Boarding dogs across the street

[pyratemom]

Help! I had finally trained Raina to keep calm in my back yard and to not bark excessively. Of course she still replies to other dogs barking on the telegraph but will stop when I say. Now a vet clinic on our island (not my vet unfortuneately) bought an empty building across the street from me (Note: two lane residential street) and they are planning a huge surgery suite among other exam rooms and boarding for up to 30 animals. They have stated that the boarding will only be inside boarding but they are going to have an outdoor exercise area behind the building, right across from my yard. I know there will be barking dogs and I don't know how I'm going to keep Raina calm. She is reactive as it is because my weekend Miami neighbors bring down 4 dachshunds and let them bark and run all over the place and that drives her crazy every weekend. I have taken to leaving and taking Raina other places for fun runs when they are here and she enjoys that as much as I do but I can't run forever from a boarding clinic right across the street. I need suggestions as to how to deal with this extra stimulation to Raina while trying to be a good neighbor and keep things quiet. She gets walks every day but my fenced back yard is her spot to go and hang out peacefully for a half hour or so at a time while I sit outside with her and enjoy the birds, water, and boats. I am going to lose my peace I'm afraid. I went to the zoning meeting to state my problems but they passed the zoning change anyway - I knew they would but I had to at least put in my two cents worth. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do to keep the peace and quiet with my reactive furry one other than walking her elsewhere which I already do?

[pyratemom]

Any body out there have any ideas?

[BlackPuppy]

Complain to the city about zoning.

[Zisso]

No suggestions but wow, I feel for you!

[pyratemom]

Originally Posted by BlackPuppy

Complain to the city about zoning.

I did go to the city meeting when they changed the zoning. I stood up and spoke in front of the crowd (which is really hard for me) and told them all my reasons for not wanting the boarding there. They blew me and my neighbor off completely. We both went there and she is a school teacher so she is very well spoken. It didn't do any good.

[pyratemom]

Originally Posted by Zisso

No suggestions but wow, I feel for you!

Thank you. I really need to figure out how I'm going to deal with this and keep Raina and me sane.

[Konotashi]

Since they blew you off about zoning, could you complain when the dogs bark for disturbance?

[pyratemom]

Originally Posted by Konotashi

Since they blew you off about zoning, could you complain when the dogs bark for disturbance?

Yes, my neighbor and I have plans to log ever time there is a disturbance, call and file complaints, etc. If there are enough complaints they will have to at least find a way to keep it quiet, which is all I really care about. I am assuming they will keep it clean and sanitary as it is a vet. I hope I'm right about that. I was a little worried about people bringing their sick pets and taking them for a pee break before going in because the closest available grassy area is right outside our houses and I don't want my dogs or cats exposed to any unnecessary germs. I hope to be able to speak the vet there about those concerns so that they provide a different "green" area and tell their clients to use that. Maybe they will be good neighbors in that respect.

[Twyla]

Woolf is fear aggressive and reacts to dogs on sight or sound. To make it more interesting we have dogs next door now that the neighbors got after Woolf came to us. To make matters even more interesting (you are hearing the sarcasm? ) the dogs next door bark at the slightest thing, it's non-stop almost. And to add to it, the ^(&( neighbors thinks it's cool the dogs bark as they do, they claim it will keep anyone from trying to gain entry. That is the scenario set...

It took hours each day, broken up, working with Woolf in the backyard by LAT, playing 2 ball, and other games to keep his mind and body busy enough to learn to ignore them. BUT he is ignoring them now unless he is startled with a sudden start of barking, High value treats for no reaction, focusing on you etc, games, anything that will keep his mind and body busy.

Turn what is a lousy government decision into a positive and work on the reactivity.

[pyratemom]

Originally Posted by Twyla

Woolf is fear aggressive and reacts to dogs on sight or sound. To make it more interesting we have dogs next door now that the neighbors got after Woolf came to us. To make matters even more interesting (you are hearing the sarcasm? ) the dogs next door bark at the slightest thing, it's non-stop almost. And to add to it, the ^(&( neighbors thinks it's cool the dogs bark as they do, they claim it will keep anyone from trying to gain entry. That is the scenario set...

It took hours each day, broken up, working with Woolf in the backyard by LAT, playing 2 ball, and other games to keep his mind and body busy enough to learn to ignore them. BUT he is ignoring them now unless he is startled with a sudden start of barking, High value treats for no reaction, focusing on you etc, games, anything that will keep his mind and body busy.

Turn what is a lousy government decision into a positive and work on the reactivity.

Thank you for the reply. This is the kind of advice I was looking for. I did manage to train Raina to not bark so much at the neighbors dachshunds when they are here and she tries really hard to ignore them but sometimes it is too much for her. I was afraid the dogs boarding across the street was going to shove back her training to where I was before. I was hoping for someway to turn this into a training situation before it got too bad. I will be working on it for sure. I do hate it when other people think its okay for their dogs to bark all day long when it just disrupts the entire street.