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Barking is one of a number of sounds used by dogs to communicate with people and each other. Barking allows dogs to communicate over a large distance, even when they are out of sight. Dogs bark for a variety of reasons and variations in tone, how quickly the sound is repeated and the intensity give us a clue why the dog is barking and how it is feeling.

The reasons for barking include:

• Attention seeking.
• Greeting.
• To invite play and during play.
• Defense.
• Threat.
• Distress.
• Contact seeking, when left alone, for example.
• Frustration.
• When excited and as a group activity.

Often dogs that bark when alone are just dogs that bark a lot even when someone is with them. However, there are a few specific reasons for barking when alone. Some common examples include:

• Separation anxiety, this occurs when a dog displays intense signs of fear, anxiety, or distress when left alone. If the dog is left on its own or is separated from family members when they are at home, the dog may become distressed and bark to regain contact or to call them back.
• Defensive reaction to sights or sounds outside or inside the home. This typically occurs because the dog is worried or frightened of what it barks at. It is common for a dog to bark at unfamiliar people or dogs passing its home. In most cases the object (or person) being barked at normally goes away, rewarding the barking behavior. Now this dog is more likely to bark next time the situation occurs, and with more confidence. The dog learns to be confident that barking is a way of making whatever is frightening them go away. This kind of behavior often develops to barking at other animals when the dog is on the lead because they are unable to move away from whatever is worrying them instead.
• Attention seeking. This can be directed towards someone the dog lives with when they are at home, towards people or dogs the dog sees or hears when it is on its own or just as a way of exploring whether it will get a response.
• Social behavior, such as calling to other dogs in the district.
• Barking in play or aggression (eg two or more dogs living together).
• Predatory/chase behavior towards things that move fast, particularly if the dog is frustrated in its pursuit by a fence, window or door.
• Frustration; if the dog is left by its owner when it expected to be able to go with them.
• Old age; changes in normal patterns of behavior or anxiety associated with sensory and/or cognitive decline.

Barking is only the symptom of the underlying motivation and the way to prevent or stop it is to alter the need to bark. For example, if your dog barks at unfamiliar dogs or people because it is frightened of them you must teach the dog that there is nothing to be frightened of; or if your dog barks to regain contact with you, you can teach it to be more comfortable being left alone.

If the reason why your dog is barking is not obvious to you it is important to seek the help of a qualified behavior specialist, who will be able to help you understand the motivation. A behavior specialist will also be able help you create a treatment plan to reduce the need to bark and introduce some training techniques to help you manage the behavior. Your veterinarian will be able to refer you to specialist veterinary behavior specialists.

There are a number of reasons why a dog may bark so the first step must always be to understand why your dog is barking. If the barking occurs because your dog is anxious or fearful, bad experiences (like those created by anti-bark devices) are likely to increase fear and stress. Additionally, some methods, such as electric shock collars, are not welfare friendly and are banned in many localities.

Firstly, try to avoid putting your dog in situations in which it is likely to bark. For example, if it barks at people when they pass your garden it makes sense to keep your dog indoors if there are times when the area outside your property is likely to be busy (when people are likely to be going to and from school and work). If your dog is already indoors at these times but still barks it may be helpful to cover the window or prevent it from standing on furniture so that it can’t see out. Playing calming music or utilizing a white noise machine, may help relax and minimize sound triggers for barking.

Training your dog to do something else at times when it would normally bark may help in some cases. For example, giving your dog a signal to do a different behavior, such as to look at you or change direction if you are walking, may help. If you are at home, sending your dog to their bed may help. When your dog does whatever you asked you should reward it. Each time your dog is rewarded for not barking, and for doing something else instead, the more likely it is that they will repeat that behavior next time the same situation arises. It is easy to train some dogs to hold a toy in their mouth and carry it past what it would normally bark at. Once they have passed the cause of their barking they are asked to give the toy back to the handler in exchange for a special treat. Through repetition the dog learns that it gets the chance to carry the toy that it likes in this situation and starts to look for the toy to be given to it when it sees the situation coming.

When you know you are going to be in such a situation, you can give your dog something else to do. Try giving your dog a large chew or an activity toy that it has to work at. If your dog is very aroused or anxious in this situation, however, it may not want to eat. If you are away from home try to distract your dog by playing a game with a toy or initiating search games for toys or small food rewards. Better yet, if possible, remove your dog from the situation and seek professional assistance to help you develop a plan to address this concern.