Case of the Month - Nosey Neighbors

Dogs are naturally inquisitive but also protective of their territory.  It seems natural that when in their yard and another dog is staring at them through the fence they may want to protect their yard. If you know your dog is protective or dog-aggressive, tell your neighbors.  If your neighbors also have dogs, it would be a good idea to not allow the dogs out in the yards at the same time, even if a fence is dividing them.  The potential for fence fighting is great and the damage can happen quicker than you can prevent. 

The most common fence fighting injury we see is an injured nose and/or upper lip.  Bite wounds are dirty and often include ripped skin as one dog pulls away from the bite.  Nasal and lip injuries often require sutures under anesthesia to repair the damage.  This was exactly what happened to Sugar, the Border Collie Mix.   Her nose was repaired under anesthesia, but not all of the skin was viable enough to suture completely.  Some of the wound needed to scab over and heal on its own- a much longer healing process.    She is completely healed now and the nose is back to normal. 

Another potential fence-fighting injury could be to the paws.  If the dog tries to dig under the fence, the first thing to make it through will be the digging feet.  If the dog jumps up with the front feet onto the fence, the first thing reached will be the feet.  Punctures from teeth can cause a lot of damage in the feet because of the smaller bones, and shallow tendons and ligaments located in the feet. You can prevent your from being able to dig under the fence by burying wire hardware cloth or chain link 2- 3 feet into the ground.

The worst-case scenario in fence-fighting is when one of the dogs actually gets over the fence.  Any type of injury is possible when there is no barrier between them, even death.

As always, prevention is the best method.  Training can curb your aggressive dog’s alpha characteristics.  But open discussion with your neighbors should also be effective.  As a pet owner, you are responsible for your pet’s actions.  If you need training resources, contact your veterinarian.