Q&A for How to Stop Your Dog from Barking at Strangers

I suggest you practice introducing your dog to different people during your walk (as long as you're in a calm environment) so they get used to being around a variety of ages, ethnicities, and genders.

Teach the dog the 'Look' command. Then when the dog sees something to bark at, get their attention on you with 'Look'.

When someone knocks on the door, there's a strong behavioral drive for the dog to warn their 'pack' and protect territory.

A multi-faceted approach works best, where you teach the dog the 'Bark' and 'Quiet' commands, along with distraction techniques, and minimizing the opportunity for the dog to see something to bark at.

Most dogs don't need much encouragement to bark at people. Start by teaching the dog the 'Bark' command, and then give the command when you see a stranger, reward the dog, and add a new cue word specific to this situation.

Yes. Dogs experience and hang onto trauma. You'll want to be gentler with her. Also, you should only correct your dog and never discipline her.

No. If you are trying to teach your dog a lesson, don't beat him. He will just suffer instead of learning something new. Show him what the right thing to do is, and when he does something bad, tell him to stop.

No. Inflicting pain on your dog will never solve anything. Shockers are horribly cruel.

Tell your dog to come, or bring the dog back gently and calm it down, then take it somewhere else. Once it is calm, you may go back.

My dogs have the same problem, so I put them in their crates and give them time to cool down before they say hello to guests.

No. Try to train him to be quiet when he sees other people. Remember that barking is just the dog's way to communicate. It's like if someone punished you every time you tried to speak.

Your neighbors might have a dog or a cat, which would cause your dog to bark. It is also possible he didn't recognize them, or wanted to let you know they were nearby.

Your dog's job is to protect you. It's natural that she should bark. Just let her know that it's okay and talk to her gently, reassure her. If she barks excessively, go to a trainer.

You wouldn’t expect your children to be friendly to all strangers. Ensure that he gets to see and be around lots of people and new places in a controlled way and reward him for appropriate interactions.

She does this from lack of socializing, because she is nervous. Have some guest come over and have them avoid eye contact while giving treats to her for positive reinforcement.

You could shake keys, or pull at her leash in a different direction as soon as you see the first signs of aggression (ears back, tense) to shift her focus. Do this each time and reward her once she's calm (with treats or just petting and reassuring).

Keep him on a leash and train him to wait, sit, or stay. If a person is coming and he starts lunging, then walk in the other direction, and keep doing this until he learns that lunging is not okay. There are a lot of great training videos on YouTube.

Ignore the dog and its human (unless you are just giving them a quick, friendly smile). Let the owner manage the animal's barking and just continue on your way. Ideally, maintain your pace and direction to avoid reinforcing the barking behavior (making the dog think it successfully scared you away).

Don't let strangers pet your dog; she is telling you both she is unhappy about it. Consider getting her a yellow vest that tells people she is "nervous".

If your older dog does not like your new puppy, sometimes making them sleep together will make your older dog start to like your new puppy.

For starters, keep your window rolled up. If the dog can see the other people with the window rolled up and avoid barking, roll the window down slightly each time. Roll it down lower each day you visit. If your dog starts barking, roll the window up and tell them firmly, "no". Then once they stop, you can roll the window back down slightly and try again.

If your dog is scared of family members, introduce her to them properly. Call your dog to come and give the person a treat. Try this over and over until the dog won't run away from them after taking it. When they stay after taking the treat, tell the person to pet them gently. If this doesn't work, show your dog that the person is no threat by laughing with them and being close to one another.