Please tell me how to deal with neighbor's non-stop barking terrier

[rookie]

I am starting to feel violent. We live in a compact neighborhood within a city. So our yards and homes are close. They used to keep this terrier indoors so at least the barking was muffled by some walls and distance. Now they let the sweet darling out for hours at a time - morning, noon , and night - and she just barks, and barks, and barks.

 

I would like our neighborhood to go back to being quiet. No one else allows their dog(s) to go on and on. Sure, every dog barks sometime, but the owners shush them or take them in until they calm down. Not this one!

 

It makes me mad too because people will say I should go and talk to the neighbor about it nicely and see what they say. What about this? Maybe the neighbor should be a little self-aware and realize that other people do not want their peace disturbed by a yappy little dog. What about the neighbor not putting the burden of being nice on everyone else. What about the neighbor being courteous and realizing that if they do not enjoy listening to their own dog indoors, no one around them wants to listen to their dog outdoors!

 

Can you tell I am fuming? I don't think I could be "nice" right now.:glare::banghead:

[KatieJ]

Yes, you "should" go talk to them first. However, the next phone call is to the police. Most towns have noise ordinance laws. Your can request that the police do not tell them who made the complaint.

 

We lived this problem for years. We spoke with the nieghbors on many occaions over 18 months. Finally we called the police. They were livid. After several more neighbors called the police (THey always assumed it was us, but we were out of the state when the last complaint was made), they did rehome the dog to a farm I believe.

 

:grouphug:

[Alexandra]

I would let the police deal with it if it is that bad.

[KJsMom]

Wasn't there just a thread about one of those stop barking clicky things? Maybe you could suggest that to your neighbors, or just get one yourself and see if it helps. I feel your pain! My neighbors have several dogs. Now they are breeding them. :glare:

[Nestof3]

I would go straight to calling animal control. The owners know the dog barks all the time. If the owner cared in the first place, he or she would do something about it. I am so glad I don't live near a barking dog.

[usetoschool]

In our county Animal Control are the people to call, not the police. They will come out and check on the welfare of the dog and issue the owners a warning or some other kind of paperwork, depending on how your animal control works. If you are friendly with other neighbors I would encourage them to call also so it isn't just one cranky disgruntled neighbor (not that you are that). The dog is obviously not happy and needs some help, poor little guy.

[susankenny]

I would leave a note in the mailbox of your neighbor personally. I would be cordial in it but clear.

 

"Hi,

 

I'm one of your neighbors. I wanted to let you know that your dog's barking has become quite disturbing to our family since it's been outdoors all of the time. Can you please do something about it or I'll have to call animal control. I hope we can take care of this without resorting to that though.

 

Take Care."

 

 

 

Anyway, this is how I would handle it.

 

 

Susan

[3lilreds in NC]

The *right* thing to do is talk to the neighbor first. It could be that the dog was driving them nuts, they put it outside, and no one has said anything so they think no one minds.

 

I'm thinking if you talk to them and then call the police, they will know who called whether the police tell them or not. Maybe not, and maybe it doesn't matter.

 

I lived next door briefly to some very yappy dogs. They barked at me, in my own yard, every time I left the house. I took to standing out in my yard so they could bark their little heads off. It didn't take more than once or twice before they started keeping the dogs inside. Yes, I am that mature, and yes, I would do it again. :D It sounds like their dog barks whether there is anyone out there or not, though, so I don't know if that would help you.

[msjones]

I would leave a note in the mailbox of your neighbor personally. I would be cordial in it but clear.

 

"Hi,

 

I'm one of your neighbors. I wanted to let you know that your dog's barking has become quite disturbing to our family since it's been outdoors all of the time. Can you please do something about it or I'll have to call animal control. I hope we can take care of this without resorting to that though.

 

Take Care."

 

 

 

Anyway, this is how I would handle it.

 

 

Susan

 

I agree with this idea.

 

Although I might state the problem a little more strongly. "The incessant barking is extremely irritating." Or, "we're becoming more and more angry about listening to Cupcake's never-ending barking."

 

I have dark, ugly feelings about my next-door neighbor's terrier.

 

Good luck. I do not understand what is wrong with dog-owners of this sort.

[Jkodman]

I sympathize. We had a similar situation with dachshunds (weiner) dogs that live behind us. When we first moved in the older couple behind us had 2 annoying ones and then moved. Now about 4 years later the house sold again and now another older couple moved in w/2 dachsunds that bark! (Sensing some sort of pattern here.) Luckily, after a few "exchanges" with the couple the problem has decreased dramatically. I feel your pain - no offense to dachshund lovers but they are not my favorite dogs.

Edited June 16, 2010 by Jkodman
spelling

[StephanieZ]

Well, if you don't feel OK talking to the neighbors first, you could go straight to Plan B and call the cops. Sounds like a nuisance to me, and there is probably some ordinance about it. The cops will likely be willing to stop by and give a talk to the neighbors. . . and if they don't/won't get the dog to quiet down, then the police would presumably, eventually, ticket them into compliance.

 

I love, love, love dogs and have four . . . But I think that allowing a dog to bark incessantly is very unneighborly. You're anger is justified, and you deserve some peace and quiet.

[musicmommy]

I would second (third?) the note if you don't want to talk to them first. We have a beagle with separation anxiety and had no idea how much noise he was making while we were gone. He would be in the garage while we were gone and I guess he was howling away. One day, we came home to a notice from animal control and then they stopped by later that day. Since he was actually in our home, there was nothing they could do, but encouraged us to try and find a solution.

 

For us, it was very frustrating to not have been approached by a neighbor, even anonymously. We live in a quiet neighborhood and truly thought that we had good relationships with everyone. By just being reported to animal control, it made us question who it was and why they would rather we get in trouble instead of just dealing with the situation.

[Tina]

The college girl behind us used to leave her dog out while she worked the night shift, and it barked all night. I think it was afraid of the dark! Anyway, I told her about it, and apparently she got rid of the dog. I didn't mean for her to do that, just to leave it indoors at night!

[In the Rain]

I agree that barking dogs are super irritating. I do want to say though that the neighbor may not realize how irritating it is for other people. We usually have a quiet house, no TV, no radio. When dh went to the neighbors and asked them to let their dog in, he had to ring the bell several times because their TV was on. Given their level of household noise, they apparently couldn't hear the dog as well as we could. :tongue_smilie:

[Haiku]

When I was pregnant with my first child we lived in an apartment building underneath some people that had a yappy little dog. They went to work every day and left the yappy dog alone. It yapped all. day. long.

 

I put a note on their door that said, "This is your dog" with a picture of a nice, placid-looking dog. Under that I wote, "This is your dog barking ALL DAY LONG while you are gone" with a picture of a yapping dog. Then I wrote, "Any questions?" (This was a play on the "This is your brain on drugs" ads.)

 

The problem resolved itself with surprising speed. :D

 

Tara

[2cents]

I would go straight to calling animal control. The owners know the dog barks all the time. If the owner cared in the first place, he or she would do something about it. I am so glad I don't live near a barking dog.

 

In our city if a dog barks non-stop like that for at least 15 min you can call in a report to Animal Control. TIP-some will not respond unless at least 2 people call in (so enlist a friend). :)

[Cheryl in NM]

BB gun!

[WTMindy]

Do you want my solution or my husband's? His might land you in prison, so I'll give you mine. :-) I would just keep talking to them about it. Dh has been known to call our neighbor in the middle of the night to shut their dogs up. However, they got MUCH better after we politely, but regularly, complained.

 

And, we moved, so now we don't ever hear them!

[hornblower]

Do you have a municipal ordinance about nuisance barking?

 

If you think they might not be aware that their dog is a nuisance barker, then I'd print out the ordinance from the municipal site, highlight the relevant section & shove it in their mailbox with a note saying - Please help your dog be a good neighbour! The barking is becoming annoying!

 

I think it really depends on the people & how you think they'd respond. If it's people who are good natured and well meaning, then I'd also try to help them with training suggestions & management solutions (bring the dog inside! Exercise it! Give it attention!) or, if they can't meet the animal's needs, I'd help them re-home it with my rescue contacts :)

 

Hwvr, I have one set of neighbours who are J.E.R.K.S. and I never bother talking to them about anything - they'll just turn around & do something else to annoy everyone even further b/e they're of 'king of my castle & you can't tell me what to do' persuasion. With these folks it's either do nothing or sic city hall on them for every infraction.

 

So, if you think they're just jerks, I'd call animal control & have them come out.

[gpsings]

BB gun!

 

:iagree:

:lol:

We have dogs behind us (pit bulls) who bark and snarl viciously every time we walk near their side of the fence. It's a little scary, and I don't know the answer, but I think the note in the mailbox might be worth a try. It sucks, because you don't want to make enemies, but then...maybe they won't take it personally. ;)

[Guest bookwormmama]

As a dog owner myself of a terrier, I would also be offended if someone called animal control but did not bother to come talk to me first. We are almost always home though and never let our dog outside alone anyways. She has separation anxiety pretty badly and she is small {she's a terrier} and can escape like Houdini and dig, so we keep a very good eye on her. Animals of this size should not be left outside all day.

Dogs like these are NOT outside dogs and need to be inside with people. It could be that these owners are not aware of that or are gone during the day at work. You don't know the situation.

I would call/go over and talk to the neighbor politely {once you calm down} and talk to them about how the barking is driving you all batty and politely ask/inquire about the situation. Find out if they have/know about their particular breeds needs and how they do bark at everything {that is their nature} so they need to be inside if they are going to be barking all the time and that they need to be inside with people.

If that doesn't work and they aren't willing to make any changes at all, you can let them know that you will have to call Animal Control if it doesn't get resolved because it is disturbing your peace. If they don't make changes {I think they should be given a fair amount of time to make changes} then call Animal Control. Yes it may be uncomfortable for you to have to go talk to them, but you don't know the situation and it's too easy to judge. Also, they might be more than willing to accomodate and feel terrible about it. Avoiding involving the police unless you have to may mean better relations with your neighbors.

 

Just a suggestion.

[hornblower]

I just need to say that anyone suggesting harming the dogs is in my books as bad a person as the owners who are not being responsible about ensuring the animals in their care are not a nuisance.

 

I think that's an awful thing to suggest. There's nothing funny about it. :glare: And the rescue I volunteer for has had dogs come in with wounds from being shot - awful. Pellets will get lodged very deeply in their tissues & it can be very difficult to get them out.

[JFSinIL]

First off, I am sure that they know their dog barks incessantly - that is why they have booted him outside! BUT - it is up to them to control the dog or get rid of it. Not fair to make all the neighbors suffer. So, yes, let them know that, gee, their dog is barking uncontrollably and disturbing the neighborhood. If they can not control the animal (or keep it inside again) you will have to contact the authorities. Say it nicely, but firmly. Make sure they know that no one wants their days (or nights) ruined by the dog.

 

I might add - were it me, I would prefer to have my neighbor come talk to me in person rather than put a note in my mailbox. A note can seem impersonal and threatening, and I'd be less likely to respond in a positive fashion. A neighbor calmly noting that "Golly, little Rexie-Poo sure is LOUD for such a small dog - have you figured out how to control the barking?" to start a conversation would make me feel more willing to do something about my dog.

Edited June 16, 2010 by JFSinIL

[Jen500]

BB gun!

 

I think this suggestion is sick and depraved.

 

I think animal cruelty is sick and depraved. We have a wonderful, sweet rescue dog who came to us with one eye blind and malformed from abuse...and oh yeah, some bb pellets lodged in his chest.

[Love2Smile]

Yes, you "should" go talk to them first. However, the next phone call is to the police. Most towns have noise ordinance laws. Your can request that the police do not tell them who made the complaint.

 

We lived this problem for years. We spoke with the nieghbors on many occaions over 18 months. Finally we called the police. They were livid. After several more neighbors called the police (THey always assumed it was us, but we were out of the state when the last complaint was made), they did rehome the dog to a farm I believe.

 

:grouphug:

I completely disagree with talking to the neighbors first. It will cause major problems for you trust me, especially if they do nothing and then you call the police/animal control. They will know YOU did it and then a neighbor "war" will begin. IMO you should handle this annonymously, go to animal control, the police, whoever and not let the neighbors know it is YOU! Really...trust me, I have had numerous experiences with this and as my husband is in Law enforcement this is the advice he'd give you

[Love2Smile]

as to the BB gun suggestion, I prefer pepper spray, one quick spray thru the fence and viola!

Edited June 16, 2010 by Love2Smile

[OnTheBrink]

I have a terrier, and she does bark! I don't keep her outside, though. She's pampered. LOL

 

Anyway, I think I've posted this here before, but a friend of mine had to deal with a barking dog. Apparently the neighbor was a grumpy old man and not open to a dialog. So, one night, when the dog was barkingbarkingbarking, she called the neighbor and took her phone outside, so the neighbor heard his dog bark over the phone! She said the man was angry and cussing at the dog, but the dog was not left outside at night after that! So, it worked, and no confrontation was needed.

[Dana]

I completely disagree with talking to the neighbors first. It will cause major problems for you trust me, especially if they do nothing and then you call the police/animal control. They will know YOU did it and then a neighbor "war" will begin. IMO you should handle this annonymously, go to animal control, the police, whoever and not let the neighbors know it is YOU! Really...trust me, I have had numerous experiences with this and as my husband is in Law enforcement this is the advice he'd give you

 

:iagree:... strongly.

 

We had a really really nasty situation with neighbors last year.

My husband wanted to talk with them and keep dialog open.

They ended up getting a restraining order on him because he'd go over and ask them to take the dog in at 11 pm after it had been barking while they were out (for hours... dh convinced me not to call the police). :glare:

 

Thankfully they've moved at this point.

 

We did have a month of hell with the dog barking for hours (both day and night) and police involvement (code enforcement officer went by a couple of times). They were mistreating the dog (puppy - left outside for about 10 hours alone at a stretch and left outside overnight). If we had just called initially and not talked to them about it, we wouldn't have had the same issues.

 

If you have a good relationship with them, I'd talk with them first. If you are just passing acquaintances or aren't friendly, call.

 

For those of you who would take care of your dogs and would prefer to be spoken with first, I'm glad to hear of good dog owners. Unfortunately, I have had a few really bad experiences and those owners who don't take care of their dogs make it too risky to address with the owner first, IMO.

[Mejane]

Are you friendly with any other neighbors? If it's bothering you, chances are good it's bothering them, too. If several of you call animal control to complain, it will be taken more seriously.

[happygrrl]

Is anyone else singing "God Loves a Terrier" from Best in Show?

[Supertechmom]

We had a problem like this when my daughter was little. Her room was right by the neighbor's fence and they would let their dogs bark for HOURS! Finally, we put a letter in the mailbox (because they would never answer the door). Didn't work. So we sent them a certified letter outlining the steps we would take if they didn't address the problem. Didn't work. So we called Animal Control each and every time the dogs barked and mailed them a copy of our certified letter. After about a week, the Animal Control officer put some sort of warning summons on their door. Didn't work. Finally, after another week of calls to Animal Control, the police AND Animal Control showed up and took the dogs. I guess the owners never wanted the dogs back because we never had a problem after that. This was in West Texas so the rules in your state about nuisance barking may be different.

 

We have a problem with roving boxer/pit bull mixes next door. The owners learned that as long as you only have so many violations per period, they can't take it that far.:tongue_smilie: SO the dogs stay locked up and once or twice every so often are allowed to roam. Which means they run barking and growling into my garage when I open it and attack us. We beat them off with a scooter last time. My son just managed to grab the 4 year old and toss her backwards before the dog could snap her face. She ran into the house while he busted dogs with the scooter and I tried to figure out what to do with an infant and help scare off the dogs and save my son. The neighbor just called them back and didn't say anything. Animal control says their hands are tied unless I can get solid proof like a video of the attacks since they claim their dogs are never lose. I'm long past BB guns, pepper spray, and animal control. :glare: Record the barking and take proof when you complain. That may speed things up as to getting it taken care off.

[KatieJ]

I completely disagree with talking to the neighbors first. It will cause major problems for you trust me, especially if they do nothing and then you call the police/animal control. They will know YOU did it and then a neighbor "war" will begin. IMO you should handle this annonymously, go to animal control, the police, whoever and not let the neighbors know it is YOU! Really...trust me, I have had numerous experiences with this and as my husband is in Law enforcement this is the advice he'd give you

 

That is why I put "should" in quotes. We felt we should, we did, they didn't care of the problem and then they were furious with us for calling the police.

I believe I would call the police first if it happened again.

[Danestress]

God might love them, but frankly ..... I am not a big fan:)

 

I agree, though, with talking to the neighbors first. It's the right thing to do, and you should never let someone's choices affect whether you do the right thing. You do the right thing, then if they don't respond appropriately, you do the next right thing, which is calling authorities. But I always tell my children that you should never let someone else make you feel like you "have" to do something that seems second best. I honestly think you call the neighbors, you tell them what the problem is, and then you tell them that if they don't stop the dog, you will let the authorities know. Then you do it.

 

I've learned over the years that other people are not bothered by noise the way I am. I couldn't stand the barking dog for 10 minutes, let alone days or weeks. But other people are just wired differently, and it's only right to tell them, "I am having a problem with this" and let them correct it - or not.

Edited June 16, 2010 by Danestress

[weaver_67579]

BB gun!

 

Animal Cruelty is never Ok - even if it is barking non-stop. why would you punish the poor dog anyway when it is the irresponsible owners who are the ones to blame? Is is OK to harm a little dog just because someone doesn't want to talk to the owners?

 

Comments like this are sick

 

Jeanette-

Obedience instructor and owner of 2 rescued formerly abused dogs.

[weaver_67579]

as to the BB gun suggestion, I prefer pepper spray, one quick spray thru the fence and viola!

 

You just might make a dog form some agression issues with you if you do these things. In fact, I know some dogs personally that had people cruelly use these things on them and that then formed hatreds of 1. BB-gun hated kids particularly pre-teen and teen boys (gee I wonder who shot poor Winston ?) 2. and the mail man-my best friend saw the said mailman reach over several fences and mace all dogs-even though not a single dog could reach him and many were not even barking. Oh - he called the post office and complained about him and I think he was fired-only after ruining some dog's opinions of the mail carrier.

[weaver_67579]

and have done in dealing with neighbors with obnoxious dogs....

 

I do talk to them directly. I let them know exactly what the dog is doing and when. I make sure I let them know that I am bringing it up in the best interest of the dog as well as the people involved. In most cases, I have also offered training advice.

 

If the owner is a jerk and personal contact is likely to cause issues, I like the idea of a letter. Mail it instead of putting it in the mailbox. First, someone may see you putting it there anyway. Second, I think it is illegal to put stuff in the mailbox that is not a stamped letter that hasn't gone through processing. I would let them know in the letter that after some period of time, the authorities will be called. (I am a sucker for critter so if I did call the authorities, I would also likely call some rescue to get the dog out of the shelter if the owners did not repo it-if the dog is suitable for re-homing-gee, I might pick it up myself)

 

I think it is rude to not give the people a chance to make it right. Yes-it is rude to let your dog bark constantly-but they may not know it is so bad-or may not be home much of the time to hear it. Inside my log house-I would not hear my dogs with the windows closed or the TV on. Just because they are rude-or at least clueless-does not make it right to be so back and the poor animal may suffer for the ignorance of the people.

 

Do give them some time to deal with the dog. Some dogs/breeds/types are prone to giving voice and they may be harder to train not to. Good training may take a while. If they seem to be working at it, give it some time.

[Cheryl in NM]

I just need to say that anyone suggesting harming the dogs is in my books as bad a person as the owners who are not being responsible about ensuring the animals in their care are not a nuisance.

 

I think that's an awful thing to suggest. There's nothing funny about it. :glare: And the rescue I volunteer for has had dogs come in with wounds from being shot - awful. Pellets will get lodged very deeply in their tissues & it can be very difficult to get them out.

 

BB guns do NOT shoot pellets. Pellet guns have alot more power than a cheap little BB gun. BB's do NOT get lodged under the skin when administered properly. Using a BB gun is at least as effective as a bark collar, which administers electroshock therapy.

 

I think this suggestion is sick and depraved.

 

I think animal cruelty is sick and depraved. We have a wonderful, sweet rescue dog who came to us with one eye blind and malformed from abuse...and oh yeah, some bb pellets lodged in his chest.

 

Animal Cruelty is never Ok - even if it is barking non-stop. why would you punish the poor dog anyway when it is the irresponsible owners who are the ones to blame? Is is OK to harm a little dog just because someone doesn't want to talk to the owners?

 

Comments like this are sick

 

Jeanette-

Obedience instructor and owner of 2 rescued formerly abused dogs.

 

It is called "training", NOT animal cruelty or punishment. A BB is not any worse than a shock collar. Spend some time in the country and deal with these nuisance animals then see how you feel. Sometimes a person is forced to train their neighbor's animals.

 

You just might make a dog form some agression issues with you if you do these things. In fact, I know some dogs personally that had people cruelly use these things on them and that then formed hatreds of 1. BB-gun hated kids particularly pre-teen and teen boys (gee I wonder who shot poor Winston ?) 2. and the mail man-my best friend saw the said mailman reach over several fences and mace all dogs-even though not a single dog could reach him and many were not even barking. Oh - he called the post office and complained about him and I think he was fired-only after ruining some dog's opinions of the mail carrier.

 

We have treated our neighbors and our own dogs this way with NO signs of aggression. As with any training technique there is a proper administration. Of course, there are bad apples in every group.

 

You stand in your doorway or outside, but away from your neighbor's fence, aim the BB gun at the dog's rear end. It will hurt them less than a barking collar. You will condition the dog, if it's smart, it will quit barking when you open your door. You could also fill an aluminum soda can with BBs or other noisy objects and throw it at the fence when the dog starts barking. If your neighbor refuses to train his dog and it's bothering you this much you might need to sit out in your yard to train the dog. Every time he starts barking administer a deterrent. Of course, if he's barking for a reason you wouldn't want to deter him; it IS his job.

 

By the way, all you nay-sayers: I'm sure you could have voiced your opinions in a more diplomatic way with out the denigration.:glare: You were really very rude.

[hornblower]

I don't use electric shock collars in my training either as I also believe these to be inhumane.

 

Shock collars are banned in many jurisdictions in Europe & strongly discouraged by AVMA & other professional organizations this side of the Atlantic.

 

 

 

I still find your suggestion to shoot with a bb gun shocking & the suggestion that they don't pierce skin is, I think, misleading. The wiki entry on this is clear:

 

"A 0.177 projectile fired above 350 ft/s (110 m/s) has skin piercing capability, and the potential can exist for delivering a fatal injury; this potential increases with velocity, but also rapidly decreases with distance. The effective penetrating range of a BB gun with a muzzle velocity of 400-600fps is +/- 60'/ 30mts . A person wearing jeans at this distance would not sustain any serious injury. However even at this distance a BB still might penetrate bare skin, and even if not, could leave a severe and painful bruise. The maximum range of a BB gun in the 400-600fps range is 240-350 yards given the muzzle is elevated to the optimum angle."

 

Just curious - would you be ok with me shooting one these at a mostly naked (say going swimming) child?

[Cheryl in NM]

I don't use electric shock collars in my training either as I also believe these to be inhumane.

 

Shock collars are banned in many jurisdictions in Europe & strongly discouraged by AVMA & other professional organizations this side of the Atlantic.

 

 

 

I still find your suggestion to shoot with a bb gun shocking & the suggestion that they don't pierce skin is, I think, misleading. The wiki entry on this is clear:

 

"A 0.177 projectile fired above 350 ft/s (110 m/s) has skin piercing capability, and the potential can exist for delivering a fatal injury; this potential increases with velocity, but also rapidly decreases with distance. The effective penetrating range of a BB gun with a muzzle velocity of 400-600fps is +/- 60'/ 30mts . A person wearing jeans at this distance would not sustain any serious injury. However even at this distance a BB still might penetrate bare skin, and even if not, could leave a severe and painful bruise. The maximum range of a BB gun in the 400-600fps range is 240-350 yards given the muzzle is elevated to the optimum angle."

 

Just curious - would you be ok with me shooting one these at a mostly naked (say going swimming) child?

 

I have many years experience and I've never found a BB under my dog's skin. Notice where wikki says that the velocity "rapidly decreases with distance". Look at my previous post and I recommended being away from the dog, not up close. Dog's hide are much thicker than a humans so you can't even equate it with a "mostly naked" person. You cannot reason with dogs. In the wild, they growl and bite each other to control each other. It only makes sense that humans wishing to train dogs would emulate that behavior. Even domesticated animals act in an instinctual nature.

[kalanamak]

Many cities forbid the firing of BB guns in city limits. If someone shot at my dog, or at my property, I'd be calling the police immediately, and I don't call for every little thing.

[hornblower]

Dog's hide are much thicker than a humans so you can't even equate it with a "mostly naked" person.

 

 

 

Many dogs have very thin & fragile skins. Greyhounds are one. My hunting setter actually has very thin skin & will gouge & scratch himself on brambles.

 

My malamute X has such a thick coat that you cannot even see her skin.... so it depends.

 

You cannot reason with dogs. In the wild, they growl and bite each other to control each other. It only makes sense that humans wishing to train dogs would emulate that behavior.

 

I'm not sure if I'm "reasoning" with my dogs but I do train my dogs to high levels of obedience without force. Tons of people do. I was just at an agility regional championship & these dogs are trained to extremely high levels of obedience without aversives. Some of the highest ranking dogs there also compete in herding, formal obedience, rally & freestyle.

[Cheryl in NM]

I guess I should be more specific. I use a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun. Here are some facts from Daisy's website. It's maximum muzzle velocity if 350 fps uses a .177 (4.5mm) BB and it's maximum shooting distance is 196 yds.

 

Again, I recommended being far away from the animal and aiming at it's rear end. At my home I am usually 100 - 150 yds from the animal I am shooting at.

 

If shooting a BB gun is undesirable in the OP's situation, an aluminum can with some BBs or other small metal or rock pieces thrown at the fence while the dog is barking might halt the situation.

[Cheryl in NM]

I'm not sure if I'm "reasoning" with my dogs but I do train my dogs to high levels of obedience without force. Tons of people do. I was just at an agility regional championship & these dogs are trained to extremely high levels of obedience without aversives. Some of the highest ranking dogs there also compete in herding, formal obedience, rally & freestyle.

 

What are your methods of training? What would you recommend in this situation?

 

I am respectfully asking, not being snarky.

[cajunrose]

I'll also say that you need to talk to them...and only b/c I have dealt with it just like you are describing. The owners were hardly ever home and they had NO idea 1 of their 5 dogs was barking all.the.time. I was like you...starting to feel violent...throwing antifreeze over the fence crossed my mind (not that I would EVER do that but that's what this stupid HUGE dog's barks had done to me). I dealt with it for well over a year. It actually brought me to tears. There was NO place in my home I could go to get away from it.

 

I was walking around the block and happened to see said neighbor outside. I pleaded with him to do something about it. He apologized profusly and said that he had NO idea his dog was doing that and that he would take care of it. A week later, it stopped. I thought he got rid of the dog...turns out that he just got a bark collar for her and it ended.

 

Fast forward 7 years...SAME dog starts barking. Driving me BATTY. I could see it was the same dog by just peaking over the fence. I dealth with it for 4 months or so and then went and knocked on his door. He said "Oh, well...I thought she had outgrown the barking so we took her collar off." I asked him if it was about 4 months ago. He replied that yes, it was about 4 months ago. I told him that she had NOT grown out of it. He said no problem and put her collar back on her daily. Now we have NO issues. Peace and quiet! Moral of the story...talking to them can't hurt. Just try it!

[hornblower]

I clicker train my dogs.

 

I did post further up about what I'd do in this situation.

 

If the owner is not willing to change things & if I were out of the city limits & had no recourse to the authorities to compel the neighbour to make changes, I'd probably consider sneaking the dog to my side of the fence & start training. :)

 

If I WERE going to get annoyed enough to inflict pain on someone, it would be the owners :D

 

In another thread recently someone mentioned the ultrasonic noise makers which can work to stop dogs barking. This, again, is an aversive. IF someone was desperate, I think I'd consider that a better option than either a shock collar or shooting the dog with a bb gun.

[Cheryl in NM]

I clicker train my dogs.

 

I did post further up about what I'd do in this situation.

 

If the owner is not willing to change things & if I were out of the city limits & had no recourse to the authorities to compel the neighbour to make changes, I'd probably consider sneaking the dog to my side of the fence & start training. :)

 

If I WERE going to get annoyed enough to inflict pain on someone, it would be the owners :D

 

In another thread recently someone mentioned the ultrasonic noise makers which can work to stop dogs barking. This, again, is an aversive. IF someone was desperate, I think I'd consider that a better option than either a shock collar or shooting the dog with a bb gun.

 

Yes, I read how you would handle this situation. But you didn't answer my question about how you train dogs.

 

We live in the country. The neighbor's dogs were always coming over, knocking over our trash and spreading the contents, including dirty diapers, all over our yard. We could not find an effective way to secure our trash; we don't have a garage. We spoke to our neighbors repeatedly and then did nothing. We called animal control and the sherif and they both told us they could do nothing because we were in the county. So we started with the BB gun. The dogs learned to stay away. Another time, when we lived in town, our nieghbors had a dog on a dog run that barked all night long every night. Again, when we talked to them, they were not interested in taking care of their animal. Animal control did nothing because they wouldn't come out at night. The BB made the dog quit barking.

 

Our dogs get in the horse pen and start barking at the horses and rushing at their feet. I know our dogs would not hurt our horses, but I don't want dog or horse getting hurt. Sometimes the dogs quit when I yell, but when they hear the BB gun they quit. If I DO have to shoot them with the BB gun, they stay away from the horses for a few weeks.

 

I still don't think a BB gun hurts them (at the distance I'm shooting from) very much at all. Also, I don't always hit them, sometimes I miss, but they get the idea. Now if I say "no horses" and show them the BB gun, they behave.

 

I'd be interested in hearing your training methods in general and how you would handle the above situations. If you don't mind.

[hornblower]

Hi Cheryl -

 

Oh I'm so bummed! I typed up a long answer & my laptop crashed!!!! :glare:

 

I have to go out right now so I won't get back to this till tomorrow but the basics are to manage environment & teach solid obedience.

 

I'll get back to this as soon as I can. I love blabbing about training :D

[Cheryl in NM]

Hi Cheryl -

 

Oh I'm so bummed! I typed up a long answer & my laptop crashed!!!! :glare:

 

I have to go out right now so I won't get back to this till tomorrow but the basics are to manage environment & teach solid obedience.

 

I'll get back to this as soon as I can. I love blabbing about training :D

 

Aww! I hate that too! Thanks!

[specialmama]

I have not read all the replies, so forgive me if this has been mentioned already. In many areas, this neighbour is breaking a city by-law in regards to excessive noise pollution. I have phoned the police and city officials and the dog quieted down. Did I talk to them first? Nope. But I DID write a note and put it in their mailbox... then I quickly snuck away before they saw me. :tongue_smilie: The note said something like this:

Dear Neighbour,

I'm sure you are aware that this community of houses are close together. I'm sure you are also aware that there is a great, diverse population. There are many people living here who are finding it hard to enjoy their solitude with the barking of your dog. For example, a lady down the street is a senior who naps frequently. Another man has cancer and is spending his last few months at home. So-and-so just had a baby and is trying to nap when baby naps and have baby sleep during the night without waking. Mr. ABC works shift-work and is having a hard time sleeping at any time of day. Mrs. Blank has a hearing aid which she must turn off much of the time.

As you can see, the noise is becoming bothersome to many people. If you are unwilling or unable to control your dog, you do have options. You could take them to the vet for a very simple surgery, called "de-barking". You could enlist the help of a doggy boot-camp trainer. You could, also, do nothing. I hope you will consider one of the first options, because frankly, as your neighbour, if you do not stop that dog from barking, further action will be taken to legally take care of the matter.

We do appreciate your kind consideration toward your neighbours in this matter.

Sincerely,

a tired neighbour

 

 

I did not sign the letter. I did make up some of the above scenarios, but how can we all know that everyone is well and does not require quiet? We can't... so I did a lot of pretending. The point is, the dog was quiet from then on (after the warning of the note and then a call to the city a few days later.) ;)

 

If all else fails, a BB gun might be in order. And maybe not for the dog! :tongue_smilie:

Edited June 17, 2010 by specialmama

[Tohru]

I would leave a note in the mailbox of your neighbor personally. I would be cordial in it but clear.

 

 

Anyway, this is how I would handle it.

 

 

It is a FEDERAL OFFENSE to touch some one else's mailbox without their explicit permission. Do not touch their mailbox, ever. Tape a note on their door, on their car, wherever, but never, never, never touch some one else's mailbox.

 

As ridiculous as it sounds, it is a prison sentence if they were to catch you and report you.