SCREENING OR REMOVING THE STIMULUS

If your dog is over stimulated by the sights of traffic, people or dogs passing your property (be it your house, garden, car, camping area etc) we strongly recommend screening or restricting the dog's vision so that these stimuli can be managed or removed entirely.

• MAKE OUTLINES BLURRED
  If possible, install frosted glass on the lower half of the windows that your dog looks through to bark at passers by. This not only restricts the dog's view it also gives you privacy while still letting in plenty of daylight. The dog can still see shapes of people who are approaching the front door and give a warning of "intruders" - after all we want them to carry on being effective burglar alarms! Using net curtains or blinds often does not work as the dog can push them aside to look out of the window. If frosted glass is not a practical option try using opaque sticky backed plastic on the windows instead.
• PREVENT CLIMBING
  Remove any furniture that is by the window so that the dog cannot jump on it and look out, OR put a large piece of furniture in front of the window sill so that the dog cannot look out.
   
• BLOCK THE VIEW
  Put a solid wooden fence or windbreak in front of hedges or fencing so that the dog cannot see through them. Another option is to use willow screens, which are available from garden centers and make attractive barriers that dogs cannot see through. Gates should also be covered or screened so that the dog is not over stimulated by the sight of passers by.

  Using willow screens in the garden		and windbreaks while camping (beside an agility ring in this picture)

  
  There is even a "hedge" type wind break! Or we recommend D&T Screens
   
• GATES & DOORS

  Another way of managing the dog's environment is to restrict the dog's access to over stimulating areas of the house or garden. This can be done by either closing doors to "high risk" areas such as rooms with windows overlooking the pavement, and only allowing them access to the room when they are with you and are calm and resting, or using a baby gate to prevent the dog free access to the whole house and looking out of the upstairs windows, particularly when you are not at home.

• CARS
  For ideas on screening dogs in cars click here.

This web site has been written by Sally Hopkins (unless the author of the web page is stated otherwise).

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