When the two Bassets next door bay next to the fence, my Elsa goes crazy. She barks and barks aggressively and lunges at the fence as though wishing she could go through. Elsa was a stray. We have had her for a year. We think she is about 2 years old, a black and white terrier-mix, about 25 lbs. She has a very sweet nature and loves attention. She gets along very well with our 3-year old Westie, who is smaller, but top dog, which Elsa accepts. She has always been aggressive with strangers and other dogs, but is getting better on walks. We use the Gentle Leader with her, plus a harness in case she slips out of the Gentle Leader. She never has, but she tries all the time. Our two dogs can be perfectly happy in the back yard, until the Bassets start baying. That seems to be an invitation to Elsa to get out of control. I have tried putting her in a 'time out' when this happens by tying her up for 10 minutes after each episode. Didn't work. I am trying to use food and the 'Come' command to get her away from the fence when she starts, with a little success. Sometimes the Westie, Suzie, barks with her at the fence, but most of the time Suzie has better manners than that. How can I correct this unneighborly behavior, which happens many times a day?
Firstly I would suggest taking your dog to dog obedience classes and teach the command "NO!". Dog obedience classes are a great chance for you and your dog to socialise and also work towards creating a stronger bond between the two of you. In the scenario mentioned, as soon as your dog goes to bark and lunge at the fence say "NO!", if she stops her behaviour and listens to you, then praise her and reward with treats. If she does not listen to you, then make a loud noise with a hooter or squirt her with water to get her attention, then say "NO!". Once she has responded to your "NO!" command then use the "COME" command to get her away from the fence. Do not feed her until she has come right over to you, or stopped her unacceptable behaviour when you said "NO!". I would also suggest talking to the neighbours to see if they could work on stopping their dogs from behaving like this along the fence line? Enforce the same rules with your westie in that when they go up to bark at the fence you say "NO!" and reward for good behaviour.
Hopefully this routine is helpful, be persistent and most importantly be patient. Good Luck,
