Why Does My Dog Bark at Other Dogs on Walks?

Here's the thing about the dog who barks at every dog on the walk but plays beautifully with them off lead: both versions are telling the truth. 🐕

A lead doesn't just hold your dog, it deletes their options. Off lead, dogs greet by curving, slowing, sniffing the ground, looking away. On lead they're marched head-on at a fixed speed with no way to leave. Barking is what's left.

Two dogs can look identical while barking and need opposite help. The frustrated one is leaning forward, tail high, desperate to get there. The worried one has their weight back, barking in bursts, checking whether it worked. Distance helps both. Telling them off helps neither.

The training that actually shifts it is slightly boring: find the distance where your dog can still take food and still turn back to you, then pay them for noticing another dog calmly. Ten good repetitions on a quiet lane beat an hour on the high street.

And if the barking is new, get the body checked. A sore hip is a very good reason to want strangers at arm's length. Full guide below, including what to do in the moment when one appears round a hedge.