How to stop my dog barking at people out the window!?

Does your dog bark at the window?
Or rush towards your garden fence when another dog goes past?
Or bark at noises they hear at home?

These can be signs of territorial behaviour.

Territorial behaviour is your dog’s instinct to protect their home. It’s a normal behaviour for dogs, but excessive territorial behaviour can be bad for them and can exacerbate other problematic behaviours.

Your Dog’s Emotions

A black spaniel lying on a blanket by the window

If you dog is constantly staring out the window, waiting for things to bark at, how do you think they are feeling?

Stressed? Anxious? Excited? Aroused?

They are probably not relaxed!

If your dog isn’t relaxing at home and getting enough rest, this can then feed into other behaviours your dog might be demonstrating. For example, chewing, reactivity on walks, over-excitedness, jumping up…

How do you feel if you’ve had a stressful day and haven’t had enough sleep?

It’s important we help our dogs relax at home and show them they don’t need to protect their territory.

Preventing Territorial Behaviour

A black spaniel waiting beside two lick mats spread with kibble and wet food

The most effective way to ‘fix’ territorial behaviour is to prevent it as much as possible in the first place!

For example, if your dog likes to bark out the window, consider using window film to restrict their view, or rearrange your furniture so windows are harder to access.

If your dog rushes out in your garden to bark at the fence at other dogs, consider taking them out on a lead.

Teaching Alternative Behaviours

As well as preventing behaviours we don’t want, we also need to teach our dogs what behaviours we would like.

Consider what calm activities you can provide for your dog to help them relax. Lickimats, snuffle mats and natural chews are naturally calming activities for dogs as they encourage licking, sniffing and chewing.

Consider teaching your dog a settle cue.

Practise encouraging your dog to observe things without reacting. Make sure you are always working at a level your dog can cope with.

This blog post specifically refers to mild territorial behaviour at the home. If your dog is displaying serious territorial behaviour or aggressive territorial behaviour, consult a Behaviourist on the ABTC Register.