If your dog is barking at nothing, it might seem weird.
Why would a dog bark at space?
It might be pretty concerning for you.
Why does my dog bark at nothing?
It might seem your dog is barking at nothing. But a dog senses a lot more than we do. Dogs have superior hearing, sight, and sniffing. They notice these more than we do. And to alert the dog’s position, the dog barks. It is normal if your dog barks, even if falling leaves make noises.
There is more to each part of the reasons why a dog barks.
We have given complete details about them below.
Let’s learn about everything!
Why Do Dogs Bark at Nothing?
For dogs, barking is considered the primary form of communication. Dogs cannot communicate like us humans. They express their needs and wants through barking and body language.
But it might seem like your dog is barking for no reason. But dogs’ senses are more sensitive compared to humans. Sometimes dogs feel, hear, see, and smell more than we do.
We have written about each sense in detail below.
Reason 1: Dogs Can Hear High Pitch Sounds
Dogs can hear more than we do. A human can hear up to 20k hertz. But a dog can listen to many higher-pitched sounds. It’s kind of like having superpowers for us.
Sounds such as mice squeaking or the bark of your neighbor’s dog. Often we don’t even hear these sounds. For that, we assume the dog has supernatural powers like spiderman.
That’s why dog whistles are silent to use. The frequency of dog whistles is so high that only dogs can hear them. Dog whistles work like this.
Also, dogs can howl at sirens because they find similarities with the sirens. You might be thinking that’s just another animal.
Reason 2: Dogs Can See in Low Light
Dogs can see in low light or at night by hearing higher-pitched sounds. Dogs have a predatory heritage. This means that dogs used to hunt for their food, like wolves. And they used to hunt at night. For that, they needed to see in low lights.
Dogs nowadays are not like wolves. But they still do see at low light and or night. For that, if your dog’s barking while looking in the dark, it is pretty ok. Maybe the dog saw a squirrel or a bird.
Also, finding your dog staring at a blank space is expected. It just might be because he noticed a spider or such. Dogs tend to see even a minuscule amount of difference.
Dogs are curious animals and stay aware of their environment. They are also loyal and will notify you in advance if some danger is coming.
Reason 3: Dogs Can Smell Well
We can detect whether the food we leave at night has gone wrong. The same goes for dogs, but it’s multiple times more robust. For this reason, police use dogs to search bags to see if people are smuggling drugs.
Each animal carries a distinctive type of smell. If the dog smells something different in the air, it’s normal for them to bark. If any other animal, such as a fox or coyote, is near, your dog can detect it from far away.
The dog barks to let them know the dog’s position. It’s like giving them a final warning before entering the dog’s territory.
You might find your dog breaking in the middle of the night. Maybe your dog got the scent of a rat or mouse. Again, it might be nothing dangerous or to be afraid of.
Reason 4: Barking Dogs
Not all types of dogs are the same. There are a lot of different types of breeds of dogs. And sometimes mix-ups between breeds make a different kind of dog. You won’t pick a chihuahua to guard your ranch.
Certain dogs bark more than others. Even though all dogs bark, they don’t bark at the same level.
Dogs such as german shepherds and labradors are known as barking dogs. They get alerted quickly and bark loudly. If you pet a barking dog, it can bark frequently.
Reason 5: The Dog is Expressing Emotions
Dogs are not only your protector. Dogs are excellent friends. And when they express their emotions, they can bark or squick.
Dogs bark to get your attention. Usually, dogs bark loudly and rattle their tail when they are excited. They squeak and can also bark when they are sad.
Next time your dog is barking and looking at you, maybe it’s mealtime. Go out for a run. Try to observe different barks to understand what the dog is trying to say.
Understanding your dog’s mood can be difficult, but it is possible.
How to Stop the Dog From Barking
As we have said, dogs are loyal and can be best friends. But dogs need training. Both you and the dog need to understand each other. If you know your dog’s needs and wants, the dog will listen to you.
Dogs need to understand you through different kinds of gestures. Simple commands such as “stop”, “shush”, and “hush” is understandable to dogs. There are trainers if you have a hard time dealing with your dog.
When you are commanding the dog, express through your hand and smile. Dogs need to see your moves for better understanding. Dogs can memorize certain sounds and words.
This will give you control over your dog. And you can tell the dog to stop barking when you want them to. Although, if the dog barks while sleeping, it’s probably because of a bad dream.
You can also hire people to train your dog for you. In such a case, you don’t need to take the hassle.
FAQs
Do dogs bark when scared of other animals?
Barking is one of the defence mechanisms of dogs. Dogs try to scare off other predatory animals.
How many types of barks can a dog do?
Behaviorists say there are eight types of barks. Territorial, alarm, attention-seeking, greeting, social, frustrating, illness, anxious kind of barks.
Do dogs communicate with other dogs through barking?
Like us, dogs express their state of mind or expression through barking and body language. So they do communicate through barking.
