Most dog owners have stories about their dogs hating strangers. Here is everything you need to know about this behavior.
A Common Story
You step onto the front porch with your dog, ready for your regular morning walk, when a big brown delivery struck screeches to a halt in front of your house. An innocent-looking young man grabs a package from the back of his truck and jogs toward you. He smiles and says good morning as he hands over the package. Suddenly your dog lunges in his direction, barking and snarling at the nice delivery man. You brace yourself and hold onto the leash for dear life as the man jumps back and demands your signature before marching back to his truck, annoyed and angered.
Not only is this type of situation embarrassing, it is also potentially dangerous. Dogs that hate strangers are oftentimes thrown into a frenzy of barking and growling at the slightest hint of a person unfamiliar to them. This can include everyone from small children to older adults. It is good to teach your dog to be cautious, but not aggressive in inappropriate situations.
Training Your Dog
The type of training a dog requires to help him or her be more sociable with strangers depends on the desire of the owner. Some owners want their dog to guard both people and property in an overt and aggressive manner. This type of dog will often be purposely trained to bark at strangers of any kind. However, those who frequently have non-family members in their house will want to train their dog to be friendly to anyone who is accepted into the home. Family dogs will usually be accustomed to dealing with a wide variety of people, many of whom are unfamiliar.
Most owners want a dog they can walk in public without worrying about the potential of him or her attacking someone. The best way to teach a dog to be agreeable with strangers is to regularly take them out among other people, allowing them to socialize and realize the lack of threat other people generally pose. Let other people enjoy your dog and your dog will learn to stop hating strangers.
