Dogs bark. It is part of their normal and natural behaviour. There are good and appropriate reasons why dogs bark. It is to communicate. For example, when strangers approach the house, or they hear an odd noise, or they're herding sheep, dogs need to say something is up. Let's face it: Most of us want our dogs to be "watch dogs" and alert us to anything unusual.

Human kind has blended with the canine world more than with anything else in the animal kingdom. The history of the two of us coming together can be traced back as far as when man first walked on the Earth. We and our dogs have been each other's constant companions. But recently this relationship has reached an entirely new level.

Dogs are now treated as more than just working dogs or pets. They are now seen as family members. When we welcome them into our homes, we see to it that they are comfortable and strive to make their early days as stress free as possible.

Our dogs are our pets and they have needs but are unable to tell us what they are. The most they can do vocally is to bark, whine or whimper to help us to know what they may be feeling.

Don't mistake these noises as signs of discontent. There may well be other factors at play - like the environment and other dogs. But by carefully monitoring every action and whimper, whine or bark, we can better know and understand their situation.

Because dogs that bark constantly are a bother, it is our responsibility, as pet owners, to take measures to curb those aspects of behaviour that annoy others - and barking is no doubt a major one of these. Indeed, it is not uncommon for nuisance dogs to cause so much trouble between neighbours that in some cases the disputes even reach the courts!

Now this is something none of us want to happen to us. The more we spend time to understand our dogs, the better we will be able to win their trust and obedience.

In our efforts to fully understand our dogs we must try to know as much as we can about their situation. We must expand our knowledge to be able to know what to do or what could be the cause on our dog's barking. Things happen for a reason and some things cannot be answered just by guessing.

The more we learn about dogs, the better our relationship will be. As the higher species, it is in our best interest to show them we understand. Patience is a virtue - especially with your dog!