When it comes to strange puppy behaviors, some are less strange and more just strangely timed. Something I used to see in puppies that were still with their littermates was a puppy who would just stand there and bark at the other puppies while they played. Very rarely was there a puppy who did this for very long. Most of the time, it was just a few strings of barks, and when the playing puppies didn’t respond, the barking puppy would wander off to do something else. However, this behavior can happen in puppies and adult dogs for longer periods of time. If this happens, you might want to work through some dog interaction exercises with your puppy and consult a behaviorist. Why is that? Let’s take a look.
Barking
First, I don’t want you to worry. Just be cautious and know that barking is often a behavior that puppies display when they are more highly aroused. This means that if a puppy is barking for a long time, it is stuck in a state of high arousal and may escalate further if it does not get the response it seeks. If a puppy is highly adaptable, it may not get stuck in a high-arousal state of barking as other puppies might. This is not to say that it will never get there. Still, adaptable puppies tend not to escalate and stay escalated without very good reason. With that in mind, let’s take a look at why a puppy might bark at other puppies or dogs for a long time.
Observe
First, you want to observe this behavior and see what your puppy is actually doing. Is it barking at a specific puppy or dog? Is it barking continuously, or are there breaks every once in a while? What are the puppies it is barking at doing, and how are they responding? Another important thing to look for that some don’t take notice of is how close the barking puppy is to the puppies or dogs it is barking at (if on walks, is it pulling on the leash or just standing there barking?). Taking note of the answers to these questions can help you understand why your puppy is barking. If it is barking directly at one puppy or dog, there is a strong possibility that whatever that puppy is doing is what it is barking at. If it is barking at both puppies or dogs involved, maybe it is what those puppies are doing together that is bothering your puppy. If your puppy barks continuously with no breaks, you could conclude it is “stuck” in that high state of arousal. Its mind is not reverting to a lower state of arousal at all (there is probably a good reason from the puppy’s point of view, so remember to be considerate of the puppy’s needs). If the puppy or puppies that are being barked at are ignoring the barking, you might wonder if this happens a lot and if nothing comes of it. If they are responding, how are they responding? Are they confrontational? Are they nervous or confused? Do they stop what they are doing? Taking note of the distance may give you insight into the barking puppy’s confidence level. As a matter of fact, how close a puppy is to that which it is barking at is something I always look for. Why? Let’s look at this.
The Close Bark Vs. Distanced Bark
Puppies have thresholds, meaning there is a point or “distance” at which your puppy can no longer self-regulate and think effectively. If a puppy keeps its distance and barks at something, this is a good sign. Your puppy is keeping itself at a distance for a reason. But on top of that, it might be easier for you to simply remove your puppy from the situation and redirect its attention, thus helping it calm down. If it is up close, that is different. Close barking is highly confrontational and speaks to a more aggressive mental state.
Puppies each bark for different reasons, but if it is not adapting to the situation, barking may be used to try to control the situation. This desire for control means that your puppy may need some help learning to feel safe in situations with other dogs (or whatever it is that it barks at), as barking is often associated with fear and or a desire to control (e.g., cattle dogs and other breeds that work with livestock may bark when they are not afraid but simply trying to get someone to something to move). That all being said, barking is a behavior that is easily learned and very natural to puppies. If your puppy is barking a lot, please get in touch with a trainer to get help working out why and what to do about it.
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