Neighbor's Barking Dog (terriers, skin, training, noise)

[mstnghu2]

So, here's the situation.

I've been renting a house for a little over a year in a neighborhood that I really like. My wife and I have been very happy here so far...except for the neighbor's barking dog.

My wife and I have an 8 year old Australian Cattle Dog that's a barker, so I get it. I understand that it's normal for dogs to bark at times. When I'm home though, I don't let my dog bark endlessly. Just because I'm a dog lover/owner doesn't mean I like barking!

The problem with the neighbors began within a month after we moved here. The police showed up at our door saying that somebody had complained about our barking dog. The fact is, it wasn't our dog. It was the neighbor's dog! They have a young pit bull that is outside 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It never goes in the house and gets virtually no attention from its family. The night before the cops showed up to our house, their dog had been barking non-stop almost all night long right outside our bedroom window! Our dog sleeps in our room with us every night, and we would never allow him to be outside barking endlessly, being totally inconsiderate of our neighbors.

So, the next evening around 7pm-ish, my wife and I were making dinner and had the patio door open. We could loudly hear the neighbor's dog barking non-stop. I decided to do the neighborly thing and go over and officially introduce myself, along with my dog. So, I went over there as friendly as I could be and introduced myself and also told them about the police showing up at my door because somebody had complained about our dog. The whole time as I'm talking to the neighbor, their dog is on the side of the house still barking like crazy! I asked her if she noticed it and I said that it's really loud and that it had been keeping my wife and I awake at night and then somebody had the nerve to call the police on us when it was really their dog! The neighbor seemed to be receptive and was apologetic about it and said it wouldn't let it happen again.

Well, I thought that was the end of it...WRONG! Ever since then, the neighbors have been less than friendly with us and wouldn't even respond if I said "hi" to them out in the driveway. I can live with that. What I can't live with though is the fact that numerous times since our initial talk, their dog has kept my wife and I lying awake at night due to its non-stop, constant barking throughout the entire night! I've now anonymously called the police three times because of it!

I really hate that I have to do that and would love to just live in peace with my neighbors, but their complete lack of consideration is ridiculous! I'm hoping somebody here may have some personal experience or advice on dealing with this, since I'm not sure what my next step is. The last time I called the police was about two weeks ago. I don't want the neighbors to know it's me because I don't want any sort of retaliation against my wife and I or even my dog. You'd think that after having the police show up three times at 3am, they'd learn, but apparently not. Help!

[passwithoutatrace]

I don't know how to help you stop the barking at night. Have you considered getting a white noise machine? It tends to be calming and it cuts down on the noise that you hear outside. You could also try one of the mini-fountains that you can put on a dresser.

We have 2 dogs and they sleep inside at night. During the day they spend a lot of time outside when the weather is nice. Occasionally when they start barking a lot we use a short blast on an airhorn (only in the MIDDLE of the day, maybe 1 second). The noise startles them and shuts them up right away. It also shuts up the neighbor dogs, who are generally barking at our dogs.

[Squirl]

Here a couple of technological solutions: you can find some products like these at Amazon.com ... I know people who have had success for such devices:


Mount a Viatek BC16G Super Bark Stop Gift Box (about $50) outside so it is aimed at the dog or the area where the dog is usually barking.

It is intended to work on outside dogs and its affectivity is diminished if its line of site is blocked by landscaping and structures.

The manufacturer states it works up to 50-feet of the dog. The dog's barking will set off the device which sends an ultrasonic blast which the dog but not humans can hear.

It may take a few days for the dog to associate the high frequency sound with his barking and realize that you can't have one without the other.

You'll need to mount it carefully as it is not water proof so make sure it's protected from the elements. It runs on batteries.

When the Viatek BC16G Super Bark Stop Gift Box works - and some breeds such as Yorkshire Terriers do not seem affected and it won't work on hearing impaired dogs - it's fantastic because your neighbor won't hear it, and probably can't see it or recognize what it is.

If you live in an apartment with paper thin walls, it's also worth trying. Mount it against the wall. If you can hear the dog, it's likely the dog will be able to hear the ultrasonic blast.

There also is a hand-held Dog Dazer II - Dog repeller and training device (about $30)If the dog only bothers you when you're outside, you press the Dazer - about one second on and four off - until the dog quiets down. Again, it will take him a couple times for him to realize the cause and effect.

The Dog Dazer II - Dog repeller and training device is great for joggers and owners of small dogs who want to take them for outside walks. Dogs hear it but humans don't.

[sushiqueen]

I would call the animal shelter. If the dog is outside 24/7 they will at least investigate the dog's living conditions and talk to the owners.

[didee]

What? Get a white noise machine or one of those ultrasonic things? No, I respectfully disagree.

First of all, I have used those ultrasonic (or whatever you call it) devices, and they DO NOT WORK. Don't waste your money. And a chronically barking dog has issues that high frequency soundwaves aren't going to fix.

OP, you have been polite, approached the neighbor before contacting authorities, and the dog is still barking all night. You are not sleeping. That's ridiculous.

I have been in this situation. In my case, I KNEW the neighbor would not retaliate by hurting my dog. After giving the neighbor way too many chances, I filed a complaint with animal control. Then when talking to other neighbors, they were all ticked off, too. But NO ONE had called animal control.

They issued citations, and it continued, more citations, etc. The neighbor did try, but the dog was crazy. But that crazy dog was the neighbor's problem, not mine (which the neighbor could never understand). It was awful, and yes unpleasant when seeing each other in the yards, but I valued my sanity more than the neighbor's dog's right to bark. The neighbor finally moved.

I don't know what I would have done if I thought the neighbor would poison my dog or retaliate in another harmful way. I guess I was lucky in that I knew that would not happen.

I suggest talking to animal control (I assume you have such a department within the police dept) during business hours and talk to them about the ordinances and their process for dealing with this. The first time I called, I was anonymous because I didn't want to hurt the neighbor, I just wanted advice. Their advice was adamant..."report it!" The number of complaints (official complaints, recorded in their logs) is important in determining what action might be taken. Are they logging the complaints about this dog/owner when you call the police in the night?

I feel for you, I really do.

[MAK802]

Can you take pictures/videos of this dog out there, at various times of day? Record the barking in the middle of the night? I'd start with that. Contact animal control, as it is illegal to chain up a dog 24/7 in most places. Also, contact dogs deserve better. They take these things seriously and might be able to help you, especially with photo/video evidence. Sorry you're going through this, I know all about crappy neighbors!

Dogs Deserve Better Home Page: No Chained Dogs!

[BrianH]

Call animal control.
Unfortunately if the dog is left out like that it is destined to be a biter. No attention, no training, left outside all day is a recipie for disaster. Its owners like that that gives the breed an unwarranted bad name.

[Glitch]

Sounds to me like you have done everything right. Dogs are going to bark, that is just a fact of life. However, it is up to the dog's owner to control when their dog barks and for how long. I do not allow my dogs to bark after 10:00PM or before 8:00AM. My dogs have free access to my backyard anytime they like, but if I hear one of them bark after 10:00PM or before 8:00AM, I call them back into the house immediately. Sometimes they have a good reason to bark, for example a moose or bear may be nearby. But more often than not they are just barking because they hear some other dog bark. After 8:00AM and before 6:00PM during the week I have no control over when my dogs bark or for how long since I am not home.

I think most dog owners do try to be considerate and limit their dog's barking between certain hours, and if their dog is barking between those prohibited hours they may not be aware of it (not at home, for example). You did the right thing by approaching your neighbor as amenably as possible in order to make them aware of the problem.

[dreamhunter65]

Call animal control as this poor pup is being abused. No attention and chained up 24/7 as another poster has said is going to make this a mean dog that will give anti pit bull people another target. These neighbors do not deserve a pet as to them it is a fixture not a family member.

[Hazel Eyes]

I had this problem with my next door neighbor for 8 stinkin years. I was patient for most of the years, but got pretty nasty towards the end. Our houses are around 6ft from each other and that dog would sit right under my bedroom window barking all night..I had my neighbor's phone number so I started calling her asking her during the night/early morning hours when the dog was barking...I figured it she didn't care about the dog barking keeping us awake all night, I didn't care anymore about calling her and complaining! It was totally inconsiderate of her and I'd had enough..

Call animal control and file a complaint. They will handle the problem better than the police dept. I got no where with our local police.

I'd read that an air horn stops dogs from barking...I thought of buying one and trying it but I never got around to it..And too I had visiions of me standing by my fence looking like an idiot blasting that air horn everytime the dog barked...teehee...I would have done it though just to keep HER awake...