What is Excessive Barking?
Barking is natural behavior for a dog. It's one way a dog communicates with people and other animals. Though it may be desirable for a dog to bark in certain situations, for example to warn that a threat is present, excessive barking is a sign of a problem and may create a nuisance.
The only way to reduce excessive barking is to determine what is causing the dog to bark. Once you know why your dog is barking, you will be able to devise a plan to reduce the barking. With a little patience and time, most dogs will stop barking excessively.
What Causes Excessive Barking?
Dogs that are used to having their owners at home most of the time are particularly affected when left at home alone and may suffer from separation anxiety. Separation anxiety sometimes occurs when a dog accustomed to constant human companionship is left alone for the first time, following a long interval, such as a vacation, during which the owner and dog are constantly together or after a traumatic event (from the dog's point of view), such as a period of time spent at a boarding kennel.
If loneliness is the cause of incessant barking, giving your dog more attention may solve the problem. It may result from being left alone for long periods of time without opportunities to interact with you, if he has no companions or toys, if he is a puppy or adolescent (under three years old) and doesn't have other outlets for his energy or if he's a particularly active type of dog (like the herding or sporting breeds) who needs to be occupied to be happy.
Territorial barking may occur in the presence of "intruders," which could include the postman, children walking to school, other dogs or neighbors in adjacent yards or if you have encouraged your dog to be responsive to people and noises outside.
Help for Excessive Barking
Natural remedies
Natural herbal and homeopathic remedies can be used to address excessive barking in a gentle yet effective manner, using selected herbal and homeopathic ingredients known for their calming properties as well as their ability to treat hyperactive, delinquent, overactive and highly strung pets.
A combination of certain herbs and homeopathic ingredients such as Scutellaria laterifolia, Hypericum perforatum, Belladonna (30C), Cantharis (30C) and Nux vom. (30C) are known for their ability to promote calm and settled behavior. Natural remedies can be a safe alternative to prescription medications, and a natural approach will address underlying causes – and not just the symptoms.
