Puppy barks at other dogs – Despertarmagia

When puppies bark at other dogs, it can be an indication of joy, excess energy or even fear. Depending on the initial situation, barking can also be due to territorial behavior and stress or even serve as self-protection.

First the good news: barking is never without a reason. Therefore, if you can find out the real reason, then that's half the battle.

Now for the bad news: Unfortunately, barking is used to communicate a wide variety of things. Barking can sometimes even have completely opposite meanings.

In any case, I can recommend our free e-book against constant barking. There you will find even more in-depth tips and specific instructions.

Below you will learn about the 14 most common reasons why puppies bark at other dogs and what you can do about it.

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#1 Excess energy

Basically, a tired dog is also a calm dog. In addition, puppies are pure bundles of energy compared to us – especially the working breeds.

The problem? If your puppy can't let out his daily energy, then hyperactive behavior is on the cards. So jumping around wildly or even barking frequently.

The same applies to contact with other dogs. This is comparable to drinking 10 cups of coffee and then just sitting quietly at home.

The solution? Make sure your puppy can let off steam every day – even at home. A play partner, lots of toys and a large garden are ideal for this.

#2 Joy

When puppies bark at other dogs, it can simply be an expression of joy. Barking between dogs also serves as a mutual greeting.

You can usually tell if your four-legged friend initially adopts a very stiff posture. Shortly afterwards he begins to wag his tail frequently.

Yelling, whining and whining as well as pulling on the leash are also typical here. If possible, you can simply move closer to the dog. [1]

You can also specifically train out this overzealous behavior. First draw his attention to you with treats and then give him a command.

#3 Napoleon Complex

You've probably seen a Chihuahua before, only to realize that the initially cute-looking dog suddenly becomes totally aggressive and growls at you. Or not?

This goes back to the Napoleon complex. Also known as “Small Dog Syndrome” in English-speaking countries. This primarily affects very small breeds and puppies.

In order to compensate for their own insecurity due to their small body size, puppies and small dog breeds often tend to be overly dominant.

This explains why small dogs and puppies often react aggressively to larger four-legged friends or constantly bark at them. The solution? To build self-confidence in a targeted manner.

#4 Protective instinct

Wolves are very capable of surviving in the wild because they live together in packs and always warn each other of danger. It's no different with wild dogs.

Even today, some breeds are bred primarily for the purpose of protecting the family. The barking primarily serves as a warning.

Puppies of certain breeds therefore instinctively start barking at other dogs to warn the family. Here you should definitely pay attention to the dog's posture.

A stare, loud growling and raised hair can indicate aggressiveness. It is important to work on this through targeted commands and continuous feedback.

#5 Lack of feedback

Unfortunately, puppies are not born with a manual of etiquette. They therefore first have to learn what is “right” and what is “wrong” through your feedback.

Consistently rewarded behavior tends to be rewarded and punished behavior tends to be avoided. However, if your four-legged friend gets no feedback at all, he will react as he wants.

The solution? If your puppy barks at other dogs, give a clear “No!” command every time. If he stops barking, you can also give him a treat.

If this method works continuously, then all you have to do is gradually replace the treat with verbal praise. The rest works through constant behavior.

#6 Fear

Dogs react to potentially dangerous situations the same way we humans do – fight or flight. The problem? In most cases, the leash makes escape impossible.

Due to the lack of self-confidence, many puppies bark more often at other dogs when they come into contact. In this case, the barking is just an expression of your own insecurity.

In rare cases, the fear can also be triggered by a loss of vision, smell or hearing. The best way to recognize this is by the dog's hunched posture.

In addition, anxious puppies often tuck their tails, avoid eye contact and pant heavily. Some dogs even pee out of fear and leave a mess behind.

#7 Territorial behavior

Even today, it is important for the survival of wolves and wild dogs that they have a territory that provides them with enough food and water.

Once they have seized a territory, they will defend it to the death if necessary. Dog experts also speak of “territorial behavior” here.

Something similar can happen if puppies are visited by another four-legged friend at home. Or when a strange dog shows up on your daily walk.

Here barking is just an expression of: “That’s mine!”. This behavior is even more pronounced in guard dogs. An anti-barking device can help to break the habit.

At the push of a button, this device emits an ultrasonic sound that can only be heard by dogs. This ensures that he pays you immediate attention and is distracted.

#8 Frustration & Boredom

Many parents avoid taking their children to the supermarket. Because as soon as they want something but don't get it, there's a lot of screaming.

It's similar with dogs. If your puppy would like to greet another four-legged friend but can't because of the leash, he will express this by barking. [2]

As a solution, you can give your puppy a treat before he barks. This also leads to the release of dopamine and thus calms any frustration.

However, if your puppy barks at you and other dogs too, then this is usually a sign of boredom. Employment is the solution to this.

#9 Self-protection

For evolutionary reasons, dogs never try to outwardly show weakness because this could make them prey to other predators. The same goes for pain.

The four-legged friends usually react unusually aggressively when they are in pain. However, this is just an instinctive protective mechanism from the past.

If your puppy is in any pain or illness, this may cause him to bark at other dogs to protect himself.

Typical symptoms here are that the four-legged friend constantly has his tail tucked in, whines when making certain movements and generally appears lethargic.

#10 Stress

New and unfamiliar situations can cause severe stress in puppies. This is especially true if they have not been sufficiently socialized.

It is particularly important for young dogs that they come into frequent contact with strange dogs and strangers in order to get used to it.

Otherwise, future contact will always lead to internal tension and the release of stress hormones. This also explains the constant barking at other dogs.

In addition to regular contact with strangers, you should also make sure that you yourself are relaxed. Because dogs sense your tension and pick it up.

#11 Sex Drive

In addition to their body size, their hormones also change as their four-legged friends mature. Dogs' sex hormones spike, especially during puberty.

In most cases this can be recognized by the fact that they become very restless or even jump at other dogs and people. But this is rare in the first few weeks.

It can also happen that male dogs bark at females and vice versa. However, this is rare in neutered dogs. Very rare, to be precise.

Castration removes parts of the sexual organs that are responsible for the production of sex hormones.

#12 Hunting instinct

The hunting instinct is an instinct that dogs originally inherited from wolves. However, it is usually increased in hunting dog breeds due to their past.

This is because some dogs were specifically bred to hunt smaller animals or herd them in a certain direction. You can usually tell by their stiff look.

In hunting mode, the posture also stiffens and the four-legged friends hardly notice anything else. A dog clicker is ideal for such moments.

At the push of a button it makes a mechanical noise, which causes the puppy to immediately look at you in irritation and is distracted by the barking at other dogs.

#13 Teenage phase

Depending on the breed, most puppies have a period of several weeks in the fifth month in which they are very anxious and excited for hormonal reasons.

During this phase, it is completely normal for your dog to test his limits and behave in a “weird” way. Hyperactivity is also more common during this phase. [3]

It is important that you answer with the appropriate stubbornness. If your puppy barks at other dogs, give him ongoing feedback.

If your four-legged friend pulls on the leash unusually hard, get a short leash and keep him extra close to you. The bigger stubborn one wins.

#14 False feedback

At a young age, puppies' barking is often perceived as sweet and rewarded with extra attention. One of the most common unintentional training mistakes.

Because of the “reward”, your four-legged friend will naturally continue the behavior. Instead, you should always give the right feedback from an early age.

Desperate? Then please don’t use electric collars. In my opinion, this is not only animal cruelty, but also absolutely unnecessary.

Instead, I can recommend Johanna Esser’s online dog school. There you will find several modules on the subject of barking that can help you out of trouble.