The reason dogs bark is because we as humans want them to bark. For years our process of domestication and selective breeding has allowed and encouraged our dogs to develop their barking abilities. Wolves don't bark, so through genetic engineering and the selective breeding process, dogs now have the ability to retain these juvenile characteristics. This is through a process known as neoteny.
People have chosen to retain the infantile traits of wolves which include things like large heads, flat faces, large eyes and of course the ability to communicate, otherwise known as barking. Barking was further developed and encouraged in dogs in order to scare intruders or to help the master out in daily tasks such as gathering the sheep.
Most dogs bark to communicate, to get more attention, or simply to show their excitement. Training and lifestyle are very important factors in teaching your dog how to communicate with you, its master.
Dogs are very social animals. Wolves always travel in packs and rarely seen alone. Bringing a dog into your family is more or less like bringing a wolf into a pack. It soon becomes a part of the family. Try not to leave it alone, this could make it feel as if it was abandoned by the pack. Dogs are much like having a baby in the house. They need love, attention, and someone to be there to take care of them. Like people they need a companion to grow and be truly happy. Meeting your dog's emotional need for companionship will allow the two of you to form a strong bond.
Often having a second dog in the house will minimize the barking and loneliness. Although this has the potential to be rewarding at some times, it can also be a pain. Your best bet would be to maximize the training of your dog when it decides to bark. It is possible that by having two dogs may cause havoc as they may teach each other to bark even more. If you reward the dog for barking, then the dog will understand that you think it is a good thing to bark. If you don't reward your dog for barking, the dog will understand that it's a bad thing to bark. If you are training your dog to be a watchdog, their barking can be very selective and often discriminating with specific people. Sometimes they may just bark at everything they see. It is important to train these dogs by developing their intelligence and how they interpret certain events.
Dogs who simply bark due to activity or excitement are relatively hard to control and teach. Most of the time these dogs are not aware of their barking and in turn becomes a process that is almost impossible to eliminate.
