manipulative barking

Some dogs bark a lot, and owners annoyedly report that the dogs are trying to “manipulate” the owner in this way. Is it so? And what if the dog barks to “manipulate”?

Do dogs bark to manipulate their owners?

First of all, it is necessary to define the terminology. Dogs don’t manipulate their owners. They only experimentally find out how they can get what they want, and then joyfully use this method. Having no idea (and not caring) whether this method is suitable for us. If it works, it suits them. That is, it is not manipulation in our understanding of the term.

And if the dog has learned (that is, in fact, the owner taught him, albeit without realizing it) that barking can attract attention and achieve what you want, why should the pet refuse such an effective method? It would be extremely irrational! Dogs are rational beings.

So the word “manipulates” should be put in quotation marks here. This is learned behavior, not manipulation. That is, it was you who taught the dog to bark.

What to do if the dog barking “manipulates”?

One way to stop “manipulating” barking is to not give in to it in the first place. And at the same time, reinforce the behavior that is appropriate (for example, the dog sat down and looked at you). However, it works if the habit has not yet been fixed.

If the dog has long and firmly learned that barking is a great way to get attention, it is not so easy to ignore this behavior. First, barking, in principle, is quite difficult to ignore. Secondly, there is such a thing as an attenuation explosion. And at first, your ignore will cause an increase in barking. And if you can’t hold out, then just teach the dog that you just need to be more persistent – and the owner will eventually turn out to be not deaf.

Another way to wean your dog from barking like this is to watch the dog, notice the signs that he is about to bark, and anticipate the bark for a while, reinforcing attention and other things that are pleasant for the dog to any behavior that you like. So the dog will understand that for your attention it is absolutely not necessary to scream at the whole Ivanovo.

You can teach your dog the “Quiet” command and thus first reduce the duration of barking, and then gradually reduce it to nothing.

You can use incompatible behavior – for example, give the command “Down”. As a rule, it is more difficult for a dog to bark while lying down, and it will quickly become silent. And after some (at first short) time, you will reward her with your attention. Gradually, the time interval between the end of the bark and your attention increases. And at the same time, remember, you never stop teaching your dog other ways to get what he wants.  

Of course, these methods only work if you provide the dog with at least a minimal level of well-being.