Understanding your Dog's Bark

Dog’s bark. It is their form of language. Much in the same way that cow’s moo, duck’s quack and mice squeak, barking is the uniformed sound that dog’s use to communicate with each other, and with us. 

When it comes to people, barking and barks generally sound the same or they are misunderstood. Certainly, barking can be annoying, especially when it is incessant. However, understanding what a dog is trying to communicate to you, or others around them, can ultimately bring an end to the barking as you then respond and act accordingly. 

Being able to interpret the meaning behind a dog’s bark can lead to a better bond between owner and dog. 

Why do dogs bark? 

Dogs will not bark without reason. Barking is the natural way for a dog to express themself. Of course, similar to humans, some dogs are more vocal than others. Some breeds characteristically bark more. Terriers regularly top the lists of chatterbox dogs. They were bred to hunt and burrow after wild animals harmful to crops. Terriers would bark to alert their handlers to the vermin they had located or killed. It is literally in their DNA to bark. 

However, not many dogs are still working dogs. They live domestically with us and fit conveniently into our busy lives. They are man’s best friend and we love them dearly. That is until they bark relentlessly. The odd bark here and there is not usually anything to get worked up about, dogs are dogs after all. But for many owners barking can be a real problem and a source of great tension with neighbours, at social engagements, and with other dogs. 

We should not attempt to ‘train out’ barking. Nor should any owner want to. Instead by taking up a class in dog speak, owners can more easily translate their dog’s barks. This, in turn, gives them insight into what their dog is thinking. Once they know why their dog is barking, it is much easier to get them to quieten. 

Common reasons associated with barking. 

Although there can be many things that trigger a dog to bark, the underlying reasons can be categorised into 6 main classifications. 

These are: 

• Fear barking 

• Resource guarding barking

• Warning barking

• Frustration barking 

• Learnt barking  

• Excitement or happy barking

Most recently, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, dog owners have come to me because their dogs have started barking at people on the street wearing masks. Dogs, especially nervous ones, quite often make assessments of approaching people based on their facial expressions. Suddenly, not only is the new mask-wearing enforcement an unfamiliar sight, but it also prevents their ability to read someone's intentions. Although the mask triggered the barking, the underlying reason is to ward off the potential incoming threat. It comes from a place of fear. 

Fear Barking

Every dog is afraid of something. No matter how confident or out-going, there will be something that can scare them. The levels are which dogs express fear can range from mild concern to extreme distress. When a dog starts to feel fear, the stress hormone Cortisol begins to rise. Think of cortisol as the body’s natural alarm bell system. Once rung it triggers a change in mood, prompts movement and inducing the ‘fight or flight’ mode.

As with humans, strong emotions can be released through the mouth. We scream, they bark. Dogs are no different to us in that way. This is usually worse when a dog is unable to freely move away from the thing that has triggered their fear. Many dogs are more reactive on-leash than off-leash as they feel this inability to move freely, if necessary.   

What does fear-barking sound like?

Fear barking is one type of bark I believe you can notably hear the distress and panic in your dog’s voice. It will be high pitched and generally come out in a series of repetitions. Your dog will sound hysterical. it will be hard to break through to get their attention. 

For some dogs, fear barking will end with a howl. Howling is a standard call for help in dog speak. It signals to others assistance is needed. 

Fear barking is accompanied by a flurry of activity. As cortisol surges through their bodies they may run from side-to-side, hot-step on the spot, tuck their tails between their legs, or scramble around in a hunched-over type of posture. 

Resource Guarding Barking 

Resource guarding barking is the category that is most often misunderstood as aggressive behaviour or a dog wanting to be dominant. Dominant dogs are confident and in control of the situation. They do not need to bark to warn others off. Guarding a resource comes from a place of fear but not fear for safety as with fear barking. It is the fear of losing something that a dog regards as high value. This fear of losing the high-value item could be just as emotional as the fear for their safety. 

High-value items can be interchangeable amongst dogs. Some dogs guard over their food source, especially if they went without regular meals for a while. Whereas others might not treat food as high-value, however, a ball is their main source of fun, entertainment and quality time spent with their owners.  

Many rehomed dogs develop resource guarding over their new owners. Their fear of losing the loving people who provide such a wonderful and stable life is intense. This fear can be hugely anxiety-inducing. 

What does guard-barking sound like?

Guard barking can be described as snappy. It sounds quite penetrating and often occurs alongside growling and snarling. It is typically made up of short barks and intermixed with the aforementioned sounds. It can get worse if their snappy warnings are not acknowledged. 

Guard barking is accompanied by snappy movements. Quick advances or lunging forwards in the direction of the thing the dog is defending against. A dog’s body will be tense with heckles up or teeth showing. They will look like they are trying to scare the protagonist away. 

Warning Barking 

The warning bark is a quick, short communication to signal to others that danger is in the area. It is also used if a dog sees something else under threat and wants to alert them quickly. 

Warning barks are common to the ears of owners but most think they are nothing more than a random bark from their dog. In the wild, however, these barks mean the difference between life and death. Warning barks are not barks to warn others away as we see with both fear barking and guard barking. They are an internal communication between the pack - which now includes humans.

Many dogs produce a warning bark when they hear someone or something approaching, they want their distracted human to pay attention and look. Warning barks may develop into more extreme and intense barking if they go unnoticed. It is your dogs attempt to make you listen. A simple acknowledgement will usually satisfy a dog.

What does warning-barking sound like?

Warning barks are singular, short, sharp barks. It is the doggy version of a perimeter alarm. They want to indicate that danger is close and for others to move away. Not wanting to draw more attention unless necessary these barks and quick and to the point. 

Warning barking can be accompanied by movement from the dog to get away from the area as it is now unsafe. However, most of the time, the dog will stay put and continue to assess the danger. 

Frustration Barking 

Frustration barking develops from severe long-term stress. Dogs that are alone all day, that are chained up outside, neglected and often hungry will bark all day long. Boredom and frustration brings about repeat-behaviour in some attempt to stimulate their lonely lives. Certain hormones are set off when they perform these repetitive behaviours which make a dog feel better. 

Dogs have a basic need to belong to a family. They have evolved from wolves and wild dogs whose sole purpose is to provide and protect the pack. Initially an off-spring of the alpha-father and alpha-mother, they enjoy a life with their littermates and older or younger siblings. When they come of age, they leave the family unit to find a mate and produce offspring of their own. Their whole life cycle is focussed around being part of a pack. You could say being part of a pack is at their core. 

When a person chooses to bring a dog into their family, they should understand this. It is heart-breaking to see owners punish dogs for barking constantly when they are left alone or outside all day. The simple and easy way to stop frustration barking is to bring them into the home and provide mental and physical stimulation. All they need is to be included.

What does frustration-barking sound like?

Frustration barking is typically a repetitive bark, monotone in sound. Usually starting quiet and building into an endless series of steady, unchanging barks. 

Frustration barking can be accompanied by other repetitive behaviours. Pacing back and forth, turning in circles or chasing their tail. Some dogs even chase shadows as a form of entertainment. 

Learnt Barking 

Learnt barking is probably one of the most common types of barking I see now. It is where one of the above barks has brought around a high-value reinforcer from the owner. Quite often the owner is completely unaware that they have just encouraged this with their actions. 

For example, a dog that is resource guarding their owner barks at unfamiliar faces that greet them. The owner quickly picks their dog up to reassure them or quiet them while talking. This bark has been rewarded with affection and attention. The dog’s initial intention was to warn the stranger away that was the original desire outcome. However, they are now in the arms of their owner and receiving affection. A dog will repeat a behaviour that brings about a desired response. Now the dog does it when anyone approaches their handler. If the owner ignores their barking, the dog shouts louder, the barking becomes intensified and usually, the owner relents and picks them up again. This action reinforces to the dog that they should bark more intensely now to be rewarded. 

Learnt barking happens more frequently than most owners realise. It is always best to acknowledge a bark and communicate with your dog to stop it rather than looking for the quick fix. The quick fix usually leads to long-lasting consequences. 

What does learnt-barking sound like? 

Learnt barking is usually easy to recognise. You can see the dog actively waiting for the required response. They will bark a few times, then pause awaiting the reinforcer that they have received previously. If the reinforcer is not given, off they go barking again. 

Learnt barking is usually accompanied by the dog looking to the owner or person they expect the reinforcement to come from. You will be able to see them look bewildered at to why you have not responded. “Look I am doing this again, why are you not rewarding me”. 

Learnt barking can be established easily and is hard to break if not realised. In this case, the behaviour of the owner must change quickly. 

Excitement or Happy Barking 

This is my favourite type of barking. I love hearing my usually quiet greyhound’s happy bark. It will occur when excitement levels in a dog rise with the expectation that something good is about to happen. 

On seeing a leash, a dog may bark as he knows he is going out for his walk. On hearing his owner’s footsteps approach the door, some dogs bark as they will be reunited shortly. For my greyhound, it is when he picks up the trail of a squirrel or rabbit.

Excitement barking should be joyful to see and hear and we do not want to discourage a dog from naturally expressing their happiness. However, we should avoid encouraging over-the-top behaviour by responding with over-the-top enthusiasm. Excitement barking can quickly escalate to an intense learnt barking. The dog wants to extend the duration of the thoroughly rewarding response from the owner.    

What does excitement-barking sound like? 

Excitement barking is typically a high pitched sound and almost frenzied in its frequency. It might start out as just excited body language but then turns into barking as the adrenalin rises. 

I often see owners greet their dogs who are excited but not barking. As the owner is super enthusiastic with high pitched and frenzied ‘Hellos’ themselves, the dog starts excitement barking and is then immediately told to “calm down”. 

Excitement barking is accompanied by tail wagging, hot-stepping in place, jumping up or around, spinning and whining. Generally, a dog won’t be able to stand still and will probably try to get to the source that triggered the excitement. 

Barking Issues 

These guidelines should help identify what type of bark your dog is displaying. Once you know this, it is much easier to then communicate with them to stop their need to bark. The worst thing you can do is ignore a dog's barking completely. Imagine if you were talking to someone and they ignore you completely. In almost all cases, by acknowledging that your dog is trying to tell you something can go a long way. 

If you have a dog who is a chronic barking and are unable to work with them to ease it, contact a dog behaviourist or trainer. Sometimes there can be a quick and simple solution. However, if your dog is severely stressed an expert will be able to help reduce that anxiety. A happier dog is far less likely to have a barking problem.