Wondering why your dog seems to be barking at nothing?
Dogs can be quite communicative and make quite a lot of different noises to do that. They whine to be let out, squeak when play gets too rough, and they bark when something seems off.
Except sometimes… nothing seems to be wrong. Yet your dog clearly thinks something is happening—something he’d like to tell you about!
What’s up with that?
Here are some answers.
Table of Contents
Why is my dog barking at nothing?
Let’s face it—it can be annoying when your dog barks. Barking is loud, and some dogs like to bark a lot.
There are a lot of reasons why your dog could be barking. Maybe he’s seen something through the window and he’s trying to tell you about it. Or maybe you’ve just picked up his food bowl and he’s really excited to chow down on dinner!
But sometimes it seems like your dog isn’t barking at anything at all. So what’s up with that?
While your dog seems to be barking at nothing, there could actually be a lot of things triggering this reaction. Let’s get into these!
He hears a lot more than us
You may already know how sensitive your dog’s sense of smell is. Dogs can smell a lot of things that we humans aren’t even aware of!
But did you know that his sense of hearing is also super powerful?
Dogs can hear a lot of things going on, including sounds outside your home. And those sounds might concern him a little bit. He might want you to notice what’s going on too!
If that’s the case, then your dog might start barking. If you don’t see anything, then it could be something that he’s heard that you’re not aware of at all.
He might have smelled something
Your dog’s sense of smell is extremely sensitive. A dog’s sense of smell is better than a human’s eyesight. That’s why you might see your dog sniffing so much.
It’s also why playing nose games with your dog is such a great way to keep him entertained and give him some mental stimulation.
Mental stimulation can also be a wonderful training tool if used correctly. Check out Braintrainingfordogs to learn how to train your dog to be the best dog he can be by using mental stimulation! Or have a look at Dogpackr’s review first to see if it’s a fit for you and your dog!
The downside about your dog’s super powerful nose is that sometimes your dog might get a little carried away. He might smell something while inside your home, like another dog or animal that is outside, and decide to bark about it.
You can learn more about your dog’s super impressive sense of smell by checking out these articles:
He might simply be anxious or stressed
Another reason why your dog might be barking at seemingly nothing is because he’s stressed out about something. There could be something nearby that’s making him nervous.
Barking is one way for your dog to communicate with you and with other dogs around him. So if your dog starts barking and there’s something stressful going on, he could be trying to tell you all about it.
If your dog is barking a lot, consider the environment! Is there something around that could be stressing him out? If there is, make sure you know how to calm a stressed dog naturally.
He wants to signal that he’s unhappy about something
Dogs bark to communicate. If your dog is stressed, he might bark to tell you about it. But barking isn’t just for extreme cases like anxiety or stress.
Sometimes dogs bark because they’re just not happy about something else going on.
Maybe your dog is upset because something just isn’t going his way. Maybe his food isn’t coming fast enough. Or maybe he really wants to play and you’re not doing anything!
You can usually figure out the reason for his barking based on context. And once you know why, you can fix the issue!
To sum up: When your dog barks at nothing, it’s usually either because he actually hears or smells something that you can’t, or because he’s anxious, stressed or unhappy with something that’s going on.
On top of that, there are a few specific situations where dogs tend to bark more.
Specific situations
Knowing the general reasons why dogs bark at nothing, or seem to anyway, is always helpful. But here are a few specific situations that could be causing your dog to bark.
Why does my dog bark at nothing outside?
If your dog is staring out the window and just barking away but you don’t see anything, you might be confused.
There are a few reasons why your dog might be barking. Most likely, your dog has smelled or heard something that you’re not aware of.
Remember that the senses that your dog has are even more powerful than a human’s. So while it might seem weird that your dog can smell another dog from blocks away, it could be the reason why he’s barking so much!
Why does my dog bark at nothing for hours?
If you’ve been watching and listening to your dog bark for hours, you might be wondering: does barking make dogs tired?
It seems like a lot of work, doesn’t it?
The answer to this question is, essentially, no. Your dog probably won’t get tired of barking, even if he’s been at it for hours.
But what exactly is he barking at? Well, mostly likely he’s just hearing something or smelling something you’re not. It could also be a sign of boredom! Make sure to check out these 7 symptoms of dog boredom (and help!) for more info.
Why is my dog barking at the wall?
Your dog standing at the window and barking is one thing. But what if your dog is just standing and barking at a blank wall? That probably looks pretty weird!
If you’re wondering why on earth your dog is barking at the wall, it most likely has something to do with his hearing or smell again.
Your dog might be hearing or smelling little critters scurrying around the walls!
If your dog is older, though, it could also be a sign of cognitive dysfunction.
Why is my dog barking at nothing at night?
Dogs barking at night is a common issue. But why do dogs bark at night, exactly?
If you’re trying to settle down for bed and your dog is simply yapping away, that can be really frustrating. The most likely issue is that your dog’s super sensitive ears are picking up on something going on that you can’t hear.
So what are you supposed to do? It’s not like you can go outside and tell whatever your dog’s barking at to cut it out!
One of the most helpful things you can do for yourself and your dog is to crate train your dog.
If you haven’t started crate training your dog, here’s how to crate train your dog easily in 13 steps.
Need a schedule to make training easier for both of you?
How to stop a dog barking at nothing
You know all the reasons why your dog might be barking at nothing. But that doesn’t stop your dog’s barking from being super annoying! So what are you supposed to do?
Here are a few tips that will help your dog calm down and stop barking.
Reduce access to windows or doors
If your dog is spending a lot of time barking at doors or windows, then the best thing to do is to limit your dog’s access to them.
You can do this by closing blinds and making sure that doors are completely shut around your home.
You might also want to invest in a baby gate that you can put up if there are doors you have trouble limiting access to.
With your dog’s ability to get to these doors and windows reduced, you should notice him barking less.
Put on some white noise or music
Sometimes just blocking visuals isn’t enough. If your dog is still barking a lot, then he might still be hearing things going on around him.
In this case, it’s best to find a way to cancel out whatever he’s hearing. One really great way to do this is by turning on some white noise or music.
There are a lot of great videos and playlists you can put on for your dog. Plus, you might find them pretty relaxing yourself!
Check out some music for dogs videos on YouTube to see if they might help your dog settle down a bit.
Doing this will be especially helpful if your dog has trouble settling down at night because he’s hearing things going on outside!
Reward him when he’s quiet
Stopping your dog from barking is a two-part process. The first part is finding ways to keep him from barking.
The second part is showing him what you’d like him to do instead!
And what you want your dog to do is to be calm and quiet. So when your dog is relaxing or lying down quietly somewhere, make sure to reward him.
If you’re consistent about doing this, then you’ll show your dog that barking gets him ignored. Lying calmly and quietly, on the other hand, will get him treats and affection!
Conclusion
If your dog is barking a lot and you can’t figure out why, that can be super frustrating. Barking dogs tend to be pretty loud and difficult to ignore. And if your dog just won’t stop barking, then that can be even more annoying and frustrating.
But while it might seem like your dog is barking at nothing, there’s probably a real reason why he won’t stop yapping. And once you figure out why your dog is barking so much, you can find ways to help him stop! Don’t forget to reward your dog for being quiet to show him that you much prefer it when he’s acting calm!
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning, I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through one of my links, at no cost to you.