According to the Civil Code, if dogs bark at every noise, a lawsuit can result in fines of up to €5,000.
The problem? Barking not only serves as a warning, dogs also use it to communicate numerous feelings, needs or even pain.
The noise itself is often not the cause, but rather just a reminder of the current situation.
Like when you watch TV with a headache, forget about the pain, and then are suddenly reminded of the pain by the phone ringing.
The solution? Find out the root cause and solve the problem at its root.
Below you will find the 19 most common reasons why dogs bark at every opportunity or little thing.
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#1 Inaudible noises
Does your dog start barking at every slight noise? Then this is probably because this noise is significantly louder for your dog.
Dogs have an auricle that is up to 5 times larger and has 18 muscles that help them align their ears with the sound source. This means you can hear around four times louder.
In addition, dogs can also perceive high-pitched sounds of up to 45 kHz, i.e. ultrasound, while humans can only hear up to 20 kHz. [1]
To us, it often looks as if the dog is barking for no reason. In reality, however, they hear many things that are inaudible to us.
#2 Excessive anxiety
Barking in dogs serves, among other things, for protection. While cats use their hunchbacks to make themselves bigger, dogs try to intimidate potential enemies by barking.
This also explains why very anxious dogs bark significantly more often than their more confident counterparts. Maybe your dog just lacks self-confidence?
Other typical signs of anxiety include:
- Visible shaking
- Panting despite cold temperatures
- Avoiding eye contact
- Tail between legs [2]
In addition to a lack of self-confidence, the most common causes include separation anxiety, loud noises (>85 dB) and negative past experiences.
#3 False feedback
Dogs learn in a similar way to humans. They repeat behavior that is rewarded and avoid behavior that is punished.
So if your dog has received “wrong” feedback in the past, this may result in him starting to bark at every noise.
Let's look at two examples: When greeted, your dog barks wildly and is then petted or even rewarded with a treat.
Or your dog barks at a bird through the window and the whole family starts laughing. Here, too, your dog simply tries to repeat the rewarded behavior.
#4 Dementia
Ready for some sobering facts? According to studies, almost 70% of dogs over 15 years of age and 30% of dogs over 11 years of age suffer from dementia. [3]
Specifically, this means: Your cognitive performance is becoming increasingly weaker. Sometimes it gets to the point where dogs no longer recognize their owners or their own house.
Other typical symptoms include:
- Unusual irritability
- Restless wandering
- Disorientation
- Repetitive behavior
- Unusual stubbornness [4]
The result? Increasing fear. So if your dog is older and suddenly barks at every noise, then it may simply be due to cognitive decline.
#5 Attention
Some breeds require a tremendous amount of attention to be happy. If this is missing, they will bark more often at every little thing.
Breeds such as the American Eskimo Dog, American Toy Terrier and Bichon Frize are more commonly affected. Because these were previously bred as circus dogs, among other things.
Your urge to be the center of attention is therefore particularly great. But the need for attention is also very strong in lap dog breeds.
If you ignore this need, it often leads to severe depression. The better approach here is to look for suitable alternatives. [5]
#6 Breed-specific behavior
Some breeds, such as the Finnish Spitz, were bred specifically in the past to indicate the direction of the hunter by constantly barking while hunting.
This also explains why this breed, for example, can bark up to 160 times per minute – almost 3 times per second. [6]
Many German Shepherds have also been specifically bred to bark at any noise. This early warning gave herders a chance to prepare for possible attacks.
Breaking the habit is particularly difficult because it is an instinct. An anti-barking device is ideal for such situations.
#7 Stress
You've probably already experienced how you come home totally stressed after a strenuous day at work and every little thing upsets you.
Dogs are no different here. When you are under severe stress, your body also releases cortisol and adrenaline, which reduce the tolerance threshold.
Other symptoms are here:
- Restless and nervous behavior
- Heavy panting
- Sudden incontinence
- Barking at every noise
- Unusual aggressiveness [7]
Here it is important to identify the source of stress and then eliminate it. If this is not possible, then gradually getting used to the cause usually helps.
#8 Smells
Dogs are so-called “macrosmatics”. This means that they perceive their environment primarily with their noses instead of with their eyes like we do.
Ready for some hard facts? Dogs have up to 60 times more olfactory receptors in their noses and therefore smell up to 100,000 times better than humans. [8]
Under optimal conditions, they can detect smells from up to 20 km away. And no, that's not a typo. I really mean 20 kilometers. [9]
Specifically, this means: If your dog barks at every noise for no reason, then a smell from far away could be responsible.
#9 Pain
If your dog barks because of pain, then it's serious. Because dogs always try to suppress pain for evolutionary reasons.
The reason? Dogs are descended from wolves. And weakened wolves are not only often rejected by the pack, but are also ideal prey for other predators.
Dogs therefore naturally have a significantly higher pain threshold than humans. But at a certain point they can no longer suppress it.
This is usually expressed in a hunched posture, restless walking, a tucked tail and the habit of barking at every noise. [10]
#10 Excess energy
Dogs not only have daily calorie needs, but also an individual need for physical activity.
If your dog is fed high-calorie dog food but has no opportunity to release this energy, then hyperactivity will result.
Typical signs of this are:
- Ignorance of commands
- Digging in the house
- Barking at every little thing
- Running around the house
- Gnawing on furniture [11]
This is most common in hunting dogs and sheepdogs. Because of their past, they tend to need the most physical activity.
#11 Urge to defecate
On average, dogs can only consciously make 6 different sounds. They can bark, yelp, whine, howl, squeal and growl.
For comparison, people know an average of a whopping 42,000 words. What we can express with the words “I have to go to the toilet urgently” is what dogs say “woof woof!”. [12]
If your dog constantly barks at every noise, it could be an indication that he urgently needs to go outside. This is more common with smaller breeds.
Depending on the breed and size, dogs can hold their bladder for a maximum of 12 hours. Very small dogs and puppies, on the other hand, can only last a maximum of 2 hours.
#12 Territorial behavior
Many breeds are very territorial for evolutionary reasons. What this means is the behavior that they defend their territory to the death if necessary.
The reason? Dogs originally descended from wolves. And for these four-legged friends it is important for their survival to have a fixed territory with enough food reserves.
This behavior tends to be most pronounced in guard dogs. But most bulldog species are also very territorial and bark at every noise.
Even the smell of a strange animal on your clothes can trigger this instinct. If possible, you should avoid contact with strange dogs here.
#13 Poor eyesight
As dogs get older, their eyesight also decreases. In addition, a large number of different diseases can reduce vision:
- diabetes
- Progressive retinal atrophy
- Alzheimer
- Glaucoma
Affected dogs usually react anxiously to this change. Unfortunately, dogs cannot think as rationally as we can. Therefore, they do not know that it is safe at home.
To protect themselves, dogs with poor eyesight often start barking at even the smallest noise.
In addition, they are clumsy above average, miss treats more often, make less eye contact and react aggressively more often. [13]
#14 Warning
People from Germany often forget that dogs are still largely kept for protection. This is particularly true for South America, Africa and parts of Asia.
In these regions, constant barking is therefore valued. Many breeds have also been specially trained to instinctively bark at every little thing.
If your dog also belongs to these breeds, then the barking should only serve as a warning. So your dog wants to do something good for you.
However, this can be a problem in apartment buildings or densely populated residential areas. Since it is relatively difficult to train here, I recommend an anti-barking device.
#15 Loneliness
Dogs are relatively easy to please as long as their basic needs are met. This only includes 6 things:
- Food & water
- Fresh air
- Safe place to sleep
- Physical exercise
- Mental workload
- Social interaction
Unfortunately, the latter is often neglected by many dog owners. Unlike wolves, domestic dogs also need daily social interaction.
This is because we tamed dogs and made them dependent on us thousands of years ago. Dogs that feel lonely often bark at every noise.
Other typical behaviors include gnawing on furniture, little desire to play, constantly chasing the owner and depressive behavior. [14]
#16 Uncomfortable temperature
In Germany the weather varies by an average of 19°C depending on the season. Both heat and cold can therefore become a problem for dogs.
In summer, long-haired dogs in particular have to struggle with heat. You can usually recognize this by heavy panting, a rapid pulse and…