My Neighbour's New Barking Dog

mags16

Ok here I am at 00.43 and all I can hear is my neighbour's new pup barking constantly. I can't let my own dog out because this pup sets her off barking too. The poor pup is being kept outside, tethered to a weight but with his own kennel.

I was out a little while ago and spoke to the owner for a minute. Apparently he was as quiet as a mouse last night. He said he hoped the pup wasn't disturbing me and I had to tell him the truth, that I could hear the barking through the house.

What do I do if this continues? Is the pup likely to settle down? I can't remember my dog barking like this, though she always sleeps inside.

It's driving me mad!

Intothesea

Hello there. I don't think it's fair for
anyone to let a barking pup keep
you from concentrating/doing your job
properly or developing any kind of
health problems over it.

Maybe the owner is expecting the
puppy to settle down, but the chances
are that he will bark out of loneliness/fear/
boredom until he's either shown how to
react to the outdoors or taken inside.

Showing a puppy how to react to the
outside world involves staying outside
with him for a couple of hours each day,
to show that the appropriate response to
noises etc. is quiet investigation.

I hope that the owner is as cheesed off
as yourself, it might prompt them to take
the non-lazy way to solve this problem:
to keep the pup inside and take him outside
for toilet trips once every four hours (i.e.
once a night). Sounds like a classic case
of total laziness to me. Maybe they're not
aware of the neighbour-and-puppy friendly
alternative, maybe you could have a chat
with them? (much as it should never have
to be your problem).

ETA: If the puppy is too small to make do
with one or two trips out the other option
is to 'crate' it, which is to place it in a small
cage at night somewhere in the house where
it can be heard. As dogs don't want to soil
their area the puppy learns how to communicate
his need by whining. It still requires a
responsible owner to make it work though.
Here's an article on the idea:

http://www.siriusweb.com/AAD/crate.html

Hope that helps

mags16

Thanks for your reply, intothesea. I think the owner is as frustrated as me. He did go out to try and calm the dog down a few times. But a few minutes after he went inside, the pup started barking again. I'm dreading tonight. Last night the pup settled for a few hours but in the middle of the night started again. By the way the pup isn't tiny, maybe 4/5 months old.

I can hear the owner now playing with his kids in his back garden and I'm sure the pup is as happy as larry.

Is it just me or do others think that it is cruel to leave a pup tied up outside all night even if he has a kennel?

Intothesea

Hello again Mags. I think it can
be hard to tell which cases are
deliberate cruelty and which are
the results of lack of information or
motivation (that's my take anyway).
I would never tie up a young dog
and leave him anywhere, but I'm
not sure there is a law against it
in Ireland.

It's good that he's that age, the
inside project can definitely work
for the owner I think. The other
thing is that only ever being
outside to play with the dog and
get him excited with children sets
up the outdoors as a stage for
either fulfilment (games and company)
or disappointment (loneliness and
barking etc). The ideal is to have him
rolled up in inside at night, the next
would be to have the family stand out
there calmly with him, literally to show
him that that is how it's handled.

anniehoo

Inthothesea...what setting is your reply on? Your posts read like a poem layout and takes alot of scrolling to read through!

Intothesea

LOL sorry Annie, I had no idea
that it was harder to read. I do
it deliberately because column
-reading online is supposed to
be easier on the eye. I know
my attention wanders more
easily when I have to drag my
eye across the screen.

Now that you know why I do it,
does it make it easier to forgive
me (and read)?

anniehoo

Intothesea wrote: »

,
does it make it easier to forgive
me (and read)?

Im just a lazy scroller thats all...forgiven

kerrysgold

IMO it is cruel to keep a pup tied up out in the yard. he'll end up with an unsocialized, bored dog. leaving a dog tied up can lead to all sorts of behaviour problems including aggression etc. Does he plan on training, socializing and exercising him at all? the laws really need to change in this country asap.

Saruman

Intothesea wrote: »

LOL sorry Annie, I had no idea
that it was harder to read. I do
it deliberately because column
-reading online is supposed to
be easier on the eye.

Actually it requires less eye movement i notice so it does seem to be easier to
read.
Sucks about the puppy making noise. I hope its not a case of getting the puppy for the kids sake but not wanting to take care of it and not understanding what is required.

Eviledna

I really recommend that you mention crate training to the owner. it really helps in that kind of situation.

mags16

I really thought things were improving. The wee dog is quiet for most of the day but for the last 2 nights he (or she) has been barking from 3.30 ish to 5.15 am, when the sun comes up. My poor lodger who sleeps at the back of the house is not a bit happy. He's going to work each morning with dark circles around his eyes.

I feel i have to say something. Do I write a note or do I call in? What do I say? I never talk to these neighbours. They are very noisy in their own house (scary fights sometimes), but if you meet them outside, they are as quiet as mice.

Any advice, in columns or otherwise, is welcome.

Intothesea

Another column for you, Mags

I would have a calm, factual chat with
the member of the family you might feel
more comfortable with, and take it from
there. You could say that you've had
the barking problem yourself before, and
that you're interested in helping them
solve it? I wondered if complaining
to the council first off was an option,
but then I found this, from

http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/DogControl/#What%20can%20I%20do%20about%20barking%20dogs?:

"Excessive barking which causes a nuisance
to any person is an offence. In a good-neighbourly
manner, let the dog’s owner know how the barking affects
you. They may not have realised what was happening. If
that approach fails, a complaint about excessive barking
should be made to the District Court. To do this, you must
first inform the dog owner in writing using a prescribed form,
which can be obtained from your local authority."

I'd say that after a decent chat and
a few days that you're well within your
rights to complain. I suppose the endless
issue of nasty neighbours may rear its
ugly head -- I sincerely hope that doesn't
happen for you.

HTH

IrishHomer

Intothesea wrote: »

Another column for you, Mags

I would have a calm, factual chat with
the member of the family you might feel
more comfortable with, and take it from
there. You could say that you've had
the barking problem yourself before, and
that you're interested in helping them
solve it? I wondered if complaining
to the council first off was an option,
but then I found this, from

http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/DogControl/#What%20can%20I%20do%20about%20barking%20dogs?:

"Excessive barking which causes a nuisance
to any person is an offence. In a good-neighbourly
manner, let the dog’s owner know how the barking affects
you. They may not have realised what was happening. If
that approach fails, a complaint about excessive barking
should be made to the District Court. To do this, you must
first inform the dog owner in writing using a prescribed form,
which can be obtained from your local authority."

I'd say that after a decent chat and
a few days that you're well within your
rights to complain. I suppose the endless
issue of nasty neighbours may rear its
ugly head -- I sincerely hope that doesn't
happen for you.

HTH

You would think that in this day that the bloody form would be available online for download......:(

mags16

kerrysgold wrote: »

IMO it is cruel to keep a pup tied up out in the yard. he'll end up with an unsocialized, bored dog. leaving a dog tied up can lead to all sorts of behaviour problems including aggression etc. Does he plan on training, socializing and exercising him at all? the laws really need to change in this country asap.

I completely agree with you kerrysgold. I think they got the dog as a companion for their son who is 8 ish. But they don't intend bringing her inside, ever. What happens in the winter and the family are never outside? The dog will have no company.

I went around to talk to the owner yesterday. He said he'd do his best to keep the dog quiet. He thought about locking her in the kennel overnight. I didn't like the sound of that.

I think that they will have to rehome sooner rather than later her cos they not really able to look after her properly.

I'm glad I talked to him. If it continues I'll do the district court thing.


Thanks everyone for your advice.

LadyTBolt

I understand your complaint about the dog being tied up but this could be because he is so small the owner is possibly nervous the puppy could escape througha small opening in the gate/hedge? If the tying up continues when the dog gets older maybe you should consider contacting the ISPCA and asking for their opinion on this.

Fair enough the barking at night is annoying, we've all been there, but give some concessions to the fact the dog is only a puppy. You take any young animal away from it's family and put it outside alone in the dark for hours and it'll cry too. Give it a few nights and he'll settle down. Maybe he needs some puppy toy or something for company? And if your neighbour is suggesting locking the dog in the kennel it could be because he just does not have a clue what to do and is trying to keep you happy. You've made your feelings quite clear about the annoying noise, I don't think you should do anymore unless it continues for a couple of weeks. Your neighbour has heard your complaint, don't be seen to be a nag. It's not worth falling out with your neighbours over. I'm sure the puppy will settle in.

mags16

Thanks Ladybolt.

I'll monitor the situation for a wee while. I suppose I'm uptight about the whole thing because I am a big softie when it comes to dogs. I was at home for most of the day today and the pup was alone for all of the time. The child played with the pup for a little while this evening but that was it. No wonder she is crying all night. My own 8 year old dog is very quiet and frankly a bit spoilt. I have always stopped her from barking at night because I am aware of small children and babies in the area, belonging to the owners of the pup. I wish they would afford me the same courtesy.

I have no intention of falling out with the neighbours about this but if the nighttime barking and whining continues for more than a week or two, I'll have to do something. It's not fair on my lodgers, one of whom sleeps at the back of the house. Just yards from the crying pup.

Intothesea

I would take it that your neighbours are acutely
uneducated about the needs of a dog, Mags.
For that reason I would suspect that an
efficient way to bond with the dog (bringing
it inside is a key way to do this) will either
never happen, or be very slow to. Good
bonding is a big factor in cutting down barking.

The biggest danger with not moving quickly to
reduce what is quite likely to become a bad
habit is that the issue will become 'suddenly
irresolvable' to owners such as these, and the dog
will doubtless end up in the pound. The approaches
I mentioned above are good measures for preventing
all of the above problems, but the cost is involving
yourself more strongly with neighbours you don't
really know.

Hope it works out, for all involved

mags16

I agree intothesea, I don't think they realised what they were getting into. A dog is a big commitment. A bit like having a child but dogs never grow up! A neglected dog so close to my back door is distressing for me.

Last night the dog started barking at 5.40am. I think the pup is locked in it's kennel up until then. The barking only lasted 10 minutes.

For the sake of the dog, I hope they make a decision soon.

mags16

I came in about an hour ago and the dog was going beserk. The owners were having a massive fight. At one stage the parents were screaming at each other, the kid was shouting at them to stop and the poor pup was barking her head off. This is normally the quietest neighborhood where loudest sounds are the birds tweeting in the trees.

I'm feeling a bit teary about it all. I don't know why but I taped the barking from my living room. I suppose it will be handy if I have to go to the district court.

I really feel for the kid and the dog. They don't deserve the parents/owners they got.

Intothesea

That's awful Mags. If you could describe the
house as a pressure cooker of dysfunctionality
with a child and dog trapped in it, it might be
more appropriate to consult the social services.
Situations like that tend to need a lone positive
authorative hand to appear from nowhere to
interrupt the cycle (though rarely does it
happen). One approach you could take is the
'noisey neighbour' complaint, and make specific
worries about the child's welfare known to
relevant bodies.

Maybe my understanding is in the wrong vein
here but either way, recording barking and
noting times etc. will make the noise problem
more easily resolvable.

HTH