By Guest Writer Tom Selwyn

When we communicate with the world we open our mouths and speak, either verbally or through body language. Our canine friends do exactly the same thing but they bark instead of speak. Puppies bark for a variety of reasons. If you want to solve or stop a barking problem you need to understand why he or she has developed this behavioural problem.

Here are 2 reasons why your dog may be barking;

“WOOF” Mummy or Daddy I’m bored

“How can my puppy be bored, he’s got toys, a huge backyard. He can’t be bored” As we know there are hundreds of different breeds of puppies all around the world and each one bred to fulfill a specific role in our society.

Some of these roles include guarding, hunting, working puppies or purely as faithful companions for humans. Many of us today lead very busy lives so our puppies very rarely have the opportunity to display there talents. Puppies that were bred to work on the land are happiest when they have a job to do. The breeds that this especially applies to are Border Collies, Kelpies and Cattle dogs who have bundles of energy and are highly intelligent.

When a puppy is left alone in a backyard for extended periods of time and not fulfilling their roles for what they were bred to do, boredom, frustration and their natural instinct to reunite with their “pack” (human owners) becomes so overwhelming.

Being alone all day in a concrete court yard or a garden cannot satisfy a puppy’s energy levels so we need to devote as much time as possible within reason to let them know that they are part of the pack and a valued member.

Another good reason to avoid a bored puppy is that this behavior can also lead to he / she becoming destructive, chewing and digging craters in your lovely garden.

“WOOF” I’m trying to tell you I’m having anxiety issues.

“When I get home my puppy follows me everywhere barking and whining. I can’t even go to the toilet” Puppies are pack animals that enjoy socialising, hunting and feel a greater level of safety when with their pack. When we humans take on a puppy as a pet we become part of their pack, so when we are with them they feel more secure and will bark to communicate with the missing members of their group.

Puppies can become very attached to their human counterparts especially when they spend the majority of their day in close contact. When left alone for long periods they fret and often bark calling for the missing member of the group. This is known as separation anxiety. This type of stress on your puppy may lead to inappropriate toilet behaviours (eg. pooing and peeing in your home) and total destruction of your lovely garden bed.

Anxiety can be a very serious condition in puppies which can led to them becoming fearful of objects or people. Barking at the local postman (threatening in the puppy’s mind) barking has been triggered from fear or anxiety. It is extremely important to work the problem out as early as possible so that it doesn’t become progressively worse.

My advice in this article is general and since animals, like humans are each different and unique individuals you may want to contact your local vet for professional advice or a animal behaviourist, so your best friend and you get the help you need.

All the best from the team at phoopups. Keep those tails wagging.

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