How to Get Your Dog to Stop Barking At The Fence (or Windows & Doors!)
by Benah Stiewing
Excessive barking in the home is not a pleasant behavior for us as humans to experience! It’s easy for us to become agitated, frustrated, or upset, which in turn can actually make the behavior stronger because the dog’s stress level may increase as ours does!. First, it’s important to understand that barking at the fence, window, or door is a very normal behavior, and it can be extremely reinforcing to the dog. If a jogger runs past the fence and your dog barks, the jogger will leave. As humans, we know the jogger left because they continued with their run, not because of the barking. But to your dog, they effectively protected their home from the potentially dangerous jogger - barking works! Whether your dog barks at the fence, window, or door, it’s very easy for this behavior to become quite strong because the trigger that causes the barking is generally going to continue on their walk, mail route, or run, and your dog has accomplished the task of getting the scary thing to go away.
The trigger outside of the home is a cue for your dog to react with vocalization. We want to shift that trigger into a cue to check-in with you! To do this, we are going to utilize the Thank You Protocol. To start this protocol, our first step is management. We want to eliminate rehearsal of the behavior when we are not present to actively train it.
For dogs who are stimulated by the sight of a passerby, add window screens to block the visual (for windows/door barking) or keep the dog indoors (for fence barking).
If your dog is stimulated by the sound, play white noise.
Try to use x-pens or baby gates to block access to any doors or windows where your dog usually goes to bark.
For the Thank You Protocol to be successful, we need to reframe our own narrative around barking. Even though we may feel that barking is a bad behavior that needs to be corrected right away, to the dog the barking is very functional for communicating their needs and feelings in that moment. . If we react with stress and intensity, we are essentially affirming the underlying feeling of concern that prompted the bark. Instead, we want to tell our dogs “Thank you for letting me know, I’ve got this from here.” To do this, we teach the dog to come find us and receive reinforcement when we give a verbal cue that signals they can stop barking, we have heard them and will take care of whatever may be present.
Next, we want to begin loading the cue we will say to our dog to interrupt the reactivity. Select a word that doesn’t have a strong history of not working, so their name or “come” may not be effective. Pick a novel word that your dog doesn’t have any feelings about. (If your dog’s name cue is usually an effective way to get their attention, you can use it here - but if your dog has a long history of ignoring this cue when they are barking, choose a different word to start with.)
Once you’ve selected a word, say the word to your dog while you have their attention and then immediately deliver 10-15 treats directly to them, regardless of what behavior they offer. Practice this a few times a day in the location at which they generally bark.
We want to pay really well for this behavior, so use food that your dog is going to really care about, like boiled chicken or freeze-dried raw. Rotate between different high-value foods so your dog doesn’t get bored of the same thing.
Once your dog starts to get excited when you say this word, begin saying the word at random moments when your dog isn’t already paying attention to you.
It’s critical that you deliver the treats to your dog whether they have looked at you or not.
Practice at different times of day, wearing different clothes, and at different prime barking locations.
Once your dog has a solid response to your verbal cue, we want to start using that cue when your dog begins barking.
Say your cue right when your dog begins barking, or right before.
If your dog doesn’t look at you when you give them the cue, get closer to your dog before giving the cue again.
If your dog even gives you a shred of a glance, start rewarding.
If your dog still doesn’t look at you with decreased distance, end the training session and try again next with higher-value food.
The goal at this stage is for your dog to look at you for food after a few barks at the fence/door/window, so if they are unable to do that then we need to increase the value of our reinforcement and/or decrease the difficulty of the trigger.
Watch the helpful video below of Liz Burke demonstrating this technique!
Eventually, as you practice this skill with your dog, we want them to turn to you or come find you when they see a trigger that they previously would have reacted towards. When successful, we have turned the trigger into a cue to come to you for reinforcement. This is a complex behavior that takes time and devotion to solve, so take it slow and remember that management is key to success. If you need help with solving your dog’s reactivity, consider our Reactivity in Dogs Mini Course! Don’t hesitate to reach out - we are available for private in-person and online training to support you and your dog.
Summit Dog Training offers group dog training classes & private lessons in Fort Collins, Colorado, as well as online self-study courses & online private lessons for education on how to live the best life with your dog! If you are looking for more training support, please don’t hesitate to contact us! We’d love to help you and your dog get ready for any adventure.