Everyone’s heard that persistent barking dog before, whether it’s your own dog who’s seen something out the front door they just have to bark at or someone’s dog down the street who has decided 2 am is the perfect time to bark at the moon.
This brings about the question, do dogs get tired of barking?
I’m sure everyone has experienced talking non stop all day from a demanding job, and by the end of it, you don’t want to speak another word!
Do dogs get this same feeling?
How long can a dog bark for before it gets tired?
This depends on the type of bark.
If your dog is playful barking and having a fun time, technically they could bark forever as a playful bark doesn’t put enough stress on a dog’s vocal cords to physically tire them out. So if your dog loves barking through the fence at the neighbor’s dog, you might be listening to this all day long.
If you’ve ever caught up with a friend you haven’t seen for months, chances are you could talk each other’s ears off and not get tired because you’re just so excited to catch up and hear all about what’s been going on in their life. This is fun talking, just like fun barking for dogs!
However, if the dog is barking more from stress than playfulness, it will have a different effect on their vocal cords, similar to humans.
If you spend an evening yelling over the top of loud music to try and talk to a friend, you’re probably going to wake up the next morning with your voice sounding a little funny and maybe even a sore throat.
If a dog is barking in distress, this will put a lot more stress upon their vocal cords, resulting in them also getting a sore throat or ‘losing their voice’.
- If your dog is just playing, they could probably bark forever.
- If your dog is distressed, they’re going to get tired and sore just like a human would who spends the night yelling.
Why do dogs bark excessively?
Every dog is different, but most dogs will bark when they want something, they’re in distress, or they’re playing.
If your dog needs to go outside to do its business and no one is standing at the door to let them out, chances are they’ll bark to get your attention. Their problem has now been solved as your attention has been bought to the dog, you’ve noticed they’re standing at the door wanting to go out and you’ve now let them out!
This is their way of communicating to you that they want something.
Other reasons your dog may bark excessively can be due to boredom, anxiety, frustration and excitement.
For example, if my dog sees someone walking past the house she will run to the front door and bark like crazy, she could be trying to tell us two things:
- That this is a threat and she’s trying to warn us that someone is near the house.
- She’s just super excited to see someone and wants to play!
Every dog will react to situations differently. Some may bark all day long when you’re out of the house due to loneliness, while others may only bark excessively when they’re desperate to go outside for a wee.
Many will bark at you and become hyper when you return home simply because they’re excited to see you!
Which dog breeds bark the most?
Once again, every dog is different and you can’t choose your breed of dog expecting them to bark too much or too little, but you can be aware that some breeds are more naturally prone to bark than others.
Beagles – Beagles are naturally vocal dogs, they were bred to hunt so chances are your beagle will alert you with some sort of bark every time something moves or comes to your door!
German Shepherd – These dogs are born to protect, so if you’re looking for a furry, cuddly guard dog a German Shepherd may be perfect. Because they’re such good guard dogs and always on the lookout for their owners they won’t take any threat lightly and will let you know when something is in your front yard with some serious barking power!
Chihuahua – I’m sure you’ve seen a yappy Chihuahua before. They may be small, but they know how to bark. Many Chihuahuas have separation anxiety which leads them to bark quite a lot. They’re also very territorial over their favorite humans, so if someone gets too close they’ll let you know they’re not happy about it.
Yorkshire Terrier – These adorable dogs are assertive and will let you know if someone else is encroaching on their space, it’s their space after all! They’re also not afraid to bark whenever they want something, be it food, water or even if they’re just feeling tired, they want to be heard.
All dogs are capable of barking out of control and all dogs are capable of being well trained. While dogs will always bark, some are born more natural barkers than others.
Tips to stop excessive barking
Most of this comes down to training. If you’ve never trained your pup that it’s not okay to bark excessively all day long they’re not going to know any different; they’re just talking after all.
The best way to train your dog to stop barking excessively is to use a word such as ‘quiet’ or ‘calm’ in your training. Be patient wait for them to stop barking, then you can reward them with a treat and a pat while saying the word.
Just like learning to sit. Eventually, they will associate this word with stopping barking.
Giving your dog treats while they’re barking won’t achieve anything.
Once your dog has a handle on this, make the time between treats and barks longer. If your dog stops barking for a minute, reward them with a treat after the minute has passed and slowly increase this time.
Another approach is to turn their barking into something useful for you both.
For example, when my dog was a puppy whenever he barked I took him out to the toilet. He learned to let me know whenever he needed to go out, and now that is virtually the only reason he ever barks.
Final Thoughts
All dogs are different and all dogs bark for different reasons.
Barking is their way of communicating so they’re not going to get tired after one or two barks, just like you and I wouldn’t get tired after speaking a few sentences.
If you want to get on top of barking, you ideally want to start when they’re puppies and train them to do so, especially if you have a breed that is more prone to barking.
But remember, your dog barking here and there isn’t a behavioral issue, they’re just saying hello.
If your dog barks excessively and you’re struggling to put an end to it, have a look at Brain Training For Dogs which can help you with all kinds of dog behavior issues.
Do Dogs Get Tired Of Barking FAQs
Is it best to ignore a barking dog?
Whenever you give attention to a dog - be it treats, petting, talking to them, etc. - you are rewarding them for whatever they are currently doing. So if the barking is unwanted, you should definitely ignore it. Once they've stopped reward them for being in a calm state to let them know this is how you expect them to behave.
How long can a dog bark for?
A very long time! But it depends what kind of bark it is. You can probably talk all day in a normal voice with no problem, but if you have to raise your voice, for example to be heard in a loud environment, it will put more of a strain on your throat and vocal chords. It's the same with dogs: a friendly bark can continue all day, every day, while a stressful bark is going to tire the dog out and eventually make them lose their voice.
Do dogs outgrow barking?
Outgrow? No. Learn that barking gets them nowhere? Absolutely. Completely ignore your puppy whenever they bark by turning your back to them or even leaving the room and they'll soon get the message. Remember to give them attention frequently whenever they are behaving as you would like.
How do I force my dog to stop barking?
You don't 'force' your dog to do anything. You train them how to behave over time. If you are in a situation where you need your dog to stop making noise immediately, the best way is to distract them - for example by starting a game. Be careful though as your dog may learn to bark whenever he wants attention, so only do this when strictly necessary.
Feature image by Anna Shvets
