Is your dog barking you up the wall?

A dog’s bark is perfectly normal and a way for them to communicate. They may want to give a warning and/ or call for assistance – but persistent barking can drive owners and neighbours up the wall.

Pawfect director and expert dog trainer Belinda Bolte says dogs can also bark as an attention seeking behaviour or out of excitement. Some highly excitable dogs can bark at every little noise, and some just bark for sheer enjoyment.

Most of the problems are learnt behaviours and generally have been reinforced by their human’s reactions to the barking.

Belinda advises that if you have a problem barker, it is sensible to establish what triggers the barking.

For example, is it a specific noise like the doorbell? You need to ask yourself: is it the barking I find a problem with or the fact that the dog won’t stop when told to?

Some breeds are more vocal than others, so do your research before settling on a breed. My pointer, Nelson, often needs to go out in the middle of the night for a wee, and sometimes he decides it would be brilliant to start a conversation with the neighbourhood dogs at 4am.

This is compounded by me whisper-shouting at Nelson to stop barking and thereby waking up the whole neighbourhood. Invariably, Nelson barks louder.

From the dog’s point of view, it is pleased that the owner/pack member has joined in.

Belinda says the most effective way of dealing with a noisy dog is to use Sound Aversion Therapy, which is a means of interrupting unwanted behaviour without the need to use force.

Another great tool is to make sure your furry friend is well exercised.

Tip: a well-exercised dog = a tired dog = little to no barking.

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