![\"Dog](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/puppy-barking-at-people-700x525.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhy Your Dog May Bark at People on Walks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Barking is a normal dog behavior. Of course, excessive barking can be annoying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are many reasons why your dog could be barking<\/a> at people while on your walks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even friendly dogs can yap at strangers\u2013and even friends\u2013while strolling around the neighborhood with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your dog may just love people and want to greet them. So the instant that he sees someone, he lets you know by speaking in his language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some dogs bark only if they see someone they know. Others may bark just to greet potential new friends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This excited barking can occur when some dogs see a person walking another dog. Some barkers may bark only if the other dog barks too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This type of excited barking is usually a high-pitched, happy-sounding bark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your dog may be experiencing a barrier of frustration when he attempts to reach someone.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The leash can be a barrier just like a fence is as far as a dog is concerned. And a tight leash can over-stimulate a dog and cause him to bark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So when he pulls on the lead, he\u2019s over-stimulated and barks. This is usually accompanied by a high-pitched, fast bark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your dog may be afraid of all people or only certain ones. He may be fearful of people with hats, men, those who look at him, or anything else he finds strange or challenging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is often accompanied by a deeper-than-normal, slower bark than a highly excited dog has. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fearful dogs often exhibit the following body language:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your dog may be protective of you and bark to show people that he\u2019s guarding you. This behavior is often accompanied by lunging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Usually, when someone sees a dog barking in this manner, they quickly move far away from you.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n This sends a message to your dog that his barking was effective. He wanted the person to go away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is often known as \u201cthe mailman syndrome.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The bark is usually a deeper, growl tone and is quicker depending on how close the person is. A dog who\u2019s protective often has the following body language:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes dogs guard us as they may guard a bone, food, or toys. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When dogs bark to guard us, the barking is often fast and deep\u2013not the yippy, high-pitched sound of a dog who wants to greet someone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The body language may be similar to a defensive or protective dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some dogs bark on a walk because they haven\u2019t been socialized<\/a> at all or properly to people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may have adopted a dog who wasn\u2019t socialized. Or you may not have known the importance of properly socializing a dog with people when he\u2019s young.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Either way, some dogs will show fearful behaviors, others defensive behaviors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And other’s happy, excited-to-greet-the-person behaviors.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n It all depends on the dog\u2019s genetics and background experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This may sound counterintuitive. After all, you\u2019re walking your dog to provide exercise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But for a dedicated barker, you should take the edge off if you can prior to your walk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Play fetch. Do a short training session. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If a dog has too much energy, it\u2019s hard for him to control his impulses, such as barking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may not be able to do this before every walk, but do it when you can to set him up to succeed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can do this during your set-up training sessions when you\u2019re working to eliminate the barking problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some dogs bark compulsively. Dogs who do this generally bark at many things, not just people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They may bark at a car passing, a tree, a shadow, or a mailbox, You get the idea. Or they may just bark because they\u2019re bored. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The bark is usually the same repetitive pattern over and over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A dog who barks compulsively often has other compulsive behaviors. This may include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n These behaviors may be related to past trauma, stress, anxiety, or genetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some breeds or mixes may be more likely to bark at strangers in certain situations than others are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, a herding breed dog like an Aussie or sheltie may bark at people going past them quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They may be triggered by someone jogging, on a skateboard, on a bicycle, or on a motorcycle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Their herding drive may kick in because part of the manner in which they herd is by barking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As is true of all canine behavior, it\u2019s important to figure out why he barks at people on your walks. There may be more than one reason. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You know your dog, which will help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If he\u2019s a rescued dog, you may not know his history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may not be aware of whether he was properly socialized or if he has experienced any trauma in his life prior to being with you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So you\u2019ll have to use some of the following techniques depending on his behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This will take some detective work on your part. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Does he bark only at men? Or people wearing hats? Or children? Or people walking quickly? Or people who are talking? You get the idea.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try to narrow down what sets him off barking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Determine how far the person must be to trigger your dog to bark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a threshold distance beyond which your dog won\u2019t be reactive and bark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So find that distance and make sure when you\u2019re working with your pup that he\u2019s far enough away to not bark or be excessively stressed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you discover this distance, you can successfully work with him. And the distance may vary with different people in different situations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, your dog may not bark when someone who walks by is 20 feet away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But if the person is jogging, your dog may bark because he’s excited. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Or he may be guarding you, feeling defensive or protective, or even be attempting to herd the jogger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may need to move another 10 feet or more away for your pup to not bark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The treat must be something that your dog loves and gets only during your training sessions to work with the barking problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Usually, a meat, cheese, or fish-type treat is better than a dry biscuit-type treat. It could be small pieces of cheese, hotdog, or chicken (without bones, of course).<\/p>\n\n\n\n They generally help focus dogs better and are more rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PRO-TRAINER TIP: Have a supply of great, <\/em><\/strong>yummy treats<\/em><\/strong><\/a> that your dog can\u2019t resist ready as a reward.<\/em><\/strong> They should be small, no larger than a pea.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The cause of the barking doesn\u2019t matter as far as your need to train your dog<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Training provides some impulse control, lets your dog know what behaviors are acceptable, and even teaches a dog to have confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your dog needs to learn to pay attention to you, to walk calmly by your side, a quiet cue, a \u201csay hello\u201d cue, and to leave items\u2013and living beings\u2013that you tell him to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Doing some specific impulse-control exercises is important too, such as a \u201csettle\u201d command, sit\/stay, and down\/stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first, teach everything inside without distractions. Add distractions slowly after your dog understands what\u2019s expected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, you can use these training cues successfully in real life on your walks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use a \u201csay hello\u201d cue for when you want your dog to greet other people. This is especially useful for dogs who bark out of excitement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A dog who learns to pay attention to you when you say his name or tell him to \u201clook\u201d at you won\u2019t be distracted by people walking by. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can tell him to \u201cleave it,\u201d and then to look at you as a default behavior.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if your pup\u2019s trained to walk calmly by your side<\/a>, he won\u2019t be pulling towards someone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Teaching your dog to be quiet on cue will help with a dog who barks out of excitement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You need to systematically desensitize your dog to his triggers while keeping him under threshold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The distance from the potential trigger matters. Be as far away from the person as you need to where your dog doesn\u2019t bark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Counterconditioning involves creating a positive association with his triggers. You need to change his conditioned emotional response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you would do some training set-up exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first, you would give a steady flow of treats when the person is in view. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, either you go out of sight with your dog or you have the other person go out of view.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do this about three or four times in a minute or two.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure you don\u2019t do it too long or too often or your dog will probably become stressed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n End the session on a positive note. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s best if you can recruit friends who will do practice, and set-up sessions so that you can progress to eventually using the training exercises on your walks.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t have anyone to work with, just try it on your walks as long as your dog isn\u2019t too stressed and you can keep him at a distance at which he\u2019s not triggered to bark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use a cue of \u201cperson\u201d when your dog looks at the other person while plying your pup with the flow of treats when he\u2019s calm and quiet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, as you progress, you can very gradually reduce the distance between you and the other person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This may take weeks or months. Don\u2019t rush the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If at any time, your dog starts barking, make a U-turn away from the other person, happily telling your dog \u201cLet\u2019s go\u201d after you\u2019ve trained that as your motion command.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n End the training session then. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep your training sessions short in total, no more than 10 or 15 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, in the meantime, I understand that you\u2019ll be taking your dog for a walk purely for exercise.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just try to keep your distance from other people so that he doesn\u2019t go over threshold and start barking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I know that it\u2019s easier said than done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of my rescues, a Lhasa apso named Mikey, was extremely reactive and would bark at strangers\u2013especially ones with dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So I tried to keep my body language loose, not tense. And to sound happy during the training sessions during which we worked with his reactivity and barking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can help de-stress your dog. Back up, tell him \u201ccome,\u201d and have him come to you on a leash.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make it a party when he comes\u2013praise and reward with treats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If he plays with a toy on a on leash, toss it a foot away and have him retrieve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do some settle-on-a-mat exercises at home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Teach a sit\/stay and down\/stay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Teach your pup to catch a treat on cue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Use \u201cleave it\u201d after he understands what that means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But always redirect him to pay attention to you, because telling him what to leave doesn\u2019t tell him what you want him to do afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Socialization is not just exposing him safely at a distance to new people and dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s exposing him to everything that he has to face in everyday life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This means cars passing, people on bikes and skateboards, ambient noise, and smells. You get the idea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Expose him slowly at a rate that he can handle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some dogs who aren\u2019t used to these things become reactive and bark at people because they become flooded with surrounding sights, sounds, and smells. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So getting him used to them if he isn\u2019t already should help stop the barking at people on your walks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also slowly socialize him to people. This involves exposing him to new people slowly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can start out by having him quietly greet people he already knows, likes, and is confident with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Use the \u201csay hello\u201d cue that you taught him.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do this only if he\u2019s not scared. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can teach him that people are good by giving him a treat when he\u2019s quiet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, as long as he\u2019s not scared or reactive, you can even have the person gently toss him a yummy treat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Start this training exercise at first only with people that he knows and trusts so that he learns that good things come from people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Use a cue such as \u201cHi, Fido\u201d immediately before tossing the treat. Saying a cue and his name will get his attention and he\u2019ll learn that a treat is coming directly afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure that the person doesn\u2019t stare at or look at your dog or it could be seen as a challenge and frighten him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once he understands that great things come from people, he\u2019s less likely to bark at them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Always check with your vet first. You can try holistic things like calming chews<\/a>, Rescue Remedy<\/a>, Adaptil<\/a>, or the ThunderShirt<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If his barking is caused by stress, these may help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your training and behavior modification program isn\u2019t progressing, it\u2019s time to get professional help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A positive reinforcement trainer with experience can help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If the problem is severe\u2014especially if the barking stems from aggressive behavior\u2014it\u2019s advisable to get assistance from a veterinary behaviorist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If there\u2019s any aggression because your dog\u2019s guarding you or is being territorial, you need professional help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may also need help when dogs bark at people for other reasons, especially for compulsive barking or for dogs who haven\u2019t been socialized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A veterinary behaviorist can help work with you and your dog and even prescribe behavioral drugs if needed that can help in your behavior modification program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to not try certain things which can make the problem worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When providing treats and praise, you must watch the timing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You want to reward desired behaviors, such as being calm and not barking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Harsh corrections such as yanking his leash or hitting him are not to be permitted and are abusive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even loudly and verbally correcting him won\u2019t fix the barking problem. In fact, he may even think that you\u2019re joining in the barking.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n And suppressing the behavior won\u2019t tell him what you want<\/em> him to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you stop taking him out on walks, his life will be diminished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Walks not only provide exercise but also help socialize him to the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s best to work through the problem for you both to live your best lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No! There\u2019s a reason why he\u2019s barking. Dogs aren\u2019t stubborn. You need to determine why he\u2019s barking and then you can work to fix the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No! Doing so can reward the dog for barking. And, if your dog is being protective or fearful, It can potentially lead to aggression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No! Doing so won\u2019t get to the root of why he\u2019s barking. And suppressing the barking behavior can even lead to some unwanted consequences such as aggression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dogs bark at people on walks for many reasons. You need to determine why he\u2019s barking and how far he can be from someone to naturally be quiet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then you can successfully work with your dog to eliminate unnecessary barking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And your world\u2013and neighborhood\u2013will be a quieter and more peaceful place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you have a dog who barks at people on walks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n What have you done about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please tell us about it in the comments section below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your dog constantly barks at people while on your walks. And you wonder why. The barking seems to come out of the blue. But there…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":33814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1904],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-behavior"],"yoast_head":"\nExcitement To Greet People<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Frustration When He Can\u2019t Reach People<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Fear or Uncertainty of People<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Defensiveness or Protectiveness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Resource Guarding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Lack of or Improper Socialization<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Insufficient Exercise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Compulsive Barking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Breed Tendencies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How To Stop Your Dog from Barking at People on Walks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Make a list of your dog\u2019s specific triggers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Use great, high-value treats<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Teach your dog basic obedience commands<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Desensitize and counter-condition your dog to his triggers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Remain calm<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. Do a \u201cjolly routine\u201d <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Play impulse-control games and attention games<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
8. Socialize your dog <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
9. Use other modalities to de-stress him<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
10. Get professional help<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What NOT To Do: Don\u2019t Try This at Home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Don\u2019t reward barking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Don\u2019t punish your dog for barking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Don\u2019t avoid the barking problem <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is my dog being stubborn when he barks at people on walks?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Should I let my barking dog greet people on walks?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Should I correct my dog when he\u2019s barking at people on walks?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Save To Pinterest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Dog](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/stop-dog-barking-at-people-700x1050.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"