My young Border Collie, Bindi, has just started barking at my back neighbours when they come out onto their patio at night. She’s also barked aggressively out in the front yard as the neighbours were getting into their car. She didn’t approach them, but she sounded very aggressive, and moved in a way that seemed unpredictable.
So, what does this behaviour mean? I wanted to learn how to stop her from doing this, and, below, I’ve complied all of the tips I found in my research.
Aggressive barking at strangers can result from various factors such as breed, living environment, and past experiences. Owners can address this behaviour with reinforcement-based training, and controlled exposure to triggers, to build the dog’s confidence.
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Did you know that it is scientifically proven that humans are able to understand the intent of different dog barks (like whether they are aggressive or not)?
I’m assuming that’s why you are reading this article – you’re worried about your dog barking aggressively. So, let’s delve into the things that might contribute to aggressive barking in your dog and learn how to manage or stop the behaviour [1].
What Causes Aggressive Behaviour in Dogs?
Your dog will show aggressive behaviour depending on a few different factors like their breed, their sex, their age, their living environment and whether they’ve been desexed. For example, male dogs are more often involved in biting incidents than females.
So, there are some things that can cause your dog to be more aggressive towards strangers, and they are;
Living Environment
If you live in a rural area, in a house with a large amount of yard space, or with a lot of household members, your dog may show higher levels of aggression towards strangers.
Purpose
There are some links between the purpose of dog ownership and their aggression. For example, if you got your dog as a puppy to be used as a guard dog outside, it may have higher levels of aggression towards strangers [3]. Also, dogs bred for showing tend to be more aggressive towards people and other dogs, compared to those bred for field work [4].
Time Spent with Owners
If you spend a limited amount of time with your dog, you may notice higher levels of aggression towards strangers. The quality of interaction and time spent with you, influences a dog’s social behaviour [2].
Breed
There can be a significant difference among dog breeds in terms of aggression directed towards strangers, their owners, and other dogs. Breeds like Dachshunds, Chihuahuas, and Jack Russell Terriers are more likely to show serious aggression, such as biting or attempting to bite, towards both strangers and owners. On the other hand, breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, and Greyhounds are among the least aggressive towards both humans and other dogs [3].
Physical Punishment
If you subject your dog to physical punishment, they are more likely to display aggressive behaviour. This highlights the importance of both genetic predisposition and the consequences of disciplinary actions in shaping a dog’s behaviour towards strangers [2].
Why Does my Dog Bark Aggressively at Strangers?
When your dog meets someone new, it will act differently toward that person depending on how that person behaves. If the person seem friendly, your dog stays calm. But if they seem threatening, your dog might bark aggressively [5].
Usually, if your dog is barking aggressively, it’s because they’re scared. Barking can also be a protective or possessive behaviour, but fear is usually the main reason [5].
When your dog is scared, they may bark to scare off the threat. But, how your dog is raised, trained, and its personality also affect its barking choices.
Proper training is required to be able to prevent and manage aggressive barking, no matter the breed of your dog [4].
How do I Get my Dog to Stop Barking at Strangers?
A healthy amount of fear is okay in your dog, but if it’s causing issues for you or others (like by feeling threatened), it needs to be fixed.
In the beginning, you may not have noticed your dogs signs of fear like tense body language or fearful expressions when encountering something scary. But over time, their behaviour changes based on what they learn from their experiences.
For instance, if barking aggressively in the past made the scary thing go away, or if you removed your dog from the situation, they might have learnt that aggression is an effective way to deal with fear. As your dog learns that aggression works, they might stop showing as many signs of fear and start acting more boldly and aggressively instead.
It’s really important to be aware that punishing your dog for showing warning signs of aggression usually doesn’t stop the aggression itself, just the warnings. To really help your dog, it’s crucial to understand their history of aggressive barking, starting from the first time they showed this behaviour up to now. Knowing what triggers the aggressive barking, the barking itself, and what happens afterward is essential for diagnosing the problem and making a plan to address it.
Before teaching your dog behaviours that will help them deal with scary situations in the future, you need to reduce the triggers that cause the behaviour.
For situations where your dog might come across triggers, like visitors or other dogs, management techniques like keeping your dog away from the stimulus or using leashes or halters can help keep everyone safe. Avoiding exposure to triggers until you can reliably handle the situation positively is crucial.
For dogs that bark aggressively on walks or in the yard, avoiding triggers might mean walking them in places where there are fewer stimuli or keeping them indoors when triggers are likely to be around. If your dog has specific triggers, like certain people or actions, avoiding those situations or removing your dog from them can help [5].
Can I Train My Dog not to Bark at Strangers?
To reduce or get rid of aggressive barking towards strangers, you need to train your dog to respond positively to triggers. Start by using reinforcement-based training to teach your dog to remain calm and relaxed even without the trigger.
Training should involve teaching behaviours such as sitting and watching, walking calmly, turning away from the trigger, and settling down in different locations indoors and outdoors. Gradually you can increase the duration and level of relaxation by rewarding calm behaviour. Clicker training can be helpful for immediate reinforcement and shaping desired behaviours.
You should focus on rewarding desirable behaviours while ignoring or preventing undesirable ones, such as aggressive barking. Identify what rewards work best for your dog and use a variety of rewards at different levels to reinforce learning. The “learn to earn” approach teaches the dog that good behaviour leads to rewards.
Require desirable behaviours before giving attention, play, walks, or food. Be consistent, and give rewards immediately after the desired behaviour to reinforce it. Primary rewards like food, treats, and favourite toys can be used during training sessions. Additionally, activities that the dog enjoys, such as walks or playtime, can also be used as rewards for good behaviour.
For instance, if your dog shows aggressive barking towards strangers, reward calm and non-reactive behaviour when encountering them. Over time, the dog will learn that calm behaviour leads to positive outcomes, reducing the tendency to bark aggressively [5].
How do I Build my Dog's Confidence with Strangers?
To get your dog to be confident rather than fearful around strangers, you need to encourage positive behaviours during exposure to triggers, like sitting calmly, lying down relaxed, or walking past the trigger, rather than reacting aggressively. The key is to replace the dog’s fear of the trigger with positive associations. This is done by rewarding with a favourite treat to create a positive emotional state.
Exposure should start at a low intensity level, gradually increasing as the dog becomes more comfortable (desensitisation). This means controlling the intensity of the trigger so the exposure begins at a level below what causes fear, then slowly raising it after each successful session.
Consider involving a behavioural technician or trainer to assist with implementing the program. Fear-inducing stimuli can be visual, auditory, olfactory, or even tactile in some cases. Realistic goals should be set for both the pet and the family.
Various methods can be used to reduce the intensity of stimuli, such as adjusting the distance, location, characteristics, and intensity, or exposing the dog to individual components of the trigger one at a time. For example, a dog afraid of children on bicycles could be desensitised to the bike, then the person riding it, and so on.
For dogs fearful of visitors at the front door, desensitisation can start with exposure to just the sound of the doorbell or knocking. This can be done by using recordings of the sounds or having the dog in a different room during practice sessions.
Controlled exposure should be carefully managed to ensure safety and positive outcomes. Visits from friends or family who understand the program can help. Sessions should progress gradually, rewarding calm behaviour and positive interactions with the trigger.
During outdoor greetings, initial exposure should be controlled to ensure success. The stimulus should approach slowly and stop if the dog shows fear, anxiety, or aggression. Different greeting scenarios can be practiced, like walking past each other or the dog sitting while the stimulus walks by.
If aggression arises, the situation should be carefully managed, and positive reinforcement techniques should be used. As the dog associates the trigger with positive responses, the distance between them can be gradually decreased. Sessions should end on a positive note to reinforce good behaviour.
During actual exposure, the same techniques should be used to ensure desirable responses and counter condition the dog to the trigger. Safety measures like backing out or turning away should also be employed to avoid setbacks [5].
Conclusion
As you work on your dog’s behaviour and try to stop their aggressive barking, have you considered how your own responses might be influencing their reactions? What techniques have you found most effective in training your dog to interact positively with strangers?
Talitha Mulder
- https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2005-06515-002
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159110000365
- 3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159105000493
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159108001147
- https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/pdf/10.5555/20103115193
