Have you ever wondered why your friendly dog barks at your dad? Well, my curious friend, wonder no more! As a pet lover, I get this question all the time, so I decided to create some helpful content just for you. In fact, we’re going to discuss possible reasons for this issue and the most efficient solutions for them.
So, why does your dog bark at your dad?
Your furry friend may bark at your dad due to redirected aggression, food guarding, conflict, defensive behavior, fear-based behavior, or possessive behavior. But, don’t worry, my friend, there are several possible solutions, including proper training, socialization, adequate exercise, interactive activities, mental stimulation, relaxation, and letting your dog feel that dad is the alpha.
In fact, both common and abnormal causes can lead to this problem. That’s why figuring out the exact cause is crucial to finding suitable solutions. So, let’s dive right in and learn more about our furry friends! With proper care and attention, your dog will be happy and comfortable around your dad in no time!
Reasons why your dog barks or growl at your dad
I know you’re in a pretty difficult situation right now. When your dog is aggressive to your dad, problems arise as to whether or not to adopt him hereafter.
So, I can totally understand your situation. That’s why I came up with a complete in-depth guide. So, at first, we gonna understand what the possible reasons for this issue are. Then I’m gonna give you pretty much practical tips and tricks that have been proven to work.
So, it’s time to understand what are the reasons for this matter. But It is quite difficult to take a comprehensive idea by just looking at these reasons. Because they are just definitions.
So, after looking at these definitions, let’s understand possible real-life reasons.
| Aggression | Description |
|---|---|
| Redirected | Redirected aggression can be occurred in dogs due to excitement, frustration. For example, when your dog is aggressive toward something, If your father comes and interrupts him, the dog tends to be aggressive toward your dad due to this redirected aggression. |
| Food guarding | This is a terrestrial reaction that we can expect from dogs. When dogs have food aggression, they tend to be aggressive while eating their meals or treats. |
| Conflict | If a dog has conflict aggression, he/she tends to guard its toys, food, and other objects. |
| Defensive | This aggression is a common aggression type among dogs. Because of this aggression, dogs tend to snape, growl in front of a threat when they cannot escape. |
| Fear-based | It occurs when a dog is unable to escape a threat and becomes involved with that threat because there is no other option. |
| Possessive | Dogs show this aggression to pets or humans to indicate possession of something that highly desirable to them. Examples: Food, treat, favorite chew toy |
So, here is the reasons that we gonna cover today.
- Resource guarding
- Scared
- Past experience
- Bad experience with dad
- Inconsistent training
- The inappropriate discipline of the dog
- Hectic environment
Your dog may bark at your dad because of resource guarding.
This is one of the common reasons why do some dogs become aggressive toward certain people. Check if your dad takes your dog’s favorite kinds of stuff. That can be a ball, chew toy, or any kind of thing which belongs to your dog’s favorite list.
Maybe your dad accidentally took something mentioned above. So, if your dog has a resource guarding problem, the dog will be aggressive to your dad.
Here is the resource guarding warning signs.
- Freezing up
- Eating faster when someone approach
- Snap
- Lip curl
- Growl
If you have clearly identified that resource guarding is why your dog growls to your dad, it’s crucial to practice with your dad and dog every day.
Note: It’s better to leash up your dog before starting this session.
- You need to hold the leash and inform your dad to come near to the dog.
- Get some high-value puppy treats and get its attention when the dog tries to bark or growl your dad. Do this several times until your dog doesn’t care about the presence of your dad.
- Then, ask your dad to treat the dog. It would be safer to throw the puppy treat.
- On the same day, repeat this at least 3 times.
- Now the dog has some sense about this matter. That means he understands that he can be rewarded when Dad comes near to him.
- The next day. Perhaps, you will not want to grab his attention by giving treats just to ignore your father’s arrival. Today, dad can come a little bit closer, but he should still throw puppy treats. Make sure to tell sweet words while rewarding.
So, this way, you can easily ease his aggression toward your dad.
Important: Your dad’s energy should be assertive, dominant, strong, and really calm. Because if your dad engages with this activity with fear, The dog will feel that your father is scared. So, it would motivate the dog to be aggressive.
Recommended reading: 8 Reasons why does my dog growl or bark at my wife?
Because of Scared
Your dog may bark or growl at your dad because of scared. There are a handful of reasons that could cause this problem.
- Lack of proper socialization
- Genetic problems
- Dogs with a history of persecution
So, you need to teach your dog not to be afraid of your dad. To do that, you need to show up that most wonderful things gonna happen when dad is around.
So, let’s understand this step by step.
- Choose a room and go into it with the dog. Tell your dad to stay outside.
- Then ask your dad to come into the room. But make sure he should stay in the other corner of the room. That means way far from the dog.
- As soon as your dad came into the room, you should start playing with the dog. You can use high-value puppy also treats to keep its attention toward you.
- If your dog starts to barking, tell the dad to leave the room for a moment. But here, you should stop playing and rewarding as soon as dad leaves the room.
- Tell the dad to come inside the room when the dog stops barking. Here, you need to start playing and rewarding as soon as your dad came into the room.
- You can try this by switching rooms. Eventually, your doggo will get used to your dad and won’t bark at him. Because your dog can understand the fact that staying close to dad will attach rewards.
Remember: You have to be consistent with this. Remember, consistency is the key.
Your dog may bark at your dad because of past experiences.
Obviously, past experiences can be a matter. This problem can happen to rescued dogs or rehomed dogs. If your dog is rescued, perhaps it may have loads of bad experiences with adult males.
In fact, if your dog rehomed one, perhaps the previous owner may have often hurt the dog. So, those sorts of bad experiences in their former life could lead to your dog becoming aggressive toward your dad.
If this is your case, don’t worry. I’m gonna give you solutions in this article.
Bad experience with dad
Sometimes your dog may have some bad experiences with your dad. Sometimes your dad may have punished your dog or yelled or something similar to that.
Maybe your dad did something like he treated the dog’s wound. That moment can be a painful and bittersweet memory for the dog. Eventually, your dog may have become aggressive toward your dad. Maybe your dad is making fun of the dog.
Your dog may bark at your dad because of inconsistent training.
Your dog needs to have proper training since its puppyhood. So, inconsistent training could lead to exhibit necessary behaviors.
In fact, inconsistency training could lead to exhibit the following behavioral problems.
- Destructive chewing
- Digging
- Not coming when you called the dog
- Begging
- Separation anxiety
- Barking at the door
- Barking for attention
- Pulling the leash
- Biting
- Aggressiveness
The inappropriate discipline of the dog
The inappropriate discipline of your dog could lead to bark at your dad or any other human. This problem can mostly happen because of a lack of proper training.
Here are some common causes of disciplinary problems in your dog.
- Environmental factors
- Development factors
- Genetic predisposition
- Physical disorders
Methods to keep your dog from barking at your father.
I think now you have a good understanding of the possible reasons for this matter. So, it’s time to understand what are the possible solutions for this matter.
Go through all the solutions because they are more realistic and practical. So, let’s dive right in.
Here is the list of solutions.
- Emphasize to your dog that Dad is Alpha
- Get your doggo used to the scent of your father
- Provide adequate exercises
- Socialize your dog
- Mentally stimulate the dog
- Let dad give treats
- Go for a walk, hike, or to a dog park.
- Consult a veterinarian
Emphasize to your dog that Dad is Alpha
This is the primary thing you should do in order to keep your dog from barking at dad. We know that canines are pack animals, and they do respect their pack larder or alpha male of the pack.
So, it seems like your dog doesn’t recognize your dad as his alpha. That’s why the dog shows some occasional aggressiveness toward your dad.
If your dad becomes the alpha male in your family, your dog won’t bark anymore at dad. So, here are some ways your dad can become a family alpha.
- Don’t allow for walking the dog in front of dad (even in front of you)
- Do not feed the dog before your mealtime.
- Do not let your dog walk out the door before your dad go
- Don’t let him sleep on the bed or couch without your invitation.
- Feed him after walks
- When you return home with your dog, you should enter first.
- Go to dog parks and socialize him.
Get your doggo used to the scent of your father
If your dog bark or growls at your dad, this is some kind of a handy method that you can try. Find your dad’s old cloth. It can be a T-shirt, a shirt. Then tell your dad to wear it and spend some time.
After that, get that shirt and keep it on your dog’s bed or sleeping place. So, when your dog is sleeping on the bed, he will feel the scent of your dad all the time.
So, after some days. he will get used to your dad. Then other tactics can be executed.
Give adequate exercises to keep your dog from barking to the dad.
If your dog used to bark at your dad, it’s better to figure out the real stressor. Sometimes it can be due to a lack of exercise. We know that some breeds require strenuous exercises, while others need very minimum or medium.
So, that’s the reason why I used the term “adequate exercises”. You need to make a proper exercises schedule for your dog to keep him healthy and mentally stimulated.
But remember, you need to get professionals to help to make this exercise schedule. Because there are loads of things to look for when making an exercise schedule.
In fact, you can play fetch with your dog for about 30 minutes, and it will give you some exercise for him. If your dog is some kind of a retriever breed, train him to retrieve a hidden object in your backyard.
By socializing your dog, you can keep the dog from barking at the dad.
If your dog becomes aggressive at your dad, the underlying reason can be a lack of socialization. You need to provide proper socialization to your dog, and if dad can be involved with these sessions, the results will be much higher.
In fact, here are some ways that you can try,
- Go to dog parks frequently.
- Take your dog for frequent walks on the road.
- Go to dog training classes.
- Introduce your dog to new people
- Take him to shopping malls.
- Take your whole family and play with him in the backyard.
Mentally stimulate the dog
If your dog continues to bark at your father, it may be due to a lack of mental stimulation. So, you can do several things to keep your dog mentally stimulated.
- Provide puzzle toys
- Give Raw bones
- Give adequate exercises.
- Let Your Dog Sniff around & Explore on Walks
- Play with him in the backyard.
- Stick with a daily routine with the dog.
Let your dad treat your dog, then the dog will stop barking at him.
So, here you should convince your dog that engaging positively with your dad is a rewarding behavior. To do that, you need to take high-value treats that your dog love.
Then hand it over to dad, tell him to lay on the floor, and stay beside the dog. Then gently give a puppy treat. If it is not possible, try it in this way.
- Tell your dad to spell the dog’s name.
- Then throw a puppy treat closer to his legs.
- After that, tell him to throw another treat a little further from him
- While throwing the treat, tell him to call to the dog with nice words such as “Come on my boy”
- Next time a little bit more further from him
- Do this until he comes to his hands.
- Then let give some treats by his hand.
- Practice this several days, and eventually tell your dad to cuddle him while giving puppy treats. In fact, tell him to use nice words.
When the dog became friendly to your dad, get your dog’s food bowl, and put something tastier and yummier to the dog. Then, let the dog feel the scent of the food bowl.
So, tell your father to hold the bowl on his lap and let the dog eat from it.
Remember: Do not try this unless the dog is completely calm.
Go for a walk, hike, or to a dog park.
If your dog is still barking at your dad, engaging in some activities would help resolve this problem. Dad, you, the dog, the three of you need to go for a walk together.
In fact, long walks, hikes, and going to the dog park will make the process easier.
If your dog still aggressive toward your dad, Consult a veterinarian
If none of those mentioned above tactics didn’t help you, please consult a veterinarian.
Things to be aware of
Check if your dog is extremely aggressive to your dad
If your dog extremely aggressive toward dad and try to bite, don’t try anything above. You have to take professionals to help with this as soon as possible.
Keep Childs away from the dog.
Perhaps, you don’t know what the reason for this matter is. So, don’t let Childs approach the dog.
Conclusion
Dogs become aggressive at people due to various reasons. So, if you want to know why does your dog bark or become aggressive at your dad and possible solutions, this is the comprehensive guide that you always wanted. I hope it helps. So, I appreciate it if you can share your thoughts and experiences regarding this matter. Have a nice day.
