Stephan MairesseWhy Dogs Bark So Much: The Real Causes Behind Excessive Barking
Some dogs naturally bark more than others — it is part of their personality. But very frequent barking is, for most of its causes, the consequence of a dog that holds power or has an ambiguous hierarchical status: he has taken on the job of guarding the territory, and that heavy responsibility keeps him on constant alert — especially if he is fearful.
What is barking for?
The primary role of barking is to warn the pack that something unusual is happening in the environment: the dog alerts the group.
Some dogs naturally bark more than others; it is part of their personality. Take a family living with several dogs that are all treated in the same way: you will see that some individuals bark more than others. But regardless of their personality, there are “aggravating” factors — and even if repeated barking is a character trait, it is entirely possible to make it stop.
Why some dogs bark far more than others
From the very beginning of the domestication of the wolf, humans developed the dog's ability to bark when they sought to make him a guardian. But a dog's living conditions — current ones, or those of his first weeks of life — also have a direct influence on how often he barks:
- Hypervigilance to outside noises and movements, either because he has taken the role of defending the territory very much to heart, or because he is fearful (sensory deprivation syndrome).
- Separation anxiety.
- Barking to get something from you — your attention, a door opened: the dog has taken power.
- Fear, or being “uncomfortable” in front of a person or an object. This is quite natural.
- Excitement.
The real root: your dog's status
It is very important to understand that very frequent barking is, for most of these causes, the consequence of a dog who holds power or has an ambiguous hierarchical status. Barking tends to decrease drastically once a dog holds a lower hierarchical rank than his owner.
A dog who has been given power, very often without the owner realizing it (because he eats first, because he is allowed on the couch…), has the role of protecting the territory. If this dog has little temperament or is fearful, this heavy responsibility is very stressful for him and he will over-invest in it. Constant vigilance around the territory is one of the effects.
This is also why simply trying to silence a dog rarely works: barking is intrinsic to the status he has been given. He has to bark, or he can use it to obtain what he thinks he deserves — and as long as his status doesn't change, he will keep finding reasons to.
Stephan MairesseProfessional dog trainer & canine behaviorist, 30 years of experience across 16 countries, more than 2,000 dogs trained. Certification N°750108. Read his full background →
How to take power away from your dog, stop barking on command, and deal with persistent barkers is covered step by step in Module 8 of the course.
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