Excessive Barking

A dog is considered to be barking excessively if it barks or howls repeatedly for a period of twenty minutes.

Reducing Excessive Barking

The only way to reduce excessive barking is to determine what is causing the dog to bark. Once you know why your dog is barking, you will be able to devise a plan to reduce the barking. With a little patience and time, most dogs will stop barking excessively. 

Causes and solutions to excessive barking include:

• Loneliness/Boredom:
  • provide toys to keep your dog entertained. Rotating the toys will make them seem new and interesting.
  • exercise and play with your dog on a daily basis.
  • take your dog to obedience classes and practise regularly to reinforce lessons and provide mental stimulation.
  • leave a radio or TV on at low volume. This creates the sense that you are present.
• Separation Anxiety Barking:

• consult a professional trainer, an animal behaviorist or your veterinarian.
• Reducing Separation Anxiety in Dogs

• Territorial Barking:

  • block your dog's view with a fence or hedge.

keep curtains or shades drawn.  A dog won't bark at what it can't see.

leave a radio or TV on at low volume.  This masks outside noise.

• introduce your dog to service people that regularly visit your property, ie. mailman, paper carrier.
• Physical Discomfort Barking
  • ensure that your dog's area is comfortable by providing adequate shelter from weather conditions if outside, and adequate space if inside.
  • provide sufficent food and clean water.
• ensure your dog is in good health by taking it to the vet for regular checkups or when it is ill or in pain.

• Fear Barking
  • provide a safe place where the effects of the frightening event are minimized, ie. during a thunder storm, leave your dog in a comfortable area in the basement or windowless room and turn on a radio, TV or noisy fan to mute the sounds of the storm.
  • refrain from coddling your dog during the frightening event. Your dog may interpret your attention as a reward for barking.

If you are unsuccessful at curbing your dog's barking, you may want to consult your vet, a professional dog trainer, or an animal behaviorist.

More information on excessive barking:

•   Excessive Barking
•   Solving Barking Problems