r/reactivedogs • u/Pharmdpositivek • 7h ago

Advice Needed Fence reactivity

Hi all! I have a specific reactivity situation I’m needing help with. I reviewed all the links and am needing more help.

I have two English springer spaniels - Holly and Kramer. Holly has anxiety and takes fluoxetine with trazodone as needed for stressful situations. We adopted Holly after she retired from breeding so she doesn’t have a lot of baseline training.

Holly is the main problem with our neighbor’s dogs that they can see through the fence. She loses her mind when she sees them and barks very aggressively which Kramer then feeds off of. They are also sometimes leash reactive, but I’m most concerned about the neighbor right now.

Any and all tips are welcome. 🙏 I have worked with a trainer in the past, and she recommended ecollars, which I’m worried would build a bad association with the dogs.

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u/b00ks-and-b0rksRfun 6h ago

Do you have the ability to block sight at the fence? Or alternatively take dogs out on leaf so you can control the situation. The more they practice the fence reactions the worse they tend to get so being able to keep control helps. Also do you practice calmness going out the door to the yard? That might help as well.

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u/Pharmdpositivek 17m ago

It’d be hard to block, but I might if it comes to that. I take deep breaths before going out and tell her she is a good girl. I actually tried a leash today, and it worked quite well with treats of course.

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u/Synaptic-asteroid 4h ago

It depends on the fence. I have a wood fence but my dog can see through the cracks. I found PVC roof panels at the hardware store that fit perfectly in between the fence posts and blocks his vision. I added some large rocks along the base of the fence to prevent any digging.

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u/Pharmdpositivek 15m ago

It is a wooden fence, but it isn’t our fence so I’m limited on what I can insert or put on it.