dog obsessed with fence

Question
Howdy,
I have a rescue dog that seems to be constantly obsessed with the fence line. He runs up and down it, shoves his nose in the cracks, and recently has started to rip up the grass and dig several holes in an attempt to escape. Even if we exercise him it seems to make no difference. there is a dog along the back fence but so far the holes he digs are only on the sides where there nobody lives. we live on a street being built so there is alot of foot traffic around our house. Is there anyway to make this behavior stop? I am terrified that one day when I'm gone to long hes going to manage to dig out and get hit by a car.

Answer
Hi Nicole,
It is important to change this behavior for a few reasons.

He can get something called barrier frustration which is the frustration of not gaining access to dogs, squirrels, people, etc. on the other side of the fence. He can start to get aggressive.

It also sounds like he might be obsessive compulsive. Herding dogs are especially prone to this problem. With my clients I recommend that if the dog isn't hurting himself, you can manage it with redirecting him to another behavior. But, in this case it sounds like he might hurt himself or escape.

I would recommend that he is not in the yard by himself if he is exhibiting this behavior. Play with him, train him or gently hold him away from the fence so he doesn't continue this habit.

In extreme cases of OCD behavior, anti-anxiety medication can help.