Territorial Behavior

Why Does My Dog Bark at the Mailman? Understanding Territorial Behavior Every day at 2:15 PM, your dog hears the mail truck rumble down the street. Ears perk up. Tail goes rigid. Then comes the explosion of barks that rattles the windows. You’ve tried shushing, distracting, even bribing with treats. Nothing works. Sound familiar? A 2020 study published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science found that territorial barking accounts for roughly 40% of all barking complaints among dog owners. And the mailman? He’s public enemy number one for most of them. ...