I'm a dog trainer – how to put a stop to privacy fence fights between yours and your neighbors' pets | The Sun

A DOG training expert has revealed the best ways to keep a pooch from fighting with a pup on the other side of a fence.

It's a common problem for people who let their pets out in the backyard.

But canine expert Fanna Easter has compiled a list of tips to address the issue on her website Dog Training Nation.

"The trick to stop fence fighting in dogs is to teach your dog to ignore the taunting neighbor’s dog that’s running along the fence line," she said.

There are two main components that lead dogs to behave this way, motion and sound.

Most dogs are very sensitive to these, which is why seeing another dog run around or hearing them bark and whine can trigger an intense reaction.

Easter's first tip was to add a visual barrier, as dogs can often see each other through the gaps in many privacy fences.

"About 70 percent of fence fighting aggression cases end once a visual barrier is in place," she said.

These can be made out of everything from an old carpet to cinder blocks.

If the visual barrier doesn't work, Easter said it's time for some hands on training.

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She recommends putting on the leash, going outside, and distracting your dog from the noisy neighbor with treats.

It's then important to reward them for not reacting.

"If your dog looks toward your neighbor’s barking dog, make a smoochie sound to distract your dog and reward her the moment she looks back at you," Easter said.

"Bring your dog to her potty spot, so she can relieve herself, and reward each and every time she looks at you instead of the barking dog next door."

If this doesn't work, she recommends bringing the dog out exclusively on a leash for two weeks.

As a last resort, Easter said the owners or particularly difficult dogs might have to reach out to the neighbor to ensure the two pups aren't outside at the same time.

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