Bark Collars And A Fence Barker? Will It Help?

[Pailin]

Just needing a touch of advice or experience with a fence runner. We have a pathway that runs down the side fence of our yard that is quite high traffic, mainly with school kids/teenagers. My dog runs along the fence line barking at (almost) anyone who walks down the pathway. It is not always aggressively, although at times (mainly with one specific Staffy from down the road) she can sound quite aggressive. I am sure she must frighten some people or kids and I really want to try to scale back her reaction although I know I have let it escalate too far and should have been more proactive sooner. She doesn't have any issue with any of the other fences and neighbors, never barks at them at all, just the pathway.

The fence is a 6ft high wooden fence that she can see a bit through the palings although they are quite close together. She never tries to jump it and is focused to the bottom portion of the fence. When out and about she is not dog aggressive at all and loves people so the barking at the fence seems to be very much habit/successes. It started off being just at bikes or skateboards, progressed to certain kids that tease and aggravate her through the fence and has escalated from there to be anyone that walks down the path. I don't mind the barking so much as I like that people know there is a dog in my yard because I live alone with my kids and in an iffyish area, but her intensity is increasing. Whenever I hear her barking I go out straight away and call her to her bed, she listens but the moment I go back in the house she is straight back at the fence line if there is still someone there. If she is in a higher escalation sometimes it takes a bit of a bang of the back screen door to snap her attention around to me. It seems to only be this one fence. If she is inside she likes to sit at the front door and watch everyone go past and she never utters a peep, although she is alert and watching them.

I am going to get some weed mat and staple it along the bottom half of the fence and I am considering using some star pickets and chioken mesh to prevent her from being able to get to the fence line as she initially picks up that someone is coming down the path from the sound so I am thinking that simply blocking the sight may not do it.

What I am wondering is, if all else fails, has anyone had any success with a bark collar (like the dogtra YS300) helping to stop a fence barker? Would it discourage the behavior or just the barking and still have her running the fence? It is just a consideration at this point and I wanted some opinions.

Thanks in advance.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Pailin

[Pailin]

Anyone?

[smooch]

I think the bark collar would probably stop the barking. You would possibly need a remote collar to stop the fence running. With the remote you can say whatever command you want to use when the dog is fence running and than use the remote if the dog doesn't listen.

We have a dog that runs all day and barks. The bark collar stopped the barking until she discovered how to wear out the battery in the collar without getting zapped, than she would bark. The fence running didn't worry us as there is no one near the fence so we didn't work on that.

[Red Fox]

I am going to get some weed mat and staple it along the bottom half of the fence and I am considering using some star pickets and chioken mesh to prevent her from being able to get to the fence line as she initially picks up that someone is coming down the path from the sound so I am thinking that simply blocking the sight may not do it.

What I am wondering is, if all else fails, has anyone had any success with a bark collar (like the dogtra YS300) helping to stop a fence barker? Would it discourage the behavior or just the barking and still have her running the fence? It is just a consideration at this point and I wanted some opinions.

Thanks in advance.

I'd try the the visual block + internal fence first. If that doesn't work then add the bark collar also. The bark collar should discourage the yapping but not sure that it would have any affect on the fence running? Might mellow her out enough to break the cycle though if she can't see through or access the fence line..

I've just bought the Dogtra for a slightly different problem. I'll let you know how it goes.