Why Does My Dog Bark at Other Dogs on Walks?
Imagine that you’re outside walking your dog through your neighborhood. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and life is feeling good. But then, as usual, the “dreaded moment” comes. A stranger walking their dog is approaching you. Your dog starts barking and lunging at them, nearly yanking your arm off. Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone.
Your dog likely isn’t behaving this way because they are a bad dog or are just being a jerk. Though many people are then left asking themselves, “Why does my dog bark at people on walks when they are so friendly at other times?
Let’s break it down.
As with all relationships, communication is key, and the one between you and your dog is no exception. We must recognize that dogs and humans speak different languages, and although we don’t bark and wag our tails, we can still learn to understand what they are communicating to us.
One way to relate to how your dog feels when they are misunderstood is by imagining yourself navigating a foreign country without understanding their language or customs. It would be pretty challenging, and further, if no one there understands you or what you are trying to communicate, that could get pretty frustrating too. Especially if you truly need something, but can’t communicate what it is.
The same goes for your dog when they are trying to communicate with you. Good communication lays the foundation of trust between you and your dog. They often begin with very subtle body language cues to convey their thoughts and feelings. When they are signaling these cues and you don’t understand them, they may take that out with frustration, or try to communicate with you in ways they have learned that you do respond to (e.g. barking and lunging causes you to get them away from their trigger). By understanding the more subtle signals, we can build trust with our dogs, and prevent misunderstandings/frustrating behaviors from our dogs before they react with the larger vocalizations.
When your dog knows that you understand them and can assist with their needs, they will feel more secure and confident in your presence. Therefore they will be less likely to be uncomfortable when strangers approach you guys. On the other hand, when your dog feels misunderstood or ignored, they may resort to undesirable behaviors as a way of expressing their frustration (aggression, anxiety, destructive behaviors). They may also feel the need to “scare away the threat” themselves if they feel you don’t have the situation handled. In other words, they bark and lunge toward what they find fearful being that you are not helping them get space when they politely ask you for it.
By learning to recognize and respond to your dogs cues, you can better avoid potential problems, and build a harmonious relationship built on mutual respect and understanding. We are always here to help you understand your dog’s communication more clearly, and give you solutions on how you can better navigate these situations to help your dog feel more comfortable, and therefore less likely to react this way on your walk!
