DEAR PET TALK: How do you handle the hyperness of a dog — my goldendoodle goes crazy all the time. I know you’re not supposed to yell, but a family member keeps doing it. Our dog goes outside a lot and gets long walks. Here is her photo. Sabrey, 10th grade Fitchburg Public Schools.
DEAR SABREY: My unscientific hypothesis is that humans trained dogs to bark if there was an intruder at the door (or the mouth of the cave). Dogs kept the habit going once they learned barking could get them food and attention.
According to Pet MD, there are many reasons why dogs bark, and these include a dog in pain, or if them have dementia (yes, canines can develop cognitive difficulties). Older dogs, and those who have hearing loss or vision issues may emit a “surprise” or “reactive” bark if someone suddenly enters their environment. This bark might sound like they simply are startled, and is usually not a prolonged cadenza of barking.
However, add a human, or a group to the mix, and a dog may decide to bark to say: “this is my space, what are you doing here?” If they are feeling threatened, they may have ears and head at attention, with their tail straight to look larger if they start “territorial barking.”
A dog that wants playtime, or needs mental/physical stimulation may also bark. This vocalizing might be accompanied by a “play bow” (showing they want interaction). Those barks are usually single — rather than the “ruff ruff ruff” that a dog might do to alert your attention to someone coming into his environment.
If your dog is barking just to bark, do not yell at the dog, or approach them, especially in a threatening way. If a dog comes from a shelter, they may have trauma from mistreatment, and a person suddenly lunging towards them could make them uneasy (some dogs are averse to males, or people with hats, for example). Ignore the barking until they stop. The minute you or another person opens your mouth to speak to the dog, or one another, the dog will continue to bark. Train the people in your house to be dead silent when the barking starts.
Sally Cragin is the director of Be PAWSitive: Therapy Pets and Community Education. Send questions to sallycragin@verizon.net.
