By Tom, CCDT-Certified Dog Trainer (10+ Years Border Collie Experience)
There are many valid reasons why Do Border Collies Bark A Lot, and we are glad to share our knowledge and expertise on this important topic.
A person who is not associated with dogs will take barking as a nuisance. Every animal life has some form of voice communication, just like that dogs have barking as a natural communication.
By barking they express emotions such as fear, excitement, frustration and anxiety. For certain breeds like border collies or German shepherd having a high tendency to bark in natural.
Triggers can unfamiliar environment or people can make a dog bark excessively. They can also use barking as a coping mechanism.
Barking is normal canine behaviour, but excessive and inappropriate barking can become a nuisance to you and your neighbours.
By understanding the reasons behind barking, border collie owners can create a balanced and happy environment for their furry friend while maintaining peace in the home.
Border Collies bark at 3x the frequency of Labrador Retrievers – but their vocalizations serve distinct communication purposes rooted in herding instincts.”*
– 2023 University of Bristol Canine Vocalization Study
Contents
Do Border Collies Bark A Lot? lets Discuss
Do Border Collies Bark A Lot? Yes. They do bark a lot. Border Collies are high energy herding breeds. And while herding they communicate with their owners and other farm animals with a bark. By barking, they maintain a communication with the owner and guide the sheep.
Border Collies are very much vocal and they express themselves more vocally. Being a highly intelligent and attentive dog, they seek the attention of the owner and like to please the owner. That is one reason to bark to get attention.
Collies are herding breeds and for thousands of years they were bred to herding sheep and other farm animals. While herding they bark regularly. This barking trait is still seen and observed in them.
Barking is natural to them. And it is impossible to make them quiet permanently.
Why Do Border Collies Bark So Much?
Excitement
They show their love and excitement with barking. Collies bark while playing, greeting people, and getting their favorite treats. After completing a task they will show by barking that they completed the given task.
Playing fetching and tug of war or just having a good time running with other dogs can make them vocal more.
Attention seeking
Collies are attention and affection seekers. And constantly need attention. Border Collies keep looking at the owner’s face for command and instructions. Ignorance by the owner and not spending time with the dog would attract barking to get attention.
Bringing attention to the empty bowl, demanding extra food, taking on walks are some of the reasons they tend to bark.
Alertness
Another big reason why Do Border Collies Bark A Lot is their alertness. Because of their high intelligence, they tend to observe almost everything around them. Whether it’s moving cars, rustling of leaves, birds chirping, or just observing people, they focus on everything around them.
This alertness is also engraved in them. If they are on the farm, they’ll bark when an intruder, or strangers, approach, or any new activity is taking place on the farm.
Collies are not guard dogs but they are amazing watch dogs. They will immediately alert the owner if some suspicious things are going on around them.
But they can bark at every moving thing, and it becomes a nuisance after a certain point if not checked.
Expressing
Now the real information comes on why Do Border Collies Bark A Lot.
They can be bored or feeling lonely. Border Collies need a lot of physical and mental stimulation, and they thrive on it. If you are not giving lot of exercises and keeping him busy with some mental activity, he will express his frustation by barking.
Not getting daily regular exercise can result in behavioral problems as well.
Collies also have separation anxiety issues, when separated, they bark at a high pitch and howl as well. Sudden separation from owners for long hours can create a panic-like situation in them, and to overcome it, they can bark continuously.
Showing territorial behavior is common in collies. So they end up barking at people, other dogs, and animals.
Thunderstorms, car honks, fireworks, a large crowd, all these things can create anxiety in collies, making them to bark to get out of the situation and escape to a safe place.
If a well-trained and socialised collie is barking, then it may be getting the attention to some pain or discomfort or injury. But this case of pain cannot be a reason all the time. He can also ask for food or any other uneasiness.
Another thing is that your collie is barking because he has a way of getting things done in and out of the house, and it’s just the way it is. He has made a habit of barking for everything, and now he has an excessive barking habit.
The 5 Types of Border Collie Barks (And What Each Means)
1. Alert Barking
Sound: Sharp, single “WOOF!”
Cause: Movement detection (mail carrier, squirrels)
Breed-Specific Fix:
- Train “Thank you” protocol:
- Allow 1-2 alert barks
- Say “Thank you” → reward for silence
- Gradually reduce allowed barks to zero
2. Demand Barking
Sound: Repetitive, high-pitched “YAP-YAP-YAP”
Cause: Frustration (common in working lines)
Solution:
- Teach incompatible behavior (e.g., “Go to mat” command)
- Use time-outs for persistent cases
3. Herding Barks
Sound: Intense, staccato bursts
Trigger: Children running, other pets moving
Genetic Insight:
Show-line Collies exhibit 40% less herding vocalization than working lines (Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 2022).
How To Stop Border Collie Barking?
Breed-Specific Bark Reduction Techniques
1. The “3D Training” Protocol
Developed for Herding Breeds:
- Distance: Start 50+ ft from triggers
- Duration: Gradually increase exposure time
- Distraction: Add challenging mental tasks
Case Study:
“A farm Collie reduced barking by 72% using this method combined with scent work.”
2. Environmental Modifications
- Apply window film to reduce visual triggers
- Use white noise machines during peak barking hours
- Install indoor agility equipment for energy redirection.
Most common way to address why Do Border Collies Bark A Lot is to get your dog lots of regular exercise with mental stimulation like giving puzzle toys and teaching new commands or tricks.
Giving a proper exercise like long walks or agility exercises will tire your dog out, as there are fewer chances of barking when the dog is tired. This is the most sought solution one can think of first.
Second thing you can do is to remove the triggering factors that make your dog restless. Triggers factors can be shadows, the doorbell, any sound-making toy, loud noises, and other triggers. When this triggers arise, you can simply divert his attention by calling his name and giving him a treat.
Train your dog ‘quiet’ command when he barks. This has to be done with patience. After the dog stops barking, then you can offer a treat for appreciation. This will make your collie realise his mistake and will refrain from doing the mistake.
Enforcing positive reinforcement training to the dog. Means rewarding good behavior. This can take time, but if there is a reward then it can happen fast. Teaching to sit, stop, and quiet, and praising while training can enforce good behavior.
Taking help from an expert canine behaviorist will help you to understand where you are lagging in training your collie and what the real issue is going on for excessive barking in the collie.
Do not shout or yell when your dog is barking, instead tell him to ‘stop’ or call his name. Ignoring the dog while he is barking and when he calms down, offer a treat, means you are appreciating his good behavior.
When Barking Signals Trouble
🚨 Vet Visit Required For:
- Nighttime barking at nothing
- Accompanied by circling/staring
- Sudden onset in adulthood
💡 Cost-Saving Tip:
Video document barking episodes to help your vet diagnose faster ($200+ savings).
Can you train a Border Collie not to bark?
YES. You can absolutely train your collie.
Is a Border Collie a calm dog?
No. Border Collies are high energy dogs.
Do bark collars work on Border Collies?
It will work temporarily. Your dog can become scared and stressed out.
How do you teach a dog not to bark when alone?
Crate training can help. Taking help of a dog trainer is advisable.
Why does my dog bark like crazy when I leave?
Because he can be having separation anxiety or may not be given enough exercise.
Conclusion
There are other measures like using shock collars. We strictly don’t recommend it. It can temporarily solve your problem, but eventually barking takes place again. Or even you will end up scaring your dog and he will show trust issues.
Punishing or yelling at the dog won’t solve the barking problem. It will require some positive enforcement training and patience if you have dog with excessive barking problem.
Consulting a professional is good if you have no idea how to deal with the barking issue of your collie.
There are other important articles on shampoo, bed, colors, and puppy socialization you can read and gain an in-depth knowledge. We hope you find this article Do Border Collies Bark A Lot useful.
