MacGyver for Reactive Dogs: Window Film DIY

If your reactive dogs are anything like mine, they like to bark out the windows. Napoleon is especially bad about this, becoming downright hysterical when he sees our upstairs neighbors out in the backyard. It's loud, it's shrill, it's annoying... and it's certainly doing him no favors to get so worked up, either.

Enter window film. You can easily buy a translucent window film at about any hardware store. But, depending on the product, it's fairly expensive, and the directions seem pretty tedious. You can order it cheaper online, but then you have to pay shipping and/or wait for it to come.

I was too annoyed to wait and too lazy to run to the store, so I decided to play MacGyver instead: I taped wax paper to my windows. It's not as pretty as the stuff you buy in stores, but it's way, way cheaper, totally easy to put up, and if it doesn't work, you're out nothing.

This method blocks visual stimuli while still allowing light in. It took Napi's insane barking from a 10 down to a 3 or 4 (he can still hear what's going on outside). It also reduces the length of time he barks from omgforever to a minute or so. It's a win.

PS- I know I totally shared this over on facebook earlier, but I decided to share it on the blog proper in case you don't follow us there.

PPS- I totally only used the word MacGyver because I think Richard Dean Anderson is cute. But he's way, way cuter in Stargate: SG1 than in MacGyver.