So Your Dog Barks At Other Dogs & Drives You Crazy? Try This

Reactive dogs can thrive on walks with other dogs present.

We’ve all either been there or seen it happen to others: Your dog is behaving well on a walk and then it spots another dog ahead. Suddenly, their good behavior shifts to chaos and barking. You’re stressed, flustered, and trying to control your dog without accidentally hurting yourself or them. 

If your dog barks at other dogs, you need to remove them from the situation and create as much distance as possible. When not in the high-stress situation, work with your dog within its threshold to desensitize them to their trigger. 

Let’s dive into more:

How to get your dog to not bark at other dogs

Whether your dog is acting out of fear or excitement when they bark at other dogs, the goal is the same: you want them to stop. This behavior can be frustrating, embarrassing, and even dangerous at times and it’s a sign of good dog ownership to work to improve this behavior. 

Before we dive into the steps for stopping your dog from barking at other dogs, let’s cover the behavior we’re looking for instead. 

The goal when your dog barks at other dogs: neutrality

Reactive dog training can be challenging and dog owners aren’t always equipped with the background knowledge to understand their dog’s psychology. That’s okay. You don’t need to understand all the ins and outs, but if there’s one takeaway from this, know that you want your dog to be neutral in the presence of other dogs. 

If your dog barks at other dogs out of fear when you’re walking, you might think it makes the most sense to try to teach them that other dogs are actually really exciting and fun. 

But being really excited about the presence of other dogs can actually lead to more reactivity. It can be a vicious cycle. 

But if your dog is neither here nor there about the presence of other dogs, you can just pass by without any significant reaction. This neutral response is the goal. 

Keep it moving when your dog is barking at other dogs

I’ve seen a lot of dog owners make their reactive dog sit and wait for other dogs to pass by. Sometimes the dog is looking around frantically as the owner tries to shove treats in their mouth. Other times the dog is still barking while their owner fails to cover their line of sight toward the other dog. The end result is the same. The dog is still stressed. Sometimes, they’re even more stressed because they lost their autonomy in a high-stress moment. 

Here’s what you can try instead:

• Keep an eye out for other dogs while you’re walking. As soon as you see one, you’ll want to:

  • Identify the moment between the dog noticing its trigger and the reaction beginning. This is their threshold. 

  • Create space. Distance is your friend. Make room and don’t put your dog in a situation where they’re bound to fail. Cross the street or walk in a new direction before they start barking or lunging. 

  • Reward your dog with a treat or praise and continue walking. 

  • Repeat. 

This isn’t a quick fix. But it’s one that generally works well. You’ll need to repeat this desensitization effort again and again. The goal is to always create distance before your dog crosses its threshold. If they become reactive, you’ve gone too far. 

Over time, you should notice a reduction in your dog’s response over time. They should slowly be able to get closer and closer to other dogs without crossing their threshold or having an intense reaction. 

Remember: you want your dog to be neutral. Your end goal is to walk past another dog without a strong reaction – positive or negative. That’s a win. 

Why does my dog bark at some dogs and not others?

Man, I wish I had a real, comprehensive answer. But there’s no way to know for sure what triggers every dog in every situation. Here are some major factors in why a dog might bark at one dog and not another:

• Threatening or confident posture from the other dog: If your dog picks up threatening body language from another dog, they’re more likely to react in an intense way. 

• Leash reactivity: Your dog may feel more threatened or trapped when on a leash and approached by another dog. Some dogs are reactive on leashes but totally fine interacting with other dogs while off leash. 

• Physical characteristics: Your dog might recognize features that resemble dogs from past negative experiences. Coat color or type, ear shape, or general size can all be major triggers if your dog has had negative experiences with similar looking dogs. 

TLDR: Distance and patience

If you skimmed this whole article and are looking for a main takeaway, I’ve got you. Here’s the TLDR:

• Distance is your friend. Keep it moving.

• Keep it within your dog’s threshold. If they’re reacting, they’re past the threshold. Try again with more space and rewards. 

• Change shouldn’t happen fast. Your dog needs time to build confidence. Take deep breaths and focus on patience. 

Don’t Worry, He’s Friendly is one of the worst things a reactive dog owner can hear from others. That doesn’t mean you have a bad dog. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad dog owner. It means you need to work on building your dog’s confidence and work together as a team to help your dog live a more confident, fulfilling life. 

DWHF is here to help. We help reactive dogs in urban spaces thrive.  Check out our other blogs to learn more. 

This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary, behavioral, or training advice.