Content
- Why does the dog bark?
- Why does the dog bark at some people and not others?
- Does the dog bark out of fear?
- Is it true that dogs smell fear?
- Dog barks for attention?
- Dog barks to defend his territory?
- Dog barks for lack of training?
- Dog barks a lot for traumatic experiences?
If you share your home and everyday life with a dog, you've probably noticed that dogs bark at some people, while others don't seem to interest you at all. If you've ever been in this situation while walking with your best friend, you've probably wondered forwhy the dog barks at some people and not others or why the dog is barking at strangers.
In this PeritoAnimal article, we'll help you find answers to that question, explaining the possible meanings of your furry's barking and explaining why the dog barks at some people and not others.
Why does the dog bark?
To understand why your dog barks at some people and not others, you first need to know why dogs bark. Although furry ones mainly use their body language to express their moods, emotions and perceptions about the environment, barking fulfills a very important function in relationships with people, other animals and the surrounding environment.
In their day-to-day, dogs bark to communicate different emotions and experiences who live, which depends a lot on the environment they are in and the stimuli they perceive. When we say stimuli, we are not referring only to noises, images or smells, but also to the presence of other individuals in their territory (people, dogs, cats or other animals). So there are many possible meanings of dogs' barks.
To know what each bark of your furry means, you need to pay attention to their postures, facial expressions and their meanings. A stressed dog, in addition to barking, usually shows different signs of stress, such as hyperactivity or nervousness, excessive salivation, licking, difficulty concentrating, excessive wheezing, etc. A rabid dog that is preparing to defend itself will communicate its state of mind with other attitudes and postures, such as growling, showing teeth, scratching and sniffing the ground, having very dilated pupils, standing still with a remarkably rigid body, among others. . If you notice these signs on your furry, it's better if move away and respect your space until the animal calms down and recovers its usual behavior. Afterwards, it will be essential to identify what is causing these negative emotions on your friend to establish an effective treatment.
Therefore, it is important to stress the importance of knowing your dog's personality to easily identify any changes in his behavior and to know how to act to help him. Also, if you notice that your dog is barking too much or that your dog's personality has changed, we recommend that you take him to a trusted veterinarian for check your health status. There are many diseases that can cause severe pain and interfere with your furry friend's senses, so it is essential to rule out any pathological causes associated with excessive barking and other behavior problems.
Why does the dog bark at some people and not others?
You now know that dogs can bark for different reasons and under different circumstances. However, we still haven't answered the initial question: why does the dog bark at some people and not others?
Again, we'll have to tell you that there is no single explanation for this behavior. of your furry. To know why your dog barks at some people, you'll need to look at the context in which these barkings occur. In addition to watching your dog's barking position, you will also need to watch the attitude of the person your furry barks at.
To help with this task, we will summarize below the main reasons why your dog may bark at some people and not others.
Does the dog bark out of fear?
Fear is among the main causes of barking in dogs. In general, the fearful behavior towards people and other dogs is associated with inefficient socialization. Therefore, you should invest in early socialization to prevent the dog from barking too much.
In dogs, fear is an emotion that appears at the very end of the socialization stage that occurs during childhood. If, during this period, you introduce your furry to different people, dogs, other animals and various stimuli, you will be able to avoid fearful behaviors or insecurity in adulthood. While it is ideal to start socializing a dog during its infancy, it is also possible to successfully socialize adult dogs, always relying on patience, affection, and the help of positive reinforcement.
Thus, a dog that was not properly socialized during childhood and was not able to interact positively with other individuals may show fear in front of people, dogs and unknown stimuli. There are even dogs that act fearful and exaggerated even with people they know, for having gone through some traumatic experience with people (we'll talk about this later).
However, there are also other possible explanations about why a dog barks at people out of fear. Likewise, the sensory deprivation syndrome may be the answer you are looking for if your dog was adopted and you are unaware of its past, as this disorder occurs when dogs are confined during their development or deprived of the social stimuli we mentioned earlier.
Is it true that dogs smell fear?
You've probably heard that dogs can smell the fear of humans and can even bark when they identify this emotion in some people. Although there is no 100% proven explanation for this ability of furry ones, the truth is that they have much more developed senses than humans, especially if we talk about smell and hearing. This would be one of the possible explanations for the ability to identify a fearful person.
When we feel fear or other extreme emotion (stress, anxiety, overexcitement), the human body releases some hormones in the bloodstream and in body fluids (urine, sweat, etc.), which alter body odor. Although these substances may go unnoticed by other people, the powerful sense of smell in dogs is able to easily identify the change in the smell in the body of the person experiencing this emotion. In addition, when we feel fear, the body also adopts certain postures and facial expressions that are different from when we experience a state of relaxation or happiness. A person who is generally afraid of dogs takes a defensive or apprehensive posture when you are in the presence of that animal. Remember that fear is an emotion that can cause organic and involuntary reactions.
As dogs mainly use body language to communicate, they are also able to notice changes in our usual postures and identify some signs that indicate this state of tension. By identifying the defensive or apprehensive posture in some people, dogs may bark when feeling stressed or scared in this situation, or simply to frighten and thwart any attempted attack that may arise from that person in a defensive state.
Dog barks for attention?
While it's possible to think that the dog barks at people they don't like, the truth is that furry dogs can also bark. to get people's attention that they like and thus invite them to play or receive their caresses. In fact, there are many dogs that bark when they're overexcited, whether it's noticing their favorite people, knowing it's time for a walk, or because their owner picks up their favorite toy.
If your dog barks at some people to express his happiness when he sees them and invites them to play, you can observe other positive signs and friendly in their body language. For example, the classic happy tail, raised and swaying enthusiastically, open and friendly facial expressions, or ears back when receiving affection or asking for affection from that person.
Dog barks to defend his territory?
Dogs are territorial animals that can be very protective of your home, owners and objects. The presence of people, dogs or other unknown animals in your home can make him feel that his territory is being invaded and that its resources are being threatened. Therefore, he will have a natural need to conserve them and protect them from any threat. However, a possessive dog tends to resort to aggression and react negatively, even to people they know, for fear of losing their toys, food or owner.
THE resource protection it's a natural behavior in dogs and other animals. However, overprotection in relation to people and objects tends to greatly harm the furry's social life and home life. Also, in an attempt to conserve their resources, dogs can have aggressive attitudes that are very dangerous to themselves and everyone around them. Therefore, a possessive dog needs to receive proper treatment for learn to control your negative reactions and interact positively with people, animals and stimuli that make up their environment. If you notice that your dog is very possessive of you or your objects, we recommend that you immediately find a qualified professional, such as a educator or a canine ethologist. Also, if your furry is very nervous or more aggressive than usual, quickly take him to the vet to monitor his health and rule out any pathological cause.
On the other hand, if you have adopted or are considering adopting a new dog, remember the importance of present it correctly to your furry. If you introduce a new puppy into your home abruptly, your dog may feel insecure and become more possessive of her territory and resources, acting aggressively towards the new puppy. Therefore, the introduction of a new dog into our home must be careful to avoid fights and territorial disputes.
Here at PeritoAnimal we give you some advice to promote the coexistence between a new puppy and an adult dog. In addition, you will need to prepare your home for the arrival of the new furry, each dog must have its own environments and objects (feeder, drinking fountain, bed, toys, etc.). This way, you can favor the interaction of your dogs, avoid subjecting them to fights and unnecessary high-stress contexts. Remember again the importance of properly socialize your dogs to teach them to interact in a positive way and enjoy an ideal social life.
Dog barks for lack of training?
O unconscious training it's much more common than you might think. Every day, many owners reinforce unwanted behaviors in their dogs without even noticing, for example, by offering a treat or treats to momentarily stop some unwanted behaviors, such as barking, crying, etc. Precisely for this reason, this phenomenon is known as "unconscious training".
If, to get your dog to shut up, you always offer him a snack, a pet, or allow him to do things that are normally prohibited (such as climbing on the couch or bed), your furry one is probably will assimilate barking with getting something of interest to you. Thus, he may start barking excessively with the sole motivation of getting your attention and getting what he wants.
The same can happen to other people, such as relatives, friends, neighbors or visitors who frequent your home. If your dog only barks at one person or at a few people who frequent your house, you should pay attention to how these people react to his barking.If you notice that these people give a treat, a piece of food or a pet to stop the dog from barking, your dog probably assimilated the act of barking to that person with something that interests and pleases him.
Dog barks a lot for traumatic experiences?
Unfortunately, many dogs have a history of physical or emotional abuse and have gone through traumatic experiences that make it difficult for them to relate to people or other animals, and can even cause phobias to develop. We must not confuse fear, which is a fundamental emotion for survival, with phobias, which are characterized as disproportionate and exaggerated emotions in the face of certain stimuli.
When your dog is afraid of certain people, he may bark at them, try to escape, and even react aggressively to defend himself against a possible attack. However, if the case is a phobia, the dog will overreact and uncontrollably, demonstrating a state of panic that dominates your body. A phobia diagnosis is complex to treat, takes time and a lot of experience. That is why, it is essential to work with an expert. in canine behavior and education to help a dog suffering from phobias regain self-confidence, slowly relearn to trust people and interact with them in a positive way. Unfortunately, a complete cure is not always possible, but a good quality of life can be provided to the dog with a positive environment, controlled exposure to unknown people and the use of alternative therapies, such as Bach flowers, aromatherapy, acupuncture, among others.
If you have recently adopted a furry dog and you notice that it is very fearful or behaves uncontrollably in the presence of other people, we recommend that you see a veterinarian specializing in canine ethology (ethologist veterinarian). This professional can first check your dog's health status and rule out any illnesses or imbalances in your dog's body. Then, you can create a treatment based on specific guidelines according to your puppy's needs and consider the possibility of using drugs or alternative therapies to provide a better quality of life for your best friend.