Training tips needed for dog that jumps fences.
 

Hi everyone,

This is a question for a friend of mine that lives on Bonaire.
She has two lab mixes. A female named Lulu and a male named Bufy, They are from the same litter, both have been fixed and they are almost one year old.

Lately they've noticed that Lulu (the female) jumps the fence and stays outside the house. They noticed because the male started barking a lot.
And it has to stop, it can be dangerous for the dog. (She can get hurt, they can steal her and a car can hit her)

My friend has tried to stop her when she sees that Lulu is about to jump. But it doesn't help.
Now she has to tie her up while no one is home or while no one can keep an eye on her. But she doesn't want to do that all the time.

Are there any training tips or other things that my friend can do in order to help Lulu?

Thanks very much.

There's not much you can do other than get a higher fence or put her on a lead somewhere away from the fence line.

They live in a rented house so they can't do much about the height of the fence..
What do you mean with put her on a lead away from the fence line?

We don't have that problem but we do have coyotes that can jump the fence. We installed coyote rollers. They attach to the top of a fence and roll when the paws touch them. Even bigger birds can't sit in them. Tell your friend to google "coyote rollers". There is a video showing a dog trying to jump over and can't. These can be ordered and shipped. Luckily, the guy lives in my city and came over and installed them for me. He is a retired cop.

Thanks for that suggestion.
I'll tell her.

Like a tie out cable with a steak in the ground or attached to a tree but make sure it is far enough away from the fence so she doesn't' get hurt trying to jump over the fence.

Oow like that...they tie her close to the house, for her to have shelter and it's pretty far away from the fence.

I hate these things for general use and training, but an electric fence within the fence line might keep her from getting close enough to the fence to jump it.

The plus side is that they can dig it up and take it with them if they move.

Electric Fence Dog Collars - Electronic Dog Fence and Dog Training Collars from PETCO.com

Boy, unless there is intensive and daily training to prevent this, together with a whole program of daily, regular and continuing obedience training and life-enrichment, I don't know of a for-sure, stand-alone way to forever train a dog to not jump a fence. But if a very dog-savvy and dedicated dog trainer worked on with the dog daily several times a day with someone on the other sides of the fence to reinforce the commands/prevent and help with all kinds of desensitization training, one MIGHT eventually train the genetic predisposition to get out an explore and go after prey out of the dog for short spells of time outside IF one did all those other things described and had a very calm, submissive dog who was eager to please and work for treats, praise, pride. But for a dog that stays outside and just using a single course of training for trying to prevent jumping a fence, I don't think that alone would ever be reliable. It might work for a day or a week but after that, I think the dog would revert to previous jumping without the whole program of intensive training, desensitization and only being outside alone for short periods of time. Best thing is just build a tall fence or extend the existing one.

Many fence-jumping dogs will flat ignore the shock or vibration of an electric collar or fence and just go on and jump so those are usually inhumane and ineffective, as are many aversive treatments for jumping.

Thanks Jeanie for your insight.
I feel the same way about the shock collars and electric fences.
I really doubt there's a dog trainer on Bonaire, I really doubt that. I'll tell my friend to check just in case.
I don't know if leaving the dog in the house is a possibility for them.

I thought of maybe tying lulu to bufy and see if that stops her from jumping but I'm scared she'll hurt him.
About making the fence higher, it's not possible. Like I said before they live in a rented house. They could look for a house with a higher fence but that'll take time.

We'll keep on brainstorming :)

I wish there were more options and maybe some will have some but jumping a fence to go chase or explore is just such second nature it really would take a lot to train that instinct out of a dog. It would take intense, continuing training which continued in the house and the dogs just couldn't be expected to recall it every time if left out for long periods, I don't think. Would the home-owner allow them to string some type of wiring atop the fence or build or clip on a fence extension, such as appear in the link below?

Tying her up when no one is sitting out watching the dog is just dangerous and pretty cruel a way for a poor little dog to have to live it's life, to my thinking. How is it they wound up taking this home without a high fence knowing they had large dogs that could grow up to jump, I'm wondering?

Can they keep the dogs in the home and just allow them out for exercise and potty periods? Or build them an enclosed kennel run with a top on, consisting many square yards of space? Not ideal by any stretch but at least when no one is home, the dogs could stay in there?

Look at these pictures and see what you think. If they could install that internal fence shield that protrudes back into the yard and over the dog's head, that might work well and I'd really go after that home-owner to allow that if I were the doggie's parents! Otherwise, that little sweetie is going to go missing or get injured or worse! Googling fence extensions for dogs might bring you some more ideas.

Google Image Result for http://www.purrfectfence.com/images/products/6-foot-wooden-fence2.jpg

The picture gives me an idea of something that could help.
They didn't have the dogs when they moved to that house. A while after living there, they got the pups (it wasn't planned or anything).
Building a kennel-like outside might also be an idea.
I'll talk to them about these options and see what they think.

Any kind of internal overhang could work if the dogs aren't too intent and too determined to tear it down. Some dogs will keep jumping on it until they hurt themselves or dismantle it! But most lab type dogs aren't that emphatic about wanting to get out. Some larger terriers and poodles and certain herders and those types can keep at an overhang until they injured their mouths, paws.

Thanks for all the info and tips Jeanie.
I'll keep you updated on their choice and hopeful improvement.

Hope they can find something to keep that dear jumper inside and safe! I know fence-jumpers are sooooo hard to keep inside once they've gotten the taste of freedom and the achievement of going over that fence and when the fencing cannot be altered, it's so hard to keep them in. But if the renter will let them make some alterations or even install something that won't allow them to approach the fence close enough to jump, it will help. I wish them the best in finding some help with this old, old problem so many dog-owners have!