How to Keep Your Neighbor’s Dogs Away From the Fence

If a neighbor has their dog constantly at your fence with the dog barking and jumping, remember that borders and fences will interest all dogs. If your neighbor’s dog is constantly barking or engaging in other activities that affect your comfort and enjoyment of your yard, it becomes a nuisance. Fortunately, there are some non-lethal techniques for keeping other people’s canines off your property without inflicting discomfort on the pets themselves. This article defines some practical advice and strategies.

Use Physical Barriers

Consider these options:

Spines: Grow shrubs such as roses, blackberry bushes, holly, and the pyracantha along the fence. Dogs do not enjoy worming their bodies through prickly spaces and will avoid doing it.

Lattice Screens: Attach the lattice wood or plastic to your side of the fence using zip ties or brackets. This extra layer prevents dogs from having their heads go through or jumping up. 

They include clip-on fence toppers, plastic spikes or roller bars, and mesh nets on the top, which blinds the dog and prevents it from jumping over the wall. They don’t hurt dogs but will  reduce the fence appeal.

Use Scent Deterrents 

Dogs have a very strong sense of smell; therefore, strong smells that may be put along the fence line will keep the dogs at bay.

Safe yet uncomfortable smells you can try include:

Citronella: Soak some rags with citronella oil and secure these at the fence boundary of your neighbor’s side. The lemon scent has a highly pungent smell, which almost all dogs cannot tolerate.

Reapply the citronella after two to three weeks because the odor strength will degrade.

Vinegar/Ammonia: Just like the citronella-soaked rags, apply vinegar and ammonia to some rags or keep these substances in small open containers placed discreetly along the base of the fence to produce odors that are repulsive to dogs. Re-soak every couple of days.

Chili Pepper: Sprinkling chili pepper powder, crushed red peppers, or cayenne pepper along your side of the fence can have an unpleasant zing. Must be reapplied after rain or after sprinklers have washed off the surface.

Use Electronic Repellers

Several electronic pet repellent systems may be placed along the fence line to deter your neighbor’s dogs through sound, vibration, or movement. These are sensitive, harmless, and somewhat unpalatable deterrents.

Options include:

Ultrasonic – These produce an audible sound when it detects barking that is almost inaudible to human ears but irritating to the dogs.

Turning on Sprinklers Automatically–Installed strategically throughout households and business premises, these sprinklers splash a slight and sudden jet of water upon detecting movement. 

Battery-Operated Sonic Repellers – These produce various tones and frequencies specific to dogs and make them stay away. Suitable for use in yards and other open terrain.

Train Your Dog 

If you have dogs that just sit, wail, or provoke the neighbor’s dogs at the fence, get rid of this habit. Obedience commands such as “Go to your mat;” or “Place;” or “Leave it” should be practiced when your dogs are fixated on the fence. Praise those dogs that listened and did not go near the region that caused the negative behavior. With enough repetition, dogs will get bored and will stop focusing on the fence line, thus giving the neighbor’s dog the signal that it is not worth it to hang around that area. 

Positive Associations Mean Using Treats in Training 

If the neighbor’s dogs are willing to be trained, you can give rewards on your side of the fence each time they do not bark, panic, or act in any manner due to your appearance. Offer quality food to tell them not to bark or jump on furniture and people. Another point of this method is that rather than making them feel threatened by your presence, as can be the case with territorial instincts, your presence can be associated with good things. And this must be done patiently for the dogs to understand that your yard is a place to enjoy rewards without disturbance.

Talk to Your Neighbors

One of the most important activities is to talk to your neighbors because they may have no idea about the problems caused by inadequately trained dogs. It’s also important to note that most people do not fathom how much of an interruption their dogs offer because it is out of the individual’s sight. Go about it gently and ask your neighbors to share issues and recommendations such as supervision, training, motives, or deterrent tools. If you are polite, reasonable neighbors should be willing to change if you ask them to do so. Reaching a decision where everyone has to give a little is essential.

Conclusion

Some humane physical barriers together with the scent repellants and positive conditioning methodologies prove helpful to keep most dogs in check. Remember to remain polite and reasonable while dealing with animals and neighbors, and primarily try to set up proper boundaries. But with determination and teamwork, you can live happily, side by side with your neighbors – and their dogs.