What are dog owners thinking?

[msjones]

I would not allow my children to stand outside in the middle of the night and rhythmically scream.

 

Why do some dog owners let their dogs bark at 3 a.m.? What are they thinking? Do they believe that no one can hear their dogs? Can they not hear their dogs? Do they think that everyone in their very crowded city neighborhoods likes their dogs so much that they enjoy hearing them bark at 3 or 4 or 5 am?

[astrid]

And therein lies one of my stringent arguments AGAINST outside-only dogs. If you won't allow them to share your living space, DO NOT GET A DOG, especially if you live within close proximity to neighbors.

 

Poor dog. I feel bad for him! (And the neighbors, too, of course.) Can you call your municipality's canine control officer?

 

astrid

[NorthwestMom]

They can't hear them. I once went over and pounded on a neighbor's door at 6am. Finally, a befuddled teenage boy opened the door. It turned out his dad let the dog out when he left for work at 5:30, and the kid would sleep through the dog's requests to be let back in. This had gone on for a week before I went over there, btw.

 

In the fall the people behind us got a rooster. We are not in the country, and they had no other chickens, just the one rooster. It crowed for 45 minutes every morning! We could hear it with windows closed and fans running to try to block the noise. It was horrible. Finally I went to talk to them too, and left a note when they weren't home. The rooster was gone a few days later to great rejoicing in my family.

[hornblower]

:iagree:with astrid.

[Garga]

Hate the barking dog syndrome. When we lived in our row home in Baltimore, the people 2 doors down had a dog that barked and barked and barked. In the wee hours of the morning.

 

And he was a pit bull who would get out of his yard and THEN decide to become territorial. I was walking my baby in a stroller one day, past my OWN yard, when the pit bull decided to walk toward me growling.

 

If you're in a tiny row home, get a tiny indoor dog.

 

If you live on a farm, get a nice big dog who can run and bark all he wants.

[Brilliant]

They can't hear them. I once went over and pounded on a neighbor's door at 6am. Finally, a befuddled teenage boy opened the door. ....

 

My dh pounded on a neighbor's door in the middle of the night and ran into something similar...the dog owner had apparently been fast asleep. (The barking had gone on for several nights before dh went over there). HOW could she not have heard the barking when it woke us up from 3 doors down?

[MomOfOneFunOne]

They can't hear them. I once went over and pounded on a neighbor's door at 6am. Finally, a befuddled teenage boy opened the door. It turned out his dad let the dog out when he left for work at 5:30, and the kid would sleep through the dog's requests to be let back in. This had gone on for a week before I went over there, btw.

 

 

 

This one has actually happened at our house. My husband leaves b/f we get up. One morning he had to double-back for some reason and came in bellowing something about "How in sam hill can you just let the dog bark like that???" He had let her out b/f he left and we didn't hear her bark to be let back in. *well, we was seepin'*

 

So, now he tries to let her back in and we try to hear in our sleep. Otherwise, no, we have a house dog. She's usually too cuddled up with us to bother barking outside.

[mama2cntrykids]

Hate the barking dog syndrome. When we lived in our row home in Baltimore, the people 2 doors down had a dog that barked and barked and barked. In the wee hours of the morning.

 

And he was a pit bull who would get out of his yard and THEN decide to become territorial. I was walking my baby in a stroller one day, past my OWN yard, when the pit bull decided to walk toward me growling.

 

If you're in a tiny row home, get a tiny indoor dog.

 

If you live on a farm, get a nice big dog who can run and bark all he wants.

 

I just recently read that roaming dogs are territorial because in the dogs mind, if the dog can "roam" on/to a certain spot, it *is* their territory. Did that make sense? I'm afraid that I didn't explain it well. I certainly DON'T agree with owners letting their dogs bark and bark OR roam around, but that info might shed some light as to "why" the dog was growling, you know? Wanted to say that if I was pushing a stroller and a dog was following us growling I'd be yelling my head off, lol. Oh wait...that HAS happened to me:D and it stinks!:grouphug:

[Dayle in Guatemala]

And therein lies one of my stringent arguments AGAINST outside-only dogs. If you won't allow them to share your living space, DO NOT GET A DOG, especially if you live within close proximity to neighbors.

 

Poor dog. I feel bad for him! (And the neighbors, too, of course.) Can you call your municipality's canine control officer?

 

astrid

 

:iagree:The very minute our dogs start barking outside, we let them in. There's so much noise here that my dh thinks it's funny that I'm sensitive about it, but, I don't want to add my barking dogs to the noise for my poor neighbors who don't have a dog. It's just courteous.

[rookie]

This is a PET peeve of mine! ;)

 

I write formal notes, on lovely stationary, to any neighbor who is not aware of their barking best friend. :001_smile:

 

That usually quiets them down.

[msjones]

And therein lies one of my stringent arguments AGAINST outside-only dogs. If you won't allow them to share your living space, DO NOT GET A DOG, especially if you live within close proximity to neighbors.

 

Poor dog. I feel bad for him! (And the neighbors, too, of course.) Can you call your municipality's canine control officer?

 

astrid

 

But he's NOT and outside only dog. SHE LETS HIM OUT. :confused::confused:

He sleeps in a crate in the house, and she lets him out when he wants, I guess.

[msjones]

The flip side is that if it's Summer and your windows are open and you are a cranky old man and come to yell at me because you don't like that my dog barks a little in the middle of the day while playing with my kids - well, you should get an air conditioner because the city won't listen to you and I am so not getting rid of my son's dog just because you moved in and happen to be retired and not have anything better to do with your life.

 

(Our wears a bark collar when crated or alone btw, because we are trying to be good neighbors but this guy is just a grump.)

 

Daytime barking is one thing. 3 a.m. is something else entirely.

[*********]

The flip side is that if it's Summer and your windows are open and you are a cranky old man and come to yell at me because you don't like that my dog barks a little in the middle of the day while playing with my kids - well, you should get an air conditioner because the city won't listen to you and I am so not getting rid of my son's dog just because you moved in and happen to be retired and not have anything better to do with your life.

 

(Our wears a bark collar when crated or alone btw, because we are trying to be good neighbors but this guy is just a grump.)

 

Ok, I don't know why I'm reading this thread, since I have no dogs, and I'm not at all a 'pet person'. Reeeeeeally not a pet person. As in, I don't 'get it', I've never been attached to an animal in a sentimental way, and have no desire to have a pet. I don't care if other people do, so long as their having a pet doesn't affect me very much.

 

But good grief, why would someone complain about a dog barking while outside playing with kids during the day? Unless the game your kids were playing with the dog was something like 'let's see how loud and long we can get Rover to bark right next to cranky neighbor's window', I don't think the dog/you/the kids were out of line. I mean, would the same grumpy old guy neighbor come over an complain that your kids were laughing too loud outside? That's just a grumpy neighbor, not a bad doggie.

[tdeveson]

And therein lies one of my stringent arguments AGAINST outside-only dogs. If you won't allow them to share your living space, DO NOT GET A DOG, especially if you live within close proximity to neighbors.

 

Poor dog. I feel bad for him! (And the neighbors, too, of course.) Can you call your municipality's canine control officer?

 

astrid

 

Dogs are very social animals. Leaving one outside at night is akin to leaving a child outside and expecting it to whimper quietly and wait until mommy gets up in the morning to let him in. People who do not have room inside their homes for dogs should not own them.

 

My BIL has hunting dogs and he keeps them in a kennel. They're not allowed in the house and they spend most of their time in an outdoor run, even when the temperature is below zero. There are many, many reasons to dislike my BIL, and this is almost at the top of my list. (The fact that he's a hopeless drunk and bully is at the top. Thankfully he and his ilk are a continent away.)

 

In my experience, people that mistreat their animals almost always mistreat people if they think they can get away with it

[tdeveson]

And he was a pit bull who would get out of his yard and THEN decide to become territorial. I was walking my baby in a stroller one day, past my OWN yard, when the pit bull decided to walk toward me growling.

 

Pit bulls are illegal in my county. Probably the only intelligent thing our lawmakers have been able to pull out of their hats in the past 50 years.

 

I had a neighbor years ago who had an illegal pit. I was walking my son in a stroller and the pit started towards us. I stood between the pit and the stroller and was getting ready to be mauled when the owner came and apologizing and asking me not to call the cops on his dog. He swore the animal was just like a baby and just wanted to play. The guy later came to my house to apologize again and tell me how gentle his dogs are.

 

I noticed that he had a long ugly scar from his ankle all the way up to where his shorts ended. I asked him about that and he said one of his dogs had gotten "frisky."

 

I called the cops as soon as he left and they took his dog away.

[BikeBookBread]

We live in very tight quarters -- 0.1 acre plots are the norm in our neighborhood (such is life in desert subdivisions). Our rear kitty-corner neighbors have a little yipper dog.

 

When they are HOME the dog is OUTSIDE. When they are GONE the dog is INSIDE. When the dog is outside, it barks. I could guess that the dog barks when it is inside as well. So, this means it barks from about 6:00 pm until it falls asleep. When they go to work (presumably) the dog goes inside and we can't hear the dog.

 

I just wonder WHY OH WHY do they even have a dog? I'm sure the dog is just lonely and wants to be with them...

[CalicoKat]

I would not allow my children to stand outside in the middle of the night and rhythmically scream.

 

Why do some dog owners let their dogs bark at 3 a.m.? What are they thinking? Do they believe that no one can hear their dogs? Can they not hear their dogs? Do they think that everyone in their very crowded city neighborhoods likes their dogs so much that they enjoy hearing them bark at 3 or 4 or 5 am?

as a dog owner who was summoned by her pooch for a 3 a.m. potty break last night -- I agree, absolutely no barking in the dead of night no matter how cold or shivery I get standing there waiting for them to find the perfect spot of snow to do their business.

 

But just like a parents gets used to and tunes out their screaming toddler so do doggy parents tune out barking.

 

Call the cops. Make a stink. Write them a letter. Let them know. They'll get the hint.

[CalicoKat]

But he's NOT and outside only dog. SHE LETS HIM OUT. :confused::confused:

He sleeps in a crate in the house, and she lets him out when he wants, I guess.

she probably goes back to bed because he takes forever to do his business.

 

Dh has done that--- :svengo:-- when I've been out of town or if I'm unwakeable.

 

Again, a training issue. Suggest newspapers in the garage instead of unsupervised in the backyard.

[Parrothead]

Call the cops. Make a stink. Write them a letter. Let them know. They'll get the hint.

:iagree: I've got two dogs and would want to know. I hate having my sleep disturbed due to odd noises. Now, if the owners of the snowplows would keep their beeping backing up warning inside at 3am I'd be a happy person.

[kalanamak]

Having a dog outside barking half the night renders their alarm system useless. I loved having my 100 lbs of complete dedication sleep in my bedroom. We had a prowler once...xh and I both awoke the moment we heard the feet land on our deck, but the instant, murderous response of my dog, who just knew someone had significantly broken the social rules, was stupendous, and we heard the violent scrabbles as they got off the second story deck. She was so upset, her teeth were clicking on the glass of the sliding door.

[Caribbean Queen]

Dogs are very social animals. Leaving one outside at night is akin to leaving a child outside and expecting it to whimper quietly and wait until mommy gets up in the morning to let him in. People who do not have room inside their homes for dogs should not own them.

 

 

Off topic:

I live in the Caribbean and most people here do not have animals in their house. I gather from Animal Planet and message boards that some people in the states keep their dogs caged in the kitchen all night and if they work full time, the dog stays caged by itself all day. I used to live in the states, but that was before "crate training" was in fashion. I find it strange that people think keeping a dog in a fenced in yard is horrible, because the dog needs company, but caging it by itself inside is good. It is an animal. It wants to run and dig and pee and be free. If the weather is nice outside, I think putting a dog outside is nicer than caging it. I have 2 outside dogs. They are happy and don't bark a lot.

Edited January 13, 2010 by Caribbean Queen

[Brilliant]

We live in very tight quarters -- 0.1 acre plots are the norm in our neighborhood (such is life in desert subdivisions). Our rear kitty-corner neighbors have a little yipper dog.

 

When they are HOME the dog is OUTSIDE. When they are GONE the dog is INSIDE. When the dog is outside, it barks. I could guess that the dog barks when it is inside as well...

 

I would guess the dog does NOT bark when it's inside. If your houses are so close together, you would be able to hear a little yipper dog barking, even with the windows closed. (at least when the AC has cycled off). I know from experience, and our houses aren't that close together...

[ciyates]

The flip side is that if it's Summer and your windows are open and you are a cranky old man and come to yell at me because you don't like that my dog barks a little in the middle of the day while playing with my kids - well, you should get an air conditioner because the city won't listen to you and I am so not getting rid of my son's dog just because you moved in and happen to be retired and not have anything better to do with your life.

 

(Our wears a bark collar when crated or alone btw, because we are trying to be good neighbors but this guy is just a grump.)

:iagree:

 

Close quarters allow for lots of noise including someone's screaming baby. I think overall we should be a lot more tolerant.

[BeckyFL]

I would not allow my children to stand outside in the middle of the night and rhythmically scream.

 

I don't know how dog owners do it, but this analogy is SO great! AND exactly true! :lol:

[KidsHappen]

My hubby sometimes lets the dog out and forgets about him. I am flying down the stairs after the first bark. Sometimes he might bark a few times before I get there and I freak out about that. I can't imagine leaving a dog barking like that. Sometimes I go out at night and there are five to ten dogs barking and I wonder how that many people could have dog outside and not hear the commotion. :confused:

[Remudamom]

Well, get ready to flame me, because our border collies are outside dogs and they will remain outside dogs. Not that they haven't been in the house from time to time.

 

They go along with us all over the ranch, roll in poop, swim and get covered with all sorts of stuff that ain't coming in my house. I do not have time to bathe two big dogs several times a day. They do not want to be in the house all the time. They are ranch dogs, and seem happy. They hike with the kids, go horseback riding with me, patrol the chicken house, chase coons and possums and howl at night with the coyotes. (we don't have neighbors).

Edited January 18, 2010 by Remudamom

[Paisley Hedgehog]

..

[SonshineLearner]

I came home late at night, and let my dog out... got distracted... and my dog was of course barking outside.... The neighbor came and banged on our door so hard... that I really thought it would break as I went to answer it. Oops... It's not always on purpose. I can't even let my dog out to play with my son without him barking at whatever is in the yard.

And... his favorite things to bark at.... are the guys who drink and smoke pot... next door. He absolutely either hates them.... (freaks out!) or just loves to bark at them... and boy is he ferocious when barking at them.

Sometimes just talking to neighbors nicely, works.

 

:-)

[Hen]

Remudamom,

 

I think everyone is referring to a single dog, outside alone. Dogs are pack animals, to put them in the backyard alone 98% of the time is cruel, the dog thinks it's been punished for some wrong and slowly becomes neurotic or depressed. I didn't really understand this until we began considering getting a dog recently.

 

The difference in a farm or ranch dog, who has another or several other dogs to pal with is big and not what we are referring to...(at least not me.)

 

I wish this would become more widely thought about...if you are going to keep the dog in the backyard all the time, please, please get 2 dogs so it will not be alone.

 

Someone asked about the crate training, we did this, but only locked her in it when we were gone for a short time for potty-training purposes. She doesn't use it at all now, in fact we got rid of it. If we are gone, she has most of the house and the whole backyard to roam in.

[OnTheBrink]

I have a friend who had this problem. Neighbor's dog would bark at all hours of the night. One time, she called the neighbor's house, and just took the phone outside so he could hear the dog. She said she could hear him yelling and cussing, until he realized it was HIS dog he was hearing over the phone. Then she hear him yelling and cussing at the dog as he brought the dog in! LOL

 

I have a small, inside dog. She goes out several times a day to potty and chase the bunnies (she never gets one; she's leashed). We don't have a fence yet. At night, she's crated or else she'd chase the cats all night long and no one would sleep at all!

[TheTwinsMom1]

This is my pet peeve also. We have two neighbors with barking dogs.

 

One neighbor has a pit bull puppy, she is probably a year old now. They chain her outside and just leave her to bark and bark and bark. I left one note already asking them to please not allow the dog to bark all day and it's a bit better, but they are slipping again.

 

Our other neighbor keeps her dogs outside all the time, when they start barking, they just yell out their door for them to shut up. These are also the people who have a feral cat farm, sigh.

 

Most people comment that they were not even aware that we had dogs, and that is the way it should be.

[momofkhm]

I just recently read that roaming dogs are territorial because in the dogs mind, if the dog can "roam" on/to a certain spot, it *is* their territory. Did that make sense?

 

This makes soo much sense now! There is a dog, I call him demon dog to my family. He is allowed to run off lead around the lake where I run. He doesn't pay me any mind at all when it's just me. But when I run with my dog, he protects the whole park as if it were his own.

[lovemywhirlygirls]

I would not allow my children to stand outside in the middle of the night and rhythmically scream.

 

 

:lol:

[ConnieB]

Check your city ordinance....I can't recall the exact wording, but basically between 10pm and 6am making noise that disturbs your neighbors (be it a party, dog or even revving your motorcycle engine 50 times before you leave your driveway.....errr, sorry got off track) is not ok. Of course, getting the police to come out and tell them to shut up isn't always easy.......but last year we started a neighborhood watch program and therefore have an officer assigned to us. Enough people complained about motorcycle man that the officer finally talked with him....he's better and the dogs don't stay outside and bark anywhere in the neighborhood now because that one got even more complaints than the motorcycle man.

 

I don't mind a little barking....they are dogs after all, and sometimes barking means there is someone who shouldn't be in the alley or whatever, but on and on and on for hours is just not something I'll tolerate, so I do call the police. And so did enough of my neighbors that those with dogs who bark for no reason have finally gotten the message that it's not ok.

 

I would say it has taken 2+ years of complaining and working with the watch officer but I can happily say that it's rare to have a dog going on for more than a few minutes now. Which means it may wake me up....but it's constant barking won't keep me up.

[cin]

When we first moved here our neighbors had babies..er, I mean dogs. Show dogs. 6 of them. They were some kind of yappy terriers. And when they had to tee-tee or poo :rolleyes: (direct quote) they were put out in a little gravel area about 10X10 or so. They barked constantly when they were out. CONSTANTLY. Their potty was pretty much under the bedroom window.

 

DH asked them and they got VERY INDIGNANT and said their dogs never barked. The area was along side the garage. So they WOULDN'T hear it. And they were old. VERY old. And their precious babi..Dogs were such a pain that when we got our dog, and after she was trained, we hung her barker collar in the tree next to their area. It was the kind that emits a high pitched noise. Not a shock. Gee, those dogs were much quieter then. :D

[SonshineLearner]

When we first moved here our neighbors had babies..er, I mean dogs. Show dogs. 6 of them. They were some kind of yappy terriers. And when they had to tee-tee or poo :rolleyes: (direct quote) they were put out in a little gravel area about 10X10 or so. They barked constantly when they were out. CONSTANTLY. Their potty was pretty much under the bedroom window.

 

DH asked them and they got VERY INDIGNANT and said their dogs never barked. The area was along side the garage. So they WOULDN'T hear it. And they were old. VERY old. And their precious babi..Dogs were such a pain that when we got our dog, and after she was trained, we hung her barker collar in the tree next to their area. It was the kind that emits a high pitched noise. Not a shock. Gee, those dogs were much quieter then. :D

 

I forgot that there are these little birdhouses that you can buy that are for "no barking". They are about $25. Oops... $50?? The person who had told me about them said $25... hmmm maybe you can find them on sale??

 

 

http://www.itchmo.com/dog-product-review-pet-safes-ultrasonic-bark-busting-bird-house-3449

 

http://www.discount-pet-superstore.com/bark_control_collars/outdoor_bark_control.htm

:-)

Edited January 19, 2010 by NayfiesMama

[cajunrose]

Big pet peeve of mine. My neighbor has a BIG dog that barks all.day.long while they are at work. They have a doggie door. It's an inside/outside dog. We can't go in the backyard to play at all b/c this dog is SO LOUD..it's very disturbing. We have had problems with it before..same dog..about 7 years ago. I left a note on the door and they were very appreciative that I told them. They had no idea b/c they were at work. They got him a bark collar. No problems after that until now. The last few months have been miserable. He is back to barking.

 

I just got a new puppy and he is a barker so I didn't feel like I had a right to complain until I took care of my problem. I got mine a bark collar yesterday. I'm going to wait a week or so and talk to them. I hope it helps.

 

I know exactly what time they go to work and what time they get home. The dog barks all hours in between.