I have been on the side of the fence with well behaved dogs who don't bark unless there is something to bark at, with a neighbor on the other side who left their little dog outside ALL THE TIME and did nothing but bark, bark, bark. It was very annoying and kept me from sleeping, enjoying my outdoor space, ruined my concentration when trying to work from home and really made me not like my neighbors. What to do, what to do about this predicament? I don't want to approach them after I've completely lost all sanity from listening to a barking dog for 2 hours straight...I may come off as rude, insensitive or just plain mad. The HOA won't do anything about it and come to find out the police won't do much either...even though the barking dog is disturbing MY peace and the last time I looked, that is a punishable offense.
After much research and discussions with others who have also dealt with this issue I have come up with a couple of "PC" suggestions on how to handle the incessant barking dog issue.
- Approach your neighbor before it's too late. I think first you need to give your neighbor the benefit of the doubt. It could be that they don't realize their dog is outside all day barking for hours on end. It's important to approach your neighbor with a level head. Ask them a simple question, "Do you know your dog barks all day?" If they say no, then this is your opportunity to let them know how often you hear their dog and how disturbing it is. If they say yes, politely ask them to do something about it. If they don't know what to do, suggest a professional dog trainer (or have them call me and I'll point them in the right direction), or crating the dog inside when they aren't home. Put on your neighborly hat and try to help them solve the problem.
- Get the police involved. As mentioned earlier, the police don't really like to get involved, however, if you've talked with your neighbor and they are still unwilling to do anything about the barking dog, now may be the time to contact the authorities. Every city has their own rules about when the police can get involved. This may take some work on your end. Some cities ask that you keep a log of the dates and times you hear the dog barking and after keeping that log for a period of time you then present it to the police and they will decide how to proceed. Other cities will send a police officer out to the home, but if the dog isn't barking when they get there, there really isn't much they can do. If the homeowner isn't home, the police will leave a pamphlet behind educating the pet owners on how to be responsible.
- Anti Barking Devices. There are some products out there that say they stop barking even if the dog isn't in your yard. They emit a noise that is annoying to the dog from a range of up to 25 feet away. The concept is that when the dog barks, this product makes a high pitched noise, the dog stops barking. After some time, the dog starts to realize that they can't hear the noise when they aren't barking, so this is supposed to "train" them to not bark. These devises can be expensive and may not be weather proof.
The majority of the time, talking calmly to the neighbor seems to be the best fix. Getting up the nerve to walk over and knock on the door may be the hardest part of this discussion. It may even bring you closer to your neighbor.
Tried everything and still has no effect on the barking dog? Make a recording of the dog barking and make the pet owner listen to it. Prove to them, or the police, that their dog is indeed barking and something has to be done. I personally know how annoying it can be to have that barking dog next door, but please, and I beg of you, please, don't do anything drastic. The dog is a product of their owner. It's not the dogs fault...it's either board or is in desperate need of attention.
Need some help with a barking dog issue? Give us a call...we have resources that can help. 480-292-9735.
