Put an End to Dog Fence Fighting Aggression

July 18, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Dog Fence Fighting Solutions That Work

It seems my article on fence fighting dogs has generated a lot of activity lately. Fence fighting dogs is so complex and very frustrating, which is why I’m going to explain different dog fence fighting solutions to help you restore peace to your backyard.

I’ve had to deal with fence fighting dogs at home and with many dog training clients. The trick to stop fence fighting in dogs is to teach your dog to ignore the taunting neighbor’s dog that’s running along the fence line. I know that seems impossible, but teaching this dog behavior works!

Causes of Fence Aggression in Dogs

Some dogs fence fight out of frustration while others can’t resist the barking and rapid running of a neighbor’s dog taunting them on the other side of the fence. Fence fighting is a frustrating behavior that is usually learned, and, once your dog gets really good at it, the behavior is harder to extinguish. I could go on and on about the causes, but I’m pretty sure you would rather learn how to fix it instead. 🙂

Movement

Movement is so powerfully enticing, especially for dogs bred to herd, chase prey or work livestock. These dogs become mesmerized by movement. As a dog trainer, I find it fascinating that dogs fence fighting almost becomes a dance where both dogs run along the fence together, stop and then run a different way all while barking. A few times, I’ve watched dogs run along a fence together, yet not one sound was uttered from either dog. It was all about movement.

Sound

Sound is very stimulating for dogs too, especially rapid repeating barking, whining and growling while running along a fence. Interestingly, sound can become a cue to fence fight. For example, the neighbor’s dog may quickly run toward your side of the fence when he hears your back door opening, your dog’s nails tapping or even your dog’s ID tags jingling.

Dog Fence Fighting Solutions

Create a Visual Barrier

Creating a visual barrier is the first step to stopping fence fighting in its tracks, and it’s an easy fence fighting solution as well. Set up a visual barrier on the inside of your fence, so both dogs are unable to see each other. Believe it or not, privacy fences are not that private. Dogs can still view fleeting glimpses of the other dog running back and forth, and I know several dogs that will peep through a wood knot hole to see what’s happening on the other side.

Visual barrier materials can be dark-colored plastic tarps, outdoor carpet or even cement blocks. You can use any type of material that your dog cannot see through. To attach this material to your fence, you can zip strip it into chain fences or staple it in place for wooden privacy fences. Make sure to place the material high enough so your dog is unable to jump on the fence and see the other dog. It’s amazing how about 70% of fence fighting aggression cases end once a visual barrier is in place.

Train Your Dog to Stop Fence Fighting

If your dog continues to engage in fence fighting even after a visual barrier is in place, then it’s time to teach your dog to ignore the other dog. Before you begin, make sure your dog is unable to see the other dog. Walk the fence line and verify there aren’t any holes, gaps and tears and that your dog is unable to see anything through the visual barrier material.

For this step, you’ll need a 6-foot leash, your dog’s flat collar or harness, a clicker, and some super yummy treats. During this exercise, you’re rewarding your dog for ignoring the neighbor dog one step at a time—literally.

Before walking outdoors, shorten your dog’s leash to 4 feet. Take one step outdoors while giving your dog a yummy treat.
Now, take a few more steps in the opposite direction of your neighbor’s dog and reward your dog for each step.
If your dog looks toward your neighbor’s barking dog, make a smoochie sound to distract your dog and reward her the moment she looks back at you. There’s no cue right now. You’re just teaching your dog that looking at you instead of the barking dog means treats rain from the sky.
Bring your dog to her potty spot, so she can relieve herself, and reward each and every time she looks at you instead of the barking dog next door.

Additional Dog Training Tips

Bring your dog outdoors on leash every time for the next two weeks. If you let her out to potty just one time off leash, and she engages in fence fighting, you’ve just undone all of your training.

After a week of training, bring her out on a retractable leash and practice this behavior—again without saying a word. Cues or commands aren’t needed for training your dog to stop fence fighting. They become a crutch in this type of situation. You want your dog to learn that ignoring another barking dog is normal behavior, so she doesn’t need a constant verbal reminder.

Soon, your dog will happily potty and play in the backyard while totally ignoring her rowdy neighbor. Now, you might notice your dog slip a little and approach the fence growling at your neighbor’s dog. If this happens, make a smoochie noise and reward her when she ignores the other dog. If she doesn’t ignore the dog, it’s time to bring your retractable leash back out and practice polite behavior again.

Finally, never leave your dog alone in the backyard. This is a recipe for disastrous dog fence fighting. If you work long hours (more than 5 hours), hire a pet sitter to walk your dogs in the neighborhood.

Speak With Your Neighbor

Speaking to your neighbor is the only permanent fence fighting solution, yet it’s only done as a last resort. Instead of speaking with neighbors first, pet owners focus on stopping the fence fighting behavior themselves, which takes weeks of dog training. It’s impossible to expect perfect behavior from your dog every time, but you can expect a permanent fence fighting solution by speaking with your neighbor.

I know you don’t want to talk to your neighbor, but you have to. Walk over there, ring the doorbell and have a polite conversation with your neighbor. Ask if you can both coordinate different times to bring your dogs outside. If your neighbor keeps his dog in the backyard all day, ask if he can bring her inside, so you can exercise your dog with no distractions.

In my 25+ years of working with fence fighting aggression clients and sharing my home with fence fighters, I’ve only had one neighbor tell me to “go fly a kite.” Well, I contacted our local animal control and took a video of my neighbor’s dog barking relentlessly and engaging in fence fighting. AC ended up leaving a notice on my neighbor’s front door. Magically, he kept his dog indoors and we could enjoy our yard again.

My neighbors never invited us over for pool parties after that, but I didn’t care. I enjoyed silence in the backyard. If you live in an HOA (Home Owner’s Association) neighborhood, file a complaint with your local HOA office.

Still Having Issues?

While this article provides dog fence fighting solutions and dog training tips, it can never replace having a professional dog trainer work directly with you and your dog. If installing a visual barrier, teaching your dog to ignore the other dog or chatting with your neighbor haven’t helped, please set up an appointment with a positive reinforcement dog trainer in your area. Nothing beats a one-on-one evaluation in your home; a dog trainer can make suggestions and troubleshoot with your dog.

Lastly, never punish your dog for fence fighting. It’s not fair. Fence fighting isn’t your dog’s fault. Your dog will do better once she learns better, so take the time to teach her polite behaviors. Be honest: it’s impossible to ignore a screaming neighbor. No one can ignore it all the time. 🙂

Do Dog Boarding and Training Programs Work?

July 12, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Think Twice About Dog Boarding and Training Programs

Pet owners want fast dog training results, so they choose to board their dog with a dog trainer (i.e. dog lives with dog trainer) and the dog trainer trains their dog to a certain level of training. Sounds quick and simple right? Even though this is an extremely fast growing segment of dog training, not all dog trainers agree with dog boarding and training philosophies. There are so many bad things that can happen when you choose this route, so know the facts first before dropping your dog off at someone’s house for weeks of boarding and training.

Typical Dog Boarding and Training Options

As mentioned above, pet owners drop their dog off at a dog trainer’s facility or home, and the dog trainer teaches their dog specific agreed upon behaviors. Length of stay with a dog trainer depends on the behaviors that will be taught to the dog, so it can vary between 2-6 weeks.

Learning takes times, especially when teaching challenging behaviors, such as walking on a loose leash in public and coming when called around tons of distractions. It’s important to understand dogs aren’t furry little computers; we can’t download information into their brains. If only it were that easy for dogs and humans! 🙂 Be prepared for sticker shock as well: boarding and training programs are extremely expensive. A two-week program can cost more than $500—that’s an insane amount of money.

How to Find a Good Dog Boarding and Training Program

Oh, this is where board and train programs can get really sticky. Finding the right dog trainer is key! There are several excellent board and train dog trainers out there and some rotten ones too. Learn how to stay clear of the rotten ones.

Research Good Dog Trainers

Choose a dog trainer who uses only positive reinforcement, meaning he doesn’t use punishment (physical or verbal), choke chains, pinch collars and/or electronic collars.

Look for dog trainers who will:

Reward good behavior
Redirect/ignore bad behavior
Only use flat buckle collars, Martingale collars, harnesses, head halters, clickers and yummy treats.

Check out my article on finding a good dog trainer. It lists websites that will help you in your search and point you in the right direction.

Don’t fall for the hype. Reward-based dog trainers can teach behaviors just as fast as punishment-based dog trainers. I know this personally, as I was a punishment-based dog trainer during the first 10 years of my dog training career. I switched to positive reinforcement because it was the humane thing to do for dogs, pet owners and myself. Also, it just works faster. Yes, I’ve been a positive reinforcement dog trainer for more than 15 years now and I’ve seen results from both sides of the dog training fence. Positive reinforcement is the clear winner by a landslide.

If a punishment-based dog trainer claims his methods work faster, ask for scientific research to back up those claims. Do know his personal experience is biased and wrong. Check out the multiple studies done on the effectiveness of positive reinforcement here.

Check Out the Facility

If a dog trainer offers a dog boarding and training program, ask to view where your dog will live while under his care. Ask how often your dog will be trained per day, if she’ll be crated and if she’ll go on daily walks. Ask if the dog trainer will follow your feeding instructions.

In addition, ask for contact information of previous clients and ask them for their reviews. You’re leaving a living and defenseless being in the care of this person. Interview the dog trainer ruthlessly and view the dog training facility thoroughly.

Dog Boarding and Training Program Horror Stories

Every day, I hear horror stories about dog boarding and training programs that will make you nauseous. I’m only sharing this information to inform you about the terrible possibilities that can happen to your dog. I’ve witnessed dogs starve during board and trains, as the dog trainer insisted dogs must earn all of their food or he simply forgot to feed them.

Some dogs would be left in their crates for 23 hours and forced to potty on themselves, which would cause large open sores. Other dogs were beaten and shocked with electronic collars so much so that the dogs would develop huge wounds. Others would be sent home with broken toes, legs and spines from physical abuse. I’ve also heard of dogs being left in extreme weather conditions that caused permanent damage; I could go on and on.

This stuff happens more than you think. I’ve witnessed these poor dogs being rushed into a veterinary clinic where I worked. Once you’re aware of the bad, you know what to look for during the interview phase and when visiting the dog training facility.

Don’t worry about offending a dog trainer either. An honest dog trainer actually admires and respects pet owners searching for the very best person to train their dog. We love it! If a dog trainer is rude, dismissive, unprofessional, lies or appears offended during your interview, end it and continue with your search.

Will Pet Owners Learn How to Train Their Dogs Too?

Professional board and train dog trainers will require pet owners to attend several dog training sessions with their dogs. While board and train dog trainers will teach your dog certain behaviors and put her on cue for you, you should still learn how to ask and reward cues, and know what to do if your dog becomes confused.

If a board and train facility doesn’t offer this option, or charges you more for it, this dog trainer and facility is not for you. Find someone else.

Final Thoughts

If you want a fast and effective way to train your dog, attend group training classes with your puppy or dog. Not only will you both learn together from a skilled dog trainer, but you will also build an unbreakable bond with your dog that will last a lifetime. If group class isn’t an option, choose private lessons in your home with a professional dog trainer. Working and learning together is key to success. Plus, you’ll save lots of money in your pocket. 🙂

Help! My Dog Won’t Poop On Leash

June 30, 2016 by Fanna Easter

What to Do When Your Dog Won’t Poop on Leash

Some pet owners will laugh at this subject, but many will understand the struggle of standing outdoors and waiting for nature to happen. In most cases, dogs won’t poop on leash. You need to teach them it’s okay to potty or poop while on a leash. It’s not natural for dogs to use the bathroom on leash because they’re used to having privacy in their backyard. You’re probably still giggling at this topic, but I can promise you that one day, you’ll need this dog training skill. 🙂

Why a Dog Won’t Poop on Leash

Attaching a leash to your dog changes everything. Your dog’s space suddenly becomes restricted, which can quickly frustrate him. You’ve probably heard about “leash frustration,” which occurs when a dog becomes extremely frustrated due to the restrictiveness of a leash (yes, it’s a real thing). I’m not saying you need to toss your leash in the trash because they’re still an important safety line, but you do need to teach your dog that leashes can be fun.

Understanding that dog leashes will restrict your dog’s personal space, you can see why your dog gets a bit creeped out pottying right next to you. 🙂 Most dogs head to the farthest corners of the backyard to poop in privacy, which I consider to be polite behavior that’s most appreciated. Try walking a dog accustomed to pooping in the backyard on a six-foot leash and expect him to poop. It’s almost impossible. It’s easy to see why your dog won’t poop on leash.

How to Teach Your Dog to Poop on Leash

This dog behavior can certainly be taught. I advise teaching your dog to poop (and pee) on a leash now rather than later. Anyone who’s traveled with her dog is probably familiar with walking around for hours until her dog finally pooped. Also, when your dog won’t poop on leash and holds it for days, he’s sure to explode.

If your dog rarely travels with you, and only poops in the backyard, then you’ll need to teach your dog to poop on leash because you may still need the skill someday. Most dogs will need some type of surgery, such as spaying or neutering, that require limited movement. It can also get frustrating when your dog won’t poop on leash during a blizzard or monsoon.

When your dog won’t poop on leash, you’ll need to take a step back to potty training 101. First, attach a leash to your dog’s collar. Then, grab several yummy treats and take your dog outside to potty in his favorite pooping area. Stand still and wait for it to happen. If it doesn’t happen within 5-10 minutes (it can take some time), then continue taking your dog out to potty on leash until it does. Lastly, be prepared to wait a day or two for your dog to poop on leash. Dress warmly if it’s chilly outside.

While we want to jump for joy when our dog finally poops on leash, keep quiet as your dog potties. The moment when stuff stops coming out, and before your dog stands up straight, say “yes.” Then, reward your dog with several treats. If you’d like, you can do the happy potty dance too.

To help stimulate your dog to poop on leash, take your dog for a walk around the neighborhood. However, in most instances, dogs will hold it until they get home. Walking through your neighborhood is certainly an option for teaching your dog to potty on leash, but I suggest teaching that behavior in the backyard as well.

Practice the Behavior

Now that your dog has learned to poop on leash, it’s time to keep practicing. At our house, we leash our dogs and take them out to potty in the backyard once a week to reinforce this behavior.

Reactive Dog Resources You Need to Get Started

June 24, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Reactive Dog Resources

As a reactive dog owner, you should stay up-to-date on reactive dog resources and training tips. Dealing with a reactive dog can be difficult, which is why you should seek help from qualified professionals who will provide support, listen to you throughout the entire process, use positive reinforcement training and provide results.

While positive results are important, teaching you how to handle a stressful situation quickly and how to positively change your dog’s behavior is much more valuable in the long run. If you’re looking for answers, check out these resources below. You’ll find plenty of reactive dog resources and dog training solutions. 🙂

Veterinary Behaviorists

Finding a veterinary behaviorist should be the first step pet owners take when dealing with a reactive dog, but unfortunately many pet owners seek these professionals as a last resort. A veterinary behaviorist is a veterinarian who’s board certified in animal behavior. These professionals treat reactive dog cases every day. Plus, they’re up-to-date on the latest behavior protocols, tests and medications. To find a veterinary behaviorist in your area, check out American College of Veterinary Behaviorist.

If you’re fortunate to live near a veterinary behaviorist, it’s worth scheduling an appointment with that person face-to-face. Now, some pet owners aren’t that lucky. If you’re unable to speak directly to a vet behaviorist, do know that all veterinary behaviorists will consult with your regular veterinarian by phone. There are so many benefits to bringing a veterinary behavior expert into the mix. For example, she can recommend a local qualified dog trainer and point you in the right direction.

Qualified Dog Trainers

Not all dog trainers are qualified to work with reactive dogs; actually, most of them aren’t qualified. Keep in mind there’s no such thing as an animal behaviorist. This is a made-up term in the dog training world. Anyone can call herself an animal behaviorist, as there’s no certification or requirement to do so.

When searching for a qualified dog trainer, you can ask your veterinary behaviorist for a referral. In most cases, she’ll know local dog trainers who have experience working positively with reactive dogs. Seek a dog trainer who is Behavioral Adjustment Training (BAT) certified. These dog trainers know how to use counter-conditioning and desensitization for reactive dog training, and they clearly explain their process to pet owners.

If your veterinary behaviorist doesn’t know of any dog trainers in your area and you’re unable to find a BAT-certified dog trainer nearby, then I suggest searching for a professional dog trainer who specializes in dog reactivity or aggression. The dog trainer you choose should have a minimum of 5 years of experience—not counting school—because it takes years of hands-on experience and continuing education to learn how to successfully change a reactive dog’s behavior.

Check out Karen Pryor Academy of Dog Trainers, Pet Professional Guild, International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) and Animal Behavior College.

Books & DVDs

There are a ton of books that discuss dog behavior and dog reactivity, but many are too difficult to read. I’ve compiled a few must-have books for reactive dog training below. Each book is different and reading them all will help you interpret dog body language and understand why reactive dogs act a certain way and how to change their behavior.

“Calming Signal – What Your Dog Tells You” by Turid Rugaas

This easy-to-read booklet gives you the foundation to both successfully interpret your dog’s body language and change his behavior. If you can’t identify when something bad is about to happen, you can’t prevent it from happening.

“Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash-Reactive Dog” by Patricia McConnell and Karen B. London

This quick read will teach you the importance of an emergency U-Turn as well as how to handle situations when your dog reacts.

“Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0: New Practical Techniques for Fear, Frustration, and Aggression” by Grisha Stewart, M.A., CPDT-KA

This book, which also comes in a DVD set, will teach you how to change your dog’s behavior. Now, this book will be a bit challenging to read for most pet owners, so I highly recommend referring to this book when working with a veterinary behaviorist and qualified dog trainer.

Hopefully, these reactive dog resources will help you get started in your quest for answers. Good luck on your journey. Many of us have taken it with great success. 🙂

Surviving Crate Rest: Secrets of Success

June 20, 2016 by Fanna Easter

How to Survive Crate Rest

Surviving Crate Rest — tongchuwit/iStock

Every pet owner cringes when her veterinarian says, “You’ll need to rest your dog in a crate.” Your shoulders drop to your knees and you ask, “For how long?” Hopefully, it’ll just be a couple of days, but even that can feel like a lifetime for young and active dogs. Whether you have to crate rest your dog for a few days or couple of weeks, check out these crate rest tips that are sure to keep your dog mentally happy during recovery while maintaining your sanity.

Choose Comfortable Bedding

Make sure your dog has plenty of comfortable bedding. It’s quite uncomfortable lying on hard surfaces for an extended period of time. Comforters and blankets are OK, but it’s best to add a memory foam type of bedding in your dog’s crate first, then layer with sheets, comforters and blankets. If your dog gets hot easily, like our Rottweiler, look for a memory foam bed with a gel topper. This will keep your dog comfortable and cool.

To keep your dog’s bedding clean longer, toss an old towel on top of your dog’s bedding before serving him meals and food stuffed toys. Once your dog is finished eating, remove the towel and wash off any crumbs or debris.

Place the Dog Crate in a Corner

Location, location, location is so important. Even during crate rest, your dog wants to hang out with his people, so place his crate in the corner of your TV room. If you have small children, I recommend placing a portable fence around your dog’s crate to keep little fingers from poking at and disturbing your dog. I also highly recommend purchasing a second dog crate to keep in your bedroom at night. This way, your dog can sleep with you too while resting.

Keep Your Dog Mentally Stimulated

Since your dog is unable to move, he’s probably bored lying around all day. Remember, dogs don’t have TV or video games to keep their minds busy while their body recovers, so it’s our job to create mental games for them.

Crate Rest Activities

Divide your dog’s daily meal into four portions. Stuff each portion inside four different interactive toys. My favorite interactive toy is the Kong. All you need to do is sprinkle a few bits of kibble at the bottom of the Kong, then layer with a tiny bit of canned food. Continue layering the kibble and canned food like a cake until ¼ of your dog’s daily ratio of food is inside. Then, fill the other three toys the same way. Freeze all four toys overnight and keep in the freezer for best results.

Every six hours, give your dog a frozen food stuffed toy inside his crate, so he can lick away. It usually takes dogs anywhere between 20-45 minutes to empty a frozen Kong toy, which is equivalent to playing video games or solving a puzzle for the same amount of time.

In between frozen Kong-licking sessions, play a few games of “touch” or “find the treat” in your hand. To play “find the treat,” hold a treat in one hand and then hold both hands in front of your dog’s nose. Give him the treat when he sniffs the hand holding the treat. Check out “Crate Rest Games for Dogs” for more crate rest activities.

Take Your Dog Out to Potty on Leash

Always take your dog out to potty on leash. I recommend using a short leash that’s about six feet long. A short leash prevents your dog from running around or experiencing short bursts of zoomies because your dog is excited to be outdoors.

For potty breaks, put on your dog’s collar and attach your dog’s leash while he’s in his crate. I don’t recommend keeping a collar on your dog while he’s crated. I’ve had a dog get part of his collar stuck on his crate and he freaked out. I had to cut the collar off through the crate, as it was strangling him. Thank goodness I was home; I shudder to think about what could’ve happened if I were away.

Once your dog is leashed, walk your dog through the house and take him to his potty spot. When your dog’s pottied, bring him back indoors on leash and toss a treat in his crate. After he follows the treat, unleash him and close the crate door. Walking your dog through your home prevents slips and falls and keeps your dog from running around.

Stick to It, Don’t Fall for Those Sad Eyes

This is a big one! Every time you reward your dog’s sad eyes or whines by opening your dog’s crate and allowing him free time, you’re rewarding the wrong behavior. If your dog learns he only comes out of his crate when quiet, he will learn to remain quiet.

It’s not fair to your dog to allow him free access under strict crate rest; it’s just not worth the risk. While we hope nothing bad happens, in most cases (80% of the time) your dog will jump up, slip, fall or further injure himself. This statistic comes from Sobek’s orthopedic surgeon, which I found to be quite alarming.

Be strong. Keeping your dog quiet is the best thing for your dog. Just don’t forget to keep his mind active.

UP NEXT: Surviving the First Night With Your Puppy