little closer each time. Excitement: pauses in play, and an outing routine that only opens the door when he is settled. Boredom: more sniffing, chewing and thinking during the day, and less access to the window. A dog tired in the head barks less.

What makes it worse

Shouting “quiet!” or “no!”: to him, you have just joined the barking. He winds up. Punishing him physically or with a spray, vibration or electric collar: he links the thing he was signalling, the passer-by, the child, the other dog, to something unpleasant, and fear replaces alert. Some dogs stop barking and go straight to growling or biting, because the warning was taken away from them.

Giving him what he asks for while he barks: the ball, the door, the bowl. He has just learned it works, and he will do it louder next time.

When to consult

A dog who starts barking a lot for no identifiable reason, especially an older one, may be in pain, hearing less well or losing his bearings: a vet first. If fear barking comes with growling, freezing or a dog who charges, or if separation distress has set in, a positive-methods behaviorist is well worth the cost. And if the neighbors complain, acting early is in your interest too.