Australian Shepherds will bark at strangers, loud noises, and other animals as a way of getting rid of all that excess energy. More so, they can display the same type of behavior towards squirrels, thunderstorms, or even a passing car.
Start by letting him start barking, then when stops barking, say "Quiet" in a firm commanding voice and give him plenty of praise and a treat or two. Repeat until he associates the cue "Quiet" with stopping the noise and getting a treat.
Excessive barking is usually an indicator of underlying issue(s) such as pain, fear or distress, the presence of trigger(s) (e.g., passers-by, other dogs barking) and/or failure to meet the dogs' mental and physical needs (e.g., insufficient exercise, mental stimulation and/or social interaction).
Most dogs barking at strangers are barking for territorial reasons. When dogs are barking territorially, they may have stiff body posture and raised hackles. Dogs barking at strangers might also be barking out of excitement, however. This is common in well-socialized dogs that love seeing visitors and guests.
A popular method of curtailing excessive barking is teaching the “quiet” command. Use a calm, firm voice to tell your dog to be “quiet” and positively reinforce correct behavior with treats and affection.
Barking is normal dog behavior and puppies won't grow out of it, but you can take positive steps to reduce it and teach your dog alternative ways to communicate. Barking can be a really important tool to learn what scares your dog or makes them uncomfortable.
Your dog can be taught to be quiet by teaching the bark command then reinforcing quiet. You can effectively stop barking by using a food or toy lure or a head halter and then reinforcing quiet behavior. A quiet command should be paired with each session where the dog can be successfully taught to quiet.
Offer Treats from the Stranger/New Person
To make clear what behavior you're after from your dog, only reward them as they take the treats and slowly move closer to the new person. When your dog can come close to the stranger with positive responses, have the stranger pat your dog carefully. Be patient with your dog.
Australian Shepherd
Despite their high energy, Aussies are usually quiet. They may bark to alert their owners of a stranger or an unfamiliar situation but other than that, you won't hear much from them.
Plenty of socialization, ideally from a young age, exercise, and mental stimulation on a daily basis are also key to avoiding the possibility of aggressive behavior from your Aussie.
Try an Herbal Supplement for Your Australian Shepherd with Calming Herbs Like Chamomile, Passion Flower, Ginger Root or Valerian Root. Many calming supplements exist for dogs that are palatable for dogs, easy-to-feed, and can help quickly relieve your australian shepherd's stress and give a sense of safety and calm.
The door for socialization closes at 16 weeks. It may be cracked a hair for some individual dogs, but for most, it is closed. After that, you are treating a behavior problem and you don't want to be in that situation. You can find out more about socialization here (and here).
The best way of treating aggression towards strangers is to prevent it by socializing your dog when they are young, exposing your dog to lots of different situations and people in a safe, controlled environment, and teaching your dog that strangers are not a threat to you or him.
A major reason that your dog may start barking at visitors is that they feel that their territory could be threatened in some way. One of the greatest ways to combat this fear is to give your dog a space that is all their own. This place should smell like them, and act as their safe space whenever they need it.
Dogs bark at people for a variety of different reasons, whether because they are excited, frustrated that they can't greet the person, or even worried or uncomfortable about another's presence. If your dog is barking while in your front yard, they may feel protective of their home or be warning others to stay away.
If you have an excessive barker inside the home, you may be tempted to banish them to the backyard to bark it out. Don't do it. It's rude to your neighbors and makes you look like a bad pet parent. And, if your dog is already outside and they begin to bark incessantly, bring them in or go outside with them.
You can teach “quiet” by rewarding the dog with a treat between barks. You want to be clear that you are rewarding the quiet, not a bark, so use a marker — a clicker or your voice saying “yes” — at the quiet moment. Start by rewarding a quiet moment, then reward for longer and longer periods of quiet.
A new study on the science of canine emotion
Many pet owners believe people should buy puppies in pairs, lest one get lonely. But dividing your attention between two pets could backfire: A new study shows that dogs, just like their human counterparts, get jealous when they feel ignored.
Why isn't my dog social? Many dogs experience shyness due to certain experiences in their past, such as being mistreated and abused. One of the most common causes of shy behavior is a lack of exposure to new people and places at a young age.
It's never too late to socialize an adult dog. If your woof lacks experience in the world, take them outside and get started today.
There's no such thing as a dog too old to train and with reward based training methods, you can really enrich their life. It's a common misconception that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Modern dog training methods are suitable for canine companions at any stage of their life.
At 2-3 years of age, Mini Aussies are considered mentally developed and will be better at regulating their energy levels. In other words, they will start to calm down! That said, Aussies are naturally active dogs and will remain so into old age.
Aussies are very sociable dogs. They can feel lonely when they're left alone often and are prone to suffering from separation anxiety. This is when dogs feel an overwhelming sense of anxiety over being apart from their owners.