If you’ve ever felt like your terrier has a lot to say, you’re not alone.
Barking might be one of the most frustrating parts of life with a terrier — but here’s the thing:
Terriers don’t bark “just because.”
There’s always a reason, and once you work out why they’re barking, you can start to help them behave differently.
Let’s break down the most common reasons terriers bark, and what you can actually do about it.
1️⃣ Excitement
Some terriers bark simply because they’re excited! You’ll often see this with dogs at agility events or flyball — they’re having the time of their lives, barking their way around the course.
If your terrier barks when excited, it’s really up to you whether you want to stop it or not. A happy, barking terrier isn’t necessarily a problem if it’s not bothering anyone.
But if they’re barking at another dog on a walk because they want to play, that’s not ideal. Instead, teach them an alternative:
➡️ “If you’re quiet, we can go say hello.”
2️⃣ Attention
Terriers often learn that barking gets your attention. Want to change that? Teach them a different way to “ask,” like sitting quietly. Or better yet — give them attention before they even need to ask for it.
⚠️ Ignoring barking rarely works on its own. Often, they’ll just escalate: barking louder, chewing things, jumping up… You don’t want to go there.
3️⃣ Boredom
Bored terriers bark. It’s that simple. And barking takes energy, so tired terriers bark less.
Mental stimulation, sniffing games, training exercises, and interactive toys are all fantastic boredom busters.
4️⃣ Frustration
Barking because they can’t get to something they want (like another dog behind a fence or a ball out of reach) is often frustration barking.
What helps:
- If it’s not appropriate for them to get what they want → call them away, reward, and move on.
- If it is appropriate → teach them how to get it calmly. For example: don’t pull on the lead, check in with you first, etc.
5️⃣ Alert Barking
The classic: “THERE’S SOMEONE AT THE DOOR!”
If you don’t want your terrier barking at all, you can teach them a different behaviour like:
➡️ “Someone’s here? Great — come find me quietly.”
Or, if you don’t mind the initial bark but want to keep it under control, teach a “thank you, that’s enough now” cue.
6️⃣ Perceived Threats
Barking to “see off” a perceived threat is very common, especially with strangers passing the house or other dogs out on walks.
Here, changing how your terrier feels about that thing is key. They need to realise that the “scary” thing isn’t scary at all.
✅ Counter-conditioning works wonders here — pairing the thing they bark at with something great (like treats). What is counter-conditioning? Here’s a video example of using counter-conditioning to help a dog who lunges and barks at scooters.
7️⃣ Worry or Anxiety
Telling someone to “calm down” when they’re genuinely worried doesn’t work — and it’s the same for dogs.
We need to change their emotional response so that they start to feel safer about the thing that worries them.
Again → counter-conditioning is your friend here.
8️⃣ Surprise
Barking when surprised? That’s just… life. If something startles you, you might shout too!
The best thing you can do here is help your terrier recover quickly with reassurance, treats, and creating positive experiences around surprises.
9️⃣ Confusion
Sometimes terriers bark because they don’t understand what you’re asking them to do.
Make sure:
- Your training is clear
- You’re working at your dog’s pace
- You keep sessions short and sweet
- You remember that dogs don’t generalise easily. Just because they can “sit” at home doesn’t mean they know what “sit” means outside in the park yet.
🗝️ The 3 Big Rules of Tackling Terrier Barking:
- Understand WHY they’re barking.
- Prevent them from practicing that barking over and over.
- Teach an alternative behaviour — or help them feel better about the thing causing the barking.
It takes time, but it does work.
Need help with your barking terrier? Feel free to contact me or book a session and we’ll tackle it together.
