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Dog Barking The Need For AttentionThe Resource for Everything About Dogs |
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Dog Barking The Need For Attentionby Eric Hartwell
Have you ever noticed how dogs begin barking quietly with a menacing growl which gradually escalates to a loud howling bark? Maybe, you have you noticed how some dogs sustain their barks until they are acknowledged? These dogs are barking to give their master a warning or an alarm. These types of barking arise from the dog?s observation and judgment of his surroundings. Dogs do not bark to create noise and to annoy their masters? neighbors. They bark because they want to tell their masters something. Through barking, dogs are able to express their feelings and catch their masters? attention. Barking is the way they indicate their fear, their anger, their loneliness, etc. Dogs and Wolves: It?s not in the Family Compared to their parent species the wolves, dogs bark in an entirely different manner and under certain situations. In actual fact, wolves do not even bark; they howl. Dogs allegedly have the capability to retain juvenile characteristics throughout their adulthood in spite of genetic engineering and selective breeding process they have undergone over the years. Dogs are similar with the wolf young in their large eyes and heads, flat faces and a few mannerisms. Barking: Acquired and Learned Behavior Dogs, while they are so much like the wolves have learned to communicate differently. Their tendency to bark is actually acquired and was not their natural inclination. If you doubt my word, then look back on the time when your big hulking dog was a mere pup. If you would recall, the puppy refused to utter a sound. Then you?d encourage it to bark. When the puppy became aggravated or excited and it uttered a very short bark, you may have given it a treat or a pat on his head. The dog learned through your own actions that it?s good to bark, so he would. Dogs have acquired this trait of barking through centuries of domestication. Sheepherders and ranchers needed their dogs to bark because they left their herd in their dogs? care. They also needed the dog to admonish their herd not to wander. Excessive Barking Unfortunately, some dogs? barking can be quite excessive. If this is a daily episode for you then your pet dogs might be trying to tell you something they?ve been trying to tell you these past few days. Your pet dogs may be feeling alarmed, lonely, uncomfortable, or anxious. To help stop the excessive barking, you need to understand what?s causing your dog?s behavior. If your dog stops barking when you gave him a hug or played with him, then he was merely asking for some affection. If he stopped barking when you gave him food, then he was merely hungry. If you had a visitor and your dog never stopped barking the whole while, then your dog may have been scared by the stranger or may have just wanted attention. If your dog keeps on barking and you can see no apparent reason for it, or if your dog is very excitable and barks long and hard with every little provocation, then you may need to seek professional help so your dog can be trained to properly (bark only at certain situations) or he can be trained to bark quietly (debarked).
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