neighbours hassling me over my dog barking

ditzy101 · 25-05-2009 6:55am #1

hi,can anyone please give me some advice?
i've been living where i am for 10 years.recently (the past year) some new neighbours moved in.i'm not judging,but they don't seem the most friendly,
but that's fine.however,recently,they have been complaining about one of my dogs,as he barks when i go out.apart from that he is fine,he's not out being a 'nuisance' or roaming the streets.he's a 'house-dog',a happy,hyper dog,but he could avail of some training which i am looking for,affordable training,in dublin area.
but i've been ill recently,and in most of the time.i went out for half an hour yesterday evening,to find a letter sellotaped to my door from these people on my return.i also find it intimidating,they are a couple,a guy and a girl,but it's always the guy who comes and knocks at my door.
i really don't need hassle from them.i don't blare music or have mad partys, and they're starting to really annoy me.he doesn't bark at night,unless there's a disturbance at night or someone is at the door,but he wouldn't start barking for no reason.
it's simply separtion anxiety,i always tell him to 'ssh',firmly,before i go out, but he must start up as soon as i close the gate.my other dog doesn't do this at all.according to this neighbour,the one barking,will do this for about an hour,then stop,and do it intermittantly.
the neighbour mentioned collars,and i've looked at these online.
how humane are they?
i don't mind getting a reliable brand/known one,ONLY if it's completely humane.
i would never resort to 'surgery'-that,to me,is repulsive-it's nothing short of abuse.
but as for the collars,i see there are three different kinds,shock,which does not appeal to me,ultrasonic,and citronella,i know that scent is most unpleasant to dogs.
as i said,i don't mind using one,if!,it is humane and not in any way harmful to him.
also,does anyone know the law as regards this?
i don't want to be made feel trapped in my house by some people who can't handle a dog barking.
thanks a mil........

dmigsy · 25-05-2009 7:04am

They're starting to annoy you? Hilarious. I'm sure they're fairly annoyed when they can't sleep or watch a movie without listening to your dog barking. It's not something they have to put up with. Your neighbour has the right to a decent quality of life and doesn't have to put up with your noise. It's the law too.

I'd suggest getting some training for your dog. Apparently the collars can have some behavioural side effects like redirected aggression.

enfield · 25-05-2009 7:14am

Nothing bugs me more than a dog barking incessantly, especially when its beside me. Leave a sound recorder recording your dog while you are out and see if you could put up with the non stop barking. My sympathy is with your neighbours.
'i would never resort to 'surgery'-that,to me,is repulsive-it's nothing short of abuse.' is a case of 'lots of words and then does nothing' like politicians.
Regards.
Tom.

tomED · 25-05-2009 9:18am

I too sympathise with your neighbours. Your dog is obviously causing them a lot of headaches. Maybe the guy works nights and needs to sleep during the day?

I was woken at 6.30am this morning by my neighbours dogs - it's been going on about 4 months now and it's finally getting the better of me. If it doesn't sort itself out soon I too will be knocking into them and asking them to do something about it.

ValerieR · 25-05-2009 9:35am

There is very little more dementing than a continuously barking dog !:mad:
The only person it doesn't disturb is the owner who is out !

The suggestion of recording while you are out is a good one. Would the dog still bark if you left him inside the house while out ?
ValerieR

MissyN · 25-05-2009 9:52am

Your dog must not be a bit tired when you go out so you should bring him out for more runs off the lead everyday and he'll be a much happier dog. He mustn't be walked enough if he is hyper as you say. There is also a DAP plug in which you may find useful available from vets. It may help your dog relax. I swear by lots of exercise. It can mean the difference between a dog being 'hyper' or totally chilled out.

I LOVE dogs but you can't disturb your neighbours like this. Not cool.

PinkLady001 · 25-05-2009 10:01am

It is not pleasant to have a dog barking all the time beside you.
I sympathise with your neighbours in this case and don't think they are in the wrong.
I am speaking from experience here, my neighbours dog barks all hours of the day and night and it really getting very annoying.

The excerise thing sounds like a great idea. Do you have a yard you can let the dog run around in when you are there?
Sounds like they are inside most of the time which might not help.

cloudy day · 25-05-2009 12:30pm

Sorry, got to agree with everyone else.

I love dogs, have got dogs, but there is nothing worse than a dog who just keeps on barking, non stop. It would drive me bonkers. Have had a local dog once barking ALL night. I would be inclined to complain also.

It seems it not a one off with your dog. He's been doing it for a long time now it seems, so the habit is set now and will be hard to break. If he is out in the garden and barks barks barks you will have to start training him not too. that it's not allowed. It's common sense you don't need a trainer. What would you say to a naughty child - NO.

Same with dogs. You will need to set aside a full day to work at it. Everytime he barks you go out with a moody looking face and shout NO. And keep doing it.

It may seem harsh but hey, your dogs life could be depending on it, cos if he don't stop barking they can complain to council and you will have to get rid off him. Call to your neighbours, be nice and say, gosh I'm sorry I didn't realise he was so bad. I'm gonna get it sorted.

Good luck with it.

loup · 25-05-2009 1:59pm

Agree with all the others, we also have a dog next door that barks when the owners go out, only last saturday night it barked for 4 hours non stop from 9pm til just after 1am. Its done it a lot of times, I have a lot of sympathy for your neighbours, how would you feel if their house alarm was going off fr 4 hours? I think you have a duty to get it sorted.

ozzirt · 25-05-2009 2:12pm

Me too.

I'm afraid that dogs barking are the cause of a great number of neighbourly disputes. It's a sign of a poorly trained dog, and an owner who thinks more perhaps of their dog than others quality of life.

Amalgam · 25-05-2009 2:18pm

No sympathy for you OP, we have a small yapper type dog that barks next door until about 10.30pm, funny thing is, the neighbours are good at putting out noise, but won't tolerate it from others. :rolleyes:

I had a dream where I was building a Roman catapult with a dog sized basket..

PCros · 25-05-2009 2:21pm

ditzy101 wrote: »

i don't want to be made feel trapped in my house by some people who can't handle a dog barking

That just sums up your attitude in that sentence, like as if they should accept a dog barking.

I think a dog barking is one of the most annoying noises on this planet hence that is why "people cant handle barking".

Train your dog and stop annoying your neighbours.

the_syco · 25-05-2009 2:30pm

I have a dog, and it'll bark for a bit, and then shut up, and wander around the garden.

Does the dog bark at something, or at random stuff?

abbey2000 · 25-05-2009 3:19pm

did you hear about the new noise pollution legislation and on the spot fine of €150?

your dog is disturbing people, simple as. you need to change your attitude and deal with it. get him into training before you get fined.

DanR · 25-05-2009 3:54pm

Don't want to beat you up OP but I agree with most people here. Recently complained to next door neighbour about dogs barking when they are out. What normally happens is your neighbours probably put up with this for some time until it built up to be too much to bear. Then they have to build up the courage to complain as I'm sure they don't want to be falling out with their neighbours over barking dogs. Please be courteous to them and don't take it personally.

But most importantly do something about it as it really can drive people mad. I normally like animals but I seriously contemplated doing something out of character to my neighbours dogs!!

Jenrobbri · 25-05-2009 4:48pm

Did you say the Dog is a House Dog?
Just how much noise can a dog locked in a house make?
Some people will complain about everything.
They can do nothing unless the noise reaches a certain decimel, which i dont think a dog bark through the walls of a house could possibly reach.

The man always comes to complain, i take it this means you are female.
The next time he calls have a huge big bloke answer the door. Their not as easy to bully.

sorella · 25-05-2009 5:05pm

Many leave a dog outside when they go out; and house walls are often thin.

Maybe the dog could be left in a room as far from the party wall as possible?

Persistent barking is a terrible invasion.

Jenrobbri wrote: »

Did you say the Dog is a House Dog?
Just how much noise can a dog locked in a house make?
Some people will complain about everything.
They can do nothing unless the noise reaches a certain decimel, which i dont think a dog bark through the walls of a house could possibly reach.

The man always comes to complain, i take it this means you are female.
The next time he calls have a huge big bloke answer the door. Their not as easy to bully.

Aru · 25-05-2009 5:06pm

hi just seen ur thread and it is a fairly serious problem to have a dog barking.Regardless of any time of the day because if the neighbours complain to the council and can prove the dog is "nuisance barking" the council can insist the dog is either stoped from barking or removed..i no that probly seems a bit excessive but im a vet student and we got to do a module on behavoiur and this was something that came uo a lot! owners come in worried about because they have got a letter from the council and an ultimatum about their pet but it is a problem that can usually be fixed!

Firstly you need to figure out what is causing your dog to bark....is it territorial?ie is it able to see ppl passing by and bark at them if so you are going to have to stop hm being able to see people passing

Is it bored?what sort of toys have you for it to play with?are they a challenge ie like a kong or other stimulating toys or just balls and chews?does he have the same toys alll the time?if so remove a lot of them and start changing the toys he gets so the novelthy will make him more intrested
Is it seperation anxiety?is the dog normally inside the house and with you when your at home>is he very attached to you?if so you have a more serious issue and it may be seperation anxiety and this can take a while to fix....

Is he getting enoough exercise he might benifit from a walk in the morning so he wont be as hyper during the day
even a short walk might help a bit...how long are you at work for?could you walk him during your lunch hour if not it might be worth while finding someone who could walk him for you during the day or even just to drop in and keep him company for a while..

if hes housetrained id try leaving him in the house with a few toys and the tv on to provide some company and to block out any backround noise he might bark at and see how that works....
hope some of these help!

Sigma Force · 25-05-2009 6:05pm

Continous barking is annoying esp. if walls are thin etc. so can understand a neighbours frustration but no other neighbours have complained so it could be possible that the new neighbours aren't used to any noise.

Lets face it a bunch of kids playing in the back garden are far more annoying with their constant screaming and whining and crying drive you up that wall.

Dogs bark it's a fact barking when someone comes to the door, barking at a bird or whatever it's normal unless you are able to work hard with a dog you will rarely get a dog that doesn't bark at all. It's like having a bird and it not flying. Anyone that lives next door to a dog has to expect barking it's part of living in a built up area or anywhere.

The only time they have a right to complain is if it's ongoing day and night and disturbs their sleep..I mean are they home all day long surely most people are too busy to sit around all day listening to the neighbours dog bark.

It doesn't sound like the OP allows their dog to bark all the time, it's just the dog barks at certain times ..most dogs do. Ok the OP probably needs to work on the seperation anxiety and that can be worked on but the OP needs to get in contact with someone soon and have proof that they are working on it so that if the OP gets an official complaint they can at least prove their are working on the problem.

Leaving letters stuck to the door is intimidation if a neighbour has a problem with you they should say it to your face so you can in turn explain the situation and tell them that you are working on it.

Ok the OP needs to work on the dog and soon but the neighbours should have some cop on as well and stop leaving notes and confront the OP face to face if they have a problem. Some neighbours can be highly intolerant and complain about the slightest thing noone here truly knows how loud or often the dog barks so no point in beating the OP up over it. Helpful suggestions would be better.

spiderdog · 25-05-2009 9:07pm

there is nothing worse imo then a dog barking at night.......during the day, not as bad (depending)
my neighbours dog is often out all night and when he is, he barks all night long:mad: i sleep with my window open for my chest and it drives me mental.
i have six dogs myself.....all sleep in at night and disturb no one.
the citronella bark collars are excelent, some of my friends have used them with great results.......totally humane too just a blast of spray, def worth looking into.
hope you get it sorted....i know its intimidating when this person calls, to your door but id imagine it took a lot of courage for them to do so also.

Kirby · 26-05-2009 2:51am

Well, I'm probably the only one, but I side with the OP. Noisy neighbours is a fact of city life. I have several dogs. They bark occasionally, usually AT something and for a reason.....such as somebody walking up the driveway.

If my neighbours came complaining I would tell them, politely, to shove it. I've had to put up with their noisy, squealing, screaming children enough times.....and I put up with it without complaint because it's normal.

Consider this. It would be considered "out of order" by most people to knock on a neighbours door and complain about children playing and making noise out the back garden. It's what kids do. But a child can be asked to quiten down. A dog can't. Hypocrisy and double standards at its finest.

ValerieR · 26-05-2009 4:24am

Kirby wrote: »

They bark occasionally, usually AT something and for a reason.....such as somebody walking up the driveway.

There is barking and barking though

... Most dogs do bark at something. But some dogs do it systematically when their owner goes away.
I assumed and so has everyone else, I guess, that this is the case as the OP mentioned "separation anxiety".

Kirby wrote: »

Consider this. It would be considered "out of order" by most people to knock on a neighbours door and complain about children playing and making noise out the back garden. It's what kids do.

I'd say for most people, the same would apply to children if one had to listen to screaming and abnormal behaviour all day long

. Generally, it'd not be the case though : children go to school, have naps, watch tv, etc ...

Kirby wrote: »

Hypocrisy and double standards at its finest.

:eek:

Of course, there are some people who are extremely sensitive and will complain about anything. However, it is never easy to go to your neighbour and complain about something, in writing or directly. However, there is generally no smoke without a fire

.

ValerieR

BlackCat2008 · 26-05-2009 4:31am

Have to say I agree to a point with the above, I can't stand the kids next door and all the screaming the parents do, and the kids friends who have damaged my car several times and broke my windows but I say nothing, they had the nerve to complain to me about the two dogs I tuck in last year and it tuck about three weeks to train them to shut up at night and I understood that, but recently I had a friends dog stay with me and not a word out of them was to be heard they were perfect little angels and he said that three dogs was enough and he didn't want to see any more coming in, to my mother not me, once tared seems to be the problom with them.

Next time they have anything to say about them I'm afraid I'll be letting loose about their teenager who thinks it's ok to pull up in his friends cars at 4 in the morning with the radio blaring and driving so fast they ran over a neighbours cat one night, slamming all the doors as he makes his wat to bed and they are happy to allow their 8yr old torment an old man who has to let his dog out to scare them of, while the parents are watching and do nothing, the same kid has just had the police called on him for splitting a neighbours foriegn students head open, some people just like to moan, and try to make others look bad so they can look like the perfact neighbour.

They complained to me 2 yrs ago about my cats peeing in their shed, I said I'd get some mesh to mend the window when through the kitchen window we seen to foxes crawl through the shed window not cats, I know they didn't go near his garden they can't stand his kids(but I didn'tsay that to them), but he still blamed my cats, he tryed it again last year and was told the cats had become house cats in that time and it was still the foxes and he needed to repair the window.

I've done my best to only allow the dogs to bark outside the house and never inside and it seems to have worked, when they go out I just keep an eye on them and if the barking gets out of hand I bring them in, I wait till I have settled them and if they bark inside the house their told off, it has worked for me anyway, try wearing a cardi or house coat for a while before you go out and leave it at the bottom of the door were the dogs are, letting them think you are not far away it might help, but do remember it is only polite to try to control your dogs and teach them to be quiet for everyone involved or it could be the dog that loses out if you don't, the poor things they just want to voice their opinion like kids and some just like a good yap, but it's them that lose out in the end, and it can do your head in to listen to your own dogs sometimes never mine someone else's.

The Sweeper · 26-05-2009 5:37am

Barking during daylight hours is really only annoying when it's persistent and at nothing in particular. If I heard a loud bang outside and a flurry of barking, I wouldn't be surprised. If I heard the postman and a flurry of barking, that's fine.

A dog that barks and yowls to be let in at a door during the day is not fine.

A dog that barks and howls the whole time their owner is out is not fine.

And a dog that barks at night is not fine at all - assuming it's persistent barking at its own shadow.

A happy, contented dog, does not bark all the live long day. I find the irritation to me of being woken or annoyed by a dog barking is increased tenfold by my concern for the dog itself, and why it's constantly yapping.

DonkeyStyle \o/ · 26-05-2009 6:05am

Guineapigrescue wrote: »

Lets face it a bunch of kids playing in the back garden are far more annoying with their constant screaming and whining and crying drive you up that wall.

God yeah, I'd almost buy my neighbours an xbox just to shut their kids up.
When I was a kid we played quietly with Transformers and GI Joes... as far as I can tell, playing these days seems to consist of jumping on a trampoline all day long and screaming as loud as you can.

goldenbrown · 26-05-2009 7:03am

the terrier next door cooked up a huge noise next door, there was no one elese in that house just hime, barking, barking, barking , barking, I would not rule out him having a role in the house sale..

ditzy101 · 26-05-2009 8:00am

thanks for all your advice!

some of it was most helpful,
does anyone know of any affordable training classes/trainers in dublin?
i live in suburban dublin.

i'd be so greatful!:)

they are house dogs as they are small,not cause i'm slobbing out and too lazy to walk them.

they have loadsa of toys,from kongs to plenty more chewy things.

the smaller one barks,but rarely.
it's the larger one,and i know it is from separtion anxiety.
i leave his toys out,tell him no! firmly and get him to lie down when he starts barking as i leave,which obviously starts as soon as i go out.i leave the tv (at a medium,non blaring level!)on to soothe him.

according to the dept of enviroment,noise is permitted 8am-8pm.
noise being,diy to major work,building,ect,plus screaming kids and dogs,
plus music,ect.
when they were doing up their house ,banging,drilling,ect,i never once complained when it went on past 10pm,i didn't want to seem pedantic.
funny,they never mentioned the 150 fine.....

believe me,if i had the money,i'd get the place soundproofed for everyone's peace of mind.:o

i am more than willing to bring the barker to training class so for those of you ,like PCros (?!) DO NOT assume you know me,with that sanctimonious reply

-i came on for ADVICE,:),not a bitch fest:mad:-

''that sums up my attitude''
*sighs*
if i were as quick as you to 'sum up' people
i could say your reply sums you up as rude,unhelpful,and ignorant.
but i shan't.
still though,don't bother me again.

i said 'i don't want to feel trapped in the house by neighbours who can't handle a dog barking'

when i said i have been 'ill' i did not expect to have to elaborate
(i feel i do,cause people,some of them,seem to think perhaps i'm a lazy cow who won't train them,and i want to set that straight!)
i have an illness which requires many tests and i've been in and out of hospital.i have to go back this week.:(

so when they complained last night,it was the first time in ages i had left the house,due to being sick,i was across the road with my other neighbours,friends.that's when i came back to find the note at 11.i'd been gone less than an hour.

thank god i have friends who stay when i'm really ill,
and take the dogs on walks.
like i said,theyre like kids to me,i'd do anything for their happiness.:)

so,
i hear what you're saying,training,yes!

please has anyone a number/email/website?:o

the dog run idea is great,thank you for suggesting that
to whoever did!
i think i'll have to wait til after hospital to make one though.

and someone else mentioned the collars are distressing,exactly what i don't want!

are there any 'anti bark' collars,
that are not distressing?

if so,can someone please suggest one?

again,for all the helpful advice,thank you!:):):):):):):)
sian,x

jen_23 · 26-05-2009 8:14am

Hey OP,

You really sound genuine in wanting to train your dogs so good for you.
Alot of people would prob just tell their neighbours shut up. (I know!!)

I agree with the others though as well that no matter the time a dog barking is an incredibly irritating sound! I was studying for college a few years ago and living next door to neighbours with very thin walls and a small dog which barked every day for hours when they went out.

It drove me mad to the point where I was trying every room in the house to study to get away from it.

so when they complained last night,it was the first time in ages i had left the house,due to being sick,i was across the road with my other neighbours,friends.that's when i came back to find the note at 11.i'd been gone less than an hour

It does sound like they are being slightly petty. But if I was you I would be the bigger person (as I'm sorry and ppl can berate me for this it is very childish to post to the door a note rather than speak to the person)
I would march over full of concern and apologies and say your taking him to obedience classes and you will try to keep the noise down as much as you can and your trying your best.

Plus you never want to fall out with neighbours esp when you could be beside them for some time!!

Anyway I had a quick search and here is a link to some obedience classes in Dublin
http://www.superdog.com/dublin.htm
http://www.irishanimals.ie/care/behaviour.html

Hope it helps and good luck

PCros · 26-05-2009 9:33am

ditzy101 wrote: »

''that sums up my attitude''
*sighs*
if i were as quick as you to 'sum up' people
i could say your reply sums you up as rude,unhelpful,and ignorant.
but i shan't.

I wasnt summing you up, you basically said your neighbour should handle the dog barking which is very ignorant and obviously you don't care about your neighbours. I think one person out of 20 so far has agreed with you.

I'm not rude and unhelpful, I've given advice to people on here and people have given me advice but I wont help people who don't care about other people.

Jenrobbri · 26-05-2009 10:00am

Unfortunatly looking for advice in this site you will always come up agenst the sanctimonious fools who will try to make themselves feel better by being nasty to you.
I wish you all the best with your dogs.
And dont let these bully's stress you out too much.
It's their problem not yours.

andreac · 26-05-2009 10:07am

Jenrobbri wrote: »

Unfortunatly looking for advice in this site you will always come up agenst the sanctimonious fools who will try to make themselves feel better by being nasty to you.
I wish you all the best with your dogs.
And dont let these bully's stress you out too much.
It's their problem not yours.

But its not their problem, its her dog thats causing the problem. Have you ever had to listen to a dog bark continuously all day? It is very annoying so i dont blame the neighbours from complaining.

saviourgirl · 26-05-2009 10:10am

Yeah Jen cop onto yourself, that poster is making a point of how passive the OP is of her neighbours by saying they should handle the barking.

No they shouldnt and they have a right to complain.

Jenrobbri · 26-05-2009 10:59am

If she had big dogs that were kept in the garden and barked all day long it would be a different story.
She has little dogs that are kept in the house and very rarely left alone.
If she was a man would they complain like that?
If you choose to live in a housing estate you have to have some tolerance, what's next?
No singing in the shower in case it bothers the neabours.
God Forbid she may have to drill a hole in her wall, or have friends knockin at the door ( the doorbell may be seen as being to loud)
Oh and make sure you don't slam your car door

The Sweeper · 26-05-2009 11:10am

Jenrobbri wrote: »

If she had big dogs that were kept in the garden and barked all day long it would be a different story.
She has little dogs that are kept in the house and very rarely left alone.

Yes. That's why one barks from separation anxiety. Because it's rarely left alone. Uh huh. Good one.

saviourgirl · 26-05-2009 11:11am

Are you serious jenrobi? Your just being petty now.

All those noises are acceptable because they last for a split second. This is a dog who barks for an hour at a time and is obviously doing her neighbours head in.

Jenrobbri · 26-05-2009 11:15am

Nothing was said about barking for an hour. She left the house for the first time in ages to go across the road, came back 20mins later and there was a note on her door.

saviourgirl · 26-05-2009 11:18am

Yeah she also said the neighbour has come around a few times so its not the first time.

jen_23 · 26-05-2009 11:18am

Jenrobbri wrote: »

If she had big dogs that were kept in the garden and barked all day long it would be a different story.
She has little dogs that are kept in the house and very rarely left alone.
If she was a man would they complain like that?
If you choose to live in a housing estate you have to have some tolerance, what's next?
No singing in the shower in case it bothers the neabours.
God Forbid she may have to drill a hole in her wall, or have friends knockin at the door ( the doorbell may be seen as being to loud)
Oh and make sure you don't slam your car door

Jen your not really being very helpful to the Op here. The OP has asked for advice to handle the situation and is happy to try to rectify it to keep the peace. You saying that the neighbours will have to get over it and tough isn't really going to help. Only cause more aggravation in the long run.

I do understand your annoyance with the lack of peoples tolerance though. It can sometimes be very frustrating.
But the fact is it is just so much easier to not get on the bad side of your neighbours.

And training can only better the dog in the long run and I'm sure the OP will enjoy the training classes as well

andreac · 26-05-2009 11:20am

Im sorry but people arent going to complain about a dog barking for half an hour, they prob had enough of the dog barking and it came to a head that day.
Have you ever had to put up with a dog barking constantly? you cant compare a barking dog non stop, to someone singing in the shower.

Jenrobbri · 26-05-2009 11:24am

The OP is living there for ten years, so either all her other neighbours are deaf or the new people just like to cause trouble.

saviourgirl · 26-05-2009 11:31am

Jenrobbri wrote: »

The OP is living there for ten years, so either all her other neighbours are deaf or the new people just like to cause trouble.

Probably deaf.

DePurpereWolf · 26-05-2009 11:38am

I wouldn't really like it if I bought a house and would find out that I can't sleep because this little dog is barking all the time.

OP, more dog owners should be like you. You have identified the problem: separation anxiety, and you're willing to work on it. Don't forget that your puppy isn't in a very happy state of mind either when he goes like this. So do it for your puppy and get him over this separation anxiety.

I agree that your neighbours are a bunch of whiners. But it is better to keep your neighbours happy. Trying to 'fight' with them won't get you anywhere really.

cloudy day · 26-05-2009 11:55am

I'm sorry that you feel there are some people here that are bitchy with their replies. But bear in mind when you post on a forum for opinions, that's what your going to get. Because all people are different, you will get a lot of different opinions. You have to take on board the advice of those who have experience and pretty much take no notice of the ones you feel may be offensive. You are looking for a solution and there are a lot of us who want to help you find it so that you won't have to get rid of your dogs.

I've had dogs all my life, and the one thing I cannot stand is constant barking. It can be stopped. If you are home all day with the dogs then it will be easy for you to work on the training. Get them used to being left out in the back yard so that when they are not aware of it you can sneak out and they won't know you are gone.

I know it's stressing you out and it's a bad situation and not everybody can afford expensive training classes.

How many dogs do you have, what are their breeds and ages. This will give the people who have experience with these breeds the ability to advise you best. Some problems are breed specific and age related.

DePurpereWolf · 26-05-2009 12:15pm

It's really not that difficult.
Don't give your dog special attention before you go or when you come back.
The big SSsh, is actually bad. Don't yell at him when you come back either, or give him extra love, just ignore him for the first few minutes.

Practice a couple of days by going away for short periods of time. And increasing the times you are away.
The dog needs to understand that everything will be okay, and that you will come back.
Try to return when he is not barking.

DanR · 26-05-2009 7:37pm

Jenrobbri wrote: »

Unfortunatly looking for advice in this site you will always come up agenst the sanctimonious fools who will try to make themselves feel better by being nasty to you.
I wish you all the best with your dogs.
And dont let these bully's stress you out too much.
It's their problem not yours.

Sorry, no it's the OP's problem.:(

With that said the neighbours should complain face to face.

marles · 26-05-2009 9:00pm

I have to say a barking dog is the most annoying sound.Constant and piercing!
We have a neighbour who leaves their boxer outside whenever they go out at night or leave the house at anytime.
We have had to move into other rooms in our own home to try and sleep at night!The dog barks no-stop,as long as he is outside.It is not only me that has been affected many other neighbours have gone to the house in the nicest possible way to make it clear how disruptive it is.One woman was on maternity leave and couldn't sleep during the day when the baby would sleep due to the noise.
In the end we had to go to the Landlord,we were getting nowhere with the tenants.,
I must also say we have a large dog,so I'm coming from the perspective of loving and caring for dogs.

My point is,if the dog is barking then you have to deal with that.You are responsible for your dog.As somebody said the dog barking may have been causing major stress and that day may have been the final straw.

ozzirt · 27-05-2009 10:27am

I think the fact that the OP has asked for help is a good sign, I notice that she is not reacting poorly to being told that it is her problem.

Personally, I'd say that she is trying to be a responsible dog owner. More power to her,.... and I wish her "All the Best".

WillieCocker · 27-05-2009 10:34am

ditzy101 wrote: »

i don't want to be made feel trapped in my house by some people who can't handle a dog barking.
thanks a mil........

Then get training for the dog or get rid of it.
If it were me, i'd do a lot more than leave you a courtesy note.pffft

DePurpereWolf · 27-05-2009 11:34am

with that attitude, I wonder if I can get my neighbours to get rid of their children.

cloudy day · 27-05-2009 2:43pm

marles wrote: »

I have to say a barking dog is the most annoying sound.Constant and piercing!
We have a neighbour who leaves their boxer outside whenever they go out at night or leave the house at anytime.
We have had to move into other rooms in our own home to try and sleep at night!The dog barks no-stop,as long as he is outside.It is not only me that has been affected many other neighbours have gone to the house in the nicest possible way to make it clear how disruptive it is.One woman was on maternity leave and couldn't sleep during the day when the baby would sleep due to the noise.
In the end we had to go to the Landlord,we were getting nowhere with the tenants.,
I must also say we have a large dog,so I'm coming from the perspective of loving and caring for dogs.

My point is,if the dog is barking then you have to deal with that.You are responsible for your dog.As somebody said the dog barking may have been causing major stress and that day may have been the final straw.

there's no way i could cope with that. it would drive me nuts. kids drive me nuts too. i guess old age don't come alone

clairem · 27-05-2009 10:33pm

Hi,

We also have a small dog that loves to bark and have found that it's quite a difficult problem to fix once it becomes a habit. We've done a lot of work with him and gradually he's gotten a lot better. We were referred to a behaviourist by our vet and she gave us a lot of advice that worked well for us. I'll give you the main points she gave us.

I think the main thing is that a tired dog is a well behaved (and quiet) dog. You need to do everything you can to tire him out. I know you are not well at the moment but I wonder if you have a friend that could help you out and walk him for you? Our dog is a small house dog like yours (he's a pug) but even though he's small, he goes crazy if he doesn't get at least one long walk every day. If you can't manage to walk him could you maybe play fetch with him in your garden a couple of times a day? That would probably tire him out pretty well.

Another thing she got us to do was to feed him half of his daily food in food dispensing toys (we used kongs and a buster cube for this.) You can even put the kong in the freezer the night before so that he has to work harder to get the food out. This should really tire him out and give him something to do (rather than bark!) while you're gone.

Another thing that should help is to never give him any attention when he barks in front of you. This means no saying 'shhh' or 'quiet' and just looking the other way no matter how much he barks. Our dog had learned that barking got him attention and that was making him do it even more.

We actually tried the citronella collar and it worked a bit but only while he was wearing it. Our dog learned really quickly that he could bark all he liked once the collar was off so that wasn't a good solution for us. Also, when he would get really worked up, he would just bark and bark until the collar ran out of spray (and the collar doesn't really hold that much spray). For that reason I wouldn't recommend the collar.

Our other dog has separation anxiety and all the points about extra exercise, kongs etc. work for that too. Also, try leaving the radio on while you're out and dont pay your dog any attention for five minutes before you leave and five minutes after you come back. I heard that rescue remedy (they sell it in boots) and DAP diffusers are great for separation anxiety too.

I hope you're able to fix the barking problem - best of luck:) Feel free to send me a pm if you'd like the name of the behaviourist we went to. She was very good.

neighbours hassling me over my dog barking

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