How to Stop Your Dog Barking at Passer Bys

Barking may be used as a warning when something is not right. For example, if a stranger gets into your apartment.

Some dogs bark when they are bored while some may bark to express fear. Barking at passers-by is a very annoying habit that makes some owners afraid to take their dogs out.

Sometimes, the dog may even go as far as to try biting innocent people as they pass.

Dogs will bark to get attention, as a way to protect what they consider as their property and as a means to express their dominance. To stop this habit you need to identify situations that trigger the barking to start. For a more detailed look this, check out our earlier article on the reasons why dogs bark...

Is the dog constantly barking at anyone who passes or does he bark at specific people? If the dog barks at specific people, then what is it about those people that the dog doesn’t like, is it that they pass too close to the fence or does the dog see them as a threat? Do those people make funny faces at the dog or try to trigger the barking in another way?

The easiest way to get your dog to stop barking at passers-by is to remove him from the yard or near the fence and have him in doors or lock him in his kennel that way he cannot go to the fence.

Proper socialisation of the dog as a puppy will also play a role in the reaction of the dog to strangers. Expose the dog to such situations when it is still a puppy and train them on what kind of behaviour you expect.

 

Never encourage this behaviour especially when the dog is young. Some dogs show this behaviour because no one ever discouraged it when it started; the reason for this in most cases is that people will find it cute and even funny when the dog is still a puppy.

Never ignore a puppy who barks at passers-by, correct this behaviour by telling the dog “no” or diverting his attention to something else. If the dog is very territorial and see the passers-by as intruding on his territory then you can move the dog around that way he will not spend so much time in one place to consider it as his.

Never yell at the dog when he is barking or be too loud. The dog may consider this as encouragement and will only continue to do so.

Some people also use shock collars or citronella collars which give off an electric current when the dog barks or spray citronella on the dog’s nose. Both these methods may be an extreme way to get your dogs to stop barking. Though they are effective, they may cause the dog to develop other behaviour problems and should be used when all else fails.

Behaviour training is also a good way to control this behaviour. The dog will be taught several commands and this will help the dog stop barking when ordered to.

The best solution however is to keep the dog from such places that may cause him to bark at people.

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