Dogs Barking At Nothing
Thankfully there s help for this problem too.
Dogs barking at nothing. Even dogs who are not showing signs of true canine cognitive dysfunction may experience changes in the way their brain processes information and the way he copes in his environment causing more barking a lot of times what happens with our senior patients is that they have had an underlying behavior concern almost their whole lives explains rebecca ruch gallie dvm ms assistant professor and service chief community practice at colorado state university veterinary teaching hospital. Barking is a dog s way of communicating so it s often a natural reaction. Often it seems they are barking at absolutely nothing and you may think they are crazy or have a sense of the supernatural. A dog s senses are much more sensitive than ours so this behaviour is usually triggered by something we can t see or smell.
Rest assured they are perfectly sane. If your dog is barking at nothing it probably isn t because he s seen a ghost or going crazy. Barking at nothing may be a frustrating and odd problem for some dog owners. If you believe your dog is barking at absolutely nothing compulsive barking is a possibility especially if your dog barks excessively and repetitively while also moving in repetitive ways.
This is due to separation anxiety. Compulsive barking could also be the cause as to why your dog is barking at nothing. A dog that is overly sensitive to stimuli may bark and howl more frequently and at high volume to their environment especially if they are stressed or anxious you can consult with an animal behaviorist or a competent dog trainer to determine the cause of your dog s stress. As the threat gets closer the barking often gets.
However if separation anxiety issues are the trigger this may require a completely different. Perhaps a member of the family isn t home anymore or even another pet this will cause them to compulsively bark as a form of tolerating their anxiety. For example a compulsive barker might pace in a circle or walk back and forth along a fence as she barks. However truth is it s most likely your that your dog is not going crazy nor are they seeing paranormal activities you are incapable of witnessing.
Barking is a normal canine behavior but if your dog seems to bark all the time at nothing he could be hypersensitive. All dogs bark it is their main form of communication and it is completely normal. When a person or an animal comes into an area your dog considers their territory that often triggers excessive barking.