How Long Can A Dog Bark Before It Gets Tired (How To Stop It)

If you’ve noticed that our dog can bark seemingly forever, you might be curious about how long he can actually bark for! Here’s everything you should know about a dog’s need for noise.

The amount of time a dog can bark before he gets tired will depend on his size, the volume of his bark, and the reasons for which he is barking. Most experts agree that, technically, dogs can go for days without much of a break if they put their minds to it!

Below, you’ll learn about what barking means, what you should know about its causes, and how to get to the bottom of it.

What factors go into figuring out how long my dog will bark?

To get a better understanding of it, here is what you are going to want to know about all of those factors and what it means for your dog’s health and comfort. After all, barking is always a form of communication; dogs don’t ever bark for no reason.

The different factors to consider include:

• Size/Breed
• The volume of his bark
• The reason behind his barking

Size/Breed

The size and breed of your dog are going to factor into how long he can go. The larger and stronger the dog, the better he can keep going and going. Smaller and younger dogs will tire faster and need to take a break.

The volume of his bark

If the dog is just barking at the top of his lungs, he’ll tire faster than a dog who is barking persistently but not screaming.

Kind of like humans, the volume and strength of the bark are going to determine just how long the dog can go and how long it’s going to be before he goes hoarse.

The reasons behind his barking

The reasons that he’s barking will usually factor in, too. After all, if the dog doesn’t feel the need to bark intensely for hours, he won’t! The main factors influencing his barking, with most dogs, include:

• Territorial behavior
• Anxiety
• Boredom
• Loneliness
• Is in need of help

Territorial behavior

A dog is naturally territorial. When he has reasons to feel as though his property and/or turf are being threatened, the dog will often bark and growl to let the intruder know that they’re close to breach his barrier or to let those around him know that there’s a problem.

Anxiety

Dogs can behave frantically and let anxiety take the better of them, whether it’s anxiety from something like fireworks, separation anxiety, or just dealing with a generally anxious dog. This can make your dog “bark like he’s mad”.

Boredom

Kind of like whistling or grumbling and complaining in humans, dogs will go around barking simply because they’re bored and love to hear the sound of their own voice (even if you don’t).

If they don’t have a lot of stimulation, this can happen fairly quickly. The more they suffer from boredom, the more that they may bark.

Loneliness

Dogs are pack animals by nature, so they can get lonely pretty easily. When a dog feels lonely and wants a friend, he’ll bark to get attention from you, another dog, or whoever is close enough to hear him.

Is in need of help

Lastly, a dog that needs help will bark to communicate that. He might be in pain or injured, or he may be with someone that is. Dogs can be pretty loyal like that! As you’ve probably guessed, this would be like when a human yells for help.

How long can a dog bark for?

As mentioned above, many dogs are physically capable of yelling for days with only a few breaks. Sometimes, a dog may continue to bark even after he’s gone hoarse. Barking is a little different from yelling in humans that way.

People will often stop after they go hoarse because they understand there is no use in continuing. Dogs usually can continue just the same, until their need has been met.

The reasons behind his barking will definitely determine how long he goes as well as how strongly he is feeling about that reasons.

Whatever the situation might be, always take the dog barking seriously, as he won’t stop just because he understands it’s not going to work!

Do dogs get tired from barking?

While it may seem like it takes no effort at all, barking does get dogs tired. As mentioned, it’s the same as humans feel when they are yelling. After a while, dogs get tired out just because of the barking itself.

It doesn’t always mean that dogs will stop barking, though. They’ll just take a break and then get back to it when they feel more rested.

Normal barking vs. excessive barking: what’s the difference?

This is a great question. All of the reasons above can create what’s called “normal barking” or “excessive barking”. Normal barking would be when a dog barks for any of these reasons and then stops when the situation ends.

Pretty straightforward. Excessive barking is when the situation ends, but your dog continues to bark anyway. Or, the dog’s volume and rate of barking are simply dramatic when compared to a situation.

In simpler terms, normal barking is a standard response for dogs. Excessive barking is when a dog is being dramatic and “barking his head off” for one or several reasons that may or may not be clear to us.

Should I ignore excessive dog barking?

If you think that your dog is barking excessively, there is a temptation to ignore it. The thing is, dogs don’t just start barking and then stop when they realize it’s not getting your attention.

You’ll have to help your dog learn how to keep from barking so much and condition his response. We’ve got more on that below for you!

Can I get in trouble if my dog barks too much?

You may find that our dog’s bark suffers as far as its strength. As far as getting into trouble as a dog owner, you could potentially get a citation from your local law enforcement for the noise (i.e., a noise complaint).

Most people understand that dogs will bark, but if your dog barks like mad constantly, day and night, you can undoubtedly expect a complaint or two!

How to stop a dog from barking too much

As much as possible, keeping your dog’s barking “normal” is a great goal as a respectful pet parent and neighbor. Some tips include:

• Reward positive behavior related to barking
• Properly train his barking command
• Take the reason for his barking away

Reward positive behavior related to barking

When your dog stops barking, make sure you reward the act of stopping his barking. Over time, your dog will learn to understand that stopping his noise when you tell him to is a good thing, and excessive barking will be rare!

Properly train his barking command

As far as getting him to stop barking, you’ll need to pick a command. “Quiet”, or “No barking” are common ones.

When you use that command and reward his behavior when he stops on cue, this will help your dog understand the value of listening to it.

Take the reason for his barking away

Obvious, perhaps, but simple! Whatever the reason is triggering his barking, address the situation, and the barking will stop!

For example, if your dog is bored, make sure he gets plenty of stimulation from you when you are home. If your dog is lonely, get him a buddy!

Dogs can bark for an impressively long time when they have needs that they feel aren’t being met. The key is to understand it for what it is and stop the problem in its tracks! Your neighbor will thank you.

All in all

Dogs can bark for days and will often bark even after they are hoarse. Reasons for barking can span from boredom to being in pain, so a proper understanding of the cause is essential.

Know someone with a dog who loves to bark at anything and everything? Please share this article with them!