Fence fighting is an extremely common issue faced by many dog owners. Dogs are fantastic at alerting their families of potential intruders on their property, so fence fighting is typically a result of when dogs react aggressively towards other dogs, animals, or people on the opposite side of a fence. This behaviour leads to heightened stress levels for both you and your dog, and can sometimes escalate to severe aggression if the behaviour is not managed properly. We want to help you understand the root causes of fence fighting and what strategies can be implemented to curb this unwanted behaviour.
Management of Fence Fighting
In order to begin with fence-fighting issues, you need to start with management. Environmental changes can rapidly reduce your dog's stress levels, and combined with both passive and active training, we can see positive changes almost immediately. So first up, let's discuss changing the environment.
Change Your Dog's Environment
Dogs receive a tonne of reinforcement from fence fighting. From their perspective, pedestrians or dogs walking by your property appear, your dog charges the fence and exhibits their normal behaviours of barking and growling, and then the dog or pedestrian continues past your home and your dog has successfully guarded, so to speak. To progress past this hurdle, you need to remove this behaviour's reinforcement.
Even if you have a fully-fenced garden, it may be necessary to take your dog outside on a lead to avoid getting sucked into conflict at the fence.
The further away from the fence your dog is, the less likely it will bark at triggers on the other side. Tethering your dog to a thick, long line that can't get tangled, that ideally has a bungee attachment that absorbs any shock if your dog does charge the fence is a good option. You should supervise your dog when it's outside at all times when it's tethered, and if possible, use a back-clip harness.
Landscaping can also help reduce fence fighting. Consider planting shrubs that are thick or prickly so that your dog can't get right up to the fence line. Plants help reduce visibility and also absorb more of the noise that passersby's make, which in turn will keep your dog calmer.
Think about additional changes that can be made. Management of your dog's environment is easier and quicker than training. So, have a look at your space and consider whether your dog needs the entirety of the garden, whether you should restrict front yard access, or whether your garden's door should be open all day. Simple changes like keeping the door closed or creating a barrier for the problematic portion of the yard can make a huge change in the association your dog makes in the garden and fence line.
Our Favourite Passive Training Technique for Fence Fighting
Puzzle Toys
Stuffing an easy, but long-lasting puzzle toy and giving it to your dog in the garden is a great way to accomplish passive training. Doing this, combined with a long-line lead and harness to keep your dog away from the fence helps them stay calmer. Puzzle toys keep your dog's attention focused and if the set-up is convincing enough for them, they should ignore triggers on the other side of the fence.
If the trigger comes by and leaves without your dog reacting, then you've just established a functional reinforcer for the behaviour we all like.
Some of our favourite puzzle toys include:
You may have to continue using puzzle toys for several months, especially if your dog has been practising fence fighting for a long time. However, once you begin to see material progress with their behaviour outside (demonstrating calmness and focus), it's time to move into active training techniques.
Active Training Techniques for Fence Fighting
Marking Appropriate Behaviours
Marking your dog's behaviour is supporting their ability to make their own choices. By using marking, we learn how to empower our dogs during controlled situations. So how do you start? The bare essentials of marking is that we are marking the best behaviour that we can reasonably wait for, then move away from our dog, and then reinforce.
Basically, you can mark any behaviour that is appropriate in the situation. If your dog looks at you when a trigger is in sight, you can mark. If your dog moves away or breaks concentration from a trigger, you can mark. Or even, if your dog is staring at a trigger but hasn't barked, you can then mark. There are many scenarios in which you can choose to mark a behaviour, so this keeps training flexible.
Incorporating marking into your training schedule to reduce fence fighting can sometimes be difficult. If you're friendly with your neighbours, this is the easiest option. You can do a set-up on the sidewalk first, with the dogs on leads, relatively far away, and with no obstructions between them. You will need to get the dogs to a point where you can walk and they will ignore each other.
After the dogs have gotten used to each other, you can then move back to your garden while keeping your pooches on lead. Continue with your marking routine while moving around, move closer if they're succeeding, and keep it relaxed. If there are any setbacks, just move further away again.
All of this can be a very slow progress. Some dogs will establish positive associations much quicker than others. Our dog for example didn't start making significant progress until six or seven months of marking. It was a gruelling process, but the results have been fantastic.
Some Additional Tips to Stop Fence Fighting
Routine and Consistency
- Create a Predictable Schedule: You should try to maintain a consistent daily routine. Feeding times, walks, and play should occur at regular feeding times. A predictable schedule can sometimes help a dog's anxiety and provide them with a sense of security.
- Set Up a Calm Environment: Keep your garden environment calm and predictable. Try to avoid sudden loud noises or chaotic activities that can trigger stress or excitement.
Establish a Positive Association with the Fence
- Treats and Rewards: We love scattering treats near the fence line, or you can use treat-dispensing toys in this area. This can further establish a positive association with the fence and reduce the likelihood of reactive behaviour.
- Relaxation Areas: Set up a comfortable resting spot for your passive training, like shaded areas with cozy bedding somewhat near the fence (not right by it). Encourage your dog to relax and enjoy quiet time in these spots.
Soundproofing and Distraction
- Use Music: You can use an outdoor speaker playing music or calming sounds to mask some of the noise from outside. This can help prevent your dog from hearing triggers like other dogs barking or people passing by when you don't have a puzzle toy on hand.
- Interactive Play: Engage your dog in interactive play sessions away from the fence. Some of our favourite games are tug-of-war or setting up an agility course to focus our pup's energy and attention on a different positive activity.
Fence Fighting can be Fixed
Passive and active training techniques can establish a more peaceful and controlled environment for your dog, reducing the instances of fence fighting.
For the best results, you should combine passive techniques with active training while maintaining a consistent and predictable schedule for your pooch.
If you're struggling with extreme fence fighting that has been going on for years or aggression, you should seek the guidance of a professional dog trainer or behaviourist.
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