| At first it seems obvious, your house, your dog, his | | | | behavior until they start barking at every little thing. |
| yard, of course he is going to bark at someone | | | | Neighbors start to complain. |
| passing by. You stick your head out the window and | | | | What we have really done, is told our dog okay, |
| yell Quiet! He barks a couple more times and then | | | | when I open this door, you're on your own. Guess |
| quits. You feel like your dog sort of listened. He is, at | | | | what your dog relies on when he is on his own? You |
| least, quiet for now. | | | | got it, sense of smell. And we are shocked when |
| Dogs have an amazing sense of smell. This smell can | | | | they use their sense of smell to dig a hole and |
| be streamlined for use in explosive detection, | | | | escape. And if they can't escape? You know the |
| weapon detection, and drug detection. What does | | | | behavior, barking, running the fence line, patrolling... |
| this have to do with your fenced in yard? Everything. | | | | We don't realize that our fence is meaningless to our |
| From a dogs' perspective humans are a little dull | | | | dog. A fence is not a fence to a dog. It is a thing |
| when it comes to sense of smell. Have you ever | | | | that blocks him from all those amazing smells on the |
| been in the checkout line at a grocery store and the | | | | other side. Your dog starts to own the fence. If you |
| woman in front of you wreaks of perfume. You say | | | | can't beat it, join it he thinks. Besides, you said |
| to yourself ...and she left the house thinking she | | | | whatever happened outside was okay. You did this |
| smelled sexy! You hold your breath until it's your turn | | | | when you let them out the door and told him he was |
| to check out. When it's finally your turn to pay, you | | | | on his own. |
| and the checker meet eyes with one of those | | | | This same thing happens inside our house. Except |
| agreeing disapproval looks. | | | | with less escaping. Why does your dog go crazy and |
| Welcome to your dogs world. Yup, this is how your | | | | bark out the window at a passerby? You haven't |
| dog smells you. Remember this the next time you tell | | | | given boundaries. To your dog, your house is just a |
| your dog he stinks like a dog. He is probably | | | | weird fenced in yard, with a difficult escape route. |
| thinking...yeah, back atcha buddy. | | | | Dogs need their human to teach them about |
| Back to your fenced in yard. Humans think a | | | | boundaries. We can't rely on fences and walls to do |
| boundary for a dog means a fence. We feel | | | | this for us. People train dogs, not fences. Go outside |
| comfortable and safe knowing when we open the | | | | with your dog and interact with him. Tell him you got |
| back door to let the dog out they are safely | | | | it under control. Boundaries set by humans are more |
| confined to a fence. We feel like we are following | | | | comforting to dogs. It lets them know you got it |
| the rules of being a good citizen. It is not apparent at | | | | covered. They won't feel like they have to bark and |
| first, but after awhile your dog goes outside and | | | | protect and guard so much if their human interacts |
| starts patrolling, or guarding. We don't notice this | | | | with them outside, and determines the boundaries. |