Trying this

[Atemas]

I know I have mentioned mad bird woman who lives in the house at the bottom of our garden. She has parrot type birds and let them outside in an aviary when the weather’s nice. They squawk horribly. She also has two small dogs who sound like they are ripping the birds apart. They also come to the fence at the bottom of our garden and let out the most horrible blood curdling sound. It frightens Red and she goes racing over to the fence barking loudly and scrabbles at the earth there. Most of the time it’s quiet here but we have had a few ‘episodes’ this year where my dogs are going to the toilet in our garden and her dogs start. I never let our dogs out in the garden unattended and I have been going in as soon as they have finished.

DH has said we will upset our other neighbours by Red barking and he has told her off (not unkindly) when we have gone in. I really hate this as I can understand why Red reacts. Sky doesn’t like the snarling dog noise but she doesn’t make any noise herself.

Yesterday was the first day we were all in the garden and I decided to put my plan into operation. We hadn’t been out there long when there was a horrible noise from her dogs. Red went charging over to the fence barking away. I quickly went to her and gently said ‘this way’ with a treat in my hand. I lured her over to her outside bed and said ‘on your bed’ then she got the treat, a cuddle and praise. The whole time my voice was soft and low. By the third time, Red was coming to my ‘this way’ and going voluntarily to her bed. By the end of the afternoon, she was staying on her bed and looking at me. I was really pleased with this. I told DH that this is our strategy for the summer and am going to keep a pot of treats on the garden table. I expect him and trust him to do the same as me. I am not going to be stuck indoors whilst the weather is good and neither are our dogs.

 

[snowbunny]

Sounds like a great plan, and I bet it feels empowering to have a strategy you can use to address it, rather than feeling that it’s out of your hands.
Hopefully, if Red is able to completely ignore the other dogs when they bark, it might make them less inclined to do it, too.

 

[Cath]

Great work

 

[Plum's mum]

Sounds a great plan. Red is a total .

 

[Atemas]

I bet it feels empowering to have a strategy you can use to address it

Yes, it does. I was out this morning and came home to see the pot of treats on the garden table. The dogs have growled horribly twice since I’ve been home and DH has expertly and efficiently calmed Red down and onto her bed . Obviously I am aiming at her just not reacting but it’s very early days

 

[Boogie]

Excellent plan!

We have barking dogs all round us but the dogs don’t bother about them at all (nor do we - it isn’t constant) but Tatze barks at our neighbours children playing , mainly because they talk to her. This year I have decided to totally ignore her. It has worked! She does a few ‘woofs’ then gives up!

 

[Atemas]

We have barking dogs all round us

Yes we have a fair few and it’s intermittent. Red is not really bothered with them - she used to bark last year but just looks up now usually at me. Unfortunately the dogs at the bottom of the garden (and hidden by the fence) make the most horrible snarling and (although I can’t see them) teeth baring growls - it’s as if they know they will get a reaction, so they make it. There is no attempt to stop them.