Do Dogs Get Tired of Barking So Long?
Dogs and barking go together. Barking is natural for dogs, they are born with it. Dogs bark for various reasons; it could be to alert their owner of impending danger or because they see a stranger, or because they are not comfortable with something.
Dog barking is synonymous with when a baby cries because the baby cannot talk, but he still cries to draw the attention of the mother. Most times, when dogs bark, it is to call the attention of their owner.
Dogs do not get tired of barking. Sometimes they even bark non-aggressively as a playful act. So if you are waiting to see how long your dog will bark before it gets tired, you might have to wait for a long while.
The emphasis in this article is on playful barking, which is quite different from when dogs bark aggressively to alert their owner or ward off strangers. This playful barking (non-aggressive barking) does not put much stress on the dog’s vocal cord, unlike the aggressive barking. So it hardly causes fatigue.
Some dogs bark endlessly such that their owners will begin to wonder how long the dog can keep it on. There is no straightforward answer to how long dogs can bark, but there are several ways to stop your dog from barking endlessly.
Find out about these ways and more as you read along.
Can Dogs Bark Indefinitely?
It seems impossible for a dog to bark endlessly, but technically, the case is different. Two major factors control the time length at which a dog will keep on barking without halting.
Physical Limitations
Like we stated earlier, dogs bark as a way of communicating, just like humans do when they yell or talk. Although the human body is different from a dog’s body, a dog’s bark and the human voice are produced in the same way.
Air flows through crinkles in the larynx (typically called vocal cords). So just like humans can talk non-stop for hours, dogs can also bark for a very long time.
On the contrary, let’s imagine someone who spends hours in a loud environment, such as at a sporting event or a club. The person has to yell before being heard.
Such person will eventually strain their vocal cords, and their voice will sound croaky. If the person keeps on speaking despite the hoarse voice, it may cause sore which will make it painful to speak. The person may even lose his voice for one day or two.
This same scenario above applies to dogs too. If a dog is barking out of boredom or playfully, it may not put too much strain on the vocal cords, so the dog might be able to keep barking indefinitely.
On the other hand, if the dog is barking out of distress, there is a bigger strain on the vocal cords, which can make the dog have a sore throat and later lose its voice.
Reason for Barking
The reason why the dog is barking will also determine how long it will bark. If a dog barks because it is threatened or stressed, it won’t stop barking until it feels the threat or stress is gone.
Some pet owners feel that dogs sometimes bark at nothing; this is not true because dogs bark for one reason or the other. It could be because a need has not been met, e.g., when they are hungry.
Dogs can also bark as a sense of safety or when they crave their owner’s company, or when trying to alert their owner. If the need is not exigent, the dog may give and even sleep off. But if it an urgent need, the dog will keep barking until the need is met.
Why Dogs Bark Non-Stop and Ways To Stop It
If you do not want your dog to bark excessively, you must first find out why it is barking.
Although Dogs descended from wolves directly, wolves hardly vocalize like dogs. Scientists have posited theories that dogs have learned to relate and communicate with humans by using facial expressions, body language, and vocalizations like barking and whining.
This shows that a dog barks for a particular reason. It is trying to communicate with its owner.
It is healthy and natural for a dog to bark occasionally because it rarely poses an issue. People do not usually complain a dog barks out of excitement or joy because this only occurs when the dog is greeting someone or playing. Such barking does not last for a long time.
People often complain about dogs who bark for a long time. Below are some of the reasons why dogs bark excessively. We also listed how you can tackle them.
Stress/Anxiety
A dog will often bark non-stop if it experiences stress or anxiety. The dog can also howl, pace, chew, dig and do other destructive behaviors, especially when the anxiety is induced by separation or loneliness.
You can render the following help to your dog depending on the gravity of the dog’s distress:
- If it is a mild case of anxious behavior, you can take the dog for a walk or play with him to relieve some energy. That way, the dog will have less energy to devote to barking and destructive behaviors.
- If the stress is caused by loneliness, try to get another dog to make your dog more secure when you are away. Your dog can also get to play with the new dog.
- Lastly, seek help from an animal behaviorist if the anxiety is caused by separation. The behaviorist will use a combination of medication and training to help your dog get better.
Territorial/Threatened
Dogs perceive that their job is to protect their owners and their homes. Many people own dogs for this sole reason, although some keep them as pets.
If a dog sees or hears something and feel it is a threat, it will bark to scare the intruder away and alert its owner. Unfortunately, some dogs do not know what a threat is or not, so they bark at everything that moves.
You can stop these dogs by removing the stimuli, i.e., you will block the dog’s view outside the yard using concrete fencing or curtains. This will only avoid over-vigilance but will not stop it.
The second method requires more effort and time, but it is essential to eradicate the problem. The method involves slowly introducing a stimulus (that triggers the dog) to the dog. Then you have to reward the dog with treats when it responds to the therapy and does not bark unnecessarily again.
Attention Seeking
Your dog may bark when it does not get what it wants. For instance, your dog will bark if you keep him locked up than usual. However, this type of barking is not annoying.
The solution to this is to give the dog what it wants, be it attention, food, space, etc. Better still, you can ignore the dog when it is barking, although it is hard to do.
In most cases, it doesn’t help if you yell at the dog; it is best not to react if possible. The dog will eventually get the message and learn that barking will not help it get what it wants.
Seek For Help
After trying all the remedies possible, if your dog still doesn’t stop barking, then you must consult your vet. Your vet is best positioned to find out whatever medical reason making your dog bark excessively. Then your vet may recommend a trainer if he deems it necessary.
