What is reactivity?
When dogs bark at other dogs consistently, dog trainers call this “reactivity.” This simply means that the dog is overreacting to a normal everyday situation, like seeing other dogs. This is an incredibly common behaviour, and it’s nothing to worry too much about. The good news is that this can easily be worked on with a good trainer, and reactive dogs can lead fulfilling lives!
Most commonly, dogs are reactive and bark at other dogs while they are on a leash. This is called leash reactivity. Your dog may be barking and look aggressive, but really, this is just your dog having big emotions about seeing another dog.
Reasons dogs may bark at other dogs
They want to play!
One of the most common reasons that dogs bark at other dogs is quite simply because they want to play! Dogs can’t communicate with words like we can, so they have to make do with what they can. Many dogs bark when they’re excited and happy. If one dog is barking at another dog, it’s possible they just want to play.
Often when dogs bark at each other because they want to play, their body language is very loose and soft. They’ll often wiggle around and wag their tail. Many times they’ll even start to play bow! This is when a dog bows down on his front legs, but his back legs and wagging tail are up in the air. This is the main way dogs communicate with each other when they want to start playing.
If your dog is barking at another dog on a leash because he wants to play, this is commonly called a “frustrated greeter.” Your dog is frustrated because he wants to greet the other dog, but he can’t because he is attached to the leash. These types of dogs usually love playing with other dogs and just want to say hi to every single dog they come across.
They’re scared of other dogs.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, from frustrated greeters and dogs that just want to play with other dogs, we have dogs that are actually scared of other dogs. These are the dogs that we commonly call “reactive.” In these cases, your dog is barking at other dogs because he wants the other dog to go away. While this barking behaviour may appear aggressive, the underlying cause is fear! Your dog is fearful and just doesn’t want another dog around.
Dogs can be scared of other dogs and reactive for a variety of reasons:
- Taken too early as a puppy from the mother and litter
- Not socialized with other dogs
- Bad experiences with other dogs
- Genetics
- Lack of training
Looking at your dog’s body language will be the best way to decide if your dog is a frustrated greeter or if he’s scared of other dogs. If your dog seems happy and excited and is bouncing around with a play bow, your dog is a frustrated greeter who just wants to play. If your dog has his tail tucked or has a very stiff body with a lowered posture, he is likely scared of other dogs and wants them to go away.
Your dog is territorial
Dogs are naturally territorial creatures and will bark at other dogs to keep them away from their territory. This often happens when your dog is behind some sort of barrier and is protecting their property. This can be in situations such as:
- Your dog in your fenced backyard barks at dogs walking on the sidewalk.
- Your dog barking from your front door at other dogs walking on the sidewalk.
- Your dog sitting in your car barking at dogs walking by.
- Your dog resting comfortably in his crate and barking at another dog in the house.
It’s very common for dogs to be territorial around areas with defined boundaries.
How to get your dog to stop barking at other dogs
Whether your dog is a frustrated greeter or scared of other dogs, the training methods behind getting your dog to stop barking at other dogs are similar for both cases.
If you are worried that your dog may actually be scared of other dogs, it is important to keep your dog on a leash at all times. You also want to ensure that your dog doesn’t have any negative experiences with other dogs. In most cases, it’s easiest just to limit close contact with other dogs altogether.
If you have a frustrated greeter who enjoys playing with other dogs, it’s essential only to allow your dog to greet another dog once he has been calm. Even if he’s only been calm for a few seconds, that counts! If you let your dog greet another dog as he is barking, that’s only encouraging the behaviour.
If you happen to see other dogs while you’re out walking, it’s best to step off the trail and give your dog space. It’s important that your dog only greets other dogs in a positive way and in a very controlled manner when they’re calm.
If someone is walking their dog up to you and acts as if they want their dog to greet yours, you have two options:
- Politely tell them that your dog is in training and can’t say hi.
- Politely tell them you’re training your dog and that you only allow your dog to say hi once he’s calm for a few seconds. Work on getting your dog calm, and then allow him to say hi and make a new friend!
Anytime your dog is barking at another dog, it’s because he’s having an emotional response to other dogs. There are two main methods used for training: desensitization and counter-conditioning.
- Identify the distance your dog is comfortable and does not react in the presence of other dogs. For some dogs, this will be upwards of 20-50 feet, and for other dogs, it could be as little as 5 or 10 feet. It’s important to remember that every dog is an individual. The goal is to have your dog notice the other dog but not be fearful or show concern.
- Once your dog notices the other dog, immediately begin rewarding your dog. You will be rewarding your dog frequently with small bits of high-value treats. When you’re working on this phase of training, think of a game called “Open Bar, Closed Bar.”
Anytime your dog notices the other dog and does not react, you will be consistently rewarding your dog. If the other dog moves out of sight, you can stop rewarding your dog. Remember that the treats you use for rewards only need to be the size of a small pea! This helps teach your dog that the presence of other dogs equals good things. - In the beginning phases of training, it’s important to note that you will remain in Step 2 for quite some time. Again, every dog is different. It could be a few weeks or a few months. Always remember to go at your dog’s pace and not push them.
- When you finally feel comfortable, you can start to decrease the distance between your dog and the other dog. Decrease this distance gap slowly and steadily. You’ll still want to reward your dog consistently as part of the “Open Bar, Closed Bar” game anytime your dog can see the other dog.
- When you start to close the distance, you can start to wait a few seconds before rewarding your dog. If you wait a few seconds, your dog should naturally start to look back at you, which is exactly what we want! Mark that moment of your dog looking from the other dog back to you with a verbal marker, like “Yes!” and reward your dog. The entire goal of helping your dog work through their fear of other dogs is establishing that seeing another dog is just a sign to look back at you.
- If, at any point during your training, your dog reacts and begins barking and lunging, that’s a sign that he’s over the threshold. In these cases, take steps back and off the trail and increase the distance to the other dog as much as you can.
These steps work for both frustrated greeters and dogs scared of other dogs because you are addressing the underlying emotional response your dog is having to other dogs. These steps allow your dog to make positive associations with seeing another dog. That means that seeing another dog will actually start to predict good things – like food – for your dog! As your dog makes those positive associations, he will begin to bark at other dogs less.
Conclusion
Having a dog that barks at another dog can feel stressful or overwhelming, but it is very common. This is an easy behaviour to train, so don’t worry! Working on these steps with a positive reinforcement-based trainer will allow your dog to be comfortable around other dogs. Soon enough, you’ll be able to go outside easily without your dog barking at other dogs.
