My neighbor's barking dog is driving me nuts. [UPDATE]

[JudyH]

I am in a new house in a new development. My neighbor moved in when I did and is a nice guy.
Last year he got a large breed puppy and he is clueless. He's been through several trainers and finally asked my advice (he knew I trained horses). I could see he and his wife absorbed nothing I told he, even though he could see me handling the dog fine.
I thought I could wait out the puppy stage, and now he's gone and gotten a second puppy of the same breed. Now the barking is incessant, starting early in the morning and off and on all day. Our homes are very close to each other.
I walked over in my nightgown early today and told her to put them in cause they'd given me a headache. Then I went online and ordered an ultra-sonic bark stopper that I can use on the back porch.
I'm going to ask him nicely not to leave the dogs out barking. If that doesn't work, I will report him to the homeowners association. If they don't do anything , I will call the police.
This is my third house in my life, and my third PITA neighbor.

 

[Wyominguy]

Here is what you need

I have one of these. Works pretty well.


http://www.amazon.com/DOGTEK-BirdHouse-Control-Outdoor-Indoor/dp/B00ESMUWS6

 

[Talent312]

You could try feeding the dogs big hunks of meat laced with a stool softener.

If you're not into chicanery, you could get them each some large bones to chew on.
We have a local BBQ place that sells 'em in 10 lb. bags.
You might ask your neighbor first if it'd be okay.

 

[Passepartout]

You MUST tell them. "Your dogs bark incessantly. It must stop. They are a nuisance and police and/or animal control will be called if the barking continues past (date certain)." And walk away.

They may not know. They might work during the day and are gone. The alternative would be to record the barking dogs and play it back really LOUD on the weekend when they are home. Preferably when they are outside grilling, entertaining, or doing yard work.

I don't know that posting it on TUG will produce a positive outcome (unless you know they are TUGgers) but I hope you feel better.

Jim

 

[Bucky]

Been there, done that! Our problem went on for over a year. The HOA was basically useless until I got a small recorder and started taping the dogs barking all day. They sent out letter after letter to no avail. Then I decided to take matters into my own hands.

The only way I got it to stop was go to Walmart and purchase a boat air horn!! The neighbor got real PO'd every time I would let loose with the horn while her dogs were barking! We finally came to a meeting of the minds. She agreed to keep her dogs from barking or at least take them in when they first started and I would not use the horn anymore.

Life has been good for a couple of years now.

 

[presley]

It's tough. One of my neighbors has a dog that will bark for hours when he is alone at night. It doesn't happen often, but when when it does, I can't sleep. I do give the dog some treats sometimes, a pig ear, a large rawhide, etc. I have never reported the dog because another neighbor polices the entire area and reports everyone for everything - both real and imagined. I don't want to add to the drama for this family.

In my neighbor's case, I can tell it is because the dog is home alone and scared . That's part of the reason why I go over and give him a treat or toy sometimes. I feel bad for the dog! Have you figured out why your neighbor's dog barks so much? There has to be a reason.

 

[vacationhopeful]

These untrained and ignored dogs are their "kids".

Do not try to talk them into better behavior or to be more considerate. Your plan to involve the HOA and police are the steps YOU have to take.

I would video tape several days in your life in your yard or deck with BARKING dogs ... all evidence for mediation and eventually, the local court case. I would have friends from outside the neighborhood over for cook outs - future witnesses. If you can set up a camera from a 2nd floor room, do so to tape the dogs behavior, elapse of time and LACK of the neighbors' intervention.

And later, talk to the OTHER neighbors ... they might be a tired of the dog noise ---- but I would bet, most neighbors will say, "They have dogs? Never heard them!"

You can ONLY hope the dogs do not have licenses and their shots up to date ...

 

[VacationForever]

From my experience HOA is useless. Try animal control. Although I did not go that route. I had a bad (in all sense of the word) neighbor who kept an untrained/unloved pitbull in the backyard 24x7 who would try to climb the fence and attack me or anyone else. It would bark all night. We exchanged many 4-letter words with the neighbor and her family. We never did call animal control and put up with it for the entire time as we tracked on the internet about pre-foreclosure notices and hoping that they would be gone soon. The neighbor did not make a single mortgage payment since she moved in 2 years before, her home was foreclosed on and they moved out.

 

[DeniseM]

You and your neighbor cussed each other out? How awkward...

 

[VacationForever]

You and your neighbor cussed each other out? How awkward...

It started out with us politely asking them to keep the dog under control and not try to climb fence to attack us. Once or twice they did, with them cussing at their dog. After a couple of weeks, they stopped bothering to do so. After politely requesting them to keep their dog under control and nothing happened, it became "will you please keep that fxxxxxx dog under control?" They then went "Fxxx you".

We live in a good neighborhood and they just never fit in. It is a neighborhood where we invite each other over for dinner and we even go on vacations together. She and her kids were rough and one of my neighbors told us that her teenage kids yelled abuses at them.

 

[DeniseM]

I'm shocked - I guess I live a sheltered life - we don't use that kind of language.

 

[VacationForever]

I'm shocked - I guess I live a sheltered life - we don't use that kind of language.

You wouldn't teach those kind of language at school anyway.

 

[JudyH]

Thanks for listening and suggestions. These folks are home all day and night with the dogs. The sit and act helpless and tell me they're trying.

I will tape and video. I know it bothers other neighbors.

I love the air horn.

 

[DaveNV]

My neighbor has a dog that barks all the time. I'm convinced the dog must think its name is "SHUT UP!" because that's the only words it ever hears.

Neighbor says he got the dog as a pet for his daughter. Daughter hates the dog. Why? Because it barks all the time. Seriously!

I'm waiting for the day the dog finally dies, and I'm hoping they don't get another.

Judy, I feel your pain. Hang in there!

Dave

 

[klpca]

My friend had great luck with one of those ultrasonic things so maybe buy one and aim it at their yard.

 

[rhonda]

I don't know that posting it on TUG will produce a positive outcome (unless you know they are TUGgers) but I hope you feel better.

Well, for what it is worth ... my dog has been barky this afternoon and *I* opened this thread just in case it was directed at me.

Of course, I would have been surprised to learn that one of my neighbors was a TUGGER ... but would have been thrilled to have that conversation!

 

[geekette]

Just try to not be mad at the dogs, it is not their fault.

A woman I know put up a tetherball pole in her back yard so the dog could amuse itself. Perhaps there is something quick, easy and cheap that allows the dogs some activity.

Best of luck!

 

[Tia]

We have great neighbors and neighbor dog for the past 6 years, before that we had the barkingest dog there could ever be and lazy owners. Their neglected pet barked all night/day long. They tried a bark collar but batteries would die. They got another grown dog who someone else trained and that dog didn't bark (same breed). They'd leave their barking dog out at night because otherwise it would keep them awake... this I was told one night at 3a :annoyed: when I walked over rang the door bell and asked them to take the dog in. Luckily for us they moved out of state , what a relief.

I feel for you...

 

[dougp26364]

To bad you can't put a bark collar on the owners that would shock the owner every time their dogs barked.

 

[dougp26364]

You could try feeding the dogs big hunks of meat laced with a stool softener.

If you're not into chicanery, you could get them each some large bones to chew on.
We have a local BBQ place that sells 'em in 10 lb. bags.
You might ask your neighbor first if it'd be okay.

Small bites of frozen hot dogs laced with benedryl might be better. Why frozen? Because the dog will swallow it whole rather than potentially picking around the pills.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Small bites of frozen hot dogs laced with benedryl might be better. Why frozen? Because the dog will swallow it whole rather than potentially picking around the pills.

The issue here is if the dog eats on 2 of the 3 pieces of hotdog with pills while frozen and the neighbor's find the 3rd with the pill, the police most certainly will be called. If the dog becomes unresponsive and taken to a vet ... police again.

Or worst yet, the neighbors have a GO-PRO set up to watch the doggies play and find you drugging their family pet.

 

[SueDonJ]

Small bites of frozen hot dogs laced with benedryl might be better. Why frozen? Because the dog will swallow it whole rather than potentially picking around the pills.

The issue here is if the dog eats on 2 of the 3 pieces of hotdog with pills while frozen and the neighbor's find the 3rd with the pill, the police most certainly will be called. If the dog becomes unresponsive and taken to a vet ... police again.

Or worst yet, the neighbors have a GO-PRO set up to watch the doggies play and find you drugging their family pet.

I'd say the issue is that some people think poisoning a barking dog is a rational solution!

If I were comfortable speaking to the neighbor I'd let him know that the dog is a nuisance and if he doesn't solve the problem, then the HOA and/or the police will be notified. But we all know that some neighbors are just not approachable so if that's the case I'd get the HOA/police involved sooner.

 

[ace2000]

I'd say the issue is that some people think poisoning a barking dog is a rational solution!

I was thinking that he mentioned Benedryl as a means of making the dogs drowsy, and not for poisoning - I don't think Benedryl would permanently injure a dog anyway. I guess I'm willing to give Doug the benefit of the doubt on this one... ???

 

[JudyH]

They controlled the dogs better today. I used empathy with the man yesterdays, telling him I knew he couldn't stand the barking either. He did look frustrated. :ignore: My plan is to convince him the dogs need to be on a farm and he should move.

I ordered the above device, as well as another one.

One Benadryl won't hurt a dog, I've given them to mine when prescribed by the vet for various reasons. Can't even think of that here, the dogs are inside a screened-in lanai. But the airhorn..........

Someone on the HOA board of directors lives two doors away and works from home, it has to bother him.....my next plan.

 

[VacationForever]

I have much less of an issue with a barking dog than a vicious dog that is not under control. We were terrified to go outside of our home unless we were in our car when our ex-neighbors had their dog out in their backyard most of the time. Other times the dog was in their garage, not on a leash. When their garage door opened we would panic too. We seriously lived in fear for about 2 years but we were actually afraid to call the police on them. We were suspecting that there were other criminal activities taking place in their home. They had a bunch of people living there and strange people came and went at 2am in the morning.