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Next door's barking dog and our puppy

5 replies

squeaver · 24/09/2013 14:15

I don't know if anything can be done about this, but thought I'd ask anyway.

Our Tibetan Terrier pup is 3 and bit months old. He's a pretty good boy, so far: friendly, quite laid-back and we're getting there on most aspects of training (comes when I call 90% of the time etc). He is NOT a big barker - plays with other dogs without barking, doesn't bark when the doorbell rings, or when he goes into his crate etc.

We live in a typical London street of terraced houses. Next door, they have a border collie. It's a nice enough dog but has always been barky. The owner works from home and if he goes out, the dog barks for quite a while before he settles down (or the owner comes back, I don't know). Also, he always barks when he goes out into their garden and then, I presume, when he wants back in to the house.

Anyway, I've been letting our pup pretty much run in and out of the garden to help with the toilet training and he likes mooching around out there. But, as soon as next door's dog comes out to play, he starts barking and our pup barks back - loudly and in a growlier, snarlier way than at any other time.

I really don't want this to become a thing. It pisses me off, so it must piss off the neighbours. At the moment, I've just been bringing him straight back inside and not letting him back out until I know next door's is not out.

Any other thoughts on what I could do? Couple of other things which are probably important: there's a high fence between the gardens so the dogs can't see each other. Also, our neighbour is, let's say, not the easiest of people to get along with. Long story, but let's work on the basis that he'll do nothing to help...

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squeaver · 24/09/2013 14:15

Sorry, that's quite long but I didn't want to leave anything out.

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SunnyL · 24/09/2013 14:28

Personally I'd work on being able to leave your dog outside without it reacting to the other dog rather thn getting into an argument with your neighbour. So if you know the collie is going to be outside grab a handful of treats and call your dog back from the fence. Use a phrase that is going to be your command to stop barking - leave it, come away, or something similar. When it breaks off barking and turns to you tell it 'good dog' lots of fussing and treats. Keep it up and do it very regularly. Hopefully over time your dog will react less to your neighbours dog and will listen to you more.

squeaver · 24/09/2013 14:51

That all makes perfect sense. Thank you.

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Booboostoo · 24/09/2013 16:35

Second the advice above. Expose your dog to the other dog's presence (and barking) but keep his mind active and his attention on you. Don't let him wander about the garden but get him to look at you and go through some training exercises.

I don't want to make you despair but most puppies tend not to bark and grow into more barky dogs at around 18m onwards.

squeaver · 24/09/2013 17:35

Thanks boo, I'm going to give that a go. I know he will bark more as he gets older just don't want it to start too early!

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