There are many different reasons why dogs bark. In most cases, the barking is actually a signal that another behavior problem exists and, if that problem is addressed, many times the dog will stop barking on his own. It is extremely important to know why a dog is barking before trying to control it. The six common types of barking are:
- Excited Play Alert Barking
- Fearful Alarm Barking
- Dominance Barking
- Territorial Barking
- Boredom Barking
- Learned Barking
It is important to understand which of these motivations is stimulating the dog’s barking because solutions will vary based on what is causing or motivating the dog to bark. By eliminating the underlying behavior, most times the barking will be eliminated at the same time. Always determine the dog’s threshold for barking behavior before training. There is no benefit to placing the dog in a situation where he is incapable of not barking and then trying to train the dog to be quiet.