Tried to shoot my dog today; the autofocus locked perfectly onto the fence, and I now own 47 razor-sharp boards and one ghost-dog. Any tricks you use to make your camera stop prioritizing scenery over sanity? Laughs welcome - this is fixable and you’ve got this. What would you try next?
Switch to single-point AF (or flexible spot) and put it on the dog’s eye, with AF-C/AI Servo and back-button focus; if your camera has Animal/Subject Detect, turn that on. If the fence still steals focus, shift your angle so it’s not overlapping the dog, or pre-focus on a spot where you’ll call the dog, then fire a short burst.
Drop your AF tracking sensitivity (aka Subject Switch/Lock‑on) a notch so the focus sticks to the dog instead of hopping to the fence — mine thinks it’s auditioning for a lumber catalog. What camera are you on so I can point you to the exact menu?