Dog barking

Many dogs develop bad habits and frequent barking is one of the most common. The volume of a dog's bark is at least 60 decibels and sometimes exceeds 110 decibels. If the barking is frequent, it can become a real nuisance for everyone nearby. If you own a dog that barks frequently, you can encourage and train it to bark less and have a happier dog and happier neighbours.

If you are suffering because of a neighbour's continuously barking dog, find advice on the noise pollution pages.

Reasons why dogs bark

Dogs are highly sociable animals and need to be with their 'pack' i.e. their owner or the family they live with. Dogs left alone inside or outside will often bark because they are bored, anxious or lonely.

Make sure your dog's physical needs are met

Your dog may bark if it feels too hot or cold, if it's hungry or thirsty. It may also bark if it needs a walk or to go the toilet.

Keep your dog occupied

If you increase your dogs level of exercise and play with it, it will be less bored and will probably sleep more. You could also enroll in a training class to build your dog's confidence and emotional control.

Re-training dogs that bark too often

It is not easy to re-train dogs that have a habit of barking frequently, but there are steps you can take to minimise barking.

• If you have been "giving in" to your dog by letting it out when you can't stand the barking any longer, be aware that you have strongly reinforced it to bark to be let out. This behaviour will get worse before it gets better as the dog now thinks it need simply bark to get what it wants. If you hold out, eventually the dog will give up. Wait for the barking to stop and praise it quickly before taking it out.
• Do not try to punish your dog for barking as this may only increase anxiety.
• If possible, prevent the dog from seeing or hearing things that trigger the barking. If your dog barks at passers-by or vehicles, find some way to block your dog's view - e.g. keep the curtains closed or confine the dog to another part of the house. When you hear your dog barking be clear with voice commands and say 'no' each time it barks and when it stops then praise. It may take several attempts before it begins to pay attention to you.
• Socialise your dog to new experiences. Take it to lots of places and praise it for good behavior. Expose it gradually to sights or sounds that seem to cause it to bark. If the dog stays quiet and relaxed, reward it.
• Train any incompatible behaviour, so you can give your dog a command to do something else instead of barking. Your dog could fetch a toy or come to you and sit when the door bell rings for example.

Further information

You can also get more information from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs website.