Need ideas for fence running/barking

2kids2weims

Our 3 year old male is making a real fuss at the fence, running back & forth, barking wildly, whining etc. when he sees people playing close to the fence or dogs coming close (by close I mean within 25 m/yards). If he sees them from a distance he sometimes growls. This is happening alot since our lot backs onto a huge playing field packed with people playing sports or walking dogs, running etc. We have a chain link fence.

I am trying to get this down to a manageable 3 bark warning rather than the kind of frenzy this seems to be heading towards. I'm not against a few barks when he sees strangers. He's trying to get through the fence - on the one occasion that he has (kids did not lock gate), he's not aggressive, just wants to investigate the people/dog. But that's not so clear to the people who see this beast from the other side of the fence is it?

It's really the failure to listen to me that is the problem. Otherwise he is obedient and mannerly when greeting people & dogs on/off leash or when they come in the yard/house. If people or dogs come right up to the fence he quiets down & sniffs.

I've tried distraction with treats, treat ball, grabbing his collar & covering his eyes, sending him in if he gets out of hand (but I have to catch him first - so that's not working). I don't yell, tried a spray bottle - which got his attention...but only for a few seconds.

Ideas? What can I do better or differently?

anne · Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 12:58 pm Post subject:

I tihnk the best solution to this is to put up a fence he cannot see through. It's frustrating for the dog to see so much activity thru a fence and especially at a distance like that.

2kids2weims · Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 3:32 pm Post subject:

Thanks Anne. I can't demolish/replace the fence as it is the developer's fence, but I may be able to put that plastic stuff through the chain link to block some ot the view. Bushes are being planted, but that's pretty long term! Smile

It is helpful to see your point of idea on this b/c my instinct was that he wasn't really doing anything I think is terrible, just being a dog! It was how worked up he was getting that is disturbing, but DUH...now that I think of it, if he was watching me play out the window without him, he'd do the same thing! If he can't see me, he just lies down or chews a bone.

GailB · Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 6:31 am Post subject:

There is a plant barrier that grows very fast it is bamboo...it grows like wild fire very quickly....

I have used this and it works geat... Wink

Trene · Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 8:03 am Post subject:

Did you have issues w/ the bamboo. My girlfriend had it in her yard and she had to remove it, it was over growing into her neighbors...

GailB · Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 8:28 am Post subject:

2kids2weims · Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 10:15 pm Post subject:

Will this grow in Manitoba?

Also, as an update, he was losing it today over a couple of dogs being walked outside the fence & with the owner's agreement I let both dogs out into the field. They all started playing together, so I'm feeling better that it is just wanting to play & not being aggressive about territory.

GailB · Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 7:54 am Post subject:

rpoche1 · Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 11:33 am Post subject: Talkative weims

My weim exhibits the same behaviors you describe: running the fenceline, barking at passersby, etc. I'm not saying that you can't train your dog not to do these things, but it helps to recognize that that weims like to talk, a lot. It is also good that you have recognized that this is not necessarily aggressive behavior (although it probably is territorial).

As a note, we have trained our girl that she is not allowed to bark in the house (with moderate success), but have had very little success with controlling the backyard barking. As an interesting note, we have also trained her that she is not allowed to bark and act like a nut toward the neighborhood walkers when she is off-leash in the front yard, so now she runs from the front yard into the backyard so that she can run the fence when she sees people walking on the sidewalk.

Weims . . . what are you going to do?

2kids2weims · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:27 pm Post subject:

Another update: it's without a doubt wanting to be in on the action. There are lots of weird vocalizations & the "look at me look at me bark" but not the "don't mess with me" warning growl or the stiff legged posturing that seems to fit more with aggression.

The going nuts has moderated as he gets used to all the action in our field - he now mostly ignores a family with law chairs going to see a soccer game, but any person playing with their dog can trigger the fence running & barking. It gets worse if that person with dog has stopped to play with us before...so I do feel better about it not being aggressive in nature. Simply meant to annoy! Smile

It's funny , we have a lot of aggressive nastly ill-mannered little ankle-biter dogs in the area. Several of us humans & our large dogs have been bitten. But I am very aware that a larger dog who even hints at aggression won't get a second chance even if the person is in the wrong, so I'm a bit hyper about the dogs that way.