Home › Barking at nothing
Why Is My Dog Barking at Nothing?
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend. How we make money.
What your dog may be noticing
- High-pitched sounds. LSU lists the dog's upper hearing limit around 45,000 Hz versus about 23,000 Hz for people. Electronics, pest repellers, rodents in the walls and wildlife can all make sounds only your dog hears.
- Smells. An animal that passed the yard hours ago can still set off barking.
- Faint, far-off noises. Other dogs barking blocks away, sirens, a neighbor's car.
- Reflections and shadows, especially for dogs that watch windows.
How to find the trigger
- Write down the time, room and what was going on each time it happens, for a week.
- Look for a pattern, like the same time each evening or always near one wall.
- Check that spot for pests, appliances, pipes or a device on the other side.
- Try white noise in that room to see if the barking drops.
When it's a health issue
Cornell's Riney Canine Health Center lists staring into space, getting stuck in corners, night-time wandering and new anxiety among the signs of canine cognitive dysfunction in older dogs, often from around age 9. Pain, vision loss and hearing loss can also cause dogs to bark more. A vet visit can rule these out.
Not sure why your dog is barking?
Take our free 60-second quiz. It matches your dog's barking to its most likely cause and gives you a plan for that type.
Take the barking quizCommon questions
Can dogs hear things humans can't?
Yes. Louisiana State University lists the dog's hearing range as about 67 to 45,000 Hz, compared with about 64 to 23,000 Hz for people. Dogs can hear high-pitched sounds from electronics, pests and wildlife that we can't.
Why does my old dog bark at the wall?
Staring into space or at walls, getting stuck in corners and confusion can be signs of canine cognitive dysfunction, according to Cornell's Riney Canine Health Center. See your vet.