If you’re considering adding a four-legged member of the canine variety to your family, one of the first things you would probably look for is whether the breed is given to barking. Though barking is natural to dogs, excessive, trigger-happy barking can really set you on edge.
Where do Airedale Terriers rank on the list of barkers? Is this a breed you should consider if barking is one of your primary concerns? Here’s the 101 on the topic.
Why Do Airedale Terriers Bark?
Just as humans talk, scream, and make other sounds to communicate, dogs bark, whine, growl, and emit a range of other sounds to express themselves and communicate with other dogs, animals, and their hoomans.
As members of the terrier family, Airedale Terriers are given to some amount of barking. These dogs are quite vocal, making their opinions quite clear when needed!
However, not every bark is the same—there could be a range of reasons behind your Airedale’s barking.
Some of the possible reasons include:
Breed
As mentioned above, terriers are vocal dogs and therefore, bark relatively more than other breeds. In addition to this, Airedale Terriers, as working dogs, were trained to bark every time they spotted a predator approaching. This instinct hasn’t completely died down; Airedales still bark today just because it’s in their genes!
Separation Anxiety
Dogs with separation anxiety tend to bark a lot; the case could be the same with your Airedale. As it is, these dogs need constant attention, love, and company and don’t do well when left alone, so it’s easier for separation anxiety to set in. Such barking is often excessive and is accompanied by signs such as destruction of property and pacing.
Call for Attention
All that barking may just be a ploy for attention! Terriers bark to express their needs, such as food, water, or going out. Even otherwise, your Airedale may bark in order to get more attention and love from you or others around him or her.
Insufficient Exercise and Boredom
Airedale Terriers are extremely physical, energetic dogs with a love for the outdoors. They’re also intelligent dogs, requiring constant mental stimulation. Insufficient exercise and mental stimulation can cause restlessness and boredom in your Airedale, leading to excessive barking. This barking could either be to keep themselves entertained or to get your attention and inform you that they’re bored.
Guarding
Airedale Terriers are great guard dogs. One of the reasons for this is their ability to bark and raise the alarm whenever they perceive a threat. Sometimes, even when your Airedale wants to alert you to something, he or she may bark.
To Express Loneliness or Fatigue
Airedale Terriers, as mentioned earlier, don’t do well in solitude. These are strong pack dogs and when left alone for too long, can get miserable and lead to excessive barking. Loneliness can also be a result of insufficient attention and a plea from your Airedale to spend time with him or her.
Being Playful or Welcoming You
Barking could be a sign of welcoming you or initiating playtime. Dogs don’t just bark when aggressive; they also bark when they’re happy, such as when they meet familiar people or pets. Happy barking is accompanied by a lot of tail wagging and jumping!
A Reaction to Shock
Your Airedale terrier might bark in response to an object, action, or sound that has alarmed them, just as all dogs do.
Insufficient Socialization and Training
Insufficiently socialized and trained dogs tend to get aggressive around other people and animals, resulting in excessive barking. They may perceive each new face as a threat, if not properly socialized, and react by barking.
Protecting Their Territory
Your Airedale could also bark if he feels like his territory is being invaded by a foreigner, whether it’s another dog or a person. The barking will increase in volume and intensity the closer the invader gets.
Controlling Your Airedale’s Barking
Barking is alright when it’s a form of communication, but can be quite a pain when it’s excessive and constant (known as nuisance barking, for obvious reasons). Not only does this set you on edge, but it’s most definitely going to set your neighbors on edge too.
Therefore, always assess the reason behind your dog’s barking before you take steps to curb it—constant barking need not always be a bad thing (such as when your dog is trying to protect you or raise the alarm).
Here are a few methods to control your Airedale’s barking:
- Observe your dog when he or she is barking and see if there are any triggers to this behavior. This could be a sound, an object, an action, another person, or another animal. Whatever it is, either work on familiarizing your dog with it or remove it to discourage your dog from barking.
- Provide your Airedale with sufficient mental and physical exercise. Have them use up their energy as much as possible (provided that it’s a healthy level) so that there’s less energy left over to bark unnecessarily.
- Training and socializing can eliminate many of the behavioral problems in dogs. Both need to be started at a young age, as habits and patterns are harder to break in mature dogs. The longer you wait to start training and socializing, the harder it will be. Get your dog acquainted with the people and animals in your life, so that your Airedale feels less fear and discomfort. If your training efforts don’t meet with success, getting a professional dog trainer on board may move things along more smoothly.
- If you realize that the barking is an unnecessary call for attention, simply ignore it. Once your Airedale realizes that the barking is not bearing any fruit, he or she will eventually stop. Once they do, reinforce the behavior with a treat or reward.
Also Read: How Much Do Airedale Terriers Cost?
The Final Word
Remember, harshness is not going to get you any results with your Airedale—positive reinforcement is the way to go. Therefore, if you want to get your dog to stop barking, punishment is only going to get you so far—treats and rewards will get you further.
The key is to be firm and not cruel if you want any progress.