Dogs keep barking at neighbours!

[PepperAndPops]

I'm at my wits end. I'm pretty sure the neighbours were winding my dogs up on purpose this morning so I can only assume they were recording them in order to make a complaint.

I'm trying my best but still not getting it right. Basically fence is trellis type thing that thE dogs can see through. I'm in short ish term rental so don't want to spend much on fencing and would rather spend time training the dogs which can only be a good thing regardless.

Basically any time next door go in their garden, my dogs are going nuts at them - lots of barking, guard dog style. The other side are much more friendly and as they are dog people, they have met my dogs properly and therefore my dogs don't feel the need to bark at them. But on this side the neighbours are not dog people, not approachable and not very nice people tbh (not nasty or trouble but older and really stuck up and look down on us in general).

I really don't want any drama or trouble. I would like to sort the barking properly.

Currently as soon as they bark I bring them in. Sometimes they come straight away, other times I have to go out and get them, and everything in between. I give them a treat if they come when called.

Any advice? I know it's long but I would really appreciate any advice!

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

To be honest I think your best option will be to add something that's (a) cheap and (b) easily removable to the trellis. It might be fugly, but if it's functional when you're in a rental property, it probably doesn't matter too much.

Sometimes it's quicker, easier and more effective to modify the environment than to invest a lot of time in training (e.g. I stopped bin raiding by weighting the bin down so it couldn't be tipped over - zero training, zero effort, instantaneously effective).

There are some suggestions here for ways to stop dogs seeing through fences www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse/3286213-ideas-to-stop-dog-seeing-through-fence

[PepperAndPops]

Thanks, have had a quick read through and will get back to it after the school run. I did put up one of those bamboo screens on the bottom part of the garden where the fencing is the worst and I was concerned they would escape but you can still see through it - and the garden is long and narrow so I certainly couldn't afford to do the whole thing with a double layer. Would be hundreds. It cost me £30 to do the bottom bit in a single layer and at a guess that's possibly 10% ish of the length of the garden. And would need to be double to be worth it I think.

[Bedknobsandhoover]

Not being able to see through the fence made little difference to our barker. He barked just as much at sounds so I wouldn’t waste money on screening.
I used to call him in as soon as he started but the treat for coming in may have been seen as a reward for barking.

[Wolfiefan]

Don't let your dogs out to cause a noise nuisance. Go out with them. Use a longline if necessary to enable you to intervene. Better still teach a "watch me" take dog out. Dog hears neighbours. Get attention of dog. Treat? Play? Etc. eventually dog hears neighbour and asks for treat. Interrupts behaviour. Or speak to a behaviourist. I'm definitely not one!!

[adaline]

I wouldn't be leaving them out there unattended. Someone needs to go out with them to see what's going on.

[PepperAndPops]

I don't leave them unattended Adeline

Thanks Wolf, that's helpful and will look at doing this

[Wolfiefan]

Your OP said you had to "go out and get them" which does imply you're not out there with the dogs.

[PepperAndPops]

I am not litrally following them round the garden but I don't just let them out and go and have a cuppa either. Usually the kids are in the garden, and i am in and out but always aware of what the dogs are doing because of this issue, im always on edge about it.