Trend Deconstruction: Don’t Bark at Your Dog

Social media, the wonder of this century that is fertile ground for misleading displays and lots of misinformation all at our fingertips.

As a dog parent, a casual scroll through the most popular social platform, TikTok, may land you on a video where a fellow parent barks at their dog for a reaction. You may be dismayed or confused at the thought of this, however, one thing is certain; it’s nothing to be amused about.

A recent trend on TikTok’s ‘For You Page’ features dog parents getting up close to their dog’s face and barking at them all the while recording the whole thing. It has garnered millions of views which only encourages the recording of more videos, but what’s not being spoken about is the harm this potentially causes to dogs.

The consensus among animal behaviorists is that a majority of dogs wouldn’t understand the intention behind the sudden bark and may not even know where it is coming from. This can also foster confusion and uncertainty, which leads to stress and anxiety. Dogs can express these feelings by licking their parents’ faces or wagging their tails slowly, which indicates that they are uncertain or worried.

At face value, it would be difficult to interpret your dog’s body language, more so correlate them licking you with anxiety. However, similar responses are seen when dogs are yelled at. When a dog is yelled at, they become more stressed or their energy levels increase and they become excited about the situation. All in all, shouting or projecting loudly at them is not a good idea, especially if it’s for a trend.