# Barking at nothing



## MichaelH (Sep 5, 2013)

When I let my Shepherd outside she immediately takes off running and barking aggressively with her hair standing up as if someone or something was spotted near our yard. Once she does this and appears to "clear the area" she stops barking. We moved to a new house recently and she still does the same behaviors here. Is she just paranoid, or reacting to something she may have seen in the past? Just curious why she does this


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## Sergeantsays (Jul 6, 2013)

Doesnt that freak you out, or do I watch too much AP "the haunted". I think they see stuff we dont. It freaks me out. I just let him out to "investigate" and stay inside lol. 


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## MichaelH (Sep 5, 2013)

lol. Well I try not to dismiss it completely because the moment she does that and I don't pay attention there is going to be someone or something lurking around.


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## EAMom (Sep 3, 2013)

My mutt does this. I used to think he was barking at nothing, but there's always something there, even if it's just a chipmunk.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Carly does this too. She races straight to the back of the yard and starts barking. There is a field behind us, so who knows what she's heard back there in the past.


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## MichaelH (Sep 5, 2013)

I do know there were a lot of coyotes in the past where we lived and she chased one once. Maybe that's it. I don't believe there is always something there. It can be 2am or 4pm and it's always the same. It's not a bad thing anyway. If anything was there maybe it will think twice about coming around.


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## jjk454ss (Mar 26, 2013)

Hugo does the same thing, he looks like a mad dog with his hair all standing up. I guess if someone or something is out there he sure will scare the heck out of them.


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## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

Max barks all the time, yesterday i had to laugh, I corrected him for barking at nothing again, so he went upstairs and barked


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## AngVi (Dec 22, 2012)

Mine do this. I finally decided wether they see or smell something out there - my backyard is against the state forest- they are letting everyone and everything realize they are here
Keeping an eye on everything ...sometimes my pups will be out back just lifting their noses up smelling and growling...
I use the command Enough- 
Usually it will stop after a couple of minutes and when it doesn't I get worried  


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## PhoenixGuardian (Jul 10, 2013)

Lol this is what my boy does at night. We like to joke that he is scared of the dark


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Ken...that creature will be in my nightmares! lol


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

Faith does this ... and like the others have said, once she determines all is well in the neighborhood, she goes about her business. Neither of the boys join her UNLESS there is something to bark at.


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## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

Courtney said:


> Ken...that creature will be in my nightmares! lol


lol, sorry, don't feel bad, I'm 60 and still afraid of the boogie man


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

ken k said:


> lol, sorry, don't feel bad, I'm 60 and still afraid of the boogie man


Me too! That's why I opted for a GSD


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## skier16 (Feb 21, 2013)

everynight my girl lays down goes to sleep for like 2 minutes wakes up barks once i tell her shhhhh so come and lays by me and continues to do the real quite "barks" if you can even call them that.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

She's probably just excited!

Jack gets excited to outside. When released, he runs at full tilt, hackles up! He doesn't bark, though, unless someone is standing there, but that's just a brief "Hello!" And he keeps going til he gets to the you chest with the ChuckIT inside, lol!

BUT, he and Lillian have both been barking at the thunder rolling in for the last half hour. Aargh!! 


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