You have just moved into a new neighborhood. Everything is looking good except that your neighbor’s dog keeps charging at your fence and barking incessantly. You’re wondering what’s going on and why is my neighbor’s dog so aggressive. Why is my neighbor’s dog charging at my fence?
Dogs indeed act based on instincts, and there is likely a trigger behind this behavior in your neighbor’s dog. The situation is getting you worried, and you’re thinking something bad might happen, such as your neighbor’s dog jumping over the fence and harming your pets and tampering with your property. Before we see things you can do to fix the situation, let’s briefly discuss why your neighbor’s dog is charging at your fence.
Why Is My Neighbor’s Dog Be Charging the Fence?
Your neighbor’s dog might be charging at your fence for different reasons. Dogs are active animals, and they are sensitive to changes in their environment. Dogs are familiar with their immediate surroundings and love a measure of control over it in their little minds.
Moving in and erecting a fence or a barrier in what we call the dog’s environment might be unsettling for the dog. These changes in the environment are noticed by the dog, and the dog might feel it is losing control over its surroundings which can be manifested by barking or growling at such a barrier, especially when someone or an animal maybe your dog comes close to the fence and is visible to your neighbor’s dog through the fence.
Do you have children, and do they tease your neighbor’s dog when they are playing outside? Or is it possible some animal creature is entering your yard of which you might not be aware and causing your neighbor’s dog to bark? These are some possible reasons your dog might be charging at your fence. You should establish the reason behind a dog charging at your fence so that you will know how to solve this problem.
What Should I Do If My Neighbor’s Dog Charges the Fence?
You can try and scare off the dog when you see it charging towards your fence and see the reaction of the dog. If it backs off and stops charging at your fence after you scared him off, then your neighbor’s dog might just be getting used to this new restriction in its territory.
Soon enough, your neighbor’s dog will recognize you’re not pleased with this behavior and might stop charging at your fence. If you identify that your dog is the reason for the incessant barking of your neighbor’s dog, then you might think of socializing the dogs, which might mean you will need to approach your neighbor.
If your neighbor’s dog keeps barking even when your dog is not outside, then something else might be responsible. It could be a wildlife creature entering your yard. One modification that might be needed is to build another fence in front of the current one you have if it’s an open type of fence. Open types of fences make it easier for your neighbor’s dog to see what is inside your yard. You can decide to block it with a solid fence that will reduce the dog’s visibility and possibly limit its view of triggers or objects that might be in your yard.
How Should I Get My Neighbor’s Dog to Stop Charging at My Fence?
If your neighbor’s dog charges at your fence and starts barking every time you come near it, and maybe when you are out gardening, why not throw it some treats to create some distraction and see if this calms it down a little bit. This is just a trick you can do to see if you can win the dog over and minimize its unruly behavior. If this does not reduce the dog’s aggressiveness, then you have to do something else.
If you sense that it is your dog that is the cause of this unruly behavior in your neighbor’s dog, as we said earlier, maybe whenever you bring your dog outside, that is when your neighbor’s dog starts charging at your fence and trying to attack your dog, then you can build a barrier in front of your fence to limit the ability of your neighbor’s dog to see through and start a war with your dog.
There are also some devices that you can use to scare a dog charging at your fence, such as an ultrasound dog repeller gun. The gun will not harm the dog, but the sound produced by the gun irritates them, which can be effective in driving the dog back.
Should I Talk to My Neighbor About the Behavior?
Yes, you should speak to your neighbor if you have tried different things, but you do not succeed in curtailing the dog’s unruly behavior, and it keeps charging at your fence, barking, and growling. This is certainly the right step to take.
If you find it necessary to speak to your neighbor about this issue, then it will be good if you do so peacefully and not attack your neighbor because of the dog’s behavior. This will increase your chances of getting a permanent solution to the problem. Approach your neighbor and explain the situation to him. Then you both will need to brainstorm the situation to put an end to the dog’s unruly behavior.
This might require your neighbor to train its dog by using commands to stop it from charging at your fence. It might also mean they do not let their dogs go outside unsupervised. The close attention of their owners can limit this unruly behavior as they can easily be recalled by their owners when it starts charging at your fence.
What Do I Do if My Neighbor Won’t Do Anything About It?
If you have spoken to your neighbor about their dog charging at your fence repeatedly and your neighbor does nothing and the situation remains the same, then it might be time for you to approach the authorities. This is important so you can protect your own life, that of your kid, your dog, and your property.
You can contact the Local Animal control in your area. This is an agency that is usually funded by the government to control domestic animals in an area and to prevent any animal or pet deemed dangerous from harming anyone. You can take photos or videos of your neighbor’s dog in the act so as it can serve as evidence in case the officials from the agency ask for it. They will investigate the situation and will likely make sure your neighbor does something to stop this aggressive behavior in their dog.
The last step you can take if you cannot access the local animal control in your area is to inform the police. This will be your last resort because it could have serious implications as the aggressive dog might be seized from your neighbor, and he/she will be duly warned. It’s good you inform your neighbor before you report him/her to the authorities.
Conclusion
In this article, we have seen reasons your neighbor’s dog could be charging at your fence. This is mainly out of territorial behavior and because the dog sees you as intruders. We have also discussed some practical things you can do to stop this aggressive behavior in your neighbor’s dog. You will need to speak to your neighbor if these things do not work out and find a solution. If your neighbor is not ready to work with you to curb their dog’s behavior and the dog won’t let you have peace, you can then report the matter to the authorities such as Animal control or the police if you deem it fit.
