Barking is dog problem and people problem

More people complain about barking dogs at this time of year than any other. No doubt it's because dogs tend to be outside in the back yard for longer periods of time enjoying the summer weather.

Yesterday, a woman called and said, "My dog barks — what can I do about it?" So I said, "Barks how, when and where?" And we discovered that her dog barks when someone comes to the door — a couple of yaps. Sort of like an automatic doorbell. Her dog also barks when he needs to go out and, if there is no response, barks even more. It's better to have the dog insist on someone opening the door than quietly diddle on the floor. In other words, this dog was not barking excessively and didn't have a problem. The lady simply didn't like noise, and that is a people problem, not a dog problem.

At the other extreme is a man in Santa Ana, Calif., who lives next door to a family with two full-grown dogs and a puppy that are outside most of the time now. All of them, including the newest member of the pack, bark constantly, all day and all night long. The man is a dog lover and is trying to figure out what to do. It is a dog problem because the dogs have not been trained, and it is a people problem because, evidently, the owners won't correct the situation. I predict that animal control will eventually be called, a complaint will be filed, and trouble will begin.

People talk. It is meant to be, and it is the way we communicate. Dogs bark. It is meant to be, and it is one of the ways they communicate. In addition to barking, other vocal sounds include whimpers and whines, howls and growls. The first sound a puppy makes is a little, soft almost-crying sound — when it is hungry, has a pain, is cold or is uncomfortable. The puppy gets a little bit older, and that soft, little cry becomes a variety of whimpers, whines and eventually yelps. The puppy wants attention. And guess what. The owner gives the puppy that attention and, without realizing it, more often than not encourages more whimpering and yelping.

For example, every time the puppy whimpers, the owner picks it up to stop the whimpering. The owner stops the noise, and the dog learns that he gets attention if he whimpers and yelps. The dog is being taught that whining and barking work.

"Ah, but my dog howls," you say. Howling is more common in wolves, but some domestic breeds of dogs can be frequent howlers. The howl of each dog is very distinctive and suggests that howls are one way of recognizing individuals and broadcasting territories.