# Fence Aggression??



## meli_ssa4 (Aug 19, 2014)

I think I am posting this in the correct forum. Wasn't sure if I should put it here or in the General Behavior one. Either way I am sure I will get some great advice. 

We share a portion of our chain linked fence with our neighbours who have a 2yr old male dalmatian. They will just let their dog out into their backyard without supervision (most of the time). Anyways every time that dog comes out our 2yr old female GSD will immediate run at the fence barking and start running up and down the fence. Sometimes when we are outside all she does is concentrate on the fence almost like she is just waiting for him to come out. Once she gets into her state it is extremely hard to get her attention. When the dog comes out we try to grab her, but she just runs from us and back at the fence again, not once even looking at us. The other dog will also come at the fence and run back and forth with her. The entire time she is barking and at times it looks like she is trying nip at him through the fence when their noses are close to each other. 

We have consulted with our trainer and was told to put her on her leash on her prong and correct her when she attempts this. We have done this over an extended period of time but it hasn't worked at all. And we can't just keep her on a leash all the time in the backyard where we play and exercise her. The other dog just comes out at random times so we never know. If we are lucky and hear them coming out, we immediate grab her and take her in. I am not sure if this is actually doing anything other then avoiding the issue.

Rylee doesn't typically get along with other dogs other than our male 5mths GSD. She will avoid other dogs on walks and basically just tolerates them when we are in obedience class. She has never bitten another dog or physically attacked another dog. She loves all people.

She does know the come command and will do this at any other time, except when the dog is out next door. She is never outside by herself. 

Keep in mind the neighours have done nothing to try and correct their dog from running at the fence and basically blame us for their dogs behaviour. 

Any tips/advice would be great. 
Thanks and sorry the post got a bit long


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

That kind of barrier frustration is quite common. It will probably require an e collar to get her under control. You can try just using a bark collar so she can't rev herself up or get an e collar. As you have discovered, normal corrections are lost on her once she gets into full frenzy mode.

Nor is she going to care about treats.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

That's why I don't like chain link fences. They're fine until there's something interesting on the other side, lol. Can you plant something to block the view? Not that this will solve the problem, but it would help. 

You need to teach your dog not to run the fence, and the best way I can think of is to make your outdoor time quality play time. That way, the games are more important than the dog next door. And if your dog motions for theirs, then an immediate "leave it" (or whatever words you're using) to tell your dog not to bother and the next move towards the dog get an immediate time-out in the crate. It won't take long for your dog to understand that minding her own business gets all the fun in the world, and following the fence gets the opposite.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Well it could be a form of play. She sees the dog everyday and you are neighbors so why not talk to the neighbor and see if they are willing to let's say go for a walk with their dog and yours with you? They don't have to be close to each other, just in the general area. If the Dalmatian is a stable dog, he might even let her smell him without issue. Maybe once her curiosity is resolved maybe the behavior will change. Training a leave it would also help. I know it would drive me bonkers


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

True fence aggression is nothing like play. The dog is literally in a frenzy & won't be distracted by toys or treats.


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## meli_ssa4 (Aug 19, 2014)

We did try to get them to meet one day. She just stood there and she did get a good smell of him, but as soon as he turned towards her her hackles went up. At that point I just backed her up and got her to sit for awhile well I talked to the neighbours. Then we tried let them smell again, but the dog licked her face and she didn't enjoy that at all. I put her back in a sit stay and after another 5mins or so we just both went our own ways.

She has seen him on walks and will completely ignore him. 

Treats forget about them, zero interest. Backyard only fun time, tired it, doesn't work. Once she gets focused that is it, nothing will get her attention. As soon as we her get in that "mood" we try to correct. Even tried tiring her out by taking her for a walk/run in the woods and then taking her in the backyard to pee before going in the house. Thinking her mind was drained, but nope right to the fence. 

Our neighbours actually tried putting up another fence (a sort of snow like fence, one that keeps the snow from drifting) about 5 feet inside their chain link and their dog ran right though it. 

I guess we will just keep taking her immediately in the house into her crate each time and see how that works over the long run. Hopefully we will be moving out to the country soon and we won't have to deal with neighbours this close anymore. 

I have to say as well that this is the only dog on the street she is like this with. The neighbours on the other side don't even get a second glace when they are outside. Mind you they don't have a dog, but she will still bark at the other neighbours whenever even if they don't have their dog outside with them.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

What I suggested was how I stopped my dog from barking at the neighbors, and being such a nosy-pants, lol. He knows now, when he barks for no reason in our back yard, that when I ask him if he needs to go in the house, it means he'll be crated for a while. He's quiet then, lol. I don't know if zetti is right, and this is a horrible case of barrier frustration, or just a normal behavior where they know there's something over there and they're going to investigate it, because that's what they do best, lol. Good luck, and I hope you get to move soon!


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

Sounds like she's become fixated on the fence fighting.

GSDs are territorial by nature, so it doesn't surprise me that she barks at the neighbors in their own yard. I'll bet it doesn't have the same frenzied quality as the fence fighting, though.

Good luck with your move. Sounds like a good plan.

We've got block wall fencing for a reason . . .


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I have a large chain link back yard. I have dogs that I crate and rotate. When I take dogs to the barn with me, I'm going to have dogs in the back yard. There will be a huge fiasco the moment the dogs past the chain link fence. 

I have a heavy duty walking stick. If they start the frenzied fence race, I'll stand in their path and tell them "Enough!" I do not scream. I do not beg. I do not nag. I use the stick as an extension of my arm to keep them from simply slipping around me. I do not know the magic of my stick. I've never hit or poked them. But when they see me and my magic stick, they are quiet. If they do slip around and continue, I'll take the offending dog into the house and crate him. And then go back outside. 

If you've ever watched a youngster show a heifer in a local stock show. They'll lead them with a show stick at the heifer's eye level using it as a type of barrier. 90% of the time the heifer will walk quietly with that show stick right in front of their eyes. (It doesn't work with horses, I was curious and tried.) I don't know what my dogs think of my magic stick. But it works for me. 

The big difference for me is my dogs know that if they stop - we are going to do something even more fun - go to the barn or the pond or run in the pastures, so they are eager to comply.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

Put a tarp up for the time being and work on putting up a privacy fence

You can also plant shrubs or bamboo along the fence to block them


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

My neighbor has 3 dogs that run the fence and bark at my dogs. I made a small garden in front of the fence and planted some taller grasses and arborvitae trees, then put a shorter decorative landscaping border fence in front of that. 90% of the time, my dogs respect that barrier; 10% of the time my puppy goes into that garden to bark through the fence and then I verbally correct him and if he does not comply, he comes inside.


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## meli_ssa4 (Aug 19, 2014)

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I will definitely try using a stick or something to try and redirect her. And take her immediately into her crate if she doesn't comply. 

I would love to plant something along that fence but unfortunately do to finances I can't afford to do any landscaping, plus with this time of the year it is a bit late to plant anything. (starting to get chilly here )

I order an e-collar for her, but in the mean time we will just keep working with her. I have noticed in the past few days our little guy (5months) is now starting to bark as soon as Rylee even looks at the fence. I don't even think he knows what he is barking at but thinks that since she is barking he should do. I quickly correct him, give him the quiet command and redirect. This is working for him so hopefully I can get this under control with him before it escalates like with Rylee.


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## Juliem24 (Jan 4, 2014)

My guy bowled me over and also nearly took out my husbands knees while running the fence as we were trying to grab him. Couldn't get his attention, couldn't "break the spell". The trainer later told us it is aggression, ( our dog is DA). He's not allowed near the fence any more. On leash all the time.


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

Juliem24 said:


> My guy bowled me over and also nearly took out my husbands knees while running the fence as we were trying to grab him. Couldn't get his attention, couldn't "break the spell". The trainer later told us it is aggression, ( our dog is DA). He's not allowed near the fence any more. On leash all the time.


My back neighbors have 2 dogs, then their daughter often comes over with her 3 dogs, all goldens except for a small terrier mix. Jade, my girl, is very DA, and took me down as I was stepping on the line I had on her for just such an occasion. From then on, poor Jade could not run loose except in early, early am or late at night when their dogs are not out. 

Orick, on the other hand, looks for them, especially the terrier mix and one of the daughter's goldens, a young female. They do play bows, etc, and really enjoy racing each other up and down the fence. He always outlasts them, lol, he is the original energizer bunny!

I have put up a fence cutting off the back third of our huge yard, and just have to build a gate for it. I will be happy for Jade, this means she can be loose throughout the day (although I always supervise them), but I know for poor Orick, I will have to let him through the gate occasionally to race with his pals.

Susan


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## meli_ssa4 (Aug 19, 2014)

A bit of good news. We are moving within the next 2 months so we wont have to deal with the issue anymore. And if all goes well we are moving to the country where we won't have close neighbors and wilk have lots of room for the dogs to run. We are super excited to get them out of the city. I think they are going to much happier


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

zetti said:


> True fence aggression is nothing like play. The dog is literally in a frenzy & won't be distracted by toys or treats.


Exactly true. I have a DA rescue female GSD, and I have a very large yard so I fenced off the back section of it so she can't get to the chain link fence that separates our yard from the back neighbor's yard. My male runs the fence with 2 of their dogs, and it is definitely play, with play bows, daring each other to run, etc. But my female is in a frenzy with it, and I know would do severe damage if she were able. My neighbors don't mind, they look at it as a means of exercising their lazy goldens. I am a caregiver for my sister and don't have the time to work with Jade as I would like to, I feel that an ecollar would be the most effective way, but for right now I am managing the situation. The second fence was the best answer for me.

Susan


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Put up a privacy fence about 2 feet from the chainlink so they cannot make nose contact. Keep your own dog entertained by play and training. You can throw some treats over the fence to break the other dog's frenzied cycle.
Fence fighting is self rewarding and conditioned. I'll bet when you would remove the fence they wouldn't know what to do.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

My yard is fenced in completely ... I attempted to circumvent fence fighting by installing a 2nd fence about 5 or 6 feet in from the chain link fence on the three sides w/neighbors. UNFORTUNATELY I used farm fencing which hasn't stopped the problem (they'll stop when I scold them, then start up again a few minutes later). I wish I'd done what Wolfy suggested and used a solid privacy fence instead of the farm fencing.


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