Some dogs bark a lot when they want to let you know something specific is happening. This might be a visitor at the door, a car pulling onto a driveway, a passing dog or cat or the doorbell ringing. This is called ‘alarm barking’.

Some people appreciate this sort of barking- but, if this is something you would like to change, here are some tips:

What to do
Giving your dog something to do instead of barking will help keep their mind occupied.

Play fetch
If your dog likes to play fetch, try teaching them to retrieve a toy or other item when the situation occurs that sets them off.

Go to bed
Asking them to “go to bed” is also something you could try. It removes them from the area that the trigger is coming from and asks them to concentrate on a neutral task that they are already familiar with.

Ensure your dog understands this cue before you begin this training.

Always reward good behaviour with a treat to encourage them to do the good thing again next time you ask.

Desensitising your dog
Record sounds that trigger your dog’s barking, like the doorbell, and play these back to your dog.

Start very quietly at first, ensuring they don’t react and then gradually increase the volume, while rewarding them with food if they don’t bark. This is a process known as desensitising or counter conditioning.

If you do decide to take this approach, you’ll need to make sure you don’t expose your pet to the real sound while you are training them. Pick a time when you aren’t expecting visitors and pop a note on your front door asking visitors not to knock but to phone you instead.

You might even consider disarming the doorbell while you are undertaking this training with your dog.

As dogs are natural predators, many have been bred to hunt small, furry things.
This doesn’t always mean that your dog wants to hurt wildlife. However, it does mean that lots of dogs are excited by seeing them and are likely to chase and bark at cats and birds.

What to do

It can be difficult to change this behaviour because whatever comes into your garden is out of your control.

It’s not ideal for this to become a habit as it can lead to upset neighbours. So, if this is something you want to address, it’s best not to leave your dog in the garden unattended.

Teach your dog to come back to you whenever you call and reward them with a tasty treat and lots of verbal praise.

This type of barking also falls into ‘alarm barking’ and can be a way that your dog tells you that someone is passing your property. It can also be caused by:

• boredom
• anxiety
• fear

What to do

If your dog likes to sit on the windowsill and shout at everyone and everything that passes by, the most practical action is to prevent access to the window.

This could be something as simple as moving furniture or purchasing film for your window glass that prevents them seeing outside.

As dogs are social animals who like to live in family groups, it’s common for them to become upset when they are left on their own for longer than they feel comfortable with.

Dogs often bark or howl when you’re out of the house, and it’s them using their voice to try and reach out to you, so that you’ll come back.

What to do

If your dog barks a lot when left, and you can’t resolve this by following our separation anxiety advice, you may need help from a qualified dog behaviourist to address the problem.

Take a moment to think about how you react when your dog does this. Do you raise your voice, shout or tell them off for it? If so, stop. When you respond to your dog’s barking with noise and attention, you are rewarding your dog by giving them the attention they are asking for.

What to do

• Try ignoring the barking – at first your dog may continue or get worse, but this is perfectly normal. Keep going and eventually they will understand that barking doesn’t get your attention.
• If waiting silently doesn’t work, calmly ask them to “sit” or “lie down”
• Only interact with your dog when they are calm

Solving attention seeking behaviour is not always simple, and you may need to seek professional help.

Some dogs bark because they may be bored. This can vary depending on their breed. For example, a working dog will have a lot of energy and will be looking for more mental stimulation throughout the day. If you think this is the case, you may need to look at their daily routine. Increasing their physical and mental exercise can help to occupy their busy minds.

What to do

If ‘free time’ is a large chunk of your dog’s day, it might be a good idea to:
• up their exercise – like taking longer walks or playing in the garden
• provide more mental stimulation in the form of training, food toys and scent games – this tires them out and gives them something to do that isn’t barking.

This is usually caused by one of the following:
• your dog wants to get to you or another dog, but they can’t – either because they’re on lead or in another room. This is known as frustration-related barking.
• your dog is saying “go away, you’re scaring me” – also known as fear-related barking

What to do

You’ll need to get professional help for this behaviour, as it’s likely to worsen the longer it goes on. It can make what should be a fun dog walk very stressful for both of you.