west highlander white terrior which barks at the neighbours

I have a west highlander white terrior which barks at the neighbours when they are in their back yard or going to the bins. I use the citrus bark collar on my dog but he seems to ignore it. I try calling him inside but he just ignores me. What can I do to stop him from barking at the neighbours.
Posted: 29/08/2006

Answer: Dog barking
It is sometimes hard to correct nuisance barking. Your Westie is mostly likely to assume he is doing you a service. But you must determine why he is barking. Do they have children that unintentionally aggravate him through the fence? Will he also bark at small animals or sounds in your back yard e.g. other dogs, birds, possums etc? All in all I think it would be best to speak with your neighbors, explain you are trying to correct the situation and ask if they would like to join you both on a walk, or offer them some treats to give your Westie over the fence when they are in the back yard (after pooch stops barking and sits!). Either way try to encourage your neighbors to become friendly with your dog, and hopefully this might reduce the bark factor.
Posted: 05/09/2006