Do Dogs Get Tired Of Barking? Dealing With The Annoying Woof

You just got into bed after a hard day and you can’t wait to fall asleep. But your furry friend has decided that it won’t let you do that tonight and is continually barking loudly.

How many times did you have to get up and shut them up? After you came out and told them to stop, they were quiet for a while. But as soon as you went back to bed, the loud barking continued!

Why is this happening? Is there any way we can stop our pets from barking? Do dogs get tired of barking?

Before you became a dog owner, you were aware of the fact that your dog would bark from time to time.

But you thought it would be enough for you to tell them: enough, stop! and that they would really do it. However, the reality is somewhat different. Some dog breeds are extremely vocal and barking seems to be their favorite activity!

Let’s find out if our dogs even get tired of excessive barking.

Do Dogs Get Tired Of Barking?

Unfortunately, our dogs can’t seem to get enough of barking. Even if it seems to you that your dog is barking at nothing, there is obviously a strong reason why it does not want to stop barking.

Sometimes a dog barks as soon as they see you – it is simply in their nature and their way of expressing that they’re glad to see you. However, in some cases, there are various other reasons why your dog barks.

So, the dog will not get tired of barking by itself, as much as we would like that to happen. Therefore, it is necessary to first determine the exact reason for your dog’s loud and frequent barking. After that, you can consider various options to solve the problem of this noise.

Do not forget how intelligent dogs are and how, with appropriate methods, it is possible to train them to be obedient and well-behaved.

Why Dogs Don’t Get Tired Of Barking?

In some cases, your dog probably barked for hours and eventually stopped. You might have thought at the time, Oh, it’s possible that he gets tired of barking.

Unfortunately for us, this is not true. The dog probably stopped barking because it realized that it didn’t get your attention and that you wouldn’t respond.

So, barking is the way dogs communicate and, physically, they will never get tired of barking, although we get tired just listening to them how long and loud they can bark.

Barking is not only tiring, but it can make it completely difficult for us to function normally. If your dog does not allow you to rest during the night by excessive barking, you already know that you will be completely exhausted the next day.

However, no matter how much this behavior frustrates us, we must never respond to it by scolding or punishing the dog. Instead, the exact cause of the barking needs to be investigated.

Why Do Dogs Bark? 7 Reasons

Every dog barks, whether to a greater or lesser extent. Beagles, for example, are known for being pretty loud barkers. Some other dog breeds that are also pretty vocal are Cairn Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers, German Shepherd and Dachshunds.

The Poodle is known to be a moderate barker, which means that there are other dogs that bark significantly more than this dog breeds, but also other dogs that are a lot quieter than the Poodle.

Some dogs that are known for not being vocal barkers are the Basenji and Shar Pei. However, you cannot expect any dog not to bark at all.

Just as we use words to communicate with others, our dogs use barking. Which can often be very irritating, as we all know. But, have you ever thought about the reasons why our dogs bark?

Let’s look at a list of some of the most common reasons for dog barking.

1. Happy Barking

Let our first reason for dog barking be the most pleasant one: your dog is happy! When you return home, the dog is probably waiting for you at the door, barking at the same time. Simple – it is very excited to see you!

Maybe with this barking, they probably want to tell you that they are delighted that you finally came home and now your time together is coming. There is no better luck than this for our dogs!

In addition to barking, most dogs will happily wag their tails when they are happy. Learn more about dog tail positions and what they mean.

Also, the dog might be excited about other things, such as, when it knows it is playtime! Or when you are about to take them for a walk. They will probably get so happy that they’ll bark at you to move faster and take them to investigate what is going on out there.

2. Communicating With Other Dogs

Dogs are pack animals and are used to having company around them. While you are walking with your dog, it will probably bark at every dog you meet.

In situations like these, you will probably get annoyed by your dog’s excessive barking, and you will try to keep them quiet. However, it would be good if you don’t go overboard with silencing your dog, because it might take this the wrong way.

Barking is the main form of communication for dogs, and many dogs might become antisocial and frightened if they have no contact with other animals. Therefore, it is important to find a balance between a dog that constantly barks and a dog that happily greets furry friends during a walk.

3. The Dog Spotted An Intruder

Many people decide to get a guard dog to feel safer in their own home. Besides big guard dogs, there are also many small guard dogs out there. They will all do their job very well, but you will have to accept the fact that these dogs will bark a lot!

This kind of barking is called territorial barking.

Whether it is a human or an animal, if it has spotted an intruder in its territory, the dog will constantly bark. This will probably last until it gets your acknowledgement and they are sure that they have let you know that someone is trespassing on your property.

Your house and yard is the place where your dog will bark the loudest and most often. This happens because the dog perceives this area as its territory and because it takes its role as a watchdog very seriously.

4. The Dog Is Scared

Excessive barking can, in some cases, indicate that your dog is frightened. If barking occurs together with whining, this is most likely the reason.

There are various reasons why a dog would be frightened. Maybe it was startled by something inside the house, like a loud sudden sound or movement. Or maybe it was frightened by some natural phenomenon, like loud thunder.

If the dog is barking out of fear, it would be useful to establish the exact source of the barking as soon as possible, so that fear does not develop into anxiety in the dog.

All dog owners hate to see their dog scared or sad, so, the sooner you find the source of the fear in your dog, the better for you to be able to do all you can to make your dog happy and unbiased as they used to be.

5. The Dog Is Lonely

If your dog spends most of his time alone in an isolated space, it is very likely that it barks because it misses company. Or, if you spend a lot of time away from home, it is possible that your dog barks loudly all the time when you are not present.

Quite simply, dogs enjoy company, and a large number of them will develop separation anxiety if they feel that their owners are not giving them enough time.

Some dogs are more dependent on constant attention than other breeds, while some dog breeds can spend a certain amount of time alone. It is important to recognize which group your dog belongs to.

If you are not able to spend more time at home, a good thing would be to sign your dog up to a puppy daycare. This way, your dog will not be lonely while you are gone.

Some dogs might like to be alone sometimes, but, in reality, most of our dogs love to have us around all the time!

6. The Dog Is In Pain

Dog barking does not have to be a method of attention-seeking: it can also be the way your dog informs you that it is in some kind of pain! We can learn a lot about a dog’s health from its behavior, so, if your dog barks constantly with no other apparent reason, your dog might be suffering.

Maybe it got injured during playtime or there is actually some serious health issue your best friend dog is suffering from.

In cases like this, try to touch all over your dog’s body to locate the source of pain. If your doggy won’t let you do this, the best thing is to contact the veterinarian right away.

7. The Dog Is Frustrated Or Bored

Your dog’s constant barking may be a result of frustration. If its routine looks absolutely the same every day, it is possible that your dog has become very bored, is frustrated, and wants to let you know by barking loudly.

A dog that barks is very often a dog that does not have enough activity during the day. Pay attention to your dog’s physical activity. Think about how often you walk your dog.

In addition to walking, it also needs frequent running and any physical activity, such as playing with a ball.

The next very important thing is mental stimulation. Try to give your dog some tasks to solve. They don’t have to be too complicated, but just frequent enough for the dog to think about how to solve the obstacle. After that, of course, it would be useful to reward them for good behavior!

We mentioned that it is not likely that our dogs will get tired of barking. However, if our dog is a tired dog, there is a big chance that they will bark less!

Is It OK To Ignore Your Dog Barking?

How long can a dog bark? you ask. We feel your pain. We all know this is really not easy.

You are getting tired of using the “quiet” command all the time with your pooch. But, is it okay for pet parents simply to ignore this unwanted behavior in their dogs? Well, this depends on the cause of this dog behavior.

If your dog is barking out of boredom, you are free to ignore them. At first, the barking might become even worse, but when they see they’re not getting your attention, there is a high chance that they will stop the annoying barking soon.

On the other hand, if the cause of your dog’s barking is separation anxiety or some kind of pain, you should definitely not just ignore your dog’s call for help. So, again, the first and the most important thing is to determine the cause of behavior and then to act.

What Is The Best Way To Stop Barking?

Luckily for you (and for your neighbors!), there are some ways you can try to stop your dog’s barking.

The first step is to determine what is making your dog bark constantly in the first place. The next thing to do is to choose the best method of how to stop this dog behavior. Read our following list and find the best way to make your house a quiet place again.

1. Teach Your Dog The Quiet Command

If you have only recently become a dog owner, it is probably very interesting for you to discover how your dog reacts to commands and how successful it is in adopting them.

If you have focused on basic commands such as come, lie down, fetch the ball, we warn you not to forget one that will definitely benefit you, which is the quiet command.

Dogs learn the rules of behavior best when they are still small. During the period when they are still getting used to you as the owner and to the new environment, the approach you use in trying to teach your dog obedience is very important.

Also, it is important to know how to show dominance to a dog without startling them.

To begin with, try to get your dog to bark. For example, take the ball and don’t immediately give it to him. It will most likely soon be barking to let you know it wants you to toss him the ball. When the dog barks, tell him to be quiet.

After it stops barking, praise and reward. Here it is good to use solutions like bravo, good dog, and the like. Repeat this several times until the dog gets an idea of what the word quiet actually means.

Positive reinforcement methods are very important in teaching your dog to behave properly.

When the dog has learned the meaning of the word quiet and has received an appropriate reward for it, you can start using this command in concrete situations.

The next time your dog barks loudly, use the quiet command and follow the dog’s response. Some dogs may need a longer time to fully learn this command, but it is important to be persistent and not give up.

Every dog can be trained and socialized, and the same rule applies to everyone – the sooner you start, the better.

If your dog is already an adult, it will probably take you longer to get rid of the bad habit of excessive barking. However, if there is no health or psychological problem behind the dog’s barking, even your adult dog will react positively to training!

2. Do Nothing

Your dog has access to food, water, and a comfortable place to sleep. You spend enough time with him and it doesn’t miss company. You have checked for signs of illness and everything seems to be fine with your puppy.

But for some reason, it just won’t stop barking. After you’ve gone out for the umpteenth time and made sure that there is no intruder on your property, you slowly lose patience and run out of ideas on how to silence your dog. And your neighbors are also getting impatient.

In such cases, it is very likely that your dog is simply looking for attention by barking. So everything is fine with them. What to do then? How to react? The answer is simple – do nothing! Ignore them.

Instead of rewarding them with their favorite treat every time they bark, try going a certain amount of time without paying any attention to the barking. It is possible that, over time, they too will notice that you no longer appear and that you are not reacting to their woof calls.

After a time has passed without barking, go to the dog and then reward them with a treat. In this way, the dog will learn that they will be rewarded for not barking, and will not perceive their favorite treat as a reward for barking!

3. Give Your Dog Enough Exercise

Exercise needs vary significantly among different breeds of dogs. Some will need one short walk a day, while some will need two hours of active exercise! No matter how much exercise is required, physical and mental exercise is very important for every dog.

In addition to being beneficial for the dog’s general health, exercise is also an important factor in the dog’s barking problem.

A dog that lacks exercise and has not been part of any new, interesting, activity for a long time will probably bark much more than a dog whose owner keeps giving them new stimuli and keeping them entertained.

So, try to spend as much time as possible with your furry friend. Whenever you plan to spend a day in nature, don’t forget to take them with you.

Running, walking, playing – all these activities are perfect to tire out your dog and use up their enormous energy reserves. Chances are, they’ll sleep soundly at night and won’t wake you up with incessant barking!

4. Use Anti-Barking Devices

One method of making your dog stop barking is by using anti-barking devices. Today, we have a lot of these products available and all of them can be found on sites such as Amazon.

What are these products? Well, we have some different options for these devices out there. There are anti-barking collars, which some pet parents perceive as a cruel way of putting your dog’s behavior under control.

So, if you do not like the idea of an anti-barking collar for your dog, there are some other anti-barking devices that you can try, such as sprays and ultrasonic devices that will help you stop your dog’s excessive barking.

You can find more information on this topic in our list of top anti-barking devices.

5. Ask For Professional Help

You’ve tried everything in your power, but you can’t seem to find the right way to get your dog’s barking under control. Do not worry, because there is an additional method that will surely solve this problem with your dog’s behavior.

How? With the help of a dog trainer! Using help from a professional dog trainer, you will surely get your dog to finally stop barking continuously.

Ask around for a recommendation for a good and responsible dog trainer. If you do not get any recommendations you find satisfying, we suggest you use the official site of The Association of Professional Dog Trainers. This is where you will find a perfect trainer for your pooch, for sure.

By attending a professional dog training class, your dog will not only stop the excessive barking, but will also learn additional socialization skills. In addition, they will learn new useful tricks.

All this will have a positive effect on their mental stimulation and make them a healthier and happier dog in general. And you will finally be able to take a break from the exhausting barking!

Conclusion

All pet owners have, at least once, asked the question: Do dogs get tired of barking?

By analyzing this problem, we came to the conclusion that, unfortunately, our furry companions will not get tired of barking. We will get significantly tired listening to them barking loudly, but this will not be enough for them to stop this undesirable behavior.

Punishing and yelling at the dog is definitely not the solution to this problem. You may just end up making your dog anxious and frustrated.

Instead, focus on getting to the heart of the problem. Maybe your dog is just lonely or is simply a great guard dog. And maybe behind the excessive barking is a significantly bigger problem.

In modern times, we have various solutions available for the problem of dog barking. For example, we can find the help of professional trainers who will do their best to eradicate the bad habit of barking in our dogs.

Additionally, there are certain anti-barking devices that should make your life significantly easier. It is also up to you to start socializing and training your dog in good time.

So, dogs will not get tired of barking, but this does not mean that this problem has no solution. It is up to each dog owner to find out which technique the dog will respond to best to overcome this problem.