8 Things Your Dog Is Trying To Say When It's Barking And Why You Should Never Punish Them For It

Dec 17, 2018

Most dogs bark. And each dog who barks does so for different reasons, so maybe think twice before filing a noise complaint about dogs.

People understand that it's dogs that bark, and not, say, cats or iguanas. So why is it that as soon as we get a dog, we start trying to break what is one of their most important forms of communication? While there are good reasons to keep barking under control, it's also important to find a healthy middle ground where dogs can be dogs and people don't get into trouble with their neighbors.

Read on for some of the reasons that dogs have for barking.

Dogs are vocal creatures and use a variety of warning sounds when they detect things going on around them. There might be someone on the porch. It might be the garbage truck. Humans can't hear or see some things themselves so dogs feel the need to warn them. People and their pets can work out which things require a quick alert, like a person at the door, and which things might not, like birds in a tree.

If your dog's water bowl has never run dry then you can skip this part. Dogs have their own doggy sense of what's important. It can reflect the priorities of the family: dogs can learn to bark when the school bus appeared. Or give one sharp bark that means "You forgot to feed me!" or "My water bowl is empty and I'm thirsty!" Paying attention shows respect for the pack member who most wants to serve you.

Dogs love great chew toys. Sometimes they get impatient and give a bark of frustration when they can't reach the treat they smell inside a toy. It's just a dog talking to himself. We all do it. Right?

Dogs that are tied out or in a fenced yard will often yell to see if some other dog is nearby so they can get into a useless argument or some trash talking. Either that or they're passing coded messages along through the dog telegraph system we've all seen used on 101 Dalmatians.

How many dogs do you know who overreact to the vacuum? Are they warning the vacuum to be careful? Are they trying to dominate it? However, dogs do bark out of fear. They just get scared. A calming tone and a steady touch will let them know that everything is OK.

Dogs are territorial creatures. They will warn strangers away from the yard and call wandering children back to the pack. Sometimes those children actually get the message and return, too. Cats, however, are immune to this call. 

Dogs love to talk. Many dogs simply love meeting new people, singing their joy to the skies. Others love seeing the same old faces and will give that a lot of happy noise, too. Greetings are how dogs recognize each other and keep it cool. Nobody wants the knives coming out.

Sometimes dogs just have energy or joy bubbling up in them. They've had a great day rolling in the grass, or their owner has been in a good mood, or the cat has chosen the top of the fridge to nap on. So they just bark. It's like birdsong, only with noise ordinances.

While yes, it is natural for dogs to bark for the above reasons, some dogs just seem to have a problem with excessive barking. Here are a few tips to try out as their owner:

• Do not yell at your dog. They will take this as an invitation to bark even louder and more often.
• Take the time to train your dog to understand "No", "Enough," etc. A well-trained dog will stop barking at one utterance of a command word.
• Make sure your dog is getting enough activity, especially if he or she is home alone for many hours throughout the day. Take them for walks or have walks arranged for them.
• Also train them to understand that certain situations aren't threatening, like mail arrival or certain people passing by the house.
• If your dog's barking problem comes up suddenly, and alongside other symptoms, take them to the vet.

What are the reasons that your dog barks? Can you identify with any of these? Let us know in the comments and pass this along if this helped you better understand your furry best friend!