Though startling, curious or unfamiliar objects get a lot of vocal attention from dogs, so do humans. We are very interesting to our dogs and they want to communicate with us in the only ways they know how. Barking is a crucial part of dog-to-dog interactions and communication so it makes sense that they would believe it to be just as crucial when interacting with their two-legged friends.
In my training classes, I get barked at all the time. The most common occurrence is when I am explaining a new cue to pet parents and the dog feels like they aren't getting enough of my attention. It is an embarrassment to the pet parent, but I understand the meaning behind it. This is how I explain it:
Doggie A.D.D (Better Known As Me.Me.Me)
Dogs are pretty egocentric, like humans; they want to be the center of attention all the time. It is why a dog will jump into your lap on the couch if they want you to pet them, it is why dogs jump up on people in public and it is why dogs bark at humans. If you accidentally reward it, you are not doing yourself any favors. The trouble is that humans mistakenly reward negative behavior all the time. For example:
(a) your dog barks at you and you pick them up
(b) your dog barks at you and you bend down to pet them
(c) your dog barks at you and you give them a treat or food off of your plate
(d) your dog barks at you and you leash them up for a walk
What you see above is a perfect training scheme ... on you. Dogs train humans all the time; and they don't even have to use tasty treats! Dogs bark at you because they know they can get something from you. One day, the dog wanted to be picked up so it barked to get your attention. You bent down and picked the dog up, giving it the attention that it wanted. The dog thought, wow, that worked exactly as I had planned; I am going to do the same thing next time. And they did ... and you did. See the pattern?
A dog barks to go on a walk because it did so once before and you obliged. Even if you were planning on going for a walk anyway, don't let the barking be associated with it. A walk is a reward, just as is being picked up and being loved on; don't give it away to reward the wrong behaviors.
Routine, Routine, Routine
Barking to get their way is a routine that is established all-to-easily, as explained above. All it really takes is one time of getting what they wanted from excessive barking for the behavior to continue.
Let me give you some great examples:
1. Your dog barks at you and you yell at them to cut it out. They continue barking and you continue yelling; as you raise your voice, so does the dog. Does this look familiar? It has become a barking war. The dog doesn't associate the barking as being a negative behavior; after all, you are doing it too.
2. Your dog barks at you for attention and you look at them, touch them or talk to them. Well, that is just the attention that the dog was looking for. Next time you aren't paying them any mind, they know what to do to change that. Even if you think the attention you are giving is negative ... attention is attention.
3. If you pick the dog up and he starts to bark because he wants to get down, the worst thing you can do is oblige while the dog is still barking. If you do put him down, think about it: I didn't want to be picked up, I barked, I was put down. Awesome, that was what I wanted. Giving in to the dog's demands will only make the action a concrete habit. If the dog barks because it doesn't want to be held, wait until there is a quiet period and then reward the quiet by putting the dog down, what they wanted.
4. If a guest comes over and the dog continues to bark at them, you may be tempted to put the dog away. If you do so, the dog gets what they wanted: distance from your guest. If the dog isn't feeling comfortable, find a way to make the situation more pleasant or put the dog away before the guest arrives.
5. If the dog barks at the doorbell, practice ringing the bell and rewarding quiet behavior. If you can desensitize the dog to the bell, it will be less appealing when it is ringing in real time. Barking at the door when the doorbell rings usually precedes opening the door and allowing a sweet-smelling stranger in. The dog can easily believe that barking at the door will usher someone new and exciting inside. If you reward quiet behavior with treats, it is likely to decrease. Also, wait to open the door until the dog is exhibiting quiet behavior, not barking incessantly.
Barking is common; all dogs engage in it for one reason or another. However, humans can mistakenly reward barking when we are trying to discourage it ... a frustrating epitome. The keys to decreasing excessive barking are knowing what situation causes the barking and how to deflect, redirect and reinforce correctly.
Jamie Wright - My name is Jamie and I am a professional dog trainer, aspiring to transition to Marine Mammals. I love all animals, have worked for the ...
