Dog Behaviour: Excessive Barking

Excessive barking can be cause for concern in some dogs. It is very important to stop the behaviour before it becomes excessive, and the best time to start is the minute the barking begins.

At the Oakville & District Humane Society, we receive many calls from people in the community who are disturbed by barking dogs. The Town of Oakville By-Law Department is responsible for responding to barking complaints and enforcing the by-law. The Town of Oakville’s by-law states

"Any sound made by an animal or bird, which disturbs the peace, quiet, comfort or repose of any individual shall be deemed a nuisance and a fine may be imposed if no effort is made to control the noise. If legal action is necessary, a fine up to $5000 may be issued".

Barking starts for several different reasons:

1. It can be an inherited drive in dogs.
2. It can be a learned behaviour. Example; your dog might start to bark to get your attention, and if you give into that attention, you are essentially rewarding it for the barking behaviour.
3. A dog may bark to protect it’s territory.
4. The dog may bark when playing.
5. The dog may bark when it is left alone (separation anxiety).

There are several things that can be done to control the problem.

1. When the dog barks, firmly tell the dog "quiet". If the dog stops barking, pause for a moment to make sure he doesn’t start to bark again, then praise him for being quiet. By using this command every time the dog barks, he will learn the word "quiet" so that once the command "quiet" is used, he will know to stop barking. Immediately praise when he complies.

   An alternative to this is to use a squirt bottle to punish barking. Follow the same instructions as described above, but after you tell the dog "quiet", squirt the dog directly in the face several times until the dog stops barking. When he stops, give him praise. This method would be implemented if using the verbal command doesn’t work. The squirt bottle makes more of an impact. If you have no other animals in the house you can put pennies in a pop can. When you say "quiet" follow the command by shaking the can until the dog stops barking.

2. When your dog starts barking, redirect the dog’s focus by calling him come to you and sit/stay beside you.
3. If the dog is barking at people out your front window, then reduce the stimuli by closing the blinds.
4. If the dog barks at every noise it hears, then put the radio on to muffle the sound.
5. If the dog is barking in the backyard, then bring the dog in. Your dog should not be left outside unattended if he has a tendency to bark. If you are outside with the dog and he is barking, call him to come to you (again this will redirect his focus).

   If he won’t come to you and continues to bark, then he should be on a long line at all times so that the minute he begins to bark, you can easily grab him. Tell him quiet, then praise him by releasing him again. If he continues to bark, then it’s time to bring him in. Most dogs will learn that as soon as they start barking, they lose their backyard privileges.

6. Teach your dog to bark on command. That way he will only bark if he is told to, otherwise he should remain quiet.
7. There are many products on the market that are designed to help people with their barking dogs. The most common of these is referred to as the "bark collar". The bark collars come in two varieties. These are citronella and shock. We do not recommend using the shock collar.

   The citronella collar has a box filled with citronella that is released when the dog barks. For some dogs the deterrent is the spraying sound and for others it is the smell of the citronella. Some pet stores and trainers will rent these to you on a trial basis to determine if the product works for you.

   There are two types of collars. There is the type that automatically sprays citronella when the dog barks and there is the kind that is triggered by you. You are better off with the automatic variety as timing is critical in solving this problem. When you put the collar on the dog and s/he barks, the citronella is expelled and has a startling affect on the dog. When the dog goes quiet, then you reward him for quiet behaviour. You should seek the assistance of a professional when using these products.

Barking can be a difficult behaviour to change, but through consistent training you can get results. The key is to not allow the dog to nuisance bark or the behaviour will only strengthen. We all have to live in harmony with our neighbours, and not allowing your dog to bark excessively is a sign of respect for them.