Understanding and managing excessive barking

Excessive barking can be a sign that your greyhound is not coping in its environment. Once you understand why your greyhound is barking excessively, then you can consider appropriate training, exercise, and environmental enrichment strategies, as well as possible infrastructure or husbandry solutions.

If you can get to the bottom of why your greyhound is barking, you can put steps in place to reduce the barking triggers and address the barking response.

On this page, you can find out more about:

• What causes excessive barking?
• Managing excessive barking
• Responding to or modifying excessive barking
• Preventing the development of excessive barking

What causes excessive barking?

Excessive barking is a behaviour that is repeated to excess, or at times when you would not expect it. For example, barking for 2-3 minutes just prior to feeding can be quite normal. However, barking during other parts of the day, non-stop for an extended time (10-30 minutes or longer) is not normal.

Abnormal behaviours generally develop when a greyhound’s environment does not allow them to express a behaviour or where there is insufficient mental stimulation in their environment. Abnormal behaviours are coping mechanisms, that allow the greyhound to adapt and cope with their stressful environment.

Some of the common reasons for excessive barking include:

• boredom resulting from a lack of company, exercise or mental stimulation;
• anxiety or excitement;
• hypervigilance can lead to excessive barking triggered by an unusual noise or movement, such as leaves falling off a tree;
• fear from loud noises such as thunder or fireworks or alerting you to an intruder;
• a medical condition;
• a physical reason such as heat, cold, hunger or thirst; or
• frustration arising from repeated exposure to other dogs through barriers, or while watching an exciting activity through a fence or barrier

Managing excessive barking

Record excessive barking for several days when and where your greyhound barks excessively, then review this information and consider the following questions:

1. Is the barking in response to an event or is it random?
2. When does excessive barking occur – is it after exercise, before or after feeding, or during long periods of inactivity?
3. What is the greyhound’s environment like? Do they have bones or other objects to occupy them and stimulate them mentally? Is the greyhound located in an area where they are regularly being exposed to visual, auditory, or social barking triggers?

Responding to or modifying excessive barking

Try changing routines, adding enrichment items, rotating or changing enrichment items in response to excessive barking.

Change one thing at a time and give it a week to see if any changes in barking behaviour are noticed and or sustained.

Be patient, kind and persistent. If excessive barking continues, seek help from your veterinarian or a specialist dog trainer.

Using positive reinforcement such as food, treats or praise is more effective long term than punishment techniques such as spraying water or applying barking muzzles. Punishment techniques can lead to further problems and can reinforce or worsen excessive barking.

Do NOT use electronic anti-barking collars on any dog.

Preventing the development of excessive barking

If greyhounds have some control of their environment (e.g., a place to rest, observe, move around, or get away from something), they will be less stressed and less likely to respond by barking.

For any greyhound, of any age, introduction into a new environment or routine can be stressful. This is particularly the case for young greyhounds coming into a new environment.

Getting used to new routines, exposure to new animals and people, and periods of isolation can be stressful and trigger a barking response. Depending on the age of your greyhound and its stage of development, exposing them to different people, situations and environments will be an important part of their adjustment to home life; reducing fear, anxiety and boredom.

The key message to minimising a barking response is to start early and take your time. Making home life a positive experience can be achieved through:

• a gradual introduction to the new environment;
• progressive interaction with any other animals in the environment;
• multiple enrichment items to avoid boredom; and
• exposure to new people in a calm and friendly way.