How To Fix Barrier Aggression In Dogs

[@italkalot8876]

I’m surprised no million likes videos on this topic!! People literally needs to talk about this more, i read it in an article that barrier aggression is about dogs can not be able to properly communicate

[@kaewatson22]

Thank you so much for this! I'm a dog groomer and my dog comes to work with me. He's almost 5 and has come to work with me every day. I kennel him when people are coming in and recently he has started becoming reactive to dogs coming up to his kennel. Especially in a work setting, I really need to nip this in the bud. Thank you so much!

[@richardschuerger3214]

Well done. I'm new to this channel so it was nice seeing a clear explanation with lots of good good info and hitting all the needed points. You might like this story: In school I worked in a kennel with about 60 dogs. I was warned that "Animal" a huge bluetick hound was generally nice but would aggressively defend his food bowl. Sure enough, when I put the bowl down, he got aggressive. OK. When I pulled bowls, I noticed that Animal was still very defensive but I also noticed he still had some food in his bowl. The biggest dog in the room (besides me) did not clear his bowl. Hmmm. I was pretty sure I had this figured out. Next day, when I fed Animal, and I fed him first, he barked and growled and so I immediately pulled his bowl and set it front of his cage. I then fed the rest of the room, and when pulling bowls 20 mins later, gave him his food back. Not a peep. Not then, not ever again, at least with me. He still played the game with everyone else. He probably figured I did not understand the game so didn't bother. :)

[@robertkezer3665]

Good vid, I do it this way, I was hoping for something different. TY

[@brianhall8440]

Just stumbled across this video and looking forward to working on this with our new puppy. He got barrier aggressive after our two adult dogs lunged at his crate a few times during the intro process - now he barks and reacts when they come near. We have been trying proximity training but not to this extent which I think is going to be much more helpful for us. One question though, what do we do when the other two dogs lunge at the crate (it's not always, I think more than anything they want to sniff and examine what is going on, but if the puppy comes to the barrier they will lunge at him). We tend to step in and back them off and have them go place but it's very catch 22 for the whole group. Thanks for the help!

[@jamiemcconnellk9ps]

I'm looking for a video covering fence barrier aggression to review with my clients. (I love sending videos to offer a review of what we've worked on that session) I really enjoyed the way you presented this method for handling these issues within the home. Well spoken and easy to understand. Do you have one for fences? I'll be digging through your channel over the next few days. Happy training!

[@coosonthaloose4036]

Great video, thanks for the tips

[@SaraOndrako]

Thanks! Glad you found it helpful!

[@Escandella118]

I just found your channel! Very good video!! Thank you!

[@SaraOndrako]

You’re very welcome!

[@LittleMissRaeRae69]

My pitbull and my neighbors pitbull fight through the fence and we both have privacy fences. This has been confusing me because everything says that taking away the ability to see the other dog should help, however my dog and his dog cannot see each other at all. I have noticed that when the bark war stops, the neighbors dog begins to bark high pitched instead of the deep bark. I know a high-pitched bark is usually an invitation to play, could this be why he's doing that? Could he possibly just be lonely and wanting to play with her although they seem really aggressive when they're barking at each other? You saying the thing about frustration made a light bulb pop up over my head finally

[@thezensationaldog2708]

Hi! Just came across your video which is exoskeleton so clearly. Do you have a video on Barrier aggression/resource guarding if the crate when the dog enters, then reacts? Thank you!

[@phylliciawhittingham4275]

If the aggressor were to attach the crate/door do you still treat or ask the aggressor to “stop”? I understand you’ve been working with this dog a while, so I’m curious how you handled it before it was this calm.

[@SaraOndrako]

Excellent question! Crating a dog with confinement or barrier-related issues (while not contributing to the problem or risking safety) can be tricky. I often have a positive distraction at the back side of the crate prior to asking the dog to enter such as a licky mat fixed to the back of the crate or placing a frozen kong in the back ahead of time. I generally use slightly larger crates with dogs who are anxious in them (as long as they are potty trained) to give a little more space. When the dog is distracted I fasten the latches quickly and move away to lessen the likelihood of adding to the dog's stress while I'm working on this issue. If I have a second person helping, the helper can be used to distract the dog positively at the back (doing drive-bys just not walking away nearly as far to keep the dog's attention while minimizing stress), while the person at the front latches the crate. Be careful with your finger placement to keep them well out of reach should the dog decide to turn around and aggress before you've completed latching. If the dog is not destructive and does well with more space (doesn't really require crating) I will start with a larger confined area such as a baby-gated off section of the house where I can fit a crate that always has an open door and is an area that is easy to approach, reward/reinforce, and walk away from. Hope that helps!

[@christyhintz5699]

Do you have a video on reactivity? Love your content

[@kaypop9666]

Hi Sara, Thank you for this video. I have a question. Do you have suggestions for correcting gate aggression through a window that can't open? I am experiencing gate aggression issues with my neighbors dog. He is a very sweet dog, and just like your dog, seems to have no issues with humans on another side of a barrier. But when he sees my cats in my window he is very aggressive and it seems to be getting more intense. I live in a basement apartment and the window is level to the driveway where he comes and goes. I'd like to be a part of the solution. Do you have any suggestions?

[@aara_is_tires]

How would you suggest I do a similar exercise with a dog who is only barrier reactive in the crate towards cats? Would it be, instead of walking a dog past, carrying the cat past? Should I just sit by her crate and wait for a cat to walk past, and reward heavily when the cat does pass? We have two cats and the new pup is only barrier reactive towards them.

[@sunshinetx36]

Hello. Would like some advice please. We have a 10 week old aussie that we have had for about 10 days. Due to parvo we cant take him outside until age 16 weeks at full vaccination (apartment life sucks). We play with him a lot and also some training commands. So he is stimulated daily. He will go in crate if we are in the same room, but loses his mind if we close the door. He acts like he is being murdered. It is so scary and he nearly hurts himself he's so frantic. If we put him in the master bathroom with bathroom door open, but baby gate up at bedtime, he loses his mind once again panicking and acting as if being murdered. He has major separation anxiety to boot. It will go on for 20-30 minutes or indefinitely until we retrieve him or cross over the barrier to be in same area as him. If trying to shower but leaving shower curtain 3/4 way open so he can see us and he can come next to tub and see us he again loses his mind and total freak out until we get out of shower, then he is completely fine. Please help...thank you

[@deathlypoet7745]

Ok question: what if the dog immediately returns to barking at the human/dog? Do you continue to give them treats?? Should you stop??

[@aresident7745]

i like the video of 5 pits and a german shepherd and the 5 pits decide once the fence opens to change their mind lol

[@Trash0Princesse]

Hi Sara, thank you for this video. I think I am experiencing this with my rescue dog right now. He was totally fine with his crate at first and then seemed to become really scared of it. At the recommendation of the trainer we then moved away from crating so I would leave him in my bedroom when I go to work. However now when I come back from work, he starts barking as soon as i touch the bedroom door. If I open the door, the aggression continues for a bit, with him barking and growling at me to keep me from entering the room. For now, I've just opened the door and moved away since I don't want him to feel like he has to escalate his behavior, but it can take him up to 30 minutes to come out of the room in this case. How can I help him to cope with me opening the door better? Should I treat him despite him growling, move away or stay there and wait until he stops? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

[@SaraOndrako]

Hi! A couple of things that I would consider in this case. The first being reintroducing the crate to work through this issue which can help in other areas eventually. I'd start as if I were crate training for the first time by building a positive association with it by tossing a couple of treats in here or there while the door is open and the dog can choose to go in and out. I'd advance to giving him a treat that will take a little longer to eat (a chewy piece of jerky or something similar) and practice the drive-bys shown in this video with the crate door open first. Then I'd move to drivebys with it closed and so on. I'd practice this with the crate in different rooms to help normalize multiple locations. For the door situation, I'd introduce a remote camera treat dispenser such as the Furbo (amzn.to/36BTTYW) or Wopet. That way you can place it on the opposite side of the room away from the door, watch your dog's behavior to see where the change actually begins (body language is probably already changing before you actually reach the door) and practice setting the treat device off to dispense treats before your dog gets uncomfortable and begins the growling/barking. This can help with two things - encouraging him to go away from the stress rather than aggress towards it and reward him for giving the door space. The positive association with the door opening can help change his emotional state about that boundary. Hope that helps! Keep me posted!

[@beckyr9413]

How do you do this when it's opposite. We put our puppy in cage and if she jumps up or anything he lunges at the cage.

[@chloethompson7748]

My dog barks like mad in her crate whilst in the car ? Could this be barrier aggression ?

[@What2B]

👍

[@emilyoliver6052]

Hi! So an issue I am having is the dog is human aggressive. The dog won't take treats as it is only frustrated through the fence. How would I help something like that?

[@SaraOndrako]

I would recommend working with a behavior professional if the dog is human-aggressive. That adds a whole other layer that should be addressed thoroughly for management through a full behavior modification plan. I'd recommend searching the IAABC directory for a behavior consultant in your area, or you can also go to the DACVB to get help from a board-certified veterinary behaviorist. This is not a case that I'd refer to a dog trainer. Hope that helps!

[@hmjean74]

Love this video, but it doesn't quite fit my situation. My dogs go crazy at the back fence when the neighbors let their dogs out. They go crazy barking, mine goes crazy barking and I've been trying to teach them to come back to the house when they come out, but it's like we can't enjoy our backyard anymore with her out just in case the neighbors come home.....we've talked to them and they just feel it is what it is...they have no intention to correct it. What do you suggest? Do we just not let our dogs out in their backyard? Help! This is so frustrating.

[@SaraOndrako]

Hi Jean - ugh - that is frustrating! Having neighbors that want to work on the same issue can be so helpful to this process so I wouldn't give up just yet on trying to make it work with them. I'd start by working on a really solid recall with your dogs in different environments (in your home under no distraction first, then perhaps the front yard, then using a longline at the park, and so on). Once you have that down, then practice in the backyard with a longline when the dogs are not present, and then at short distances when they are present. With multiple dogs, you need to teach them separately at first, and then bring them together once each dog has a solid understanding of what you are asking. It's hard for dogs to ignore other dogs that are rushing the fence so make it really worth their while when they give you attention and respond to you versus the other dogs. Imagine walking out of your front door each morning and your neighbor yells obscenities at you. After weeks of hearing him yell at you every morning, it becomes harder and harder not to respond or yell back. With your dogs, the same can be said about responding to the other dogs. Have your dogs ever met the neighbors dogs outside of the fenced in yards? Walking them together and having some yard to yard playdates (starting with one dog at a time) may also improve this relationship while you work on desensitizing them to the other dogs rushing the fence and building in your recall game.

[@hmjean74]

Thank you so much!! This gives me very specific steps to take! I know it’s going to be a long process but they are already doing better at returning to the house when the dogs come out so am glad that that is the right thing to do. Working on them separately is more manageable as well! Appreciate your feedback!

[@piperpowell81]

My dog gets extremely aggressive towards people when we go through doors or our baby gate. He jumps, bites, and will latch on to us. I’m not sure how to handle this. Do u have a video that shows how to handle that?

[@SaraOndrako]

Hi Piper - it's a similar method but I highly recommend that you work with a behavior professional through this issue. it can be tricky reading the dog and knowing when to push it versus when to pull back to hlep the dog become more comfortable in these situations. Additionally, there can be other factors at play that contribute to this behavior which can often be discovered during the evaluation process. You can find a behavior consultant on the IAABC's website directory. Hope that helps get you pointed in the right direction! Best.

[@meaghanchristinat-4724]

What should I do when the dog only growls when I’m closing the crate door?

[@SaraOndrako]

A couple things to help: toss a treat to the back of the crate then close the door when your dog retrieves the treat. Then toss a treat to the back again to open the crate door. Repeat this exercise over and over again. Then you can layer in placing an enrichment treat such as a frozen kong or a long lasting chew in the back of the crate, ask your dog to go in, then close the door and walk away while they enjoy their independent enrichment. Once your dog gets the idea of a treat happening when you are handling the crate door, and that the treat is happening away (giving you space), then you can advance your practice to offering the treat at the side of the crate while you handle the door, then eventually at the front of the crate as you are handling the door.

[@barbarawarren9443]

Mine has become furious with ME when he's been crated after a minute or so if I move toward something outside the crate he thinks belongs to him.

[@sabin97]

i particularly like that neither of the dogs has their ears or tail mutilated. a lot of people with that kind of dog mutilates them.

[@melanieguzek101]

What do you do if your dog isn’t food motivated?

[@SaraOndrako]

Excellent question! You can also use what does motivate your dog - for example, if he/she likes squeaky toys, a ball, a specific toy, etc. The idea being that anytime you approach that barrier or are near it, good things happen for the dog. That good thing can be anything that your dog really likes. Additionally, there are ways to increase the value of food to help use that as a motivator in addition to whatever your dog's other motivators are. Feeding scheduled meals (not allowing free-grazing), using part of their meal as enrichment (in a puzzle toy, puzzle bowl, a snuffle-mat, etc.) can also help.

[@szbert]

Not very helpful for fence aggression

[@SaraOndrako]

I find a similar method quite helpful for fences and the distance you are able to have from a fence makes fence aggression easier (for me) than crate or confinement aggression. A little longline work, a bit more distance but same principal.

[@lkd982]

Try feeding your dogs a bit more

[@anaalina5964]

Those pitties look kinda skinny. Too skinny.

[@chrisr-m6568]

Haha this is so unrealistic!

[@SaraOndrako]

Haha! I must just be lucky that I've used this method more times than I can count and had success with it! That must be it 😏

[@chrisr-m6568]

@@SaraOndrako haha Yea sure you have! I'm a dog behaviorist and a dog that is reactive wouldn't be selective on when to be reactive seemed like the dog in your video showed one reactive episode.

[@SaraOndrako]

This dog’s barrier aggression was significantly worse and had some work prior to recording this - using - you guessed it - this method. This dog would bite fairly severely (& had a bite history) prior to working through his barrier aggression with him. Dog Behaviorist is a highly educated title - where did you get your doctorate from and in which field? Or are you in the UK? I’m a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and veterinary nurse with over 20 years of experience.

[@chrisr-m6568]

@@SaraOndrako Well I would put the dog's history in your video someone might get the wrong impression. One of my clients sent me your video after our first training session, how she had been using your method for moths with no results. No I'm in Los Angeles California

[@SaraOndrako]

That’s a good suggestion. I may do a more in-depth video and break it down further. I’d be curious to know if your client was doing too much too fast, isn’t using the dog’s specific motivators, isn’t practicing under multiple conditions (proofing) - there’s definitely a missing piece somewhere. If you want to jump on a call to discuss I’d be happy to. Shoot me an e-mail [e-mail]

[@qxzayxshe1272]

your training a dog by giving it food pathetic everything dogs do is for food you think these dogs like you they dont they just want the food or treat you got for them

[@SaraOndrako]

I’m guessing I’m supposed to take offense to that? Your trolling a professional. Knock yourself out.

[@richardschuerger3214]

@@SaraOndrako You are way too nice to him.

[@jamiemcconnellk9ps]

I'll assume you find it equally pathetic to receive a paycheck from your place of employment? After all, surely you just do the job because you like your boss...right?