Dogs often bark or howl when they are exposed to or encounter something new. It is difficult to determine what makes an individual dog bark. The stimulus can vary from dog to dog and from household to household.

Barking can be attributed to various situations. Some include (but not limited to):

• The need for attention and affection
• Hunger or thirst
• Unusual or unfamiliar sounds
• Other animals entering their territory
• Humans (usually strangers) entering their territory
• Separation from members of the family (particularly their favorite person)
• Separation from members of their pack (other dogs, or humans for that matter)
• The sight of their prey
• A heightened state of anxiety
• Medical problems