Barking & Other ‘Dog Noise’ Problems

Training & Behaviour
Barking & Other ‘Dog Noise’ Problems

Ask any local government officer or council ranger what is the most common complaint they receive in relation to dogs and most will say without hesitation that it is complaints about barking dogs.

Barking is a normal behaviour for dogs

The canid family contains a number of species, all with one thing in common – they are social animals. They live in family groups where they are seldom alone by choice.   Barking and other forms of vocalisation, such as howling, serve as a form of communication between individuals and to alert the group of possible approaching threats. Many dogs also vocalise when they are frustrated, excited or anxious.

The way we own and manage pet dogs has changed dramatically over the years. In the past dogs were allowed to wander and roam the streets, playing with the local children and meeting up with other dogs.  Mothers stayed at home, so the dog was rarely left alone or the dog accompanied its owner on their daily activities.

These days there are laws and regulations that require people to contain their dogs so, unless deliberately exercised, the back yard is where they remain. These days it is not uncommon for both of the adults in the family to work (often long hours) leaving the dog alone at home for much of the day.  Being less able to participate in neighbourhood activities builds frustration in the under-exercised, under-stimulated dog, and he barks!

Some dogs were bred to bark

Over the years, mankind saw the value of having a dog to protect their belongings. Breeds were developed based on individuals who were very good at alerting us to approaching danger. Our modern day dogs bark far more than their wild relatives as we made them that way! No-one minds if their dog barks and frightens off a potential home invader, but we do mind if he barks at the meter reader! Somehow we expect the dog to know the difference.

Greyhounds are not typically a noisy breed, but can learn quickly that making noise has its benefits in regards to getting attention, or getting let into the house. They may also have learned to bark at feeding time when living in kennels.

Dogs can bark for other reasons too

The dog’s hearing is very acute (estimated to be about 4 times better than ours).  They can hear other dogs bark, cats miaow, birds screech and sirens wail over quite a distance. As far as the dog is concerned all of these can be arousing stimuli and a dog’s response to arousal is often to bark.

Dogs may also bark due to anxiety – especially when they are left alone without adequate training to help them to cope.  Many dogs are very fearful of storms and other loud noises and may bark or howl in their attempts to escape the feared noises; other dogs are overly attached to their owners and become very anxious when they are left alone.

Many people inadvertently teach their dog to bark for attention. The dog barks when it hears a noise it considers noteworthy and the owner rushes outside to yell at the dog (or merely yells at the dog through the window). The dog learns that he can get his owners attention if he just barks. Any smart dog, especially those who are confined in a back yard with little to do, will learn rapidly that this is one great way to get noticed!

My dog seems to be barking a lot, what can I do to reduce the barking?

First of all you need to determine the cause of the barking. Obviously the strategies to deal with barking are very different depending on the cause of the barking.

Often the easiest way to do this is to keep a barking ‘diary’. This way you can ask all family members, as well as your neighbours to note down the times of the day the dog barks.  By looking at when and where the dog barks it may be possible to start to understand what triggers the barking. Another option, especially if the dog only seems to bark when you are not home, is to use video surveillance to observe what the dog is doing when you are not there.

Does the dog bark at times where there is increased pedestrian traffic outside on the street? If the barking peaks at 3-4pm it might be the dog is barking at children coming home from school. One answer to this is to bring the dog inside the house at this time and keep it busy by offering it a chew toy; another option might be to take the dog to the park or for a walk.

Does the dog bark most when you have just left for work? This may indicate a dog who has separation issues and who becomes highly anxious when his owner leaves. Sometimes making departures less of an ‘event’ by giving the dog something to keep him busy as you sneak out quietly may help. For some dogs this may not be enough as they have a severe anxiety problem when left alone. These dogs require professional help from a veterinary behaviourist to truly address their problem.

Is the dog barking at something? Is it people passing, possums at dusk, cats on the fence, or is it the neighbour’s dog?  Sometimes the triggers for barking can be avoided by blocking the dog’s visual contact.  This may mean confining the dog to only a part of the yard, building a screen, or bringing the dog in at times when animals such as possums and cats are most active.

Is the dog barking to get attention? Some dogs learn that barking is a great way to get doors opened or to get attention from their owners.  Make sure you are not inadvertently rewarding barking behaviours and contributing to the problem. Remember: even yelling at the dog to be quiet constitutes attention!

Only once you understand why the dog barks can you start working to reduce the noise. Options include changing the way the dog is managed, changing the places it has access to, coving over fences or gates to reduce the visual stimuli or allowing the dog a better view of the world. Sometimes the answer is to bring the dog inside the house when it is most likely to bark, or leave it inside when you are not home.

How can I keep the dog ‘busy’ when he is in the yard?  

All dogs need physical as well as mental exercise. Before you leave in the morning, make sure your dog is nice and tired. Getting up a little early and taking him for a walk is one way to burn off steam but you could also play an active game in the yard before you leave.

As your dog is going to be alone for much of the day it is up to you to provide him with suitable activities to keep him busy during the day.  Many enrichment activities involve having the dog use his hunting skills to find and obtain food. This food may be hidden, scattered, or stuffed into puzzle-type toys that need to be manipulated for the food to come out. Chew items, toys and other things the dog enjoys may also help.  You may even consider having someone else take him for a walk, or come to play with a toy during the day.

These type of activities need to be offered every day, and toys need to be rotated to maintain their interest. There are a lot of enrichment ideas in books and on the internet, but always consider your dog’s safety first, and regularly check any items you leave in the yard for damage.

For some dogs, simply having access to part of the house during the day can help. This is because having a safe and comfortable place to sleep can mean the dog is not in the yard noticing the activity going on. Greyhounds in particular like their comfort, and if they do not have somewhere that is soft and warm, they will be unsettled and more likely to make noise. You do not have to have them running ‘free-range’ through the house, but allowing access to a dog-safe area can certainly help in some cases.

Can I teach my dog to ‘Shush’ on command?

It is possible to teach the dog to ‘Shush’ when asked. This is good for situations where you might like your dog to bark a few times, but then be quiet – such as when a stranger comes to the door. To teach your dog to be quiet on cue, you will also need to teach your dog to bark on cue.  Sounds odd, but it is true!

Dogs do not understand our language, so just yelling “quiet!” may halt the barking as the dog looks at you in surprise, but true learning does not take place. It can also be difficult or impractical to teach a dog to be “quiet” on command if the barking cannot be predicted or ‘turned on’ or if it is too intense.

Start by teaching the dog to bark – use a stimulus that will cause the dog to bark (often a knock at the door or ringing of the door bell). As the dog barks, pair it with a cue such as ‘Speak’.  Once the dog is barking, you can then work on the other half of the equation – the ‘Shush’. As your dog is barking ask it to ‘shush’ or ‘quiet’, then put a super smelly treat right in front of the dog’s nose. Most dogs will stop barking to sniff the treat – dogs cannot inhale and bark at the same time.  When the dog is quiet, you can praise him and give him the treat. You will need to repeat this over and over, but soon the dog will begin to understand what you actually mean when you ask for quiet, and you can increase the length of time the dog must remain quiet to earn the treat.

My dog is well exercised, has plenty to do, but he still barks

If you feel you are doing everything to try to stop the barking and the barking is still occurring, it may indicate a more serious underlying problem. Your first step should be to take your dog to your local veterinarian for a thorough medical examination. There are some medical problems which may contribute to barking.

If the dog gets the ‘all-clear’ medically, it is worth asking for a referral to a veterinary behaviourist who can spend time working out the cause of the barking, and who can fully address any underlying anxiety issues that may be contributing to the problem.

Barking dogs can be very frustrating, especially where you have done all you can to try to prevent the problem. Your neighbours will want to see that you are trying to address the issue or you may find them complaining to the local council.

What about punishment or aversives?

It is very easy to yell or reach for aversive equipment but this is the same as using a cough lolly for pneumonia – the symptom is a cough but the cause is quite different to an itchy throat!

Punishment is seldom effective in the control and correction of barking problems. Excessive levels of punishment can increase anxiety and further aggravate many forms of barking, while mild punishment merely rewards the behaviour by providing attention.

Meet our dogs ready for adoption

All greyhounds adopted from GAP are de-sexed, vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and health checked.

Available

Name

0 Years Old

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla.

Learn more
Available

Name

0 Years Old

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla.

Learn more
Available

Name

0 Years Old

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla.

Learn more
Available

Name

0 Years Old

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla.

Learn more
Available

Name

0 Years Old

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla.

Learn more
Available

Name

0 Years Old

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla.

Learn more
Available

Wolf

3 years old

Meet Wolf! He is a young boy who can be a bit unsure of new environments and situations. Once he is comfortable, he allows his true colours to shine through and is puppyish, playful and affectionate. Wolf appears to have some issues with his vision, so he will need a special home who can manage this over the course of his life. Wolf may suit living with or without a canine pal of similar size and older children aged in their teens. Wolf has low vision, which isn't expected to get any worse. He doesn't require medication for this. He will be adopted out with a approval for a follow up appointment with an eye specialist, paid for by GAP.
Learn more
Available

Jett

4 years old

This boy is ready to Jett his way into your heart and onto your couch! Sweet Jett is an incredibly friendly and outgoing boy with a puppy like nature and loves nothing more than a cuddle and play! Due to his excitement towards life Jett would be best in a home with a family who is experienced with large breed dogs! He may suit a home with another medium or large canine companion who likes to play as much as he does. He may be best suited to a home with children 10+ who can also keep up with him!
Learn more
Available

Angus

4 years old

If you're looking for an enthusiastic young boy to be part of the family then look no further than Angus! Angus is an awesome outgoing and lovable goofbag that would love to be your new best friend. He absolutely loves toys and treats and would benefit from an adoptive home who will include him in all the day to day activities. He would be best suited to a home with a backyard as he loves to stretch his legs! He may suit a home with full time workers and children in their teens Angus is very special needs, he has retinal atrophy, he is looking for a special person, he has significant loss of sight now and complete vision loss over time is expected, he can learn to navigate in a stable environment and live a wonderful life with the right owners who are mindful of this. Talk to our adoption team to learn more about him.
Learn more
Available

Stevie

4 years old

Our wonderful Stevie boy is ready to win hearts. Stevie is a lovely and friendly boy who can charm anyone with his outgoing and affectionate personality. He loves his toys and may be best suited to a home with children 10+ and would enjoy having another dog to be his buddy. We could all use a bit of Stevie love in our lives! Stevie would also love a backyard to run and play in. Stevie has spent some time in foster care and his foster carer said that he is a "...happy, big goofball, eager to please, cuddler and leaner. sleeps all night. plays with every toy likes soft toys and chew toys, favourite is the snorting pig and chasing ball. loves digging them all out of the basket. would be great with another large dog or by himself as long as he has things he can play with." Stevie has some osteo arthritis from an old injury, but this doesn't stop him from being his bright, bubbly self.
Learn more
Available

Esmae ARP

2 years old

Esmae is everyone’s friend! She is sweet, funny, personable and puppyish. She loves being around other dogs and people and would love to find a home with another dog bestie to spend her days hanging out with. She loves to lean on anyone that wants to give her pats and attention. We think Esmae will best suit living as an only dog as she does not want to share the love, she would also suit children 5 and over. Esmae may even suit living with fulltime workers.
Learn more
Available

Poppy

9 years old

Meet Poppy, the lovely and endearing greyhound lady who's ready to bloom in her forever home! This gentle soul is as sweet as can be, with a heart of gold and a desire to please. Poppy loves people and enjoys human interaction, making her a fantastic companion for families and individuals alike. Poppy has been through behavioural rehabilitation, which has helped her become a confident and well-adjusted greyhound. She's perfect for families with kids aged 10+, who will adore her calm and gentle nature. Poppy would most likely love to live as the only furry friend or alongside respectful medium to large male dog. She is a perfect lady on the lead and walks quietly by your side. Poppy has Inflammatory bowel disease, but this doesn't stop her happy go lucky attitude.
Learn more
Available

Dwight

4 years old

Dorky Dwight is in the search for his forever family! This boy is incredibly affectionate and has nothing higher on his wish list than someone who can provide bum scratches. When he isn't requesting affection, he is showing off his goofy and puppy-like side that is sure to make you laugh! Due to his playful ways, he may suit a home with children 10+ who can play with him! He may enjoy a medium or large canine sibling but may also like being the star of the show as a solo pooch! His playful nature means he wouldn't do best in a home with small dogs or cats, and will need some space to run, therefore wouldn't suit apartment life.
Learn more
Available

Mia

7 years old

Meet Mia, a friendly and affectionate greyhound who's bursting with enthusiasm! This extroverted girl loves people and can't get enough attention - she's always eager to please and shower her humans with affection. With her bubbly personality, Mia's sure to bring joy and excitement to her forever home. Mia's looking for a household where she can be the only dog, and she's suitable for families with or without kids aged 10+. While she's a wonderful companion, Mia's still working on her manners, so she'll need a patient and understanding owner to help her learn and grow. If you're ready to provide Mia with love, guidance, and a forever home, she'll reward you with loyalty, affection, and plenty of personality!

Learn more
Available

Meeko

3 years old

Meet Meeko, the charming and playful greyhound gentleman who's ready to capture your heart! This friendly boy has a delightful puppyish streak, loving nothing more than seeking attention and playtime from his favourite humans. Meeko's unique trait is his love of seeking eye contact, often gazing adoringly at his people to connect and show affection. Meeko is perfect for families with kids aged 5+, who will adore his energetic and loving personality. With his outgoing and affectionate nature, Meeko promises to bring joy and companionship to his new family. If you're looking for a loving and playful buddy, Meeko is ready to be your new best friend! Meeko has an old hock fracture which has healed well, without any hardware present. Meeko needs a home with another dog for company, and can also be a bit anxious in new situations.
Learn more
Available

Shelby

6 years old

Meet adorable Shelby, who has the best ears going around. Sweet Shelby is a fun and confident girl who loves water and cuddles; she is incredibly affectionate and outgoing and is sure to become your best buddy! Shelby may enjoy having a medium or large canine sibling but may also enjoy being the centre of attention as an only dog! Due to her energetic ways Shelby may do best with a home with children 10+ who can keep up with her and wouldn't suit a home with a small dog or cats.
Learn more