Barking is one more form of canine communication . Barking is a behavior characteristic of the species, however, on some occasions, barking can appear as a negative symptom or as a behavior problem that may be related to the use of inappropriate methods in their education or to a poor socialization of the dog.
Wondering why your dog barks at you when you scold him? Of course, we recommend you quickly go to a canine behavior specialist so that you can find out the real causes of such behavior and orient yourself on a specific treatment. However, you will also be able to know some possible explanations of why your dog barks at you when you scold him and how you should proceed to improve this situation.
You may also be interested: Why does my dog urinate when I scold him?
Index
- Why is my dog barking at me?
- Why does my dog bark at me when I say no or scold him?
- Don’t confuse obedience with authoritarianism
- What should I do if my dog barks at me when I scold him?
Why is my dog barking at me?
It is always important to be aware of the causes of barking in dogs . Although barking is part of canine communication, dogs often prefer body language to express their moods, emotions, and perceptions of the environment. Barking can have many meanings and it is important that you learn to interpret what your dog means to you with this barking before scolding or believing that this attitude should be corrected. For this reason, we invite you to read our article on what dog barking means so you can better communicate with your best friend.
Barking is also part of canine nature and we must learn to respect it. However, if you perceive that your dog barks a lot when he is alone , it will be necessary to pay special attention, since this behavior indicates that your dog has not learned to manage his loneliness and positively channel his energy while you are not. Also, excessive barking can appear as a symptom of some diseases that cause pain or interfere with our furry senses.
Therefore, do not hesitate to go to your trusted vet when you find that your dog barks a lot and has any alteration in its habitual behavior. Once any pathological cause has been ruled out, it is also advisable to have the guidance of a canine ethologist to diagnose the cause of excessive barking and to establish treatment with specific guidelines according to the needs of your furry.
Why does my dog bark at me when I say no or scold him?
Is it wrong to scold dogs? It is important to understand that punishment is an action that inevitably causes stress in the dog. In some more complex cases it can even generate anxiety. For this reason, when you scold your best friend, you are causing negative and harmful emotions for his well-being, such as fear or a social conflict with you, who are his reference figure. Because of this, many furry ones lose control over their own emotions in this context and can carry out involuntary acts, such as urinating when you scold them .
If you have recently adopted a dog or puppy, you should be especially vigilant for these behaviors, as they may be a sign that your furry has a history of physical and emotional abuse or was not properly socialized. Also, if you scold him after many hours of inappropriate behavior, your dog will not understand the reason for the punishment and your anger will generate mistrust towards you. In this context, your dog may bark at you out of frustration at not understanding what you mean by the attitude you carry out.
However, barking during punishment often indicates that your dog is upset and asking you to end this unpleasant situation. In these cases, the barking is usually sharp and brief and can be interpreted as “enough” or “it’s over”. And if the barking is interspersed with soft, constant grunts, this is an indication that your dog is getting angry and warns you to stop doing something that makes him angry. Also, if you exaggerate the intensity of the fight, you will be increasing the stress of this moment and your dog may end up carrying out aggressive behaviors in response to excessive punishment.
Therefore, scolding is not a recommended method to teach a dog to respect the rules of the home, and it can be very dangerous for the dog and everyone around him, especially if there are small children in our home.
Don’t confuse obedience with authoritarianism
To offer a positive education to our dogs and to get them to obey us, it is essential not to confuse obedience with authoritarianism, nor fear with respect . Unfortunately, unreasonable and very dangerous methods of “establishing dominance” over a dog to “educate” are still circulating in popular belief. These behaviors, such as forcing a dog to belly up, are meaningless and are counterproductive in the education of any dog, since they provoke negative feelings and expose the dog to contexts of stress, insecurity, mistrust and bewilderment.
If you want your dog to obey you and demonstrate balanced behavior, you should invest in a healthy bond and apply positive reinforcement in his education, excluding any kind of physical or emotional abuse. Your dog will learn more easily by perceiving that his behavior generates joy and provides benefits to everyone (including himself).
What should I do if my dog barks at me when I scold him?
Especially if your dog growls at you when they scold him, bite you or attack you, you should follow the advice below, but don’t forget that to solve it really effectively you should go to a specialist in canine behavior:
- Rule out pathological causes: in certain cases, dogs bark excessively and develop behavioral problems as a consequence of certain pathologies that generate pain or affect their sensory functions. Therefore, if your dog begins to bark very frequently, is more tense or insecure than usual, do not hesitate to immediately consult your trusted vet.
- Avoid the “snowball effect”: let’s look at the situation from a logical point of view: if your dog barks at you when you scold him and scolds him again for having barked at you, you will be making the animal continue to bark or bark even more. In addition, if you continue to increase the stress of the situation and cause fear or anger to your best friend, you will be promoting the development of aggressive behaviors in response to excessive punishment, which are very dangerous.
- Eliminate punishment: as we have mentioned, when you scold your dog, you transmit negative feelings that weaken its emotional stability, such as insecurity, anxiety and fear. An inhibited, stressed, or insecure dog becomes more vulnerable to many psychological disorders that are usually revealed through learning and socialization difficulties, as well as self- defensive behaviors or obsessive self-mutilation behaviors .
- Apply positive reinforcement: the positive education of a dog allows teaching without damaging its emotional balance. If you reward your dog for recognizing appropriate behaviors, you will be stimulating his cognitive, social and emotional capacities. In this way, you will obtain an obedient and self-confident dog, which will be prepared to relate to people, animals and objects in their environment.
- Increase your dog’s physical activity: Dogs can also bark excessively or show symptoms of stress when exposed to a sedentary routine, which does not offer proper stimulation to their body and mind. If you want your dog to maintain a balanced behavior, we recommend increasing his routine of walks, exercises and games to improve the physical and emotional state of your furry and avoid inappropriate behaviors associated with stress or boredom.
- Invest in quality moments and improve your bond with your dog:As we have mentioned, obedience also requires a healthy relationship between the dog and its guardian. For this reason, remember to invest in quality moments together with your best friend, that allow them to work positively on their education and strengthen the bond between you.
- Know and respect canine nature: dogs have their own forms of expression, which make up their canine nature. If we scold or inhibit a dog for carrying out behaviors inherent in its nature, we will not be educating but repressing the pure and spontaneous expression of a sensitive and intelligent living being. Also remember to take your time to better understand the needs of your best friend and respect the 5 freedoms of animal welfare .
- Seek help from a canine ethologist or educator: If your dog is barking excessively or has other behavioral problems, it is best to consult an expert in canine ethology or a professional educator. A dog that was not properly socialized or abused should undergo a process of re-socialization and re-education geared to specific guidelines.
