As a dog owner, you may have asked yourself whether your dog sees something that you can’t. You sometimes wonder why they are barking and growling at nothing. Let us find more about this behavior.
So why do our dogs bark and growl at nothing? There are quite some possible reasons why your dog barks and growls for nothing. It can be because they heard something, they saw something, or they smell something.
You might often wonder why they are growling and what you can do to stop this behavior. You might even be caught up with the rumor that maybe your dog sees something you cannot see. Well, that is creepy, but your dog barking and growling might be because of another reason.
If your dog does that, you have to consider possible reasons why they do it. It is important for you to assess the situation as a dog owner. Find out what help you can give as their owner.
They can bark and growl at something, and you will not even know what the reason is if you do not pay closer attention to them. Some owners will just ignore this and will not even spare time to think about what is wrong with their dogs.
After all, the behavior is not harmful. Barking and growling are two things that dogs usually do. But if you are curious about this behavior, we can help you with that.
This article will provide you a number of reasons why your dogs are barking and growling at nothing.
Contents
Why Does My Dog Keep Growling and Barking At Nothing?
Dog owners are bothered at why their dogs bark and growl at nothing. We will provide you some possible reasons why they do that.
Your Dog Might Be Seeing Something
Rumors say that animals or dogs see something that humans cannot see for this matter. This came from the fact that dogs have better night vision than humans do.
After all, dogs are made to hunt and protect. They are equipped with this feature for that function.
Dogs also have better motion visibility than humans do. This is why our dogs detect motions faster and acutely than we can.
So number one reason why your dog is growling and barking at nothing is that they saw something. Experts still have not identified what exactly the dogs are seeing, but this is beyond us.
Your Dog Might Have Heard Something
Dogs have better vision than we humans do, which is also the same for the hearing. You might notice your dog barking because they heard other dogs barking as well.
This is more likely because dogs have a sensitive ear and, in return, have a more sensitive hearing than us. Dogs can also hear up to four times further than humans do.
This is why sometimes our dog, when napping, would abruptly stand in an alert. This is because they heard something our naked ear cannot.
So if your dog is barking and growling, they may have heard something that you cannot. If your house is located in an area where you have sites or buildings being constructed, they might be barking because of that.
If, on the other hand, your house is located in a quiet area, they might have heard animals nearby.
Your Dog Might Be Scared Of Something
Dogs have an acute sense. They can sense storms and other natural disasters, just like what other animals can do. But dogs can bark and growl if they are afraid of something.
Something or someone can be causing them fear, and their defense mechanism is to bark and growl even though they have no reason to.
Your Dog Might Smell Something
The same with hearing and seeing, dogs smell much better than we do. One reason why your dogs growl and bark is because they might smell something that you cannot.
This is worse if you have a breed that has a very strong sense of smell. They can smell from miles, and they can smell something unpleasant. This can bother them hard enough for them to growl and bark at.
Your Dog Might Be Really Growling At Something
Though we think that they are barking and growling at nothing, it is not impossible that our dogs are really barking at something.
If we pay close attention, we can even figure out what or who they are barking with. It can be because there are rats in the area.
Your Dog Might Be Ill Or Injured
Your dog barking and growling at nothing can also mean that they are communicating with you. Your dog might not be feeling well, or your dog can be injured somewhere in their body. They growl and bark because this is how they can communicate with you.
Your Dog Might Want Something From You
Dogs communicate through their behaviors. They might growl and bark because they want to tell you something.
We have seen a lot of situations where dogs growl if they are on alert or if they are worried about you. In this case, they might be telling you something.
Why Is My Dog Growling At The Wall?
If your dog is barking and growling at the wall, we might immediately jump to conclusions that they are seeing ghosts. But do not fret.
There are other possibilities why your dog is growling and barking at the same time. The first thing to consider if your dog barks and growl at a wall is their sanity.
Well, barking and growling are normal for dogs, but if they bark and growl at a wall and you are 100% sure they do not have anything to bark for, it is time to consult professional help.
Take your dog to the vet. Like humans, dogs are not immune to diseases. They can even have cancer or any abnormalities in their body and brain. It is best to eliminate this possibility so that you can focus on other possible problems.
Why Do Dogs Bark At Night When There’s Nothing Going On?
Even if you do not own a dog, you can still experience the barking of dogs at night. When you are watching television or reading a book late at night, you can hear dogs barking their lungs off.
We are not talking about one dog here, by the way. If one dog in your neighborhood starts barking, other dogs in the area will start barking too.
Night barking by dogs is something we consider normal. We see it as something that dogs have in their human nature.
But do we really know the reason why these dogs are barking at night? Experts say that there really is no exact reason why dogs bark at night. It depends mainly on the dog and the dog’s environment.
Here are some possible reasons why they do it. Let us find out.
Your Dog Might Be Hearing Noises
There is a reason why dogs are considered protectors. There are reasons why people own a dog because they want security.
Dogs are made to protect. Dogs are protective and very territorial. People sometimes put them outside to spot robberies or any crime.
They have a very good hearing. They can hear something we cannot. So there are a few sounds that you might not hear, but your dogs can.
So these dogs barking at night might be because they are hearing strange sounds.
Your Dog Might Be Seeing Other Animals
You may sleep very well at night and not hear a single animal outside your house, but your dog sure can. They have an acute sense of awareness and will notice animals in their surroundings. Experts also say that when dogs bark at night, it is probably because they saw animals, like raccoons and coyotes.
Your Dog Might Be Feeling Lonely
Dogs are sociable animals. This is why they are called a man’s best friend. If they get lonely, they make noises.
Your Dog Might Be Bored
Dogs, especially those breeds that have high energy, can really get bored easily. In return, they will bark and make noise to have fun. They will also join with the other dogs in the neighborhood barking.
Should I Ignore My Dog Barking At Night?
Your dog barking at night is harmless. Other dog owners can tolerate the noise of their dog barking at night, but it can create a nuisance with the neighborhood or with your neighbor next door.
If you can tolerate the noise, you can just leave your dog barking, but you also have to consider the reason why they are barking. They might have heard something or someone near your home.
If this is the case, then you cannot ignore this. You might find your dog annoying, but in reality, your dog might be helping you in ways you do not know.
Please pay attention to your dog because they are more equipped than us. They hear, see, and smell much better than we do.
Dog Growling At the Corner of the Room – Why?
As mentioned, we might think our dog is growling at nothing, but they can really be growling at something. We just do not see it or hear it or even smell it.
Our dogs have more intensive functions than us, and this can be the reason why they can react to something that we think is invisible. However, the first thing to do is to take your dog to a vet.
You need to ensure that your dog is okay. By okay, I mean that your dog is not ill. There are disorders that a dog can acquire.
If your dog is in the corner and growling at nothing, we need to eliminate the possibility that they are sick.
Summary
In summary, we think that our dogs growl and bark at nothing, but they can be barking at something. We just do not see it. We may not even hear or smell it, for that matter.
Your dog can bark and growl at something that your dogs are only aware of. You can take your dog to your vet and verify if your dog is not ill. If he is not, you can explore possible reasons why they do this.
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Image credits – Canva
