How can I stop my dog from barking at other dogs on walks and in the yard?

My 14-month-old English Springer Spaniel is generally well-behaved and friendly but has recently become more vocal. He barks at passersby, especially other dogs, and pulls on the leash, trying to run to them while we’re on walks. He loves playing with other dogs, so I’m sure he just wants to play, but it can come off as aggressive.

When we go to off-leash parks, he’s great and plays well with other dogs without barking. How can we address his barking and pulling on walks?

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For yard barking, I’m training my dog Huck to bark once or twice and then come to me for a treat. I use treats to reward him for coming away from the barking and sometimes physically bring him inside if he won’t stop, which has been effective. For leash barking, I don’t have much advice, but picking him up when it’s severe seems to work better than scolding. Good luck!

Fear is the basis of reaction. The person asking is juggling annoyance and excitement.

Although they have the same appearance and frequently have comparable training, they are not the same.

In the end, I would start with giving the dog more exercise and engaging in self-control activities (you may start by searching for “go crazy freeze” and “tug with rules” on YouTube.)