Why is my dog barking at a tree? Expert-approved ways to stop them
Welcome back to My Dog Dilemma: Country Living's weekly dog column in collaboration with the PDSA. Each week, a vet will answer your dog dilemmas, sharing tips, tricks, and advice to help you and other owners.
We know how a pet's irrational fear, unusual behaviour, bad habit or health condition can affect an owner's life – and My Dog Dilemma aims to answer all your burning questions.
Last time we heard from Emily who wanted to know how to get her dog to stop resource guarding. Keep reading for our next dilemma, submitted by Poppy.
The problem...
My name is Poppy and our two-year-old Yorkie/Jack Russell mix Twiglet has got into a terrible habit of barking at a particular tree in our garden. He gets very obsessive when he has a tennis ball, and one day my wife threw a tennis ball into this tree. Now Twiglet is obsessed with the tree and we're at our wit's end every time he goes out in the garden.
Barking at the tree started maybe a month ago. It's a bay tree with dense branches and leaves, meaning we can't see the ball. He also barks at the table and a bird feeder — we think it's that he can't see what's on top, but can perhaps smell a tennis ball (or a fragment of a tennis ball, or the ghost of a tennis ball) in the vicinity?
He is very stubborn and a bit of a velcro dog who always wants to be on someone's lap. He's not very 'biddable' and he doesn't really care about pleasing you as such, but he's so loving and really does appreciate kindness and affection. Help!
The solution...
Hey Poppy! From what you've described, it sounds as though Twiglet may feel certain his ball is stuck in that tree, and he's intent on making you aware of that.
The barking at the tree may also be an indication of his frustration of wanting to access the ball and not being able to. Have you tried to root out whether the tennis ball is indeed still stuck somewhere in the tree? I know you've mentioned the tree is very dense, but a bit of exploration in there might actually help resolve this — it may be the case he can see the ball, and once it's brought down from the tree, the 'tree obsession' may come to an end.
Once Twiglet has seen you thoroughly exploring the tree for the missing tennis ball, the constant search in the garden might stop. There's also a chance from what you've described Twiglet is interested in what may or may not be on top of the bird feeder or table. Perhaps there's some bird food on there, or there has been? If so, it may just be Twiglet wants it!
It's hard to completely know the cause of Twiglet's fixation with the tree, and in the garden without being there to see, but it's worth making sure there's no tennis ball hiding in your garden.
It is also worth keeping in mind that dogs are very intelligent, and thrive when they have lots of mental stimulation, as well as physical such as heading out for varied and enriching walks. As Twiglet loves a ball, perhaps he might also benefit from extra mental stimulation, such as thought-provoking play time, puzzle games or enrichment toys that will keep both his brain and body active, occupied and satisfied.
When he clocks anything ball-esque that he begins to bark at, perhaps it's his way of saying 'let's play' and an indication he's not been completely mentally fulfilled. Some dogs really will be happy playing all day, which is when pet-safe enrichment and puzzle toys and games are of great use, as Twiglet can use them by himself (under supervision), rather than someone having to throw a ball back and forth all day.
Whenever there is any significant change in our pet's behaviour, we'd always recommend owners have their pet checked over by their vet, just in case there's any underlying health condition causing the behaviour shift. So, it might be a good idea to have your vet give Twiglet a full clinical examination for peace of mind.
Otherwise, if this behaviour constantly persists, you could always speak to a certified behaviourist, who will be able to come and observe Twiglet in the garden and put together a tailored Twiglet plan of action.
Answered by PDSA Vet Nurse Nina Downing
If you would like to have your query answered, please email us at dogs@countryliving.co.uk and tell us a bit about you, your dog (with age and breed), and your problem. Please go into as much detail as possible.
You Might Also Like
