Borders and Barking

Why does my Border Terrier bark all the time?

Your dog may be barking all the time, annoying the neighbours and you but have you thought about why they are constantly barking?

Terriers are generally more 'barky' then some other breeds as it is in their genes! But is your dog barking for some other reason, what is he trying to tell you?

The most common reasons for barking are obvious, a person walking past your house, the post person using the letter box, excitement during play, the doorbell ringing, hearing the neighbours dog barking or a sudden noise. 

An exciting and tiring walk at the beginning of the day could be all your dog is asking for.

One in the evening before tea would be great too!

Is your dog left alone for long periods? The neighbours may have pointed out that your dog barks and howls throughout the day while they wait for you to come home from work. 

You may lock them in one room and leave them alone for too long. 

This could be causing anxiety as every time you go out your dog thinks they are going to be alone for too long. 

Have you considered a dog walker or a dog sitting service, your dog could be spending the day or part of the day with other dogs, socialising, playing and being a dog rather than waiting at home alone and anxious. 
Dogs are social animals and don't like being left alone for too long.  

Are you feeding you dog enough. Barking may be a sign that they are still hungry, a dog who walks and plays and uses up energy quickly may still be hungry.

Ask your vet for advice and read the advice on the food you feed them and adjust if necessary. Also is there sufficient fresh water available. 

Training. Have you inadvertently trained your dog to bark. 

If you give your dog a treat or attention when it barks to try to stop the barking what you are actually doing is rewarding the dog for the barking, the more they bark the more treats they get. 

As with any behaviour you would like to discourage, ignore the barking and only reward when they stop. 

Obviously we don't want to stop our dogs barking altogether though.