Our dog is barking more! Is it age, illness or grumpy old man syndrome?

Has he simply become a grumpy old chap?

Boo! Why is our dog barking more? — If your dog is barking more, what is the cause? Is is just old age or could it be something else?

Or is it that our wonderful friend, Boo our lovely dog, is barking more because he is getting older?

It’s probably happened gradually, over the last few months or maybe as long ago as a year. However, the simple fact is that we have realised that our dog is barking more often and becoming a little more ‘shouty’.

Quite simply, Boo now barks when he used to wait patiently.

Of course, I know full well that we have been spoiled by being lucky enough to have Boo in our lives. Despite being rather large, Boo has always been gentle, far from pushy and rather quiet (except around food).

Indeed, upon first meeting him, others would often say (when they could visit before ‘lockdown’):

“He’s really quiet isn’t he! Our ‘…..insert dog name here….. “never stops barking!“

Indeed, at 13 and quite a bit, Boo is ‘getting on’ in years and he is certainly old enough to draw his doggie pension. In addition, it would be fair to say that some of us (his human family) have less patience than we used to have too!

There’s no getting away from it, our dog is barking more.

Looking back, a younger Boo would quite happily sit on the lawn or the trampoline, waiting to be let in. And that was even true in Winter! He wouldn’t bark, or scratch the door, he would just wait patiently.

Now, of course, that doesn’t happen. Recently, for the first time ever, Boo scratched at the back/patio door, to let us know he wanted to come in. And, that was after a bit of barking. We weren’t ignoring him, just took us longer to get to the door than he wanted us to take!

According to experts, age could have something to do with increased lack of patience or older age, but it could also be a sign of health problems.

The experts…..

I asked the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (R.S.P.C.A) why our dog is barking more. The charity’s dog welfare expert and their head of clinical behaviour offered the following advice:

“Increased vocalization can be a sign of anxiety and a dog may learn to use vocalization to get attention from their owner, but it can also be linked to pain, discomfort and disorientation.

“Elderly dogs and cats with cognitive dysfunction can show increased vocalization.

“We’d advise anyone who is concerned about a change in their pet’s behaviour seek a full geriatric vet check-up and seek advice from a clinical animal behaviourist.“

In addition, extra barking can mean a dog is unwell, lonely and/or bored. As a result, this may manifest in a change in appetite, lack of interest in play or sleeping more, amongst other things.

If your dog is barking more, could it be a sign of ‘dog dementia’?

So, there is such as thing as dementia/alzheimer’s disease in dogs or cats, or to give it another name, cognitive disfunction. Indeed, as they get older many animals can become forgetful, disorientated and/or confused. Your dog might just be barking because, for a split second, they have forgotten where they are or where you are. However, it could indeed be a sign for doggie dementia.

The PDSA animal charity has some great advice on what the signs of dementia might look like in your pet and, indeed, what you can if you think your beloved pooch maybe suffering.

Follow the linksfor more info.

What are the signs of dementia in pets?

What should I do if I think my pet has dementia?https://www.pdsa.org.uk/taking-care-of-your-pet/looking-after-your-pet/all-pets/dementia-in-pets

On a cheerier note……