Why Do Dogs Bark at Strangers?

Long ago dogs lived in packs. If a stranger came around, one dog would bark and warn the others, and they would run the stranger off. Your dog thinks of you as one of its pack. If a stranger comes near you or your home your dog will bark to keep him away. In the animal would there is social space, a region that is like the animal's territory, and personal space, which is the small area very close to the animal. If a man or animal enters an animal's social space, the animal may just growl a warning. An example is a dog growling as strangers approach a home. If the invader then persists and enters the animal's personal space, the animal may attack the invader and attempt to drive it out. Though a dog may fight to protect its space, it will allow anyone that it knows to enter it without harm.