Why Do Dogs Bark At Other Dogs?

Whether your dog lightly woofs at the neighbor's dog walking by or lets out a ferocious sounding bark at dogs he doesn't know, dogs bark at other dogs for a variety of reasons. Bark types include greeting, territorial, alerting, anxiety, fear or feeling threatened, aggression, playing, or simply a response to the other dog's bark. "We make conclusions of what a dog's bark means based on trends," says Dr. Shadi Ireifej, founder of Vettriage, a telehealth veterinary service. We try our best to interpret what type of bark it is, the dog's body language, and the context that the barking occurs. "To some extent, we also personify these barks into emotions that we as humans can relate to," he says.