Why Your Dog Might Be Barking Excessively And What You Can Do To Help

Ever feel like your dog’s barking is constant and you’re not quite sure what’s driving it? I’m sharing why your dog might be barking excessively and what you can do to help them feel more relaxed and confident.

Transcript Summary:
Let's go over the things that may be the reason why your dog is barking or barking excessively.

Number one was it's a breed trait. So, there are breeds like hunting dogs. There's a breed in New Zealand, I believe it's called the Huntaway dog, that they actually bark while they work. It's part of how they go about working. There are a lot of dogs, I mentioned Beagles or Huskies that bark as something that's kind of built into their DNA.

But breed doesn't give any dog a get out of jail free card. I hope you all got the reference to Monopoly right there. What I mean is you can't just say, “Oh, they're a Terrier so it's okay. I don't have to do any work.” No, no, no. Remember we want to minimize any excess of barking.

So, if you have in your mind, “This is a blank, therefore they bark.” please, let's just clean that thought out alright and let's polish up the brain and get some “My dog can do anything” thoughts back in your head. Alright so, breed, yes, maybe the reason why your dog barks at times when others don't, but it isn't a reason for excessive barking.

Number two, emotions. Alright so, let's go over some of the lists and I'm going to give you some of the things that you can do. Number one, excited. ‘My dog gets way too excited.’ Have you taught your dog the Relaxation Protocol? I'm not saying that protocol is going to change everything. It's going to be part of the change as well.

So, we'll start off with podcast episode number 191, that Relaxation Protocol. Number two, I mentioned that the dog barks because they're trying to initiate play.

So, why is your dog initiating play by barking at you? I would have to think it comes down to two reasons. Number one, there isn't enough conditioning of the dog being okay without you entertaining them. So, how much Crate Games has that dog played?

How much time has that dog spent with educational games like Nina Ottoson's food games or what I call the puppy bombs where you are working somewhere, and the dog can be in their ex-pen just working through these games or chewing on a bone so that they know you don't have to be the center of the world every waking moment of their life.

They have to learn that they can just chill and watch the world go by. That's number one. Does your dog know how to relax? Can you put your dog in a crate, say in your bedroom, and then you do some work in the kitchen, or are they going to be very anxious about that?

So, if you've played Crate Games, and if you've taught your dog how to relax, and number three, if you've also looked for opportunities when your dog is just curled up in a dog bed and walk by and reinforce that. Remember, reinforcement builds behavior.

So, you can drop some cookies there. You don't have to say anything, just give them a pat on the head when they're away from you, relaxing. You can build that up as a behavior. It's called the Hot Zone. But anytime you see the dog relaxing away from you, take the opportunity to mark that ‘that is good.’

Now the other part of that is what are the triggers that your dog knows that means something amazing is going to happen? What are those triggers? Like, do you have a word? “Do you want to go to the building?” is what I say to the dogs. “We're going to go to the building.” And then they get excited in their movement.

But those dogs also have reinforced triggers that I unconditionally put in them that they will then lead to me getting up and doing something with them. For example, Momentum will come and sit in front of me and just stare at me. And I'll know, “Oh, do you have to go outside?” If I let her outside and she just goes and lays down on the grass instead of going to the bathroom, I knew, “Okay, you probably don't just want to go outside.”

Momentum or This! will often come and put their head on my lap if I'm working at my desk as if to say, “I think it's time we go and do some work.” So, these are triggers that I'm okay with, that they may lead to something, but they won't always lead to something.

You've got to become very present to the reinforcing that you are giving your dog's trigger. So, when your dog barks at you, do you laugh at them? “Oh, I guess you want to go train, do you? That's great.” and get up and train. That's why your dog's barking at you.

Does your dog bark at you and you maybe throw something for them for a little while, while you're at your desk? Oh, nay nay, in the words of the late great John Pinette. No, no, those aren't acceptable triggers in my world. If you want a dog that doesn't bark in your face. Now, the initiation of play also needs to be considered with another dog.