Pets Corner: Dear Human: I’m Barking for a Reason. Love, Your Dog

Connect & Grow Magazine: Issue 22 July 2025

There’s a particular kind of barking that can unravel even the most patient dog guardian. You know the one: it’s the one that involves fence-running, window-slamming, postie-is-here chaos. And if you’ve ever found yourself yelling “For the love of DOG, be quiet!” - I see you.

Here’s the thing: we think barking is our dog behaving badly. In actual fact - it’s communication. It’s your dog saying something’s up - and if we don’t take the time to understand what that “something” is, we risk missing the whole point.

It might be boredom. It might be loneliness. It might be that there’s something there.  It might be that they need more exercise. It might be that your dog’s nervous system is living at DEFCON 1, and the magpie in the tree just tipped them over the edge.

And yes, there are tools out there that claim to “fix” barking instantly - shock collars, citronella sprays, ultrasonic thingamajigs. But suppressing the sound doesn’t stop the reason behind it. It’s like putting duct tape over a fire alarm and hoping the smoke sorts itself out.

Dogs don’t bark just because. They bark when they need something: more enrichment, more exercise, more company, or simply a nervous system that feels safe enough to stop sounding the alarm.

So instead of asking “How do I stop my dog barking?” maybe we need to start asking: “What’s my dog trying to tell me?”

Meet their needs. Fill their cup. Give their brain and body something meaningful to do. And then watch as the barking starts to fade - not because you silenced them, but because you heard them

And really, isn’t that what we all want?

Written by

Sarah Rutten

Canine Behaviour Specialist

#1 Amazon Best-Selling Author

www.thecanineperspective.com.au

sarah@thecanineperspective.com.au

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