Listen to the Doggy Dan Podcast Show No.6 by using the player above, or subscribing to iTunes and listening on your mobile device.
This post will give you an overview of what’s included in this episode: Barking When Left Alone. If you have a dog that's barking and barking every time you leave the house, then this is for you…
But if your pooch is calm when you're out, then please, in the comment section below, tell me what issues you’d like me to cover in future episodes.
Alternatively, if you have a dog and want help with other problems or you need some dog training, then I encourage you to check out my online dog training program called The Dog Calming Code! (Have a puppy instead? Check out my Puppy Coach training program here!)
Helping dogs who bark when they are left at home alone.
So what’s in this podcast? Well let me explain:
Understanding the cause
The first thing that I help explain is the reason behind why most dogs are barking when they are left. Very often we assume or think that it is our dogs way of showing us that they are bored, or just being naughty however this couldn’t be further from the truth.
In fact a good way to test out the bored theory is to ask yourself if your dog is bored when you are at home… If they are calm and relaxed most of the day then the chances are that your dog is not simply bored! (And dogs are not naughty for the fun of it – so that rules that out).
The two main causes
In fact the two main scenarios that cause your dog to bark are trigger barking and separation anxiety. They are very different scenarios. Trigger barking is where something sets your dog off and your dog simply does not stop. They are stressed and just keep on going. Whereas separation anxiety doesn’t need a trigger to get your dog barking, they simply become stressed when you leave and bark continuously.
Inside the podcast I help explain fully what is going on in these two situations and explain what the solution is.
Other techniques
There are so many approaches to solving barking but most of them do not go to the root cause of the problem. In some situations they can certainly help and are worth trying however I would recommend only in conjunction with the basic solution that I have put together. On their own they are very unlikely to work.
We cover all the home alone barking issues
Here is a short list of some of the other things that we also discuss which impact your dog's barking when they're alone…
- Exercise – does it help, is it the solution?
- The Environment – the impact that making your dog comfortable can have
- Herbal remedies vs drugs – would I recommend them?
- Music, TV – whether it can help your dog
- Inside vs outside – where is best for your dog
- Large area or small – what will work best
- Why harsh methods that just try to “stop the barking” are missing the point
As you can see it is an action packed podcast. At the end of it you will see barking dogs in a fresh new light and you will see that stopping barking dogs even when you are not at home is not complicated – you just need to know how 🙂 and hopefully your neighbours will love you even more!
Dogs are beautiful and amazing creatures. They deserve to be treated and understood for what they are. This podcast is all committed to us understanding them and helping them better.
Getting it right
So if you are wondering how to stop your dogs barking when they are left at home alone then you have found the right place. First listen to my free podcast and if you enjoy it and it all makes sense then I’d suggest you get straight onto solving the cause of the problem by checking out my programs, The Dog Calming Code OR the Puppy Coach Training Program, while I'll teach you how to get your dog to relax and calm down so he doesn't feel like he needs to Bark When Left Alone.
Talk soon,
.
Thanks for Listening!
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14 Responses
My dog barks incessantly when I tie him up and walk away inside and outside. For example, I can’t take my dog into the children’s playground with my toddler, so I tie him to a shady tree after a walk, then say “see you later” which he knows means he is not coming with us. He barks outside shops and at home if he is tied up because he has muddy paws, for example and I need to do something before I can attend to that. There are other issues, but I believe he is generally stressed.
A lot of dogs do find this quite challenging Jo. From their perspective they are surrounded by lots of potential dangers that they are unable to get away from if they needed to, plus they also have to worry about your safety as well. The reality that something dangerous actually happening are slim, we know that, but our dogs really don’t! So when we leave them tethered in public spaces they can become quite unsettled and anxious about what may happen. Try tethering your dog closer to where you are playing at the park and practice going into the shops for short periods and then return to your dog without saying anything to them, just be as matter-of-fact about it as you can. Best, Doggy Dan
I had to rehome my loved dog. She barked and growled at a neighbor she grew to dislike after another neighbor was burgled and he used to spray water at her. The council made her wear a shock collar. This made her worse. Her new owners said she is the best trained dog she ever had. This only happened when we weren’t home. Looking her inside was no use she could unlatch the Windows. Sometimes it’s not the dog but a threat you can’t protect them from.
I’m sorry to hear this Fiona, it must have been a very hard decision to do make. It’s unfortunate that you just can’t pick your neighbours and given the circumstances you really did make a decision based on what was best for your dog. I’m glad to hear she is happy in her new home! Best, Doggy Dan
My dog doesn’t bark when I leave… he destroys stuff. How do I get him to stop?
Hi Lindsay,
Chewing and destruction when owners are away from the home can be a sign of a dog who is suffering from Separation Anxiety or just a general level of anxiety. There doesn’t have to be any barking for a dog to suffer from this issue. The key is trying to identify if this is the cause of the chewing. Make sure you leave chews and toys out for your dog to access while you are gone and when you return from home delay greeting him until he is totally calm and has left you alone for around 5 minutes.
You may like to have a look at my website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com shows for some guidance here…its a $1 trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan
Hello-
I am a member and your training is AMAZING. Worked within hours.
My issue is my older pup. He has gone mostly deaf. He was perfectly responding to “Thank you” and would immediately stop barking. Now he can’t hear me. I have used some hand signals, but this obviously only works when he looks at me. Any ideas?
Thanks for your help and all you do for dogs!
Jen
Hi Jen, thanks for your kind feedback!
Remember if you are a member of my website that you can ask questions anytime on the Forum and we will answer them for you.
With dogs who are barking to alert you to something, and who are also deaf, I generally advise owners to go straight to Step 2 and go to where your dog is and have a look around. Be really careful not to startle your dog by approaching them from behind because if he can’t hear you coming it may give him a fright. Approach him from the side and stand beside or in front of him so that he can see you assessing the danger. The rest of the process can be followed as advised. All the best….Doggy Dan
One of my dogs bark at people walking dogs over at the golf course, there’s a reserve inbetween us! Not sure whether he’s saying “hey, you, look at me” or “Dont you come over here or you’ll get what for” Even when I thank him a couple of times for the notice he still does it. Even after repeated time outs. Do I have the most wilful dog ever?
Hi Cherie, no..not the most willful ever but more willful than some ! I would suggest that you are correct in both your guesses as to why he is behaving that way. The solution is two parts. 1. There will be a number of things that will help him understand he is not the pack leader and it is not his job. 2. Then some very cool tools and techniques to show him that barking is not necessary…(All inside my video website http://www.theonlinedogtrainer.com – still currently only a $1 trial !) Hopefully it will be a $1 trial forever but you never know. People may be still reading this is the year 2056 🙂 regards Dan
Hi Doggy Dan
I have a husky 8yr old female, fine when we leave, but when we come back will whinge/cry and howl. Use to have a huntaway as well, so both use to make noise, one barking and one howling!! Not good 10pm at night etc!
Hi Deanna, almost certainly your dear dog is suffering from what is called Separation Anxiety SA. (Stress when left, hence the whinge/cry) I have found that the most successful, and simplest solution is to implement my 5 Golden Rules, which can be found for a $1 trial inside my video website ! http://www.theonlinedogtrainer.com There is a whole section about SA but basically the solution comes down to some pretty simple stuff. Hope that points you in the direction of a great solution 🙂
My dogs dig holes in my lawn and sometimes pull washing off the line. They only do it when I’ m out. They are generally calm and we’ll behaved. Also, I’d love to know how to get them to poo in just one place in the garden.
Hi Deborah,
ha ha! Your comment makes me smile as it reminds me of just how many issues can be sorted by becoming the pack leader. Pulling washing off the line and excessive digging (some digging is normal) but anything which becomes much worse or only happens when you are not there is almost certainly S.A separation anxiety. Put simply your dog stresses when you leave them. So..The solution…is become the pack leader and all will be well. Check out my video website http://www.theonlinedogtrainer.com and thank me later 🙂
My Free podcast on toilet training explains how to get your dog to toilet in one place. It is on this blog also. Enjoy – Doggy Dan