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Wonderful staff who genuinely love our dogs! My GSD gets so excited the moment we pull into the parking lot!
Dog Behavior Solutions
Make the Yard and Front Window Peaceful Again
Fence running, window barking, and gate charging can make your home feel tense. Partners Dogs helps you reduce daily rehearsals, regain control, and teach your dog a calmer response to what is on the other side.
Prefer to talk first? Call 480-595-6700
Moderate severity
Moderate fits Behavior Camp.
70,000+ Dogs trained28+ Years experience30+ Professional trainers130+ Skills taught2 Arizona campuses
Know the signs
What you may be seeing
A clearer picture to bring to the assessment. There is no score here and no diagnosis.
Common signs
Barking or lunging at people, dogs, wildlife, or vehicles through a barrier
Running the same fence line or charging a window or gate
Difficulty responding to familiar cues once a trigger appears
Pacing, spinning, leash biting, or remaining wound up after the trigger leaves
Similar outbursts on leash or behind other barriers
Seek help now
A bite, redirected bite, or attempted contact through or around a barrier
Fence or gate damage that creates an escape risk
Self-injury from crashing into, climbing, or biting a barrier
A sudden, major change in behavior, which warrants a veterinary check
What does the severity badge mean?
Mild fits Foundation Camp and Moderate fits Behavior Camp. Severe always starts with an in-person assessment. Your PD360 Assessment confirms the right program for your dog.
Moderate is a starting point for planning, not a diagnosis. Dogs with bites, self-injury, or an escape risk need an in-person assessment before group or exposure work.
Understanding the behavior
What is barrier frustration?
Barrier frustration happens when a fence, window, gate, crate, or leash keeps a dog from reaching something that matters to them.
Read the full explanation
Excitement and frustration build together, and the dog may bark, lunge, scratch, spin, or run the boundary. Some dogs want social contact. Others are fearful or territorial. The display alone does not tell us which motivation is present.
Repeated episodes can make the pattern faster and harder to interrupt. A dog who spends the afternoon patrolling a window or fence is practicing the behavior, not relaxing. Management is therefore part of treatment. Blocking the view, changing yard access, creating distance at the gate, and supervising trigger times can lower pressure while training begins.
Many dogs improve with a consistent plan, but results vary with the dog's history, trigger intensity, environment, and the handler's follow-through.
The transformation
What a calmer response can look like
Notice the trigger. Return to you. Settle again.
Move the slider to compare the behavior shown with the calmer response training works toward.
Illustrative comparison. Your dog's progress depends on their starting point and the training plan.
What the goal looks like
The goal is a dog who can notice activity beyond the window or fence, disengage, and respond to you before arousal takes over. Management reduces daily rehearsals while training builds that calmer choice.
How Partners works on barrier frustration
The same method, pointed at the fence line
Barrier frustration is trained the way every behavior is trained here: the Omni-technical method, every level at once, around the dog in front of us.
Start with the assessment
How progress is tracked on the PD360 scale
Assessment
- 1Unknown
At school
- 2Teaching
- 3Reinforcing
Home and follow-up
- 4Proofing
- 5Maintenance
More on the assessment
Here is what that looks like at the window, the gate and the yard.
PD360 tracks each behavior from Unknown through Teaching, Reinforcing, Proofing and Maintenance. Your dog's assessment establishes the starting point.
Teaching and Reinforcing happen at school. Proofing happens in the home and follow-up stage, and Maintenance continues at home. The stages can overlap, and your dog's assessment sets the pace.
The goal
The goal is not a silent dog who ignores everything. It is a dog who can notice a trigger, disengage, and return to you before arousal takes over.
The five phases, one assessment and four training stages
- 1
AssessAssessment
Start with a PD360 Assessment
What happens here
A trainer watches your dog at the window, at the gate and on leash, then scores where this behavior really stands, from Unknown to Maintenance. The display alone does not tell us which motivation is present, so we read the dog in front of us first.
- 2
TeachAt school
Manage, condition, then teach the calm choice
What happens here
Management comes first: block the view, change yard access, add distance at the gate. A reactive dog gets conditioning time to feel more neutral about what is on the other side. Then we teach the behavior we want instead, a check-in and a disengage, and pay it continuously while it is new.
- 3
ReinforceAt school
Reinforce, with fair corrections
What happens here
Once your dog knows the behavior, rewards go variable and corrections follow the ladder: a calm verbal No first, then leash, then a collar your dog is conditioned to, only as far as the response asks. Every correction ends in a redirect and a reward. Rewards can be exaggerated. Corrections never are.
- 4
ProofHome and follow-up
Proof the window, the yard and the street
What happens here
Proofing happens in the home and follow-up stage, through the transition lesson, follow-up lessons and Pet Parenting classes. You and your trainer turn the proofing dials together: distance from the fence, duration at the window, distraction on the other side, in new places, until the calm choice holds beyond the room it was taught in.
- 5
MaintainHome and follow-up
Maintain for life
You go home with a written protocol for the windows and the yard, and lifetime trainer support at either campus. Maintenance has no finish line.
The correction ladder at the window
How corrections work
Equipment corrections come last, stay small and always end in a reward. A calm verbal No may be used even while your dog is still learning. We step to the leash only if that is not enough, and use a training collar your dog is already conditioned to only as far as the response asks. An e-collar starts at the minimum energy level for any subtle response.
Rewards can be exaggerated. Corrections never are.
Rewards can go big
Smallest to biggest. A hard-won right answer gets the party.
1
VerbalSmallest
2
TreatsContinuous while new, variable once known
3
Toy or playThe harder the win, the bigger the pay
- A quiet "Yes!", the reward marker. Calm praise and a pat.
- Food.
- A favorite toy, or a party: exaggerated praise, treats, pats and play for a hard-won right answer.
Corrections never go big
Lowest level first. Step up only if needed.
1
VerbalAny time, even while learning
2
LeashOnly once the behavior is known
3
CollarOnly once the behavior is known
- A calm, level No the moment your dog fixates on the other side. If it works, we stop there.
- A quick leash correction at the lowest pressure your dog notices, then a redirect off the fence.
- A collar your dog is already conditioned to. An e-collar starts at the minimum energy level for any subtle response.
Every correction ends in a redirect to a behavior your dog knows, and a reward.
Rewards can be exaggerated. Corrections never are.
The proofing dials for a fence runner
DistanceFrom across the yard to right at the fence
DurationA glance, then a whole mail run
DistractionSquirrel, jogger, the neighbor's dogs
How the dials work
Proofing happens in the home and follow-up stage: the transition lesson, follow-up lessons and Pet Parenting classes. It makes the calm choice hold up in the real world. We raise distance, duration and distraction together, and turn a dial back when your dog breaks, so the next win is always close.
Dial up the difficulty to dial in the response. Several dials can move at once.
Kitchen windowShort, close and quiet
→Back fence at 7 amLonger, farther and busier
If your dog breaks, turn a dial back, win a few, and go again.
He has much less anxiety and stress on leash and his leash manners have improved immensely. He has even stopped being reactive towards barriers such as gates and fences.Ka'ryn C., Scottsdale, Google review
Watch
How we work on barrier frustration
See the method in practice
A short walkthrough from our trainers on the approach we use for barrier frustration. See how the work actually looks, then choose the path that fits your dog.
Recommended path
The right program for barrier frustration
Based on how barrier frustration typically presents, here is where we would start. Not sure which fits? Take the PD360 assessment for a personalized recommendation.
Who can start
Who can start. Every dog at our schools must be 20 weeks or older with current vaccinations, and we confirm your dog's records at the assessment. Younger than 20 weeks? Call 480-595-6700 and we will plan the start.
Bite or contact history. For any bite or contact case, the in-person assessment decides the program.
Recommended
Behavior Camp
21 nightsBoard and trainRequires a PD360 firstSee this programAlso an option
DayCamp membership
Monthly membershipOne-on-one day trainingPlaced through your PD360See this programAlternative
Private Lessons
One-on-oneAt our schools by defaultCoaching for the Pet Parent tooSee this program
Behavior Camp
A 21-night board and train built for reactivity, fear, and anxiety. Your dog works the actual trigger daily rather than drilling obedience over the top of it.
- Plus membership: 4 DaySchool or 2 DayCamp days/mo (shared across dogs)
- Premium membership: 8 DaySchool or 4 DayCamp days/mo (shared across dogs)
- Platinum membership: 12 DaySchool or 6 DayCamp days/mo (shared across dogs)
What is included
- 21 nights of boarding in a private suite
- The PD360 check-in lesson
- A video demo lesson
- A working demo lesson with your trainer
- A transition lesson that hands the plan to you
- A follow-up lesson at school
- 8 Pet Parenting classes
- 16 days of DayCamp
Private Lessons
Private lessons bring the plan to the fence, gate, or window where the pattern occurs. You learn how to manage access, read rising arousal, and guide your dog away before an outburst becomes the only available response.
Supporting: Foundation Camp may help dogs who first need stronger everyday responsiveness. DaySchool can reduce unsupervised time spent rehearsing fence and window behavior. Program fit depends on an assessment, especially when contact or escape is possible.
DayCamp membership
A full-day, one-on-one training and enrichment program for dogs who learn best without the pressure of group play. Each day blends targeted training blocks, calm enrichment and planned rest, and many dogs later bridge to DaySchool once social readiness improves.
- Plus membership: 2 DayCamp days/mo (shared across dogs)
- Premium membership: 4 DayCamp days/mo (shared across dogs)
- Platinum membership: 6 DayCamp days/mo (shared across dogs)
What is included
- 2 or more one-on-one training blocks every day, targeting the goals for your dog
- Calm enrichment: scent games, puzzles and shaping
- Planned rest and structured movement so learning sticks
- A daily Pupdate with photos, video and 1 to 2 easy homework reps
- Placement and goals set through your PD360 Assessment
Private Lessons
One-on-one sessions at our schools build a plan for your dog's fence, gate and window triggers, and coach you to keep it going at home.
- Plus membership: 4 DaySchool or 2 DayCamp days/mo (shared across dogs)
- Premium membership: 8 DaySchool or 4 DayCamp days/mo (shared across dogs)
- Platinum membership: 12 DaySchool or 6 DayCamp days/mo (shared across dogs)
What is included
- One-on-one coaching at our schools
- A plan you practice at home
- Coaching for you, the Pet Parent, as well as your dog
The process
How it works
- 1
Assessment and check-in
- We verify vaccination records and complete pre-check-in forms.
- Your dog receives a full behavioral assessment.
- We set goals and build a personalized training plan.
- You meet the primary trainer and tour the facility.
- 2
Training and progress reports
- Multiple active training sessions every day.
- Controlled exposure and desensitization to triggers.
- Immersive socialization in a managed environment, when the assessment clears your dog for it.
- Regular progress reports with photos and video.
- 3
Transition and follow-up
- Private lessons that transfer the training to you.
- Pet Parenting group classes for ongoing support.
- Access to our full Pet Parent Guide.
- Weeks of follow-up so the change lasts at home.
Our people, our dogs, our campuses
Who your dog will work with, and where
Our team is 30+ professional trainers, plus daycare attendants, boarding staff and support team members.
Loose-leash work on the training floorCave Creek campus 
Down stay on a place cotScottsdale campus 
Indoor training roomScottsdale campus 
The Cave Creek gateCave Creek campus
No more barking when put outside. No more rushing the door.Dean H., Cave Creek, Yelp review
Meet your campus leaders
Hannah Kochman
Head Trainer, Scottsdale (Shea)
About Hannah
Hello! My name is Hannah and I am the Head Trainer at Partners Shea/101. I consider myself to be “born and raised” at Partners. I began working here in 2017, first as an Animal Care Tech and Snake Avoidance Handler. Throughout the years, I have instructed Puppy and Me, level 1-3 group classes, as well as trained thousands of dogs ranging from household puppies to behavior modification cases.
Chase Larson
Team Success Manager, Scottsdale (Shea)
About Chase
Hello, my name is Chase! I've been here for 3+ years, but I have been working with dogs for 9+ years doing daycare, animal care, and management. I have always been a dog person, but Partners helped me find my true passion which is training dogs, and people. My goal is to help owners build a better relationship and understanding with their dogs while laying the foundation they need to be successful.
Nicole Colasacco
DaySchool Manager, Scottsdale (Shea)
About Nicole
Hi there! My name is Nicole and I am the Daycare Manager and Trainer at Partners Shea/101. I have been working with Partners since 2021 and quickly progressed from a Daycare attendant to a Daycare Manager. I absolutely love seeing our guests learn great habits, play appropriately, and enjoy their time with our team. I am also an Instructor for Puppy & Me, Level 1 Obedience, and assist in our Canine Good Citizen tests.
Emma Badoni
Boarding Manager, Scottsdale (Shea)
About Emma
Hi! I'm Emma, the Boarding Manager at our Scottsdale facility. My job is to make sure every overnight guest gets the structure, enrichment, and care that turns boarding into a confidence-building experience , not just a place to stay. Watching a dog walk out happier and better-behaved than when they arrived is what keeps me going every day.
Megan Fiedler
Head Trainer, Cave Creek
About Megan
Hello! My name is Megan and I have worked at Partners since 2016. I not only manage the day-to-day operations at the Cave Creek location, I also work with most of our behavior modification cases. Even after all of these years, my favorite moment is still the “Ah-Ha” moment between handler and dog, the moment where communication is clear and we truly understand one another.
Monica Jensen
Boarding & DaySchool Manager, Cave Creek
About Monica
My name is Monica and I'm the Boarding and Daycare Manager at our Cave Creek location! I've been with Partners since 2021 and previously worked in other daycare and boarding facilities. I teach our Puppy & Me and Zoomer's Agility classes, and absolutely love socialization and confidence building! Teaching is second nature for me, and I'm so grateful I have the opportunity each and every day to utilize my skills!
Noa Holt-Shannon
Team Success Manager, Cave Creek
About Noa
Hello! My name is Noa, and I am a Team Success Manager at Partners Cave Creek. I have been passionate about dog training for a long time and started with Partners in 2018. I've enjoyed working with puppies, older dogs, and ones with intense behavioral issues. Teaching our team, clients, and dogs have been a massive part of my job. Watching their success has been incredibly rewarding.
Live Reviews
What our families are saying
Real reviews from real families across our Scottsdale and Cave Creek campuses.
We have collected 2,000+ reviews across platforms. The stream below shows our published 4 and 5 star reviews.
4.8average rating
2,000+reviews collected
- Google
Our dogs LOVE this place. Staff are awesome
- Yelp
Before bringing Zee to Partners Dog School, I was worried about her safety while we were away. But the team's kindness and expertise really put my mind at ease, and I could tell they took great care of her. She looked happy in all the photos they sent! When I asked to keep her an extra day, they were so nice about it. It allowed me to get some home renovation done and study for my midterm. Since she's been home, we've noticed much calmer greetings and reduced barking. We feel confident now. Zee can have more freedom in our home, and that's a great feeling. I love how the trainers took good care of her, and let her explore and warm up at her own place to a new boarding facility.
- Google
Excellent experience for our adopted puppy and for me! The staff are amazing, caring, and knowledgeable. Our puppy has learned so many valuable skills, including socialization and walking on a leash, and has become much more confident around other dogs. I’ve also learned a lot about training and how to better support our puppy at home.
- Google
We had to go out of town and had absolutely no one to watch our furry friend. I trust the opinions of a few staff members and decided it was time for our girls first boarding session. I knew my dog was going to get absolutely loved on and taken good care of, even without add ons like training sessions or daycare. That she was! I have never seen this girl happier to just exist somewhere other than home or her favorite park. Staff communication was on point, especially at pick up when a kennel worker was explaining she ruined her dog bed, asking if I still wanted to take it home. So sweet. Some other staff could use some training on how to be personable, but over all 10/10 would recommend.
- Google
all of the staff are so kind and attentive. Val has been working 1 on 1 with my puppy and she has been amazing my puppy always leaves happy and will be tired all day when she comes home I’ve had to make 2 changes and they were so accommodating and kind about it please if you are looking into this resort for any type of service I highly recommend
- Google
Chastity all 3 of my guys. The Huskys the worst. When he comes out of the trailer, man he's Handsome
- Google
Lucy and Noa have been so great to work with!
- Google
The people nd trainers are 150% awesome. The cost takes a little getting used to but likely worth it.
- Google
Sky is always excited to spend days at her favorite dog hotel… she is also happy when we pick her up, all fed and washed. Great place.
- Google
We had an great experience with our dog training. The training was professional, patient, knowledgeable, and truly worked with us to get what our dog needed. We especially appreciated the guidance and support in earning our AKC Community Canine (CGCA) and AKC Urban Canine (CGCU) certificates. Every step was clearly explained, and the classes gave plenty of group time with practical tools that helped build our dog’s confidence, manners, and skills in real-world situations. If you are looking for relaxed and patient trainers who genuinely cares about both the dog and the people at the other end of the leash, we recommend them.
- Google
The facility and staff are always very friendly and attentive. I love the concept of the dogs being able to play while they are also reinforcing their training! My dog always loves going to daycare and best of all I know he is being taken care of and is having fun with his friends. Thank you, Partners!!!!!
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Good to know
Frequently asked questions
When does barrier frustration become a safety concern?
Watch for a bite or attempted contact through the barrier, fence or gate damage that creates an escape risk, self-injury from crashing into or climbing the barrier, or a sudden change in behavior. Any of those move barrier frustration from a training issue to one needing an in-person assessment, plus a veterinary check if there is injury.
What program is recommended for barrier frustration and how much does it cost?
Barrier frustration is a moderate-severity behavior, so we typically start with Behavior Camp, our 21-night immersive board-and-train (see the program page for current pricing). Private Lessons are the alternative for dogs who mainly need targeted trigger work. The PD360 Assessment confirms which path fits your dog.
How long does it take to stop barrier frustration?
Most families see a real shift during the 21-night Behavior Camp, and management steps like blocking the window or adding yard distance can lower the daily intensity almost immediately. Full reliability afterward depends on trigger intensity and how consistently the household keeps up blocked sightlines and gate distance once training ends.
How do I stop my dog from running the fence line?
Fence-line patrolling is one of the harder patterns to break because the rehearsal is constant, every time your dog is in the yard, they have the opportunity to practice. The plan:
- Limit unsupervised yard time until the pattern is interrupted. This is non-negotiable. You cannot train against constant rehearsal.
- Block visual access. Privacy fencing, slats, or strategic landscaping that prevents your dog from seeing the trigger.
- Recall practice in the yard. Build a strong recall away from the fence using high-value rewards.
- Manage the energy budget. Many fence-runners are under-exercised. Structured walks, mental enrichment, and DaySchool can lower the baseline arousal.
- Teach a “leave it” or place command that pulls your dog off the fence when they start to fixate.
If the fence-running has graduated into reactivity on walks or aggression toward neighbor dogs, it is a Behavior Camp case at Partners Dogs.
Why does my dog go crazy at the fence or window?
Barrier frustration is what happens when a dog's natural arousal toward a trigger gets amplified by being unable to reach it. The fence, the window, the leash, the crate door, anything that blocks access while the trigger is visible creates an over-aroused, can-not-disengage state.
The pattern usually develops because:
- The barrier rehearsals add up. Every time your dog explodes at the fence and the trigger eventually leaves, the dog logs that the explosion worked.
- The arousal generalizes. A dog who barks at the back fence at squirrels often graduates to barking at people, then to leash reactivity, then to over-arousal anywhere they see triggers.
- It feels good. Explosive barking releases stress chemistry. Some dogs become genuinely addicted to fence-running and window-charging.
At Partners Dogs we treat barrier frustration through Behavior Camp paired with private lessons that include environmental management at your actual fence and windows. You cannot train through it without also preventing rehearsal.
Compare patterns
Related behaviors
Dogs with barrier frustration often show these patterns too. Explore the behaviors below. We treat them all.
From the Partners Dogs blog
Practical help for fence and window reactions
Read more about preventing repeated outbursts, building a calmer response, and understanding related behavior.
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Fence Fighting and Window Barking: How to Stop It
Stop fence fighting and window barking with the Scottsdale and Cave Creek plan: block the daily rehearsal at the wall ...
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How to Stop a Dog Barking at Neighbors in Scottsdale
Block the sightline, then reward quiet: the training steps Partners Dogs trainers use for nuisance barking in ...
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Place Command Training for Calmer Arizona Homes
What is the place command and how do you teach it? Follow the step-by-step method Partners Dogs trainers use with dogs ...
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Territorial Dog Aggression at the Door and Fence
Dog territorial aggression at the door and fence is usually panic, not protection. See the Scottsdale and Cave Creek ...