Need help with barking neighbors

First, dogs bark. It is part of the package. Yes, if you are home 24/7, you can walk outside with the dog and take it for walks, and keep it from barking obnoxiously.

Second, barking dogs are a nuisance. They can be terribly annoying. Some people leave the dogs out 24/7 and the dogs bark almost constantly. That is when the neighbors sometimes turn to violence, poison, shooting, especially if there is nothing AC can do about it.

Third, if there is no noise ordinance in your area, there may be nothing you can do if they bring the animal in at night.

Fourth, sorry, but both owners ARE trying to control their dogs noise. Maybe they are not doing a good job of it, but they are attempting to quiet the animals.

Fifth, no one has asked you to provide a baby to the neighborhood, and I am shocked that you think people should drop dead because you are expecting to have one. The fact is, that babies get used to ordinary noises like trains going by, vaccume cleaners, and even a barking dog outside. A sickly baby can be a problem either way. But we are not planning on that. Babies need to be exposed to noise, and germs, and fluctuations in their schedule so that they can adapt to their environment.

Right now you are annoyed by the dogs and the fact that the owners are not in your opinion as good of an owner as you are. Please do not hide behind your baby. If you are frustrated about the dogs, talk to your neighbors. Make suggestions. Call AC or the police if there is a noise ordinace.

If there is not a noise ordinance, consider moving to a community where there is one. Chances are you can find some stiff home-owners group that will require people to keep junk out of their yards, RVs in garages, dogs inside, no fences, etc.

I am really sorry that your post rubbed me the wrong way. Partly because the neighbors are trying to quiet their dogs, partly because the world should stop spinning around on its axis because you are having a kid. Congradulations on the kid, that's wonderful, please keep it quiet so I don't lose any sleep though.

No you aren't the bad guy for looking for some peace and quiet. The poor squirt gun dog might be barking because he's listening to the other dog barking. We have a barker that lives on the street behind us, he's an 120lb GSD, a police wash out and he's tied to a cinderblock with a nylon leash in the front yard (I know...) My dog barks woof woof woof at him when he starts going off, by her tone, I think Morgan is telling him to shut up already!

I'd call animal control or the police about the barking. Better luck with the police on getting a ticket written.

We had a neighbor - the often mentioned ******** with 10 kids - who had a bulldog. Woof woof woof all day long and she'd set my dogs off. They tried a bark collar but the truth was they couldn't deal with the untrained beast and she was like a big ox in the house. She just wanted to play with the kids but she was big and mouthy and untrained so she ended up in the yard while the kids played outfront.

So I called animal control once when she'd been barking for hours. The lady on the otherside called animal control several times becuase she runs a daycare and the dog was disturbing her kids taking a nap. The ******* neighbor had the nerve to complain about the daycare lady.

Long story short, after a few tickets, the ******* family decided this was not the dog for them and they rehomed her. Actually, I rehomed her because while she was annoying, I really liked the dog.

i agree with selzer that it sounds like the neighbour recognizes that the barking isn't desirable, but just isn't very good at dealing with it or doesn't know how to do it. not to rule out the possibility of her simply being lazy either, but if she's bothering to come out and ineffectually try to stop the barking, perhaps she just doesn't know any better.

i had an issue w/my neighbour bringing her dog up our lawn towards teagan after i said teagan was not friendly this weekend, and the woman was completely oblivious towards teagan's aggression signals. since she also used to throw cookies over the fence to the barking dog that lived here before, i would say she's not super-knowledgable about dog behaviour.

i would try talking to your neighbours. it's what i did (at selzer's suggestion) and it was a good idea. you could just say 'hey, i noticed you're having some issues having your dog stop barking - i've been a bit concerned about it w/a baby coming - if you're interested, i'd be happy to refer you to some resources that might help'.

if one of my neighbours had an issue with the behaviour of one of my dogs, i'd want them to discuss it with me so i could know their concerns and do my best to respond to them, and i could follow up with them as well.

just a thought.

There have been many occasions when I wished that my neighbors would make their screaming children shut up. But there is no law that requires that.

My neighbors also had a motorcycle, I would take dog barking any day.

I think my real issue is that IF there is no law about noise in your area, than dogs are ALLOWED to bark during the daytime. Most places do get a bit hairy about barking after dark, and I think that you mentioned that they bring the dogs in at night.

My dogs are outside all day. Sometimes they do bark. I put privacy fence on the one side and am awaiting my tax return to complete the other side. We do what we can, but women living alone whether single or divorced generally do not have a ton of money, time, or anything else (including healthy young bodies to help move the junk out of the yard).

So that kind of rubbed me the wrong way as well. The OP was pre-judging the woman, by saying that she worked at home (so obviously she has plenty of time), that she was attention seeking (junk), and that she was divorced -- not sure if that was just info, and that she is not trying -- eventhough she is not just ignoring the barking, but coming out and trying to get the dog to quiet down.

It is possible, that she can get more work done if the dog is in the yard. Sometimes if you have a hyper dog, that is pacing back and fourth and whining, it is hard to concentrate on what you are doing, so she puts the dog out. That isn't a problem. People who go to work outside of their home are not with the dog 24/7. And some dogs are a royal pain when they are crated and you are there.

I think the woman is aware that her dog is a nuisance, but she may not understand how annoying her dog is to others, and she may be totally at a loss as to how to manage it. Personnally, I think putting the dog in a different room with a baby gate and a chew toy, if it is bothering her, and going out with the dog when it has to potty could make quite a difference.

Not every dog needs to have several walks around the block every day. That You take your dog for walks is great, Good job! I do not take all my dogs for walks everyday, and frankly, some of them could care less. Some of them LIKE to stay at home. The majority of the them get excited when I get the leash to take one for a walk. But ALL of them are just as happy to get in the SUV and come HOME. (I have to drive my dogs into town to walk them.)

There may be other reasons she does not take the dog OUT. There may be dog aggression or people aggression issues that the woman has no clue how to manage. Or she may have never taught the dog to walk on a lead and the dog is very unmanageable. Or she may have a physical/health problem. As for the aggression issues, I would rather a novice owner keep the animal home, than to have the dog attack another dog or person. If it is a training issue (very likely), well at some point we all have to face the very real fact that what is important to some of us, is not important to others.

My hope for the dog is that it has enough redeeming qualities that the owner is willing to keep it throughout its lifetime. There is not much of a market for huge untrained dogs, and its chances in a shelter are pretty slim.

If this really bothered me a lot, I would write a very nice letter to the woman with kind suggestions and alternatives to leaving the dog unattended outside. Just a couple of suggestions and the card of your dog trainer should do it. I would not threaten, and I would sign it.

I am not so afraid of retaliation, not if my letter comes across as positive, helpful, and non-judgemental. Within a couple of weeks, you will know if she is trying and if she is not and there is a law in your area, you should go further and call the law. Sometimes people do not think that the problem is serious until a uniform shows up.

But your neighbor should know who has an issue with their dog. especially if she can only afford to put privacy fence up along one side of the yard.