Addressing Attention Barking

Many of us have been there. It is a relaxing Sunday afternoon. We are finally getting the opportunity to enjoy that football game or book and our dog enters the scene and begins to bark! Maybe for a game of fetch, a walk, a treat or some affection? We satisfy our dog’s immediate need, head back to the living room and are the barking commences once again! This is appropriately known as “attention barking” and it can be extremely difficult to live with, especially if one has a persistent and optimistic pup (e.g. If I keep barking, I am sure that more treats will come my way!). The good news is that this is one of the easier problems to address if you are: (1) Willing to create solid and predictable routines for your dog and (2) Aware and sensitive to your dog’s general needs, given his breed (especially!) and age.

Unless there is a medical cause (which must always be ruled out before addressing any behavioral case) dogs ALWAYS have a reason for their behavior.

In my experience, attention barking happens for one of two reasons and sometimes both:

Reason #1:   Your dog needs better established routines at home. Dogs absolutely LOVE it when they anticipate something will happen and it really does happen! Think about how excited your dog gets when it is just about time for dinner or her walk. If we don’t have solid routines, our dogs become like furry, annoying toddlers. They just want more! This is normal, healthy canine behavior, but unless we tend to our dog 24X7, it does not work in our human world.

The solution: Do your best to create routines that are sustainable for you and meet your dog’s general needs. Sometimes people with the best of intentions work so incredibly hard to satisfy their dog’s needs, especially when their pup first comes home. However, the new "canine-centered" routine is simply not sustainable as a part of their busy life. Instead, create a routine that works for you AND your dog! For example, if you like to sleep until 7 am, don’t get up at 5 am to help your dog, unless this is necessary. If it is critical, be as boring and as quick about the task as possible. Over time, your dog really will adjust to the routine you establish.

Reason #2:   The amount and/or type of enrichment you are offering your dog is too little or not what your pup really needs to feel fulfilled. This is the harder of the two root causes to address and why considering breed is so important when choosing a dog. Some of my more “regular” clients are people who thought they were getting a lab or retriever mix and ended up with a Great Pyrenees combo! This is an entirely different type of dog whose needs will not be fully met by fetch or lots of training, while a lab or golden will be in heaven if you incorporate these activities into their life.   

The solution: For starters, a simple DNA Test from either Embark or Wisdom (both available online for less than $100), will give you the knowledge you need to better meet your dog’s breed-based needs. Once you begin to better understand your dog, you can start to better meet their needs and hopefully have a ton of fun doing so! So go grab the long line and let your beagle sniff around town, play tug with your awesome pittie mix or throw a harness on your husky and go for a run!

One of my favorite dog behaviorists (Kim Brophy) borrowed a wonderful quote from the world of education (Gretchen Bernabe) which I contemplate often with my own 5 dogs (four Siberian Huskies and one Terrier mix):

“To love them, we must know them. To know them, we must understand them for all that they are.”

Perhaps that is a deep quote to wrap up a dog training article, but it does ring true!

And if you still need help with attention barking, a well-educated, certified and diligent trainer can definitely help you out!  

Thanks for reading!

Meghan