# Dog barking



## Dinging (23 Mar 2007)

Hi All,

Where do I stand.  I have an 18-month-old cocker spaniel.  Both my wife and I are out all day at work and the dog is in the back garden.  The garden itself it quite big in size approx 75ft by 40 ft.  The dog has access lots of toys, kennel, fresh food and water.  We also have a friend who comes every day to walk the dog for 1 to 2 hours depending on the weather.  I also bring the dog out in the evenings for an hour so exercise is not a problem; in fact the vet said the dog was in excellent condition at her 12-month checkup.  The problem I have is that some anonymous person has put in note in our letter box say the dog is constantly barking and according to them going insane.  This is the second letter I have received from this person as the hand writing matches.  The previous letter said they would contact the RSPCA.  Can this person actually do anything to me in way of contacting the RSPCA, count council, solicitors etc. As far as I am concerned dogs bark and that is how nature intended it to be.  The dog sleeps in the house at night so there is no barking after 6.00pm.


Dinging.


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## Vanilla (23 Mar 2007)

Is this a Friday afternoon wind up?


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## ClubMan (23 Mar 2007)

If the dog is barking constantly or habitually during the day to the extent that it is causing a nuisance to others then you may be in breach of the relevant noise pollution regulations. ...


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## Dreamerb (23 Mar 2007)

Dinging said:


> As far as I am concerned dogs bark and that is how nature intended it to be.


The thing is, you signed up for a dog, and the barking nuisance that might entail - your neighbour didn't! If the barking really is continuous I can understand your neighbour's irritation*. Can they contact the RSPCA? - sure, but it won't do them any good. They're more likely to have joy from the DSPCA or the ISPCA , but that's only if there's animal cruelty involved, and it really doesn't sound like there is. 

They could also contact an environmental health officer citing noise nuisance, or attempt to take legal action, though I don't know how much joy they'd get from either route - it would depend on how much, and how loudly, the dog is proven to bark by independent assessment in either case.

* That said, I don't like anonymous letter-writers. If the person has a bona fide complaint, they should have the courtesy to provide their name, and would be better contacting you personally to discuss it rather than making threats (unless you're scary - are you?!  ). 

Do you know if there's likely to be any truth to the allegation? Are there friendly neighbours you can ask? If you find out that the dog is barking a lot, maybe you could ask your vet for advice, or consider taking it to obedience school.


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## Dinging (23 Mar 2007)

Hi Dreamerb,

Looking at the link Clubman posted there does seem to be a legal route that this person can take however the dog is not incessantly barking, we live beside a lane so when people walk through the lane she barks, or if she hears another dog barking she will bark but it is not incessant by any means. I have asked my neighbours on both side does she bark all of the time and they said no. 

I have contacted 5 separate neighbours whom I would know and asked them did they send the letter, or did they have a problem with the dog barking all replied no. In fact the dog is friendly with most of my neighbours and they will even let her into their houses. I want to get on with all my neighbours as much as possible and make a effort to say hello etc. I agree about the anonymous letter, I am not scary by any means and both my sife and I are very sociable with our neighbours. In fact we are having them around for drinks etc tonight.

Dinging.


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## Dreamerb (23 Mar 2007)

Sounds to me like you've taken all reasonable steps to check out the situation, then - and that (shock horror!) it's just possible the letter writer is a crank. Against the possibility that said crank _does _try to take a legal route, I'd suggest keeping the letters, and recording the steps you've taken to check it out. Just in case... but you seem to have everything covered. 

Enjoy your drinks!


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## ClubMan (23 Mar 2007)

Dinging said:


> however the dog is not incessantly barking


How do you know if you are out all day?


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## Dinging (23 Mar 2007)

Hi Clubman,

Asked neighbours on both sides and our dog walker and they say the dog does not bark all of the time.

Dinging.


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## SlurrySlump (23 Mar 2007)

Dinging said:


> Hi Clubman,
> 
> Asked neighbours on both sides and our dog walker and they say the dog does not bark all of the time.
> 
> Dinging.


 
Wow! That's a relief then.  It is only annoying people some of the time.


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## Irish Fire (23 Mar 2007)

Maybe look at buying one of those shock collors.....................for the neighbour!!!!


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## Sue Ellen (23 Mar 2007)

There are a few aspects to the whole matter.

The dog is most likely lonely during the day and gets bored despite the long walks.

It is reacting quite normally to noise and people walking in the lane and it is merely protecting its territory.

How to solve the problem is hard. Do you have any in-laws that the dog could stay with during the day or could your friend keep it for longer?

Would have to wonder did the letter come from one of the neighbours who hasn't the gumption to own up? For the craic I'd get a to see who's dropping the letters in or keep it on the dog to see for yourself how had the problem is.


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## ClubMan (23 Mar 2007)

sueellen said:


> It is reacting quite normally to noise and people walking in the lane and it is merely protecting its territory.
> 
> How to solve the problem is hard.


[broken link removed]

[broken link removed]


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## Yachtie (23 Mar 2007)

ClubMan said:


> [broken link removed]
> 
> Simple!


 
Horrible, but this really made me laugh!


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## Sue Ellen (23 Mar 2007)

ClubMan said:


> [broken link removed]
> 
> [broken link removed]


 
You're very bold [broken link removed]


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## Johnny1 (23 Mar 2007)

Woof! Woof! put a camera outside your door and record when you are away, when you see what neighbour is doing this put a note in his door saying I know who you are and stay away from my door because my dog bites.


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## Z100 (23 Mar 2007)

Dinging said:


> Where do I stand.  I have an 18-month-old cocker spaniel.  Both my wife and I are out all day at work and the dog is in the back garden.  The garden itself it quite big in size approx 75ft by 40 ft.  The dog has access lots of toys, kennel, fresh food and water.  We also have a friend who comes every day to walk the dog for 1 to 2 hours depending on the weather.  I also bring the dog out in the evenings for an hour so exercise is not a problem



So long as your friend walks the dog every day for a couple of hours then you're a good owner......but don't start me on people who lock their dogs up all day like they're cheap burglar alarms. If I ruled the world (and I will some day  ) I'd imprison such creatures (the owners, not the dogs) for life....meaning life, plus a little bit extra. I have a neighbour who does just this and....I don't want to use foul language.

If the dog barks the odd time, here and there, the anonymous neighbour needs to go and fetch a life, but if it's barking all day it's clearly distressed, and I'd be much more worried about the dog than the neighbour. 

Can you make sure the dog _is _being exercised for 2/3 hours a day and ask a less stressed out neighbour to keep an ear out to check if the dog _is _barking all day. If it is you really should find/hire someone to ensure he gets sufficient exercise. And no, I don't run a dog-walking business


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## jake108 (24 Mar 2007)

Dogs are pack animals. They shouldn't be left alone "all day". If the dog is barking he's stressed/bored/lonely etc. I agree with what's in the letter.


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## Johnny1 (24 Mar 2007)

jake108 said:


> Dogs are pack animals. They shouldn't be left alone "all day". If the dog is barking he's stressed/bored/lonely etc. I agree with what's in the letter.


 So you are telling him to keep a pack of dogs instead of just one. I have often heard a pack of dogs barking I wonder were they stressed or bored because they couldn't be lonely.


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## HotdogsFolks (24 Mar 2007)

Sorry to be realistic, but why did you get a dog if you can't look after it during the day? Dogs aren't cats - they require attention and care.

What you're doing is cruel and selfish. Dogs aren't toys for you to have in the evening.

FFS.

...

My friend, her neighbour does the same thing. Dog whimpers all day long. It's horrible.

Cop on.


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## jake108 (24 Mar 2007)

Johnny1 said:


> So you are telling him to keep a pack of dogs instead of just one. I have often heard a pack of dogs barking I wonder were they stressed or bored because they couldn't be lonely.


 
Did I type the words "keep a pack of dogs"? No. I stated the fact that dogs are pack animals. They do not like to be left alone for long periods of time. As Hotdogsfolks said, it's cruel and selfish. What the hell do people get dogs for if they're kept locked in a back garden all day? Are you honestly trying to tell me that that's a happy life for any animal? Get real!


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## Z100 (24 Mar 2007)

Johnny1 said:


> So you are telling him to keep a pack of dogs instead of just one.



Johnny, do you deliberately misinterpret people's posts, or do actually not understand them?


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## jake108 (24 Mar 2007)

Bushfire said:


> Johnny, do you deliberately misinterpret people's posts, or do actually not understand them?


 
My money's on deliberate!!


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## SlurrySlump (24 Mar 2007)

It always amazes me how the owner of a dog isn't bothered by it's barking.....they are conviently somewhere else when the barking is taking place.


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## ncs (24 Mar 2007)

I have a great deal of sympathy for the letterwriter's concerns, somewhat less for their anonymity but can understand why they would not want to make the complaint personal - and why should they ?

I have had to make two face-to-face complaints regarding barking dogs in gardens backing on to ours. Both owners keep their dogs (a pair at one house and a single at the second) out in the back garden permanently and have done all winter, including during the cold snaps and snow. The complaints I made were for regular barking up till midnight in one case and two nights out of three when the lone dog went through a 45 minute barking fit at 2am. In confronting the owners, I was polite and politely received but did get the impression that their attitude was - well they're dogs, what do you expect? I'm entitled to ask the same question back - you buy a dog as a "dog lover" then stick it out the back garden in all weathers - explain where the love is there, exactly?

Then a few doors down there is another category of dog owner - this dog seems well-cared for and is walked regularly but is relegated to the back garden every time its owners go out for the day or night, which is frequently. It barks incessantly, mostly in response to noises of cars, people, planes, front doors, magpies etc. The real 'fun' starts during Hallowe'en when the fireworks start up and the mutt barely pauses for breath. I'm sure the owners don't realise there's a problem because mutt is always quiet when they're around. So that's OK then.

I would be ashamed to be either of these two types of owner, really ashamed. We never got a dog because we realised it would be inappropriate and unkind to have the dog left alone most of the working day but this seems to escape a lot of "dog lovers".

But back to the nuisance factor - for as long as people work shifts, work from home, have babies and sleepless nights to contend with etc, there is no 'acceptable' time for regular barking outside the house. What is ridiculous about the current situation is that in addressing the problem, if a face-to-face meeting has not produced a resolution, the only recourse seems to be to go to the district court which is most likely a disproportionate response and also makes it a personal issue when it should be an environmental issue.


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## Dreamerb (24 Mar 2007)

While I'm normally the last to advocate taking a measured approach, or try to be the voice or reason  , can some of the posters please be a little more restrained?

I agree that a dog being kept in the back garden all the time is not ideal and, depending on the dog, can cross the line into cruelty (both to dog and to any neighbours). However, the OP has made efforts to determine whether the dog is causing nuisance, _and _has made arrangements so that the dog is _not_ left alone and bored all day.

Stories of your own evil neighbours and their wicked ways are no doubt interesting (and I'm largely in agreement on appropriate treatment for such neighbours, and on the _potential_ for cruelty) but perhaps we could ease back on extrapolating into an assumption that the OP is in the wrong...


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## ncs (24 Mar 2007)

OK, back to the OP's question in a nutshell: whilst the OP has taken steps to investigate and/or minimise the nuisance caused, the complainant has every right to pursue a complaint, maybe not for cruelty, but for nuisance if the dog's barking constitutes a regular disturbance. This would be through the district court. At this point the anonymity would have to be waived.

Remember that this complaint has been made about what may well be a persistent daily problem to the letterwriter, not an occasional party etc.


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## Dreamerb (24 Mar 2007)

ncs said:


> OK, back to the OP's question in a nutshell: whilst the OP has taken steps to investigate and/or minimise the nuisance caused, the complainant has every right to pursue a complaint, maybe not for cruelty, but for nuisance if the dog's barking constitutes a regular disturbance. This would be through the district court. At this point the anonymity would have to be waived.
> 
> Remember that this complaint has been made about what may well be a persistent daily problem to the letterwriter, not an occasional party etc.


Absolutely - and I've had dog-barking nuisance myself, and know it can be infuriating, disturbing, and stressful. Fortunately, mine was intermittent and I was (just about) able to tolerate it. Had it been daily (nightly, actually, in my case) I would not have been able to, but I would equally not have made anonymous complaints.

You speak as though there's a _right _to make anonymous complaints - I don't agree. Making anonymous complaints, the results of which you are then not accountable for, is at best rude, and certainly doesn't entitle someone to a full and careful examination of their complaint. IMO. 

There is a legal route (which is not anonymous), and a complainant with a serious grievance should normally first approach the animal's owner to see if a satisfactory solution can be found, and if nuisance persists they could activate the legal route.


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## ncs (24 Mar 2007)

I'm not an advocate of anonymous complaints particularly - that's not the way I've gone about it anyway. First port of call should be a face-to-face meeting (there's something vaguely threatening about unsigned letters) but where I do believe there should be an intermediate step between (failed) resolution and district court. Perhaps at this stage the local council should investigate.


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## annR (26 Mar 2007)

About the anonymous letter writing

- if someone is annoyed enough by a barking dog they will not perceive the owner as deserving any courtesy
- I think people are afraid to complain in case the dog owner is abusive etc and it causes hostility and therefore more problems


I think it's pretty inconsiderate to everyone around you to have a barking dog in your back garden, even if it is not incessant.  Fair play to the OP he/she seems to have made an effort to make sure it's not barking all night etc. but it doesn't solve the problem.  Do you think this neighbour who complained is making it up and put a note through your door out of boredom?  Maybe so, but it's more likely that your dog is barking too much and annoying at least some of the people around you and they don't want to say it to you directly.


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## legend99 (26 Mar 2007)

Green party published some literature a while back...part of it included a bill in which dogs that were barking could be reported to local authority I think who would then have the right to take action.


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## legend99 (26 Mar 2007)

https://secure17.nexternal.com/shar...BusType=BtoC&Count1=103359401&Count2=20499825 is a non-shock collar that is supposed to stop a dog barking. If somemone is complaining to you then in my opinion the emphasis is on you to do all you can to stop the barking.

Or, as you'll see here, from a vert student and I have seen it mentioned before in AAM - throw water over him when he does start barking. [broken link removed]


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## ClubMan (26 Mar 2007)

legend99 said:


> Green party published some literature a while back...part of it included a bill in which dogs that were barking could be reported to local authority I think who would then have the right to take action.


Doggy _ASBOs_?


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## RainyDay (26 Mar 2007)

Can anything be done about those dog-owners who let the little pooches trail across the cycle-lane, and then get very surprised and offended when they get a shout from the rear asking them to clear the cycle lane?


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## jambr (27 Mar 2007)

If someone is walking your dog for one to two hours a day, is it not possible to leave the dog in the house with toys water and
have a raido on for company? I have a dog who barks when alone and do this when i am out. It works well if he does bark he is not annoying anyone. I am very aware of barking dogs having lived beside a dog that barked all day, nearly drove me crazy.


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## ClubMan (27 Mar 2007)

RainyDay said:


> Can anything be done about those dog-owners who let the little pooches trail across the cycle-lane, and then get very surprised and offended when they get a shout from the rear asking them to clear the cycle lane?


Yeah - that's really annoying alright!


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## LIVERLIPS (27 Mar 2007)

We do be driving insane with dogs at the back of us and our next door neighbour. Our next door neighbours have 2 small dogs and she had a baby about 6 months ago, which meant she was at home with them and they where in the house with her. So now since she is gone back to work they are outside all day and are going mad, and if they are put outside at night they go mad. So we just higher the volume on the telly to drowned it out. We told them last summer about the constant barking throughout the day and night, the heat must have been getting to them. 

I have never seen them out walking them plus our size backs are too small for the bigger dogs at the back. My boyfriend knocked in and the attitude of the owner was not nice so i can see why some people would not sign their letters.


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## milly123 (27 Mar 2007)

A good tip, if you can get within reach of the dogs to to squirt them with water whenever they bark - usually makes them think twice about it - invest in a supersoaker !!!

Also to the original poster, i would certainly not ignore this problem, if I were in your position I would be worried about what extremes these people will go to quieten the dog - poisoning comes to mind..  there was an incident in our estate some time ago, where several cats belonging to lovely lady were deliberatley poisoned.

Just a thought


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## RainyDay (27 Mar 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Yeah - that's really annoying alright!



Link not working, I'm afraid.


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## ClubMan (27 Mar 2007)

http://danray.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/01/dogbike.JPG


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## legend99 (28 Mar 2007)

milly123 said:


> A good tip, if you can get within reach of the dogs to to squirt them with water whenever they bark - usually makes them think twice about it - invest in a supersoaker !!!
> 
> Also to the original poster, i would certainly not ignore this problem, if I were in your position I would be worried about what extremes these people will go to quieten the dog - poisoning comes to mind..  there was an incident in our estate some time ago, where several cats belonging to lovely lady were deliberatley poisoned.
> 
> Just a thought



yea, if one dog suddenly keels over and dies though like could you actually prove it was killed. Is there an inspector morse of the doggie world?


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## noilh (23 May 2007)

I personally would not like to live next door to a dog that's left alone during the day.  They need company, unlike cats,  and may bark a lot out of boredom etc.    Would it be possible to pay a "dogsitter" to attend the dog for a while during the day.


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