How to Stop a Dog From Barking at Dogs

For this Santa Monica dog training session we worked with a pair of schnauzers; Frida and Mila, sharing the secret to stop a dog from barking at dogs.

I used a few Dog Behaviorist tricks to ensure that my greeting with the dogs went well. After sharing some treats and pets, we got to work.

I ran through a number of fundamentals; how and when to use marker words, hand targeting, dog consent, the importance of rewarding, desired behaviors, how to teach dog manners, as well as how to read dog body language.

I try to always cover these fundamentals as I find that many people communicate the exact opposite of what they’re trying to tell their dog or do things that contribute to their dog’s behavior problems. By making sure that everyone is on the same page, heading towards the same goal, my clients are able to make faster progress.

I pointed out a few issues between the two dogs. There seemed to be a little bit of jealousy and some guarding behavior that were minor, but could turn into something more serious if not interrupted or addressed.

We spent a few minutes asking and answering questions until the guardians felt comfortable before we turned our attention to one of the main issues; Frida barking and lunging at some unknown dogs and people.

How to Stop a Dog From Barking at Dogs

We headed out for a walk to see if we could run into a few dogs so I could show the guardians how they can teach a dog to stop barking at other dogs.

Once we found a dog in the neighborhood, I demonstrated how to train a dog to stop barking when it sees other dogs. If you have a dog that barks at new dogs, you should definitely check out the free positive dog training video below.

By identifying the amount of space that Frida needed to have to not bark, we were able to start creating a positive association with the other dog. This is one of the first steps to helping a dog learn to not bark at other dogs.

Note the dog that we found was very laid-back and not moving which made things a lot easier. In the future, the guardians may experience dogs with higher energy levels, or other characteristics that cause Frida to bark. When this happens, they will need to adjust the distance and move as far away as they need to for Frida to feel comfortable and relaxed. Once they find the distance, then they can use the tip to stop dog barking that I outlined in the above video.

Stopping dogs from barking at other dogs is a process. The best way to achieve results is the practice in short successful practice sessions frequently. In an ideal situation I would like the guardians to practice with 1 to 3 new dogs a day. Not all at once, of course. But practicing this technique with three separate dogs daily will accelerate the progress.

If the guardians are unable to practice multiple times a day, they should set a goal that is reasonable to achieve each week, then stick to it. Ideally you want to work on things daily or every other day consitently. Dog behavior modificaiton is a numbers game. The more positive associations we can build up, the less Frida will feel the need to bark at other dogs.

As they get better at learning to read their dogs body language, and the other dogs communication, they will learn how to get closer doing this technique while helping their dog feel relaxed and comfortable.

I also made sure to talk about the external influencing factors. Practicing when there is a leaf blower, weed eater, construction sounds, etc can influence the dog and make it harder to practice this exercise to stop dogs from barking at dogs.

The guardians can also exercise Frida 20 minutes or so before they practice. Depleting some excess energy and having some very high value treats are contributing factors that many people fail to take into consideration. But helping a dog who barks at other dogs is hard enough on its own. We dont need to add in additional laers of difficulty.

Its also important to note that dog behavior modification is not a linear process. There are gonna be good days and bad days. The goal is to do everything we can to set the dog up for success so that one good experience follows another. That’s why it’s alwasy super important to make sure that the last repetition is a positive one as this is the memory that the dog is going to draw on the easiest.

When we returned home, Mila was very happy to see us. I had given her a collagen stick from Best Bullysticks to chew on while we were gone.

I didnt want to leave Frida out so I gave her a collagen sticks too and was quite pleased to see her plop down on the ground next to Mila and chew without guarding or trying to take her stick. I wasnt surprised. Bets Bully and their Sister Co Barkwworthies have some pretty great chew items for dogs.

I wouldn’t recommend the guardians encourage chewing side by side, but if it happens organically without any incident (no stiffness, staring or invading the other dog’s space), that can be a good indicator that the dog’s feel comfortable.

To help the guardians remember all of the tips we shared in this in-home Santa Monica dog training session, we recorded a roadmap to success summary video that you can watch below.