Is your sleep disrupted by the dogs barking outside? Wondering what the chaos is all about? Now is the time to bust the myths and understand why street dogs bark at night. Check out our guide on some possible causes of why dogs bark at night.
People might consider this behavior unreasonable and baseless. There are various superstitions related to the barking of dogs, particularly at night. This exposes the innocent creature to violence and abuse. But wait, here are a few things you need to know about how this common dog behavior can be a savior to you.
Busting The Myth
There is a widespread misconception in India regarding the barking of dogs. It is considered a sign of bad luck or a warning of someone’s death. Astrology believes that a human cannot sense the spirits, but dogs can. They bark on sensing a spirit around them, making humans drive away on seeing a howling dog. However, science bust out this myth by claiming that dogs never cry, it is a way of laughing instead. (Source: Daily hunt)
Reasons Why Street Dogs Bark At Night
Medium of Expression
Dogs face a lot of adversities like challenging weather, ill-treatment by humans, or an unwanted environment. Barking is the only possible medium of expression for them. From anxiety and pain to bonding with other dogs, dogs make themselves part of such events via howling and barking. It is a way of communicating and getting involved in all these activities.
Defending Boundaries
Dogs tend to bark and guide their fellows back to safe territory. This even alerts other dogs that they need assistance in territorial fights with the area dogs. It signifies dominance and defending of boundaries against other dogs. Moreover, it is a display of authority over the claimed area and a call for the pack to guard against a possible threat.
Instinct to Environment
Living on the street builds howling instincts as an adaptation to their environment. As a stimulus response to certain strange sounds, dogs bark at night. Such instincts can be easily triggered by siren sounds, vehicle horns, bursting crackers, or loud music. The noise-sensitive nature of dogs makes them bark at these strange sounds.
Health Issues
A dog might be facing certain health issues, due to which he cries and is unable to sleep. The reason can be an external or internal injury. Also, hunger leads to discomfort in dogs. They might feel bloated or have an upset stomach which is caused by a reaction to allergic foods. There can be many such reasons that cause injury and pain to dogs, making them bark and howl.
Boredom and Loneliness
Dogs are very social animals who become bored easily. They get rid of boredom by barking harmlessly at any sound they hear and just letting their energy out. In case of inactivity, they feel lonely and become prone to depression. Howling is an expression of loneliness to grab fellow and even human attention.
How To Calm Barking Dogs
It might be hard to ignore their vulnerability but you can always try to understand the reason behind it. Simply paying a friendly visit to the howling dog can work wonders. Try to identify something that triggers the bark and remove it if possible. Distract them by clapping or ringing a bell. Also, he might be trying to warn you about a possible threat on your way, check if any. In addition to this, you can feed them bread or any other dog-friendly food that calms them down.
Conclusion
You cannot expect the canine to respect your peace and not bark, since barking is the only way to express themselves. Make a genuine attempt to understand their problem and calm them down, instead of shooing them away. Their innocence deserves kindness since all they seek is your affection. So don't be harsh to the most loyal creature on this planet. Befriend them instead, after all, love and care are what they deserve.
Frequently Asked Questions About 5 Reasons Why Street Dogs Bark At Night
Why do dogs bark at night?
Barking is a medium of expression for dogs. It helps them defend their boundaries, express boredom, certain health issues or it might be their instinct to the environment.
Do dogs barking at night have a spiritual meaning?
Dogs barking at night is considered a sign of bad luck or suspicion of someone’s death as per Hindu mythology. However, this fact is denied by scientists.
Should I ignore street dogs barking at night?
There is nothing much you can do but try to understand the reason behind the howling dog. Although the key is to not respond at least rudely, out of humanity you ought to calm them down.
How to stop dogs from barking at night?
You pet the dog by feeding him or by removing any possible threat that bothers him. You can also distract him by clapping or ringing a bell. Moreover, Calm Pet is a behaviour modifying tablet for pets that control anxiety and stress issues.
