It happens seemingly every single time someone walks past your house: your dog starts barking like crazy! Why does your dog bark at passers by? Is it just because they’re young, and eventually they’ll grow out of it? And are there any tools you could use to help you stop this annoying behavior?

Today, we’re going to answer all of these questions, plus we’ll tell you how to stop your dog from barking when someone walks past. Before long, you’ll no longer have to worry about any of this. Won’t that be nice? So without further ado, let’s get to our article “How to Stop Dog Barking When Someone Walks Past.”

How to Stop Your Dog Barking When Someone Walks Past

To stop your dog barking when someone walks past, give them a calm but firm “no” immediately. Take your dog somewhere else, or turn and go in the other direction if you’re on a walk. When they are being quiet, however, you should reward them by giving them pets, praise, and a small treat.

Your dog should quickly learn that not barking when someone walks past gets them rewarded, while doing so gets them negative results. Ensure that anyone else who spends time with your dog is following these steps as well. It will take time and patience, but your dog should figure things out before too long.

But while these steps will get your dog to stop barking when someone walks past, you need to remember that the underlying behavioral issues (anxiety, dominance, overexcitement) that were causing all of this to begin with will still be present. And until you address that, any positive changes you see are only going to be temporary.

“So, how do I make these changes last then?”

By getting your dog to truly choose to follow your direction, that’s how. I tried many times to write out how you can do that before deciding it made more sense to just link you to the free video series that explains it better than I’d ever be able to.

The series is by a man named Dan who is one of the world’s leading dog obedience trainers. In it, he teaches you how to put an end to things like when your dog is barking when someone walks past and all other misbehavior using his fast and easy-to-follow methods.

In the first video, Dan will reveal to you why the two most common methods of dog training only doom you to failure. You can watch the video now by clicking here. Follow the proven system he’ll show you in his series and you’ll never have to spend another second worrying about your dog barking when someone walks past ever again!

Why Does My Dog Bark at Passers By?

Your dog barks at passers by because of either excitement or aggression. You can look for other clues from your dog’s behavior to determine which is happening with your pup. If your dog is wagging their tail, then it’s a dead giveaway that they’re just excited and would like to meet this new person. Your dog barks at the passers by to get your attention or theirs.

But if they’re being aggressive, look for clues like growling or a very focused stare. Your dog’s aggression may be due to fear of this new person, and this is just how your dog responds to those feelings. Their untrust of this new person causes them to want to protect both you and themselves by warning this passer by to stay away by barking at them.

Regardless of what’s causing your dog to bark at passers by, it’s important that you not let the issue slide. Allowing it to continue tacitly tells your dog that it is okay. The behavior will then grow and escalate into other related problems that will most likely be even worse, such as attacking people.

Will My Dog Grow Out of Barking When Someone Walks Past?

Your dog will not grow out of barking when someone walks past because this is a behavioral issue not related to age. If your puppy barks when someone walks past, then they will almost certainly become an adult dog that barks at someone walking past. You can’t allow the behavior to continue or will it just become even more frequent.

Soon, you’ll have a dog that barks on the lead at practically everything. Your dog will be barking at people jogging, barking at people on bikes, and probably even barking at birds or barking at squirrels. I’m sure you can see how this would get obnoxious very fast for you and everyone else, so it’s important that you stop it now by using behavioral training.

We covered how you can do that in the first section of this article.

Should I Use a Bark Collar if My Dog Barks at Passers By?

You should not use a bark collar if your dog barks at passers by. They work by delivering an electric shock to your dog, which is cruel and inhumane. And you won’t even solve the problem, you’ll just transfer it to other times, and make it worse. You’ll also now have a dog who no longer trusts you.

Dogs are descended from wolves, so it’s natural for them to want to bark at someone walking past. That doesn’t mean you should allow the behavior, but you shouldn’t punish them for it either. Address it correctly through behavioral training, and you and your dog will both be much better off.

I’m sure you’re looking forward to seeing these wonderful changes in your dog, so I’ll let you get started now. Good luck with everything, and thank you for reading our article “How to Stop Dog Barking When Someone Walks Past.”