What Does It Mean When Your Dog Barks Into Thin Air?

If your dog barks into thin air, don't brush his behavior off as just a little eccentric. Barking is a major mode of communication within the canine universe, and if your pooch is barking for what appears to be no reason, realize that the furry guy does indeed have one, even if it's not totally clear to you.

If your dog persistently barks at nothing for lengthy stretches of the day, compulsion could be the root cause. Other examples of compulsive patterns in dogs include running after their tails, immoderate licking and circling, to start. A lot of different factors can lead to these behaviors in dogs, from bullying by other household pets to insufficient interaction with humans or fellow animals. By barking into thin air, your pooch could unwittingly be conveying his deep feelings of angst.

Attention is a major cause for barking at nothing in dogs. If your pooch wants you to take notice of him, whether to give him treats, play or anything else, he might bark right up until he attains his goal -- and that's you approaching him, talking to him or even just glancing over at him for a while.

Barking into thin air often denotes a poor cutie who is feeling unwell. Your dog can't tell you that he's sick, so instead he opts to bark incessantly. If you can't ever figure out why your dog is barking, a prompt veterinary appointment is the way to go. Your doggie could be dealing with anything from a cut on his foot to intense arthritic pain.

If your dog is barking and all is quiet and no one's knocking at the door, his reasoning could be as straightforward as pure tedium. Barking might be your pet's way of releasing all of the pent-up tension in his life. If you think that your canine's persistent barking might indeed be related to boredom, it's time to do something to change that, whether it involve helping him get more physical exercise or simply spending more cozy "one-on-one" cuddle time with him.

Dogs occasionally bark out of mimicry. If your dog picks up on the noise of a pooch a couple houses away barking, it might inspire him to start doing so himself. You might not be able to hear the remote barking, but that doesn't mean that your doggie can't. Remember, canine hearing is a lot more sophisticated than human hearing.