What is Spot thinking? He knows Jack next door?! While this frightening display seems like aggression, much of the time this behaviour is rooted in fear, overexcitement, stress, anxiety or frustration. Some experts describe this behaviour as “barrier frustration”, “barrier reactivity” or “barrier aggression”. Yes it’s the dog fight that’s really hard to avoid: dogs fighting each other over territory. Every training session you go on, every walk you take, every time your dog greets another, the aggression might be brought up and tough times occur. However, it’s possible for a lot of this to be avoided by understanding some key facts about canine behaviour and becoming proactive when there are fights around your house or property.
If you have a fence that divides the garden space of your property into two sections (like in between two houses) then chances are good that these fences will become targets for territorial hounds to fight over.
If you have a fence that divides the yard space of your property into two sections (like in between two houses) then chances are good that both of these fences will become targets for territorial hounds to fight over.
Tip 1: Lead them up
You can prevent canine fence fights from happening by keeping your dog on a leash when around the perimeter. You can even consider putting up a smaller, less imposing fence if it’s unavoidable that your dog is going to be a constant target. This will help to solve the problem but you still have to help your dog learn how to cope with seeing other dogs at all times.
Tip 2: Distractions
Distractions are important and this is something that owners must know in order to get their hound to quit barking at other animals they don’t recognize. Whenever they do their work (sit), playing with them (fetch) or giving them food treats helps keep their mind off of what’s going on outside of their property.
Tip 3: Stress
It’s important for owners to be aware of the stress their dog’s show. If your dog is anxious or worried about the other dogs in the neighbourhood, you can help by going out by yourself (using treats or a favourite toy) and spending your time there until your pet feels more comfortable.
Don’t forget that you are responsible for what happens on your property. If a dog does come onto it, or if you don’t have adequate containment then you can be held financially responsible for any damages. So keep these tips in mind and we hope they help :-).