Animal Doctor

Dog Never Tires of Hearing Its Own Bark

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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Dear Dr. Fox:

I have a neighbor whose dog barks continually when it's outside, and it's outside most of the time. I've heard it bark for more than four hours. And I don't mean a bark and then, 10 seconds later, another bark. I mean continuously. I've gone to bed about 11:30 p.m. and have still heard it barking. Is there something wrong with the dog? Don't a dog's vocal cords ever get sore or tired?

R.W.K.

St. Louis

The dog could be lonely and neglected, suffering from separation anxiety. Perhaps the dog is old and somewhat deaf (ditto for the owner). Some dogs just like the sound of their own barks, which they broadcast loudly when outdoors, possibly to proclaim, "It's me!" or "This is my territory."

Dogs can develop sore vocal cords with persistent barking, usually associated with an infection such as kennel cough. As dogs get older, their vocal cords (as with many humans) become more "croaky" and have limited range. You can often tell when a dog is stone-deaf because the tone of the bark rarely changes.

Dogs bark for many reasons and have a variety of barks for different situations. Your situation calls for immediate action by the police and animal welfare agencies if you think the dog is being neglected and might be barking to be let indoors, or if the barking truly disturbs your peace.

Dear Dr. Fox:

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