Walking with your adorable dog in a park, and suddenly, your dog starts barking at strangers. He does it every time your doorbell rings or to anyone unknown to your dog. This may be embarrassing for you many times, right?
Dogs barking is their instinctual behavior. They may bark out of curiosity or to protect the owner. While this is totally normal, there are ways to stop a dog from barking excessively.
Let us see the reasons why your dog barks at strangers. And some effective ways to teach your dog not to do it.
What Is The Reason Behind Dogs Barking At Strangers?

Barking is a way of communication of dogs with humans. As a pet owner, you are well aware of your dog's barking behavior.
To greet, to seek attention, or to communicate, dogs bark. But when the behavior becomes excessive, now it is a matter of concern.
Before you start teaching your dog not to bark at others, you need to observe your pet closely and know the reasons.
Fear or anxiety can be one of the main reasons your dog barks at others. The puppies may do it out of fear, as they just started exploring new things. The older dogs, from past trauma or negative experiences, may get anxious and start barking at other people. In such a case, you can try to find out your dog's anxiety symptoms.
The opposite can also happen, such as getting over-excited seeing other dogs or you. They may want to play, because of the playful nature they possess.
Moreover, some other dogs are bred to be protective. For example, guard dogs are more likely to bark at strangers for their protective instincts. They even start barking at the neighbors or anything that looks like a threat to their family.
Dogs are again known for their territorial instincts. They may bark to alert their owners and warn the intruder to stay away.
Another reason can be dogs that have not been adequately socialized during their early development stages may be more prone to barking at strangers.
However, the cause can vary to different dogs' nature and breed. It is best to figure out the reasons by closely observing them before you start training them.
7 Ways to Teach Your Dog Not To Bark At Strangers
Dogs' excessive barking is not only irritating for the owners, but also your dog gets tired too. We solely understand your hassle. Hence, we have come up with 7 ways to teach your dog not to bark at strangers.

1. Feed Your Dog
These innocent animals can not express their hunger or feelings in words. So, they use their own language that is barking. If they become extremely hungry, then they start barking or even doing weird stuff.
So, first of all, maintain your dog's feeding time and chart precisely. Also, be careful about proper nutrition and amount. Adult dogs consume more food than a puppy. If they do not get the right amount of food, they may get frustrated.
Once they start getting food on time, they will not get excited anymore. With a full tummy, your furry canine will be calm and quiet.
2. Obedience Training
The best way to get a dog to stop barking is obedience training. There are many effective dog training techniques that every pet parent should know.
With the training, you can control your dog's behavior. He will start listening to you and do stuff accordingly.
But here, you need to be very patient and consistent. Because barking is a natural habit, and dogs are used to it. Controlling it definitely will take time.
Start with understanding your dog's nature and what it wants. Then, go for the obedience training session. While doing so, never be too harsh on them, which may turn into a negative impact.
3. Using Distractions to Stop Excessive Barking in Dogs
Distractions like treats or toys really work in getting a dog to stop barking or to calm down your aggressive dog.
For example, if your dog all of a sudden starts barking at guests or others, redirect their focus by using distractions. You can simply shake your keys or jangle anything. Your dog will get distracted immediately and stop yelling.
Then, you can calm it down or give commands to stop doing it. Or give them their favorite toys to play with. Many pet toys easily grab animals' attention. Bring some of those for your loving pet.
4. Teaching Your Dog "Quiet" Command
Training your dog so he responds to the "quiet" command can be really helpful. You can include this in the obedience training session or particularly can teach.
Whenever your dog starts barking at strangers, say "quiet" in a firm but calm voice. At first, your dog will not understand what you are trying to say. He may stop and start listening to you. In such a case, pet them immediately so they understand that you are telling them to stop.
If they do not listen, repeat the word. You may need to sound a bit tough but not too loud. Gradually, your dog will get used to the word.
5. Training Your Dog to Greet Strangers Politely at Home
To stop your dog's barking tendency at people, train them to greet people politely.
Train them with some specific words like "sit" or "stay." Gradually, they will know when to stay calm. They will capture the concept that anyone coming to your home or walking by is not dangerous. They will start slowly adapting the idea and greet them by licking or wagging their tail.
Another thing you need to control is jumping on your visitors. This is a common way of showing affection among dogs. But guests or other people may get frightened by this.
So, while training them to greet, teach them also to stay calm and polite. Try to socialize your dog, which will help you control his behavior, too.
6. Training Your Dog to Stay in Their Spot During Strangers Visits
Another training for your dog is to make them stay in a specific place whenever you have visitors. It can be your dog house, a crate, or a pet house.
It is on you where you want to see your dog. Fix a specific place and then start your training session.
You can give commands like "go" and "go to your place." The best is throwing a treat on the spot. Your dog will follow there immediately, and you can repeat this process until he understands. Provide them with positive reinforcement if they obey you.
Also, make sure you provide some interactive toys in that particular place so your dog keeps entertained.
7. Offer Them a Reward When They Stop Barking
To make your little furry friend get used to not barking at others, rewarding them can better help you. Positive reinforcement is a powerful training tool.
These innocent creatures can not understand our language. So, to teach them, giving them treats, their favorite food, or petting them is the only way.
When your dog stops barking at strangers or follows your commands, treat them well. This will create the desire to get more reward in your dog and encourage him not to bark at strangers.
Final Decision: Go to the Professional Dog Trainer
We hope that you have started training your dog not to bark at strangers. But this will require time and a lot of patience. In case your dog is barking excessively, or you are trying for a long time but cannot get any positive result, there are always professionals to help you.
Find out your local dog trainer or therapist. These professionals will closely examine your pet and give you suggestions.
They may give you some instructions to try at home. Or they train your dog, which may include follow-up sessions. But whatever they recommend will be good for your pet dog.
So, we suggest consulting a dog professional to understand why your dog barks and then find out the solution to eliminate excessive barking behavior.