Random barking: old age or deafness or both?

My cocker was deaf by the end – he died at 14½ but I didn’t notice any random barking. He was never much of a barker.

As you know, I’m a cat person, so here is the best answer I can give you, @janbb.

So many different things. Maybe he just likes the feeling of barking. I sort of imagine him barking so thoughtfully. Maybe he’s testing his deafness.

@Pachy I think you meant that for rojo?

Ooops, yes I did. Gotta get some new glasses.

It sounds like classic dementia.

@syz, if it’s dementia, do you have any advice as to how to respond to this behaviour and manage the dog as it continues to age and its dementia? My old dog also occasionally does odd things that have made me wonder if he isn’t starting to show signs of dementia.

Maybe pain from arthritis. Ask your doc about some pain meds.

Yep, doggy dementia, as @syz said.
Hearing, seeing things that aren’t really there based on brain atrophy. haha
Animals get dementia too.

@kritiper he is on Carprofin now for pain/arthritis.

His three bark thing kind of reminds me of Sheldon and his three knocks on the Big Bang Theory. Kind of what set me to wondering.

@Earthbound_Misfit I’m afraid there’s not much management that you can do, because his responses are not going to make sense. You can try distracting him when each incident occurs, but you’re probably not going to successfully change his behavior.

Here’s an appropriate poem to read to him; by
Billy Collins, called Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House.

First verse;

“The neighbors’ dog will not stop barking.
He is barking the same high, rhythmic bark
that he barks every time they leave the house.
They must switch him on on their way out.”

Wonder if this is where the English phrase “barking mad” comes from?

Maybe he’s having a long-range dog conversation with a distant dog, but your ears aren’t good enough to hear the reply.

@Coloma “Hearing, seeing things that aren’t really there based on brain atrophy. haha” I don’t get the “haha” part….?

@Zaku 101 Dalmatians much? :D

@Dutchess_III Demented Twilight Barking? I like it! Sort of like sundowning for elderly demented people.

@Dutchess_III Yep :-) But seriously, dogs do hear different frequencies than we do. So he could be responding to some annoying sound your new web router makes three times in a row that you can’t hear, or anything.

Studies also show dogs are psychic, so he could also be responding to something else… :-)

Or maybe he’s become a poet.

The dog is deaf @Zaku!

Oh oops, yeah. If that’s so, then I guess it’s not his good hearing!

Thank you @syz. At the moment my dog(s) seem fine with just very occasional events where I wonder whether one of them is starting to exhibit signs of dementia. I will keep your advice in mind.