I step out of my house. It barks.
I drive to my house. It barks.
I recieve a parcel. It barks.

Yes. They have been confronted several times by others. No, they are actually a really lovely person, apart from the dog issue.

Its line of vision points to my house, and I want to block the view of it. Problem is my driveway is paved, I'm pretty inexperienced with gardening but could really use some tips on how to get round this and get some privacy plants.

I'm UK based, North facing sun (not much light)

We wanted privacy plants anyways in front of the house, guess this just speeds up the process for that

by soseo_28_am

48 Comments

  1. Otherwise-Mango2732

    >I recieve a parcel.

    >I’m UK based

    It was obvious lol

  2. A raised bed with privacy plants should do the trick. Best of luck.

  3. DragonflyMean1224

    Borrow a dog that barks a lot. Let them bark at each other for long periods of time so it annoys the neighbor. Eventually maybe they will keep their door closed or move the dog if its outside

  4. Bratsummer24

    The dog is going to bark no matter what you do. They rely on their hearing and sense of smell as much as their sight, and the dog almost certainly can hear you walking around and pulling into your driveway.

    A barrier might help if it’s reactivity towards people, but the only reliable way I’ve been able to fix this (as the dog owner) is to keep the dog inside and threaten with a squirt bottle.

  5. Saltysailor76

    Try a bark stopper on the fence. Its a small device, sometimes looks like a birdhouse. Its emits a high frequency sound every time the dog barks near it. Dogs don’t like and get confused. They use the same sound frequency deterrent to keep kids from loitering at night in parks. Humans over a certain age stop hearing it. 

  6. roughdraft29

    You might want to also post this on r/dogtraining or search that subreddit for solution / answers.

  7. sublliminali

    I think you’re really overestimating how obscuring line of sight will lead to the dog not barking/being able to tell a car pulls into the driveway.

  8. wordshavenomeanings

    Dogs have amazing hearing and smell, plants wont stop them from knowing you are there.

    Its an issue with the owner not training them.

    I’d greet the dog and hang around outside until its bored of you. Not much else you can do.

  9. TxScribe

    There are [electronic devices that are designed for bark training](https://ultimatebarkcontrol.com/collections/outdoor-bark-control?srsltid=AfmBOor4HQ9SyUfNAF6E_svfpcT7-SpEYMrFt4YTYJL25lXivluwe585). Much like the collars that the owner places on the dog, and emits a high pitched annoying tone when the dog barks … they make those that cover an area as well. Some are even disguised as bird houses and what not so your neighbor will never know.

    A good friend of mine had a similar situation and it worked fantastically.

  10. schmally_ward

    We attached a cloth privacy barrier to our fence on both sides to block both our neighbors dogs. It worked for one set of dogs for one neighbor. The other side hasn’t been as effective but it’s still better than it was. I’d start with that?

  11. Duke_Built

    You could probably make a planter box off of the wall at least a couple feet deep rock the bottom for drainage and then make a lattice wall up as high as you please or as high as the city allows and then plant some type of vine like a ficus or a jasmine vine

  12. Giraffesickles

    Whatever you plant, you have to be active in trimming, coppicing, and pruning. Etc.

    But yeah, lift up one paving and the rest should follow. You could use the lifted stones as a small retaining wall for soil.
    If they are cemented in…it will have to be removed with tools and will be a nightmare.

    You could, instead, get a raised planter box, or a few of them, and place them sode by side….

    Google “tall thin planter box” or “thin planter box” … you could also get a few window boxes, place them on the ground in a line.

    You could also drill a trellis on the fence top and train a plant up it…

    Clematis and rose bush may be a good idea but youll need to talk to your local garden center to see which have folliage year round.

  13. ashleyshaefferr

    Wonder if the poor bugger is in pain or something 

  14. chaosandturmoil

    honestly plants might not help here. they would have to be as opaque as a fence to block sight of you.

  15. cutmcgee4thee

    Honestly that sounds like a reactive dog and unfortunately nothing will change…ask me how I know. Our neighbor has a reactive dog and we tried everything, we talked to the owners, put up privacy fencing mesh, barking deterrents and the dog still barks. And barks. And barks.

    He’ll easily bark for four hours, that’s as long as they have kept him outside for. Whatever he hears, be barks at. Whatever he sees, be barks at. It’s maddening that I cannot enjoy my own yards without hearing it from their dog. We finally started to complain to our local city non emergency number and they stopped by and talked to them and the dog doesn’t bark because magically they remembered they have a bark collar for him. Best of luck.

  16. electricsugargiggles

    Perhaps one of the devices that emit a frequency that deters the dog from reactive barking?

  17. Get a bag of treats and just give the dog treats. If they complain then tell them you are trying to do their job in fixing the behavior.

  18. famousblinkadam

    Give this a shot: https://stunick.com/products/stunick-sb1-neighbor-pack

    I bought a handheld one for my 2 year old chocolate lab. Anytime a car would pull up, or he wanted something, or he saw someone on the street, he would bark obnoxiously. The handheld thing trained him in 2 days that barking like that is bad.

  19. Cparsonsang

    Dogs can hear and smell much better than we can. Blocking its view isn’t going to help. Maybe provide it a chew that will las a while

  20. jo_gardener

    Try talking to… your neighbor. Rather than … strangers??

  21. Impossible_Cause6593

    Since you wanted privacy plants anyway, it’s worth a try. But I doubt it will truly help. My neighbor’s dog also barked like that, and if it even heard the slightest click of our back door, it started yapping, despite not being able to see us due to fencing and shrubs. We didn’t even have to go outside, just open our door a crack, and that dog would bark for an hour straight. Good luck.

  22. CheaperBeingBald

    Throw an anti barking device on your side of the property but aimed towards their driveway.

    You can find them online, but majority are trash. There are a few good ones though, I’ve tested several. Helped a lot with my neighbors dog.

  23. Dagger_26

    If youre cool with the neighbor, maybe get friendly with the dog. If it this is your at least loosely involved with the pack, it may relax. Just a thought. Bribes are an option. Just spittballing ideas.

  24. still-dinner-ice

    Blocking the line of vision will not stop the barking.

  25. ebonwulf60

    Maybe some upright junipers in containers?

  26. phoonie98

    Get a dog whistle and blow the shit out of it every time it starts barking

  27. Constant_Car_676

    Hire a mailman to kidnap it and take it to a farm.

  28. Canyouhelpmeottawa

    I would talk to your neighbour about the problem dog. Ask them to put up a trellis with ivy, on their side of the fence. There dog is interfering with your ability to enjoy your house.

    If that doesn’t work I would contact bylaw and get them to help. If the dog is constantly barking it should be kept inside other than for walks.

  29. zelephant10

    Raised bed with privacy plants, wind chimes, white noise machine, and maybe some flags that move with wind. I have had to stimulate my neighbors dogs or any motion or sound on my property would set them off. Now they’ve grown numb to it.

  30. Retiredfr

    There are devices available online to get a neighbors dog to not bark. I would try one of those first. Just makes each bark receive a little unpleasant tone that only the dog can hear.

    Sorry about the idiot trolls of reddit. Just know that you will get at least 10 smart ass narcissistic answers for every 1 person trying to help you. Just the way reddit is.

  31. ESIsurveillanceSD

    Ultrasonic warfare. Works great for dogs barking

  32. Temporary-Careless

    Buy a dog whistle. Every time it barks at you, blow it. Associate barking at you gets a loud sound.

  33. willworkforwatches

    Try one of those bark zappers. They make ones that are noise sensitive and go off when dogs bark. Put them somewhere neither the dogs or your neighbor can see or reach, and point them in that direction.

    Sometimes they work great, but some dogs just get used to it and can’t resist the yap.

  34. random_notrandom

    I don’t think you’re ever going to get that dog to stop barking at you. Dogs enjoy it too much.

    I have a 6-foot privacy fence about 40 feet from my back patio door, with a city street on the other side. My neighbor to the left has a fence set farther back, enclosing their side and backyard. Whenever I step outside, day or night, their dog immediately starts barking if it’s out. The fence panels have slightly shrunk over time, leaving about a quarter-inch gap that I think the dog can detect something moving through.

  35. TheOtherMatt

    You need to get a large landscaping stone and put it on the dog.

  36. Epsilon_ride

    if your goal is to stop the barking at you, try befriending the dog? Give it loads treats every time you come home. The dog has not been trained well so is uncomfortable with people coming near it’s home. If you can make it love you it should stop the barking directed at you.

    The guy who said squirty bottle is just going to make it bark more.

  37. CustomerOK9mm9mm

    Suggest they check out r/reactivedogs for some advice on gentle deconditioning (rewarding good behavior instead of a shock collar).

  38. Thasignificantother

    Get one of those electronic bark alarms that sends out an ultra high frequency noise only dogs can hear.

  39. Normal-Election7707

    Bark back. Until your neighbor gets annoyed. Get all crazy like and start rattling your garbage cans too. When the neighbor comes out. Divert your barking onto them and ignore the dog. Then proceed to do it louder as they try to talk to you. Do this every day until that fucking mutt is silenced by the owner. You may have to mark your territory on their lawn.

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