Are you spending multiple sleepless nights to figure out why your canine friend barks that wakes the dead at every new face that it watches, be it a mailman or a delivery boy? But when it comes to finding how to stop dogs from barking at strangers you find yourself at sea.
It’s well known that stopping a dog from barking whenever it is in contact with strangers requires blood, sweat, and tears. But when you put out-of-the-box strategies, you can come out with flying colors if it comes right down to how to keep your dog from barking at strangers. When you run obedience training and bring the morally justified game plan into play, you will see beneficial results where your dog won’t bark at strangers rather welcome the stranger whom you have invited to your home on auspicious occasions.
Before jumping into the detailed guide on how to stop your dog from barking at strangers, let’s take a close look at what are the inherent causes that force your dog to bark.
Why Dogs Bark at Strangers
It’s not a happy scenario when your dog shouts at your neighbor or any passerby. There are multiple reasons behind the barking, and hence pinpointing the exact motive behind your fido’s barking is a tuff call. Let’s take a closer look at what are the 7 common reasons behind the scenes when your hound starts barking.
Reason #1. Territorial Barking
It’s common knowledge that your barking friend interprets your home, and lawn as its own territory and it does not grant anyone the right to enter its premises. Now whenever your neighbor or an unknown face enters the area, it starts barking in a heartbeat. That’s why whenever your German shepherd notices that anyone is approaching your property, it barks to scare the intruders and defend its territory as they have a natural instinct where they assume that granting anyone the right to reach their vicinity sounds like a death sentence.
No matter who is approaching your yard or home, be it a mailman in order to deliver the items that you have ordered, your neighbor, your friend, or any other living creature, your canine companion views them as intruders and treats them as a potential threat and in that scenario, you will witness that your tyke is barking continuously.
Reason #2. Maybe they are afraid
When your fido isn’t comfortable with the person when it is introduced to someone for the first time, then it’s hard to tell in advance what’s next. Many canine parents find that when their dog maintains a poker face and gives the impression of being terror-stricken then it can finish attacking your guest, in self-defense. It’s an open secret if your four-legged friend has been abused in the past, and has received harsh treatments from a person outside the family, it’s highly likely that they have an inherent fear that leads to unfavorable situations like this.
When you introduce your neighbor, or friends for the first time take a closer look at your tyke’s body language and if you find that the hair on the back of your fido’s neck and spine is raised, it’s a clear indication that your dog will attack in the blink of an eye. So, as a preventive measure, you should shift your rover to another room where other members of your family are to put a stop to unforeseen accidents.
Reason #3. They’re Excited
If you’re a proud canine parent of any of the breeds including American Staffordshire Terriers, Labrador Retrievers, and Golden Retrievers, then it’s not like once in a blue moon that your tail wager friend not only greets but also wants to make a friendship with no exception, and it barks, jumps, and whines whenever it comes in contact with a new face while you are on the walk in the early morning or evening in the local park.
If you witness that your tail wager friend starts barking in a low voice whenever it comes in contact with humans, cats, dogs, and other living beings, and your bow-wow is wagging his tail with enthusiasm or gives a sign to other living beings which means your tyke is in good spirits, it’s a clear expression of your barking friend’s friskiness and joy through whining or barking.
Showing friendly behavior won’t be counted as evil actions, but it requires blood, sweat, and tears when it comes to teaching your dog that barking isn’t the viable option to make friends. During behavior training, you should teach your doggy not only how to sit quietly but also how to interact with people with the aim that any passerby or stranger finds that your mutt wants to make a friendship with him.
Reason #4. Loneliness
Do you belong to those canine parents who leave their pups for hours while they are on the move to execute tasks? If yes, then you’re not the sole canine parent to witness the fido incessantly bark via a camera that you have installed in the room where you leave your pooch all day long.
There are many inherent causes behind incessant barking. For instance, if your dog witnesses that your neighbor is playing with his feline or canine friend in the yard, then your dog also cries out for playing with you in the yard for a prolonged duration of time. When they discover that their pet parents are not in close proximity to them, they feel lonely, and that results in loud barking.
Reason #5. Attract your attention
Are you tossing mouth-watering treats or interactive dog toys in a heartbeat when you hear the barking of your tail wager? If yes, then it’s public knowledge that your dog wants to attract your attention whenever it comes in contact with any person, be it your mailman, your garden cleaner, or a delivery boy, and assumes whenever you hear its barking, you will rush for him and reward him. Pay closer attention to his barking, and if it does not seem aggressive, ignore him and don’t offer anything. This behavior will give your dog a clear indication that each barking won’t convert into a reward.
Reason #6. Imaginably your tyke doesn’t like the stranger’s smell
It’s as clear as the sky is blue whenever your dog interacts with a new face, be it a dog, cat, or human, it first notices how the person talks with its owner or him and how the outsider behaves. Other than that, as your fido is blessed with an unimaginable power of smelling scents or odors, first it smells and if the smell makes your tyke happy, it is ready to interact and probably play with the stranger.
On the flip side, it perceives the smell of alcohol, vinegar, etc. with the nose in a scenario where a stranger consumes the items, it starts barking in the blink of an eye to convey the message that stays clear from them as your dog hates those nasty-smelling smells.
Reason #7. Improper Socialization Training
Irrespective of the breed of your adopted barking friend, be it Bull Mastiffs, or Doberman Pinschers, it’s public knowledge that, if you do not introduce your neighbor, friends, or colleagues to your puppy when it is at the puppy stage, its highly likely that when it meets anyone outside the family, then it might feel anxious and nervous that results in continuous barking.
Other than that, if you adopt dogs from the shelter, it’s a distant dream that they have received a significant human interaction. In that scenario, they feel anxious and nervous when they aren’t with their family, and whenever they come face to face with strangers that they don’t recognize, it doesn’t necessarily lead to aggressive behavior, but continuous barking to alert the family of a stranger. Furthermore, when they have got a harsh experience with their previous parents, it’s very likely that they won’t trust strangers as well.
How to Stop Dogs from Barking at Strangers
After you have got the plausible reasons into your head why your dog barks whenever it watches strangers, now pay closer attention to what training techniques you can bring into the equation in order to get rid of excessive barking. It’s not fair to expect overnight success as barking is the most obvious way that your pup puts into service to scare strangers or alert the canine parent that someone is on the way to enter their house. So, apply the state-of-the-art strategies day in and day out, and be patient as Rome wasn’t built in one day.
Strategy #1. Ignore the barking
When your pressing priority is coming out with flying colors in a mission where your dog realizes that it neither gets the much-needed attention of the canine parent but also won’t get the treats that he is crying for when it barks at and jumps on strangers, at first you should ignore the barking no matter how loud the barking is.
To succeed in that mission welcome your friend, or neighbor to your home. Treating your friend or neighbor as a stranger they start barking in a heartbeat. Once the dog stops that act toss a treat. When you put that strategy into the service, your dog may be comfortable with strangers and behave well, but make sure to offer a reward for good behavior.
Strategy #2. Make your Fido Social
No matter at what age you have adopted your tyke, the number one way to get rid of barking is to socialize it. Feel free to invite your neighbor, friends, and your well-wishers to your home on each auspicious occasion and introduce them one by one in a calm voice and ask them to gift your kitty the interactive dog toys that your kitty will love. It’s beyond belief that you will witness an auspicious outcome on day one, but one thing is sure, your doggy will get the idea when it does not bark it will be rewarded with interactive dog toys, mouth-watering treats,[61% Off Your First Box!] and numerous gifts.
You can bring other strategies to bear including taking a walk with your tyke in the local park or garden with the aim that it can watch other people and their pets like a hawk, and can assume that they are part of its life. If it does not bark, then praise it and offer interactive toys and gifts with the intent that your barking friend becomes aware of the fact when it does not bark, it attracts excellent stuff. When you put this strategy into service for long, it’s imaginable that your dog won’t treat any unknown person as a potential threat and won’t bark in hope of getting rewarded.
Strategy #3. Put Distraction Method into service
Regardless of the fact, how old your bow-wow is, if your canine companion starts barking in a loud voice, whenever your canine friend makes a contact with strangers, you can bring the distraction method into play to bring a beneficial outcome. When it has eye contact with a stranger and starts barking, you should put an out-of-the-box strategy to distract his attention where you can shake your snowmobile’s or ski jet’s keys and counting. If you successfully divert your dog’s attention towards you, and it pays close attention to you, then instruct your dog to ‘sit’ in a calm and polite voice, and once it follows your instruction, toss a delectable treat [61% Off Your First Box!].
When you put this strategy into service continuously, your dog will be intelligent enough to figure out that its barking won’t attract any favorable outcome, but whenever it keeps its mouth shut, there’s a positive result. And you will notice that it does not bark whenever it comes in contact with a stranger, instead, after a few seconds, it will look at you for rewards.
Strategy #4. Bring the ‘Quite’ Method into action
No matter what is the reason behind your rover’s barking, be it making contact with a stranger, or something else, as a caring canine parent, instead of shouting at it, give your tyke permission to bark a few times. Then, go closer to your mongrel, gently grab/hold your barking friend’s muzzle, and say in a calm voice ‘Quite’. A significant number of canine parent population find that whenever they shout at their dog, it gives life to negative reinforcement, but whenever they offer a mouth-watering treat to their fluffy, they witness a favorable outcome.
As a good rule of thumb, if your fluffy follows your command and keeps his mouth shut, it’s not a good idea to throw a treat in the blink of an eye, instead, throw the treat after short minutes with the aim that your tyke gets the idea that when it does not bark, it will attract fringe benefit for him. Repeat this process 10 times a day, and you will witness fruitful outcomes.
If you witness that when you hold your dog’s muzzle leads to frustration and noncooperation, don’t hold your fido’s muzzle and give him the same command. A piece of lamb, or chicken, will do the job when diverting your pup’s attention is your pressing priority.
Strategy #5. Teach your rover to go to a specific spot whenever you have a visitor
In a scenario, where you are eagerly waiting for a guest at your house, the best plausible way to keep the unwanted barking a mile away is to bring out-of-the-box strategies into action to train your dog to go to a spot in your house and stay in that spot until your visitor shouts hasta la vista. When you bring obedience training into the equation where you teach your dog to sit, lie down, eat, run, and counting, you will notice whenever a visitor is at your doorstep, your dog obeys your command and goes to a particular spot that you have selected in your house.
In order to send your dog to a specific spot requires blood, sweat, and tears. But by bringing a state-of-the-art strategy, you can definitely make it happen. If your dog comes out with flying colors on ‘sit’, ‘lie down’, ‘stay’, ‘stop’ commands, you should tell it in a calm voice where it should go and place a treat at that spot.
If your dog is victorious in that event, and ahead of the game when it comes to making the grade, it’s time to instruct your dog in a new way with the purpose that it can reach that specific spot from different locations of your house, but don’t forget to place the interactive toys, or treats each time. If you repeat that process, again and again, it’s highly likely that your dog will obey your command and go to that spot without a complaint.
Strategy #6. Block your Rover’s vision
No matter where you leave your dog when you’re on the move, be it inside your house, on the lawn, or yard, in order to keep the barking at bay, when they watch any strangers, you should take a few preventive measures.
If you leave your dog alone inside your house, make sure to keep blinds and curtains closed, with the intention that they won’t catch a glimpse of any stranger so that there’s no reason to bark. In case, you leave your dog in the yard, install a fence to block the vision with the purpose that they won’t notice any passerby or a stranger which results in a loud barking.
Strategy #7. Ensure your dog’s optimum wellness
When you’re a caring pet parent who visits the local park with his dog or plays interactive games on the lawn or yard, it’s highly likely that your dog gets enough physical exercise. A dog that consumes a nutritionally balanced diet, [61% Off Your First Box!] and gets proper physical exercise rain or shine, is not prone to behavioral problems where they finish barking, whining, or biting whenever they make a contact with strangers.
Final Thoughts
There’s nothing to worry about when your dog barks at unknown people as it’s their natural tendency. When you pay close attention to their behavior and pinpoint the actual cause behind the barking, you can apply the right strategy to stop the barking. Also, make sure that your dog gets enough physical and mental exercise throughout the day as it puts a stop to barking thanks to boredom and loneliness. In a scenario where all of your strategies fail, consulting with professional dog trainers is one of the viable options that you can choose.
- Read also: How to Stop Dogs from Barking at Every Noise
- Read also: How to Stop a Dog from Barking When Left Alone
Hope this article has helped you to find the underlying causes behind dogs’ barking and how to stop a dog from barking at strangers ASAP.
Have I missed any of the techniques that you have applied and witnessed fruitful outcomes? Make a comment so that your suggestion can let me know with which I can update the strategy in a heartbeat.
If you have found this post helpful, don’t hesitate to share it with your friends, and colleagues with the purpose that they can find the right strategies that they can apply when their dog barks for an extended duration.