Why Do Dogs Bark? Stop Your Dog From Barking Now!

• To express their needs (being bossy).
• Some dogs are bred to bark (some terriers and hounds).
• They are staking out their territory.
• To alert other members of their pack (that's you and your family) of impending danger.
• When playing, just through sheer excitement - this is a very common type of puppy barking.
• Barking at other animals. Depending on where you are in the world, it could be squirrels or possums (I'm in Australia - my dogs go crazy at possums).
• If they are isolated.
• Some dogs bark excessively when separated from their pack (you and your family).
• If they are trapped behind some type of barrier like a fence or window.
• Just for fun!
• To express dominance (puppies normally test you out at some stage with a display of dominance barking).
• They bark because their owners have inadvertently rewarded excessive barking in the past (this is crucial to understand)
• Through boredom or a lack of physical and mental stimulation.
• May feel stressed or uncomfortable for some reason. Things like feeling threatened or if they don't have an appropriate place to sleep can cause excessive barking problems.
• Dogs that haven't been properly socialized often become nuisance barkers.
• May be looking for a response or some attention from their pack.

Another thing to keep in mind is that even though it may appear to you that your dog is barking at nothing, this is not necessarily the case. This is due to the fact that your dog has a much more acute sense of hearing, smell and sight than us humans. Your dog's excessive barking is most probably being triggered by something.