While barking is often seen as a nuisance, dogs use it to communicate and react. The pit bull breed is protective, leading them to bark more than average.
This level of barking increases when they feel threatened, lonely, bored, agitated, afraid, or simply when they feel too much excitement during playtime. We’ve compiled this article to explore what causes your pit bull to bark and practical ways you can stop or minimize barking.
Reasons Why Pit Bulls Bark
Several reasons, like boredom, fear, frustration, and subtle environmental changes, can make your pit bull bark more than usual. Spending more time with your loyal family member will make identifying the exact cause of your pit bull barking easier, helping you take the proper steps and correct the behavior.
Fear
Loud sirens, music, passing vehicles, and passing people are common reasons for your pit bull to bark out of fear. There can be several other reasons for this barking, which can only be identified when the owner notices their behavior more.
If your pit bull gets fearful after hearing noises from a neighboring home, ask your neighbors politely about the noise and introduce the noise to your pit bull gradually, if possible.
For example, if you hear a loud engine revving from a neighbor’s garage, approach your pet, calm them down, and try introducing the noise source under controlled circumstances to reduce the fearful barking. You might want advice from a pet behavior management expert to take effective steps and get results.
Protective Nature
Your pit bull is a family dog that will protect its family members without fear of the circumstances. As your pit bull matures, note how your pet perceives a threat and exhibits its protective nature. If your pit bull is being overprotective, it’s best to start behavioral training to rectify the issue of excessive barking.
Boredom
Pit bulls are family dogs and love the companionship of being around people. They need lots of cuddling, love, and attention. Your pitbull will feel bored when ignored, leading to unnecessary barking for longer periods.
Stress
Anxiety and stress are two major mental health concerns your pit bull can suffer. Subtle changes in the environment and getting separated from family members for more prolonged periods trigger separation anxiety in your pet dog. Other negative behaviors can accompany this anxiety.
Frustration
When your pit bull can’t get what they want, it can make them bark excessively. Removing the object from the equation is the quickest way to address this excessive barking.
For example, if your pit bull loves to play with the couch cushions in the living room, remove them from the premises. Your pit bull might also need to attend a few obedience classes to help control its impulsive actions.
Steps to Stop Excessive Barking
Decentisizing your Pet
The first step you must take to limit excessive barking is by desensitizing the pit bull. Here are some steps you can try by yourself.
- Place the object or person triggering the fear at a safe distance where the pit bull sees it but is not reacting.
- Slowly approach the object with your pit bull while paying attention to its response.
- If there’s a stress response from your pet, step back and appraise the pet for keeping calm.
It might take a few days to weeks to desensitize your pit bull. It’s crucial to stay calm as a pet owner and understand the stress limits of your pet. Pushing them too far or rushing the process can make your pet fearful of the perceived threat.
After successful desensitization, your pit bull will stop barking out of fear and roam the same areas without a barking response. During the desensitization process, please remember only to appraise the dog for its calm behavior. If you start comforting your pit bull, it might perceive your affection as an appreciation to keep barking, justifying its behavior.
Defining Tasks
Train your dog to respond to your vocal commands.
You can make them stop barking with your voice only when it is barking unnecessarily. However, you have to remember that your pittie might be barking for a valid reason. It’s best to identify the reason behind your pet’s excessive barking and act accordingly.
Providing Playtime
You can reduce excessive barking due to boredom and frustration by giving them plentiful playtime for physical and mental exercises. Long walks, playing freely at the park, and providing them with toys help drain their energy, leaving them calm and relaxed.
Limiting Exposure
If your pit bull becomes aggressive after seeing a neighbor’s cat or bird sitting at the window, it is best to limit the exposure and start training to help it control its aggression. For example, if your pit bull barks excessively when seeing birds through the window, closing the curtains will limit the exposure.
Distraction
You can divert your pet’s attention when they feel anxious, stressed, or fearful of an object. You can intervene at the right time and engage them in a different activity, distracting them from the trigger until it passes.
For example, pit bulls can bark excessively when they hear a loud ambulance siren. Keeping them calm at these times and using distraction plays a significant role here.
Anti-Stress Devices
Several anti-stress collars on the market contain a mix of herbs effective at alleviating stress, anxiety, and other mental health disturbances. The herbal mixture contains pheromones that effectively calm your pit bull down.
Anti-stress jackets are another option to help your pitbull relax and stay calm. However, it’s still imperative to identify the root cause of the stress and address it for better results.
Appreciating Your Pet
While training them to control their behavior and impulsiveness, please praise your pit bull for being well-mannered around objects and people. Providing them with the right amount of love and attention makes it easier to train your pet and comply with the commands. Besides patting the dog, use a soothing tone to appreciate them and make them feel loved.
As mentioned earlier, pit bulls are attention seekers and want to be around their families. Paying attention to your pitbull fosters an unbreakable bond, making them respond better to your cues.
As a pet owner, you must also remember that there are particular times when your pit bull might need some time off. When the pet is showing signs of anxiousness, is sleepy, eating, or stressed, avoid giving them too much affection but shower your love when you feel the pit bull is relaxed.
Professional Assistance
Even when seeing progress with your pet’s behavior, it’s imperative to get professional assistance. Dog trainers are trained to figure out how the pup behaves in certain situations and the best interventions you can practice to resolve the problem.
You will be given a list of behavior management guidelines and might be offered to enroll in weekly training sessions with detailed guidelines on training your pit bull at home.
Conclusion
Although pit bulls have traits of an aggressive dog, they can be trained effectively to become an excellent family member. They need to be socialized, trained and require mental stimulation.
Reviewing the reasons behind excessive barking can make it easier to address and resolve the problem. We hope the information shared here can assist in keeping your pit bull’s negative triggers at bay and encourage positive and learning behavior.
