Why does my dog hate skateboarders?
Carson Skiles
2025-07-30 01:44:20
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I’m guessing that her reaction stems from fear, and whenever a dog is fearful, it’s wise to avoid attempts at punishment altogether, since punishment may only elicit more fear. My guess is that if we make her feel less scared of skateboards, the barking will subside on its own. It’s most likely the underlying emotions (in this case, fear) causing the barking to begin with. If we can eliminate the fear, we can probably eliminate the barking altogether. I don’t need to look at the forecast to know it’s nice out: I only need to check my inbox to see the influx of inquiries from dog owners who are traumatized by their dogs’ reactions to the sudden appearance of scooters and skateboards on every corner. I’m not surprised that yelling isn’t solving the problem.
Also, Our goal is for her to learn to not freak out at skateboarders, and none of us do our best learning when we are scared. So, let’s think about reducing her fear before addressing the behavior.
Jonathon Bartell
2025-07-25 07:40:46
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It is so common for dogs to react to skateboarders, and it’s my theory that it is because they are fast-moving. The wheels sound like growling. There is the possibly confusing appearance of a human who is both standing still and simultaneously moving fast. This is something fairly unique to skateboard riders. Your dog is probably feeling aroused, excited, frustrated, and maybe scared.
Jacey Kris
2025-07-13 08:44:12
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Many dogs go wild — barking, lunging, pulling on their leash — at the sound or sight of a skateboarder. Quickly moving bicyclists, skaters, and runners can trigger a natural chase response in dogs. Skateboards not only move quickly, but they also make loud noises. Your dog could be alarmed, and their response is their way of keeping the noisy, scary thing away.
That can be stressful for you, your dog, and the unfortunate skater who is just rolling by. Worse, it can become a safety issue if you can’t keep your dog under control.
Myrna Rogahn
2025-07-13 08:19:45
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: 12
It may be the dog reacting to skate boards, bikes, other dogs, people coming to the house, or the postie. Sometimes it can be excitement and wanting to play, other times it is guarding behaviour, or even a form of fear aggression. The dog barks at the person/skateboard/bike etc., and the person keeps moving away. The dog thinks it has chased the person away, even though the postie or skateboard was always going to move away. This reinforces the behaviour for the dog, and it builds on that experience.
We need to start off by working out why the dog is reacting the way it does.
Punishing a dog for bad behaviour can cause a lot of anxiety issues, and particularly when we’re not sure if the behaviour already relates to the dog being stressed.
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