How to Stop My Dog Barking at People

We know and accept that dogs bark, but that doesn't stop it being annoying whenever they do it around someone, or if they sense an intruder approaching the home.

For dogs, barking is a form of communication, but in these cases it's best to avoid an episode of excessive barking that puts us in an awkward situation or causes problems with the neighbours. Here at SoyUnPerro we explain how to achieve this.

Reasons Dogs Bark

Dogs have plenty of reasons for barking, so it shouldn't be linked to aggression. For them, barking is part of their communication, and through it they'll express alertness, wanting to play, seeking attention and so on. We can interpret it based on context, but the important thing is to be clear they never do it to annoy us.

We also need to bear the dog's age in mind. Some older dogs may bark as their senses decline, from suffering cognitive dysfunction syndrome and so on. In these cases, besides seeing the vet to rule out organic illnesses, we need to be understanding.

Who Does My Dog Bark At?

Some dogs bark at every person they spot. Others, on the other hand, will only bark at some. This could be because they show certain characteristics that unsettle the dog enough to trigger their bark. It could also depend on where the encounter happens. For example, plenty of dogs will bark at their front door, but not on the street.

The person's response has an influence. Generally, the calmer they seem, the easier it'll be for the dog to settle down. Conversely, a nervous attitude will increase the dog's excitement level, since they can sense the unease. Other times the dog simply picks up on something that escapes us, but that puts them on alert.

Either way, it's worth reading the whole picture, that is, the dog's entire body language, since barking isn't always about alertness — it can also be excitement about greeting and approaching the person. In this case it'll be very high-pitched, and the dog won't stop moving, trying out the approach. This is an enthusiastic bark that poses no threat.

Reinforcing the Bark

Sometimes we don't realise it, but we're the ones teaching our dog to bark at people. We do it through positive reinforcement. How? By stroking them when they bark. It's understandable — the dog starts barking at someone and our first reaction is to hold them back, touch them, and ask them to be quiet in a gentle tone.

Some owners even give a reward to try to distract them and get them to stop barking. What the dog actually reads into this is that we're praising them for barking. So, instead of extinguishing the behaviour we don't want repeated, we achieve exactly the opposite: they'll repeat it, thinking it's what we expect of them.

What's more, when the dog barks from inside the house at someone walking past on the street, they also feel reinforced. In this case we don't even need to praise them. The person their barking targets moves on, so the dog reads it as having achieved their goal. This reinforces the behaviour and drives them to repeat it.

Socialisation as the Key

The best way to stop our dog barking to warn us of someone's presence is prevention. To do this, socialisation matters a great deal. By this term we mean exposing the dog to every kind of stimulus, such as different people, noises, vehicles, environments, other dogs and animals and so on.

The period spanning from three to twelve weeks old is critical for this process, since the dog will be able to take on board all these stimuli positively. Poor socialisation leads the dog to develop fears. Fear of people is often behind barking.

If we've adopted our dog with poor socialisation, it's possible to fix it, but to do so we need patience and probably need to hire a canine behaviour expert. What's more, training is needed, along with meeting their exercise and stimulation needs. Excessive barking is often a way of channelling stress.

Tips for Stopping a Dog Barking at People

Sometimes we have guests we can brief to minimise the dog's barking reaction. But this won't always be possible, which is why it's worth knowing some guidelines to control barking. Based on what we've seen so far, above all we need to be careful with any reaction of ours that reinforces the bark. What's more:

• Stay calm. Your dog will bark more if they notice you're nervous.
• Don't even think about hitting them or reacting aggressively. It's always counterproductive.
• You can distract them by asking them to do a command, such as sitting or lying down. Reward them at that moment. It's also possible to teach them to be quiet on our command.
• If they bark at people on the street and distraction doesn't work, simply take them away from there.
• When the dog barks out of excitement, don't touch them and don't let the visitor touch them until they're entirely calm. At that point, you can indeed reward them. We want them to understand that's the behaviour they need to repeat.
• Either way, barking to warn about an intruder's presence is normal — what needs preventing is it going on for too long.

When to Call a Professional

Sometimes the dog barks desperately at certain people. For example, they only bark at men, only at cyclists, or only at anyone carrying something in their hands. This reaction could be down to a negative experience in the past that's turned into a phobia. In this case we'll need a professional's help.