Do Dogs Ever Get Tired of Barking?
Picture this: you have just had a long day at work and are looking forward to a restful night. Unfortunately, just when you are about to fall asleep, your dog starts barking. You think it probably has spotted a stray dog, and it will stop barking once the stray is out of sight. However, the barking continues for over an hour, and it upsets you knowing that you will report to work having had inadequate sleep, which will affect your productivity. As you think of how to stop your dog from barking excessively, you are curious whether dogs ever get tired of barking. Well, they do not, and here is a detailed explanation.
Dogs Never Get Tired of Barking
According to SuperB Dogs, dogs will keep barking until they get a response. They are like children who cry until someone attends to them because crying is the only language they know to get your attention. Likewise, barking is a form of communication that dogs expect you to understand, so until you react, he will keep at it. It is, therefore, important to attend to the dog and know the cause of the bark; otherwise, a dog can bark all day long. Usually, the period a dog will bark depends also on the size and volume of the bark. Dog Advisory Council published that larger dogs have a better chance of keeping you awake all night long, unlike smaller ones.
Younger dogs do not have the energy to keep going and will tire faster. Also, a dog that is not putting all his energy into the bark will not get tired quickly compared to one barking loudly. The key thing to note here is that dogs bark for a reason, so you should not ignore them. The longer a dog barks, the more stressed he becomes. If you do not respond, he will become anxious and continue barking, making it difficult to get him to calm down. Anxious dogs develop bad habits such as pacing, incessant digging, licking paws, and picking fights with other dogs. Besides the behavioral consequences of barking too much, dogs could also develop health issues. Like humans whose larynxes get inflamed from overworking them, our canine friends can suffer from laryngitis after barking for too long. A damaged larynx causes hoarse barking, is painful, and takes a while to heal.
Know the Meaning of Your Dog’s Barks
The ideal way to prevent your dog from developing health and behavioral problems from barking too much is to decode the barks and react appropriately. American Kennel Club informs us that lonely dogs make high-pitched sounds to request your companionship. A single bark is usually from a surprised or an annoyed dog while barking non-stop indicates the dog is alarmed, and you better check out what is causing him to be worked up. Dogs who take longer pauses between barks are requesting that you should not leave them, whereas short pauses are for dogs in an aggressive mode. Low-toned barks are from dogs who are being bothered and are warning you to leave them alone; failure to heed the warning of such growls results in bites. Stressed dogs make high-pitched repetitive barks. However, barks are not the only sounds your dog makes, so you also have to differentiate barks from howls, whines, snorts, and growls. Whining signals distress and pain, but dogs also make the sound to beg for something. Howls are mainly for excited dogs responding to other sounds such as bells and alarms. Such barking can be annoying when your dog is sensitive to noise, so it is up to you to create a relaxed atmosphere.
Some Dogs Do Not Bark
While others complain of dogs barking too much, you could be at the other end of the spectrum, wondering why your dog never barks. According to Hills Pet, there are several reasons:
Debarking
Once some dog owners get tired of the excessive barking, they will have their canines debarked. Debarking is a surgical procedure that entails removing the parts of a dog’s throat that help him create the barking sound. As a result, a dog has a hoarse bark since the intention is not to stop barking entirely but to reduce the volume. This could be the problem you encounter if you adopt a dog from a shelter and the previous owners had him debarked. The surgery is not recommended due to the risks associated with it. The dig could develop coughing, bleeding, excessive intolerance, aspiration pneumonia, and throat narrowing. It is an inhumane method; hence, the United Kingdom banned it, but in the United States, only New Jersey, and Massachusetts illegalized it. Luckily, ethical veterinarians do not perform it either.
Training
You could also have adopted a dog trained not to bark. Dog owners who can no longer stand the barks seek the help of professionals such as animal behaviorists who study the canine’s behavior to learn what triggers him to bark. By simply using commands and removing the triggers, your dog gradually stops barking. It takes professionals about two weeks of intensively training a dog to achieve desired results, so once you come across such a trained dog, you will notice he barely makes a sound even at things you would expect to excite him. As a dog owner, you have to be empathetic to the plight of your dog by eliminating the triggers. You have a role to play in ensuring that it does not stress the dog’s vocal cords. You can ensure that your dog is not bored since boredom leaves the dog with so much energy. Also, buy plenty of toys for dogs who bark out of loneliness, and if your canine loves attention, ignore unwanted behavior and reward good behavior. With time, the dog learns acceptable behavior and stops barking to get attention.
