Doggie in the Window: Is The View Stressing Out Your Dog?

photo: AdobeStock

Walk down any street, and you’ll likely see dog snouts pressed against glass windows and hear barking as you pass. Many dogs spend hours watching the world go by from inside their homes. And it’s understandable that, when cooped up inside, your dog wants to see what’s going on in the great outdoors. 

For some dogs, this is a perfectly fine activity that passes the time. But for many dogs, window watching can lead to barking and anxiety, which may then spill over and cause problematic behaviors outside the home. Window watching can quickly turn into an obsession with patrolling the neighborhood. Window watching may also cause excessive barking, even if looking out the window initially appears benign.

Barking at the mail carrier or the UPS guy is effective and highly reinforcing for your dog: an unknown person approaches the house, dog barks, person leaves. From your dog’s perspective, it’s a winning strategy. Behavior that is reinforced will be repeated. 

It’s not a problem if your dog is able to ignore passing sights and sounds, will quickly refocus when asked, and will nap, play, or take treats no matter what is happening outside. However, if your dog is shouting the canine equivalent of “get off my lawn” at every passing dog or person or delivery truck, it’s time to make some changes.  

Understanding Barrier Frustration

Repeatedly being denied access to investigate or interact with their environment can develop into barrier frustration. Your dog may initially be happy when he sees another dog from the window, but he will become frustrated and upset after continually being denied the chance to greet or play.

 Your dog may be friendly when meeting other dogs off-leash, but he may react if they are behind a window or fence or on a leash. If your dog is already struggling with reactivity, spending time getting worked up over activity outside the window will exacerbate the problem. Repeated hits of adrenaline throughout the day means that when you finally go out for a walk, your dog is already amped up and ready to rumble. Anticipating threats throughout the day creates hyper-vigilance and is very stressful. Intermittent arousal can be addictive, so if you’ve been struggling to teach your dog to be calm, it’s time to turn off the window TV.

When to Intervene

Before insisting that your dog really enjoys looking out the window, look closely at her body language and overall demeanor. Is she relaxed and calm or excited and alert? Barking is the most obvious indication that your dog might be anxious or over-aroused, but there are other more subtle indicators that your dog is not enjoying the show. Here are some signs to watch for:

• Barking

• Pacing

• Whining

• Lip licking (when no food is present)

• Yawning (when not tired)

• Stiffening body or freezing

• Standing on tippy toes

• Intense staring

• Hyper-vigilance (constantly scanning the environment) 

What to Do 

There are some easy fixes if your dog’s window watching has morphed from relaxing pastime to manic alert barking. Managing your dog’s environment will always be the first step, and it’s easier and faster than training your dog to stop barking. Here’s how:

Manage the Environment 

• Close the blinds or curtains.

• If your dog has figured out how to push the curtains aside or if you simply want natural light in your home, install privacy window film to the lower part of the window. Light will still come in, and the upper section of the window can remain clear. Privacy film is inexpensive and easy to install. Simply cut to size and position it on the window; no glue or tape is needed. If your dog scratches at the film to get it off, stick it on the outside of the windowpane.

• Install a baby gate or close the door to rooms that face the street.

• If your dog reacts to noises outside, use a white noise machine or a fan to mask external sounds.

• Do not leave your dog unattended in the yard if she barks from there.

• If your dog reacts to seeing things from the car, have them ride in a crate inside the car or cover the side windows so they don’t have as much visual access. 

Increase Exercise and Enrichment

You may be worried that taking away window access means your dog will be bored when home alone. Or perhaps your dog is already bored, and that’s why they bark out the window. If so, now is the time to evaluate whether your dog's physical and emotional needs are being met. Longer or more frequent walks, more playtime with you, food puzzles, and a good long chew are just a few things you can do to keep your dog happy. Also consider hiring a dog walker if you are gone for most of the day.

Consider Training

You can teach your dog to feel good about seeing things out the window, but prepare to spend some time and effort. The only time your dog should have access to the window is during training sessions. Each time your dog sees something out the window, mark or click and immediately feed a treat. After many repetitions (which may take weeks), your dog will come to associate seeing things outside with something fabulous (treats!). Practice first with things that do not provoke a reaction, then when your dog understands the game, start working on more difficult stimuli.

If your dog gets too worked up and won’t take treats or barks before you can mark and feed, move further away from the window or try at a less busy time of day. Consider hiring a force-free trainer or behavior consultant to coach you on how to do this correctly.

Remember, what you may think is an enjoyable pastime could actually be stressing your dog out. As with many canine issues, observation and compassion are key to determining whether your dog is actually enjoying the view.