7 Quick Ways To Stop A German Shepherd From Barking At Strangers
The hardest part is that I have no idea how to stop my German Shepherd from barking at strangers!
It aggravates, annoys other people, and prevents me from enjoying my dog.
Suppose your German Shepherd is experiencing the same problem. In that case, you’ll need a few straightforward solutions to give you better control of your dog’s behaviour.
Step 1: Understand the cause of your German Shepherd’s barking.
The first step helps you determine why your GSD is barking to treat the issue rather than reprimand the behaviour.
Your dog might bark at strangers for a variety of reasons, some of which include:
- Attempting to greet someone but failing to do it correctly.
- Defending their home or yard to show signs of territoriality.
- Exhibiting nervousness around an unusual stranger.
- Viewing strangers as potential risks.
A shepherd’s natural impulse is to defend his family and home. So, when they see strangers coming close to their house or yard, they often bark to warn and protect.
Your dog can still hear them even if they are far from your home or yard since they are barking at them to warn their families about potential dangers.
Do not worry that training your dog not to bark will impair its superior watchdog abilities. Even if you try to stop your dog from barking excessively, it will still be watchful and attentive.
The objective is to comprehend them to distinguish between safe and dangerous objects. If you think your German Shepherd is becoming aggressive, read up on ways to stop it.
Step 2: Avoid shouting or yelling at your German Shepherd.
Shouting and yelling worsen the issue by raising your dog’s anxiety level.
They may already be experiencing fear or anxiety, which yelling doesn’t alleviate.
German Shepherds, the loudest of all dogs, may bark so loudly that you can’t hear them. While barking at strangers, your German Shepherd cannot be out-barked or out-screamed. Doing so teaches them that you are also reacting aggressively to the stranger.
In some instances, severe punishment, such as punching, kicking, or shock makes people more aggressive. Therefore, please stay away from utilizing these methods because they are unsuccessful.
Step 3: Avoid putting your German Shepherd in an anti-bark collar or muzzle to stop them from barking.
Some dog owners may employ a muzzle to silence their dog’s barking.
Other times, owners use a shock anti-bark collar to correct their dogs’ barking.
These training techniques are useless and may potentially exacerbate behavioural problems in your German Shepherds, such as aggression, anxiety, or fear responses.
Unpleasing anti-bark collars and muzzles should only be used as a last option.
Before you use a muzzle or an electronic collar to stop your dog from barking, talk to your vet or a trained behaviourist.
Try more positive measures first before adding negative punishment.
Step 4: Teach your German Shepherd to comply with the “Speak” command.
Teach your dog to “speak” before instructing him to be quiet, despite how inappropriate it may sound.
This will help your dog understand the difference between speaking and remaining quiet rather than trying to teach them to stay quiet. At the same time, they are terrified and bark at strangers.
The following information explains how to teach your dog the commands “speak” and “quiet”:
- Allow your dog to bark before approaching them with a worthwhile reward to get their focus off barking. You hold the treat up to their nose so they can smell it.
- Give the command “speak” when your dog stops barking to inspect the treat.
- Could you give him a treat and a compliment? Continue repeating this if he doesn’t start barking as soon as you say “speak.”
- Go to command when there are no interruptions, say “speak,” but this time shove a treat in his face, and give it with “quiet.”
- Reward them when they are quiet.
Don’t work up on the training; your dog will need time and effort to understand the difference between “speak” and “quiet.”
Step 5: Prolong the timing of the “Quiet” command
As you continue to practice the “quiet” command, lengthen the time your dog stays quiet and the timing of your reward. The goal is to have longer stretches of “quiet” between rewards and compliments.
Repeat Step 4 while allowing your German Shepherd to bark two or three times, then move closer and yell “quiet.”
Over a few days, repeat this technique frequently until your dog starts to understand what the command means. You want your German Shepherd to stop barking at strangers immediately when you command it to be quiet for however long you need.
Give the command “quiet” and wait a little longer before rewarding your GSD with treats and praise. The waiting time should go from 5 to 10 seconds to 20 to 30 seconds.
Do your best to work at the minute mark for the remaining time until the reward.
Before you give your dog a treat, be patient and slowly increase the amount of “quiet” time. This is a long time for a dog.
Step 6: Is to train your German Shepherd to stop barking at strangers by giving them positive feedback.
If your German Shepherd barks at strangers when he is outside the house, such as on walks, start a desensitization program.
One must first work on their threshold (the distance at which they start to bark) to lower the distance to the stimulus (the stranger they bark at).
Use soft treats like cheese, tiny pieces of cooked chicken, or even homemade dog training fudge. If you only give these treats to your GSD outside of training sessions, it will respect them more.
Use one of these treats with a potent scent to attract your German Shepherd before they start to bark.
They give off a strong odour that helps your dog find them.
Learn to recognize the signs that your dog might be getting ready to bark by learning how to read their body language.
Pay attention to:
- a stiff body
- the raising of the ears
- shoulders and back hair sticking up straight
- concentrating on the strange or irritating object
If your dog exhibits these signs, remove yourself from the stimulus (stranger).
Hold the treat before their nose so they can smell and see it. Give him the treat before he has a chance to bark while he eats the treat and walks past or away from the stranger.
GET THEIR ATTENTION before your German Shepherd starts to bark at strangers.
Timing is everything, so keep your dog’s treats nearby.
To get their focus away from the disturbance,
If your dog is too focused on the stranger to see the tasty treat right before its nose, you have crossed the boundary for your dog and should move away from the stranger.
My German Shepherd often “sits” when we meet strangers because I know she prepares to bark. I move back a few steps from the sidewalk with her to get her to focus on anything else as she eats the treats and the stranger walks by.
Here is a list of the best ways to train a German Shepherd to change its behaviour effectively.
Remember that it takes time to learn a new behaviour, especially one that rewards the learner, like barking. Thus, training your dog to stop barking at strangers may take weeks or even months.
Continue rewarding them with pea-sized soft treats instead of barking when they glance at you and sit (or obey a command you ask).
Maintain composure and practice patience.
Over time, your dog can approach strangers closer and closer without barking.
STEP 7: Use sight barriers to stop your German Shepherd from barking at strangers.
Territorial and panic barking may happen when your dog sees or hears something fascinating. For this reason, your German Shepherd barks at strangers who go by the fence or the living room window.
Taking control of your dog’s environment can help you get them to stop barking at the window or in the yard the fastest. You may stop your dog from being shocked by potential barking triggers like neighbours or strangers by physically blocking their view of the excitement.
Install a reed or privacy fence in your yard to shut off any openings and hide views of the activity on the street or in the yards next door. Keep the drapes or blinds closed inside.
Keep your dog away from the front entrance and any areas of the house near a street or sidewalk where strangers might pass by. Install a white noise generator if your dog barks in response to deviant stimuli to help disguise the background noises that cause their barking.
If you don’t regularly satisfy your dog’s energy needs, they’re more inclined to bark at strangers. You can reduce unwanted behaviour by exercising your German Shepherd and catering to their physical needs.
Learn the correct methods for getting your German Shepherd to stop barking at strangers.
You can teach your German Shepherd to stop barking at strangers by using a thorough training program that teaches your dog what is expected and what you want.
The most important thing is to keep training your German Shepherd at home and be patient as you do so.
A self-rewarding behaviour like barking at people you don’t know could take weeks or months of practice to stop.
Many forward-thinking German Shepherd owners, like you, who want to use positive training to teach their dogs to listen to them and stop undesirable behaviours have done so by enrolling in an online training course that uses the techniques found in the program’s online Brain Training for Dogs, which is backed by science.
Consider gaining knowledge about German Shepherd training that combines science, science, and kindness. The training films for obedience can assist you in teaching your dog to listen to orders and, with time and practice, to obey your quiet command and stop barking at strangers.
Take a moment to look at the online training course to learn how to use brain training to enhance behaviour.
Stop barking so that you and your dog can have fun together!