Recognising what your dog’s bark is trying to tell you can be tricky and even a little maddening at times. However, it can be fun trying to decode what your fur pal is saying to you. Plus, it can be quite amusing attempting to talk back to your barking buddy!

To truly understand your dog’s bark you must consider three key things: timing, pitch and volume. It can also be useful to appreciate the types of things dogs communicate.

Is it really necessary to know what my dog’s bark means?

Identifying what it is a barking dog is trying to communicate can be super useful. You’ll be able to make out when a dog is feeling aggressive and remove yourself from a potentially sticky situation.

Plus, you may find it easier to bond with your dog by gaining a better understanding of his or her needs. Indeed, in some cases, a dog’s bark can act as an alarm, which may protect you from a bad situation or event. So, as you can see, being aware of the wide array of things a dog’s bark may be telling you can be incredibly useful.

The lowdown on decoding your dog’s bark

Learning what the timing, pitch and volume of your dog’s bark are potentially telling you will leave you much better equipped to understand what action is needed.

Timing

Timing refers to the length and frequency of your dog’s bark. Listen carefully and you’ll be able to notice if he’s giving a short bark or a long bark. Also, consider whether it’s a single bark or multiple barks in quick succession.

A short, loud bark might indicate urgency. Meanwhile, a short, single bark with a pause, followed by another short single bark of mid-volume might suggest your dog has heard something but he’s not too bothered!

Certainly, multiple bursts of loud barks generally indicate something is not quite right, so it’s worth investigating what Fido is trying to communicate to you.

Pitch

Recognising the pitch of a bark can take a little time to master, so go easy on yourself. However, the pitch of a bark can help identify whether your dog is signaling excitement or fear.

For example, a low pitch suggests fear or aggression. It’s a sound that can help ward off intruders or attackers. On the other hand, a high-pitch bark signals excitement or happiness. When a dog is enjoying playing you might find their bark is higher-pitched than usual.

Volume

Typically, the louder the bark, the more important and serious the message is. In other words, a loud bark is trying to get attention. For example, a high volume bark may signal that someone’s hurt or in danger. A good example is when someone unfamiliar approaches your home. This will cause most dogs to bark quite loudly. This is a signal or warning that a potential intruder is coming.

Bark and body language combined

Of course, to truly get a good idea of what it is your dog is communicating, it’s helpful to recognise behaviors and bodily cues. A dog uses his body in many ways to communicate. Here are a few examples.

Anxiety

  • Ears flattened against the head, tail down and often tucked between the legs
  • Submissive behaviour: lying down on its side, lifting a hind leg, displaying the abdominal area, and sometimes urinating
  • Aggressive posture: raised fur on the shoulders and over the rump and lips retracted in a snarl
  • Pacing, digging, destructiveness, excessive licking
  • Hiding, shedding, and whining

Happiness

  • Side-to-side tail sweeps. Most likely to wag to the right
  • A dog can also look like it’s smiling. Holds mouth open and tongue relaxed but exposed.
  • Relaxed eyes
  • The stance is loose and upright rather than rigid and pointing forward

Excitement

  • Tail wags very fast
  • Dog places its chest on the floor and rump in the air a bit like a downward dog yoga pose!
  • Dog may break into a mad dash — it’s likely he’ll run to a toy
  • Ears may be up

Dogs really are incredible creatures with quite a lot to say. By cluing up on the many ways dogs talk to us, you can better understand how your dog is feeling, as well as identify his or her needs. This can help strengthen the incredible bond between us and our canine chums!

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