Barking at people who walk differently

We went home to visit the parents over Christmas, and Bane had a few odd moments. My nana came around and he was absolutely fine when he first met her, had a fuss and everything and he has met her plenty of times before with no problems. The thing is she has to use two walking sticks to walk and is quite hunched over and wobbly. As soon as she stood and went to leave, Bane just went nuts barking and growling at her.

He also did it to another of my parent's friends. He made a fuss when he first met her and then she went into the kitchen to make a coffee and was just standing there, when he charged in and started growling and barking and even stood next to her sort of howling at her? I wasn't really sure what to do and didn't know if he would try to bite or something so just took him away and then when she was in the other room he was fine again, went and had a fuss, no problems.

We then went for a walk this morning, and there was an old man walking down the street with a slight limp and he was doing the same. Growling and kept trying to stop to bark at him. I also recall now ages ago he had a grumble and bark at another man with a limp, I just assumed it was because it was dark.

I imagine that he is unsure of the way they were moving, in that they weren't walking like everyone else does, ie with a limp or walking sticks.

Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way to help him see that people with walking sticks or limps are just the same as everyone else and not a threat? :/ We don't really have anyone to practise with and not sure strangers would be happy to approach him if he is barking and growling at them?

We have had a similar issue not with a cane or a walk but with one specific guy at teh park. Suki will run and bark at him constantly. We moved her a little bit away and had her play with other dogs as a distraction. It's worked to some degree but not completly

its probably the noise of the sticks they tend to make more noise on the ground rather than in the house. All i can suggest is perhaps distract bane take a favourite toy perhaps some treats with plenty positive encouragement. also explain to the person hes a bit spooked and perhaps they could give the toy or treats to bane and he wouldn't see the as a threat.

I would say it is fear caused by the sticks or different walk/clothing/age

A dog wont eat anything if it is 'scared' as its natural instinct is fight or flight with an empty stomach! (read that by some dog professor). What may be better as suggested above is to use his favourite toy as a distraction or a little jingle bell thing as a distraction, which you could then try and distract him to eat treats with.

The thing is, not all of them had walking sticks, just my nana and they had rubber bottoms anyway so wouldn't have made any noise. That's why I am thinking it was the way that they were moving.

Bane won't touch food when there is any form of distraction and doesn't really have a favourite toy that he goes nuts for. Once outside and fixated on something, we haven't really found anything that will get his attention...maybe we'll have to try dressing someone up to test it on.