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If you really like your house and neighborhood it might be worth it to you to invest in a privacy fence that has some sort of sound buffer in it. You will need to get a contractor to do this but the elimination of sound has become a major industry. It will cost you, but it will buy you peace of mind. You can plant a fast-growing juniper like Thuja Green to make the fence more attractive--and buffer the sound even more.
Most sound travels on the direct horizontil path. Obviously, you can't live in a cave so the fence will only reach so high--but it should be high enough 8-10 feet to eliminate much of the noise. Also, if the dogs cannot see activity in your yard it will help.
From past experience I know it is usually not productive to deal with the type of people your neighbors are--of course, they may move--but who will be your new neighbors.
Another suggestion is to have a water-feature in your yard to muffle some of the sound. The fence with sound-proofing is really the best suggestion and it will enhance the value of your property. Any decent contractor can put you in touch with the proper sound engineer. This is becoming really big business--sound control, panels, white noise, et. al. Investigate it. Spend a few extra thousand dollars for your mental sanity if you must.
Directing sound towards your neighbor or the dogs themselves is likely to lead to neurosis or a law suit. It is best to handle things entirely on your end. I speak from experience. I also know that such people usually are rather transient and move away--but how long will they stay--and will you get new ones that are noisy, too. Many people spend all their time sealed up indoors with music or video blaring inside. They do not really hear their own backyard dogs. Or they are simply not at home. Lots of Baby Boomers are simply rather deaf from listening to loud music in their youth.
Our friends are having a huge problem with neighbor's dogs attacking fence to try to get at their dogs or anyone in the yard. They share this fence, and they have talked to the neighbor to no avail. The neighbor's dogs lunge at the fence repeatedly, all day long, barking, digging and agitating friends' dogs and people. The neighbor is new, and it is his dogs starting the problems. There have never been problems with friends' dogs and other neighbors' dogs. What can they do? If these dogs get through the fence, there will be a huge dog fight or someone could be bitten. Oddly enough, these are very aggressive (and irritatingly loud) little dogs and not even a typically feisty breed. Does anyone have any ideas? Thank you for your help!
First off, I have to say that it's not really the breed that matters, it's the owner.. most of the time anyway! My husband and I own three American Pit Bull Terriers and even though they are a family breed and one of the most stable, people-friendly breeds in existence, people tend to assume that they are mean, aggressive dogs because a lot of the time people will buy this breed for all the wrong reasons, like to train them to be mean and fight them. All three of ours have been properly raised, trained and socialized and my husband and I are good, responsible, respectful owners so our dogs are wonderful, friendly dogs! The lab/ shepherd mix that lives across the street from us is one of the most aggressive dogs I have ever seen! He ran over into our yard and attacked our male APBT one day! Anyway, my point is, a lot of people would assume that the lab/ shepherd mix would be more friendly than our APBTs simply because of the breed(s), but it really all depends on the owner. Okay, I know that was a little off topic, sorry! Anyway, as for your friends neighbors, if this is really a problem I would suggest that they call animal services and/ or the police and file a complaint anytime something happens! The sad thing is that normally no one will do anything about stuff like this until someone or something has gotten hurt, but if you complain enough they might do something.. Hopefully! I wish I could be of more help, but that's really all I can think of. Good luck!
Out of curiosity, what did the neighbors say when your friend approached them? Was there any possible opening like they didn't know what to do or they didn't understand the problem? Would they be open to a sit-down and some sutble education about the needs of their dogs and or some ideas about how if their dogs got some training that perhaps you could set up play sessions for them? Or maybe they think they made a mistake and would be open to rehoming suggestions??
Out of curiosity, what did the neighbors say when your friend approached them? Was there any possible opening like they didn't know what to do or they didn't understand the problem? Would they be open to a sit-down and some sutble education about the needs of their dogs and or some ideas about how if their dogs got some training that perhaps you could set up play sessions for them? Or maybe they think they made a mistake and would be open to rehoming suggestions??
Wonderful post! That is a great idea. It does kind of sound like the neighbors need a little education on how to be a good dog owner, what their specific breed needs and just what dogs in general need. I wonder what breed they have? Scholar, do you by any chance know what breed the dogs are?
Thanks everyone for the renewed interest in the topic.
Here's the update: Our friends did try to speak to the new neighbor -- to no avail. The conversation started with the perfect opening. The dogs had broken through the front of their fence, trying to get at our friends, who were in their own front yard. However, our friends did the right thing and stopped up the hole. The dogs revealed their true natures when the hole was being stopped up. One of the dogs was actually half way through the hole and had to be nudged back into the neighbor's yard. It didn't bite or growl during the process. So, our friends began to question the dogs' motives for their bad behavior. (See result 3 for follow-up to this.) Anyway, the stopped up hole gave our friends the perfect opening for the conversation.
1) Months later, the hole is still not fixed and is still plugged with our friends' paver.
2) The neighbor, of course, never took the dogs to obedience training.
3) Turns out that the dogs are very starved for attention, and they are just overly excited to have any interaction. They have started to respond to our friends' commands to settle down and quit barking (at least occasionally). The dogs have even started to silently peek through the fence in hopes that someone will give them love through the fence. Of course, these silent appeals for affection are always rewarded with kind words through the knot holes.
It is a terrible situation, but it isn't anything that qualifies for a report to authorities. At least we know the dogs probably won't attack, and now that they are starting to listen to people on the other side of their fence, the barking may eventually get to an acceptable level. So sad! Thanks again everyone!
Thanks everyone for the renewed interest in the topic.
Here's the update: Our friends did try to speak to the new neighbor -- to no avail. The conversation started with the perfect opening. The dogs had broken through the front of their fence, trying to get at our friends, who were in their own front yard. However, our friends did the right thing and stopped up the hole. The dogs revealed their true natures when the hole was being stopped up. One of the dogs was actually half way through the hole and had to be nudged back into the neighbor's yard. It didn't bite or growl during the process. So, our friends began to question the dogs' motives for their bad behavior. (See result 3 for follow-up to this.) Anyway, the stopped up hole gave our friends the perfect opening for the conversation.
1) Months later, the hole is still not fixed and is still plugged with our friends' paver.
2) The neighbor, of course, never took the dogs to obedience training.
3) Turns out that the dogs are very starved for attention, and they are just overly excited to have any interaction. They have started to respond to our friends' commands to settle down and quit barking (at least occasionally). The dogs have even started to silently peek through the fence in hopes that someone will give them love through the fence. Of course, these silent appeals for affection are always rewarded with kind words through the knot holes.
It is a terrible situation, but it isn't anything that qualifies for a report to authorities. At least we know the dogs probably won't attack, and now that they are starting to listen to people on the other side of their fence, the barking may eventually get to an acceptable level. So sad! Thanks again everyone!
That's good to hear. Well, it's good that the dogs aren't as aggressive as originally thought, but it's horrible that their owners don't give them attention! Dogs are pack animals and they have to be with their pack to be happy. I can't even imagine just leaving our dogs outside like that!
Our friends are having a huge problem with neighbor's dogs attacking fence to try to get at their dogs or anyone in the yard. They share this fence, and they have talked to the neighbor to no avail. The neighbor's dogs lunge at the fence repeatedly, all day long, barking, digging and agitating friends' dogs and people. The neighbor is new, and it is his dogs starting the problems. There have never been problems with friends' dogs and other neighbors' dogs. What can they do? If these dogs get through the fence, there will be a huge dog fight or someone could be bitten. Oddly enough, these are very aggressive (and irritatingly loud) little dogs and not even a typically feisty breed. Does anyone have any ideas? Thank you for your help!
Their are ways to stop this problem and put a end to it right now. before someone gets hurt or maybe killed.
Is it out of the question to use a water hose? Everytime the dogs bark... shoot it with a hose (if they don't like it). I have also heard of devices that can be used to curb barking... i.e. one's that emit a subsonic sound that is pressed everytime one passes by a fence - I heard it's irritating enough to make a dog stop doing certain things. Just an idea...
Electric fences are illegal in most residential areas per codes.
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The lab/ shepherd mix that lives across the street from us is one of the most aggressive dogs I have ever seen! He ran over into our yard and attacked our male APBT one day! 
Anyway, my point is, a lot of people would assume that the lab/ shepherd mix would be more friendly than our APBTs simply because of the breed(s), but it really all depends on the owner. Okay, I know that was a little off topic, sorry! Anyway, as for your friends neighbors, if this is really a problem I would suggest that they call animal services and/ or the police and file a complaint anytime something happens! The sad thing is that normally no one will do anything about stuff like this until someone or something has gotten hurt, but if you complain enough they might do something.. Hopefully! 
I wish I could be of more help, but that's really all I can think of. Good luck!
Thanks everyone for the renewed interest in the topic. 
Dogs are pack animals and they have to be with their pack to be happy. I can't even imagine just leaving our dogs outside like that! 
