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If your French bulldog suddenly starts barking for “no reason at all”.
You would have lived with it if the neighbour behind the house didn’t seem so pissed when he came complaining!
The fact is the French bulldog is naturally calm and if they seem to be barking more than they are known for, there might be an underlying reason.
You probably guessed that already but unable to lay your hands on the possible cause and now you’re tired, frustrated, annoyed, and your neighbor is right on your neck waiting for you to shut your canine up!
While any owner would indulge the Frenchie’s disturbance (they’re walking, breathing bundles of cuteness!) and conclude that neighbors are unnecessarily mean, deep down you know they may be right.
Often when dogs bark, the behavior isn’t always a bad thing and shouldn’t always be a bother.
After all, barking is an excellent tool for communication between pets and their humans and may even point to serious issues in a pet’s health and wellbeing or a serious security threat.
If a security threat isn’t the reason for your Frenchie’s endless barking.
There are myriads of other possible reasons and some are highlighted below with suggestions on how to curb them.
If these below suggestions do not help the situation, you should seek the services of a dog expert or your vet.
Why do they bark and how to stop them from barking
- Separation anxiety and depression
- Playful Barking
- Excitement/Greeting Barking
- Territorial or defensive barking
- Excitement or Frustration Barking
- Social Barking
Separation anxiety
Imagine you have to stay in one location day after day with absolutely nothing to do (no smartphones!), wouldn’t you go crazy too? You would!
You will be bored stiff, tired and unhappy. It is the same with French bulldogs.
They may not be as boisterous as some other breeds out there, they do perfectly well on their own with minimal watch or company but not for too long.
Being left for long hours, French bulldogs may suffer from separation anxiety.
Signs of separation anxiety
Your pet may begin to suffer from separation anxiety if they are kept away from their humans.
If your dog suddenly begins to exhibit signs some of the signs below, he may be suffering from separation anxiety.
- Excessive barking
- Escaping or trying to escape.
- Pooping or peeing in his crate when you leave briefly
- Destruction
What you should do……..
French bulldogs may love everyone in the home but are known to grow particularly attached to a particular person and often panicking when the person is away.
As simple as it sounds, separation anxiety should not be taken lightly; it’s best to treat this early before it worsens. They do not simply “outgrow” the behavior or resolve it on their own.
Fortunately, there are some treatment options for dogs suffering from separation anxiety though you may need to enlist the help of a professional dog trainer in implementing some of them.
Typically, treatment of separation anxiety usually includes a process known as counterconditioning. It works by associating an event the dog hates with something more pleasant.
For example your dog gets a treat every time you go out, soon enough, they will begin to associate your outings with getting a treat from you and may eventually look forward to future outings 🙂
Playful Barking
We all love to watch these canines at play and we will do everything to ensure they stay happy. We are all they’ve got, remember?
Truth is, as much as we would love to let them growl and bark to stay happy, some of us would agree that play barking can get annoying at times.
What you can do…….
If you own a Frenchie alongside other dogs/pets and they bark while at play, it is advisable to build a set routine of times and places.
In these places and times, they can playfully yap and growl to their hearts’ content. You can also encourage the use of toys if you are playing with your Frenchies or any other canine.
Excitement/Greeting Barking
If your dog wags his tail while barking at you or people outside or at the door, this is a greeting bark, and should be handled differently.
What you can do…
Greeting barks are friendly, but can still be annoying to you, your neighbors or passersby. Here are some tips to help control the barking.
If your canine enjoys playing with toys, leave one near the front door and encourage him to pick it up before he welcomes you or guests.
A toy in his mouth will make him less likely to bark.
On walks or strolls, let your dog understand that he can walk past people and other dogs or animal without greeting them.
To achieve this, distract your dog with tasty treats, like hot dogs, chicken right before he begins to bark.
Encourage him to bite off these treats while he’s walking past a person or dog that would normally cause him to bark.
Although most dogs may obey if you ask them to sit as people or dogs pass, do well praise and reward your Frenchie with treats anytime he chooses not to bark.
Defensive/Territorial Barking
Aka “alarm barking”, this is usually your Frenchie’s response to people, animals walking to or by your house.
This may also include other sounds, smells or sight that alerts your Frenchie to the presence of someone or something crossing into your territory.
This territory may be your front/back yard, house or even your car.
Over time, you should be able to tell your Frenchie’s barks apart.
You should know when he is barking to say “here comes grandma, I know she has treats” or “Hey kids, leave the car!” when he spots the neighborhood kids playing around your car.
What you can do…
Teach him the “quiet” command. Immediately your dog begins his excessive barking routine say “Quiet” in a calm, firm voice.
You may also try shutting him up with your body language or physical correction.
If he calms down, praise and rewards him with a treat.
Soon, like other approaches, your Frenchie will begin to relate barking less at every visitor or passerby with good treats and attention.
Excitement/Frustration Barking
A Frenchie may bark out of excitement or frustration over their inability to do something to get something they want.
Like when they can’t access playmates across the yard or are confined or tied up so that their movement is restricted. Or your dog may bark at his favorite toy rolled under the sofa.
What you can do…
To reduce barking prompted by frustration/excitement, occupy your dog with basic obedience training.
The “Sit/stay” and “down/stay” commands tell your dog he must wait until you release him to go meet his buddy or fetch his toy.
Social Barking
Dogs are pack animals and social barking is a reminder of that fact. This kind of barking may occur when a Frenchie hears other dogs, at a distance barking or even on TV. You may never be able stop it, but you can control it.
What you can do…
You can start by changing your dog’s environment, minimizing sound from the source of the barking. If he is still able to hear it, try drowning the particular sound with music.
Important note:
If you give your Frenchie a reaction each time it barks unnecessarily, they may continue to seek out a similar reaction in the future.
Their barks may be annoying but they are not the biggest barkers around and they’ll certainly get bored after realizing that all they get from their barking is a cold shoulder.
Don’t even look, yell or shove them; continue as if you couldn’t hear them.
Soon enough, they will learn that barking will not fetch them toys, treats or attention.
While some would recommend the use electronic gadgets like a laser pointer or electronic collars and anti-bark collars to halt barking, this though would not help in creating a bond between you and your French bulldog.
Your pet is probably under a lot of stress and punishment will take away the only thing he has to survive on while under stress. Also, behavior problems can escalate or, worse, your pet may fall ill.