Someone across the way has started leaving their yapping dog out all day... what to do?

[ReverendDeuce]

This dog is barking non stop. NON STOP! "ARF ARF ARF... ARF ARF... ARF ARF... ARF... ARF ARF... ARF ARF..."

It started on Monday. In the AM, the dog goes out and keeps this up all day. ALL DAY. At 8 or 9pm, the dog goes inside. And now it's rinse and repeat. Another day on NON STOP GODDAMN BARKING.

Who can I call? Humane Society? Police? Who?

[NV Whino]

1. First, talk to the people

They are gone. They don't know their dog barks unless someone tells them.

[Lochloosa]

2. I would let the police handle it. They can let the dog owner know it's an issue.

[hedgehog]

3. How does one get a dog to stop barking? I have had my arm around my dog in bed,

and he has been barking non-stop at something for an hour (probably squirrel farts, but who knows?)

[malthaussen]

4. Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House

The neighbors' dog will not stop barking.
He is barking the same high, rhythmic bark
that he barks every time they leave the house.
They must switch him on on their way out.

The neighbors' dog will not stop barking.
I close all the windows in the house
and put on a Beethoven symphony full blast
but I can still hear him muffled under the music,
barking, barking, barking,

and now I can see him sitting in the orchestra,
his head raised confidently as if Beethoven
had included a part for barking dog.

When the record finally ends he is still barking,
sitting there in the oboe section barking,
his eyes fixed on the conductor who is
entreating him with his baton

while the other musicians listen in respectful
silence to the famous barking dog solo,
that endless coda that first established
Beethoven as an innovative genius.

Billy Collins

-- Mal

[marzipanni]

5. Isn't Billy Collins great!

I love the humor in his poems.

[malthaussen]

7. One of my favorites.

I have a real soft spot for Wendy Cope, too.

-- Mal

[Chan790]

6. Call your local SPCA.

In many places, tying your dog up outside for long periods of time unattended without food or shelter is now considered to be animal abuse by neglect.

They will minimally contact the dog owner and inform them that they have received anonymous information that the dog is being left out, without shelter, restrained, for long periods of time and they're concerned that it is being neglected or abused. In those situations, if they find evidence that the animal is being neglected or abused and there is no applicable criminal statute, then they will typically lean on the pet-owner to surrender the animal to them to be re-homed to someone who can take care of it or work to find solutions for owners who will not surrender the animal in question.

If this is a neighbor you get along with, you can probably save yourself a lot of hassle by offering to walk the dog while they're not home. An hour out of your day every day will both provide exercise for you and give the dog the attention & socialization he craves which *should* calm them down.

[RebelOne]

21. In my county it is a law that a dog cannot be tied outside

for any longer than 2 hours a day. I had to report my neighbor to the local animal control because the dog was tied outside 24/7 no matter the weather. One day we had 30-degree weather and that poor dog was shivering outside. I called animal control and an officer came out and cited the owner.

[marzipanni]

8. There may be a noise ordinance in your town/city

but, to maintain neighborly civility, talk to your neighbor.
A long time ago my neighbor told me my dog was howling when I was at work, and I'm glad she did. I kept him inside after that, and went home at lunch hour to let him out.

http://doglaw.hugpug.com/doglaw_047.html

[Arkansas Granny]

9. I would speak to the owner first. If that didn't work, I'd file a complaint with Animal Control.

I don't know about other places, but in our town there is a procedure in place to deal with this situation.

[LeftinOH]

10. Slightly off topic, but...

My neighbors had TWO dogs that would bark at the first indication that a train was coming (we live by the train tracks)..and they would bark and barkandbarkandbark until the train was out of earshot. Of course, from the dogs perspective, the barking worked because the trains always went away.

[Orrex]

11. First, obtain sort of a catapult-like device

Then lure the animal into the launching-basket and fire away!

[Populist_Prole]

12. I went through the same situation once; and while I was working nights no less

I slept during the day...that is when I could owing to a constantly barking Dalmatian behind my house, the next street over. Here's what I did.

You might ultimately have to have the law handle it, but contact the owners first. Face to face. I always want to show good faith and give others a chance to first. Then refer to local ordinances or even any home-owner's association covenants.

In my case, I was initially stonewalled by the owners. Typical "who me!?" "Not my dog!" and "nobody else is complaining, you're the first I've heard". I contacted the HOA and they were initially reluctant to crack down, advising, perhaps properly in this case, to let the owner sit and stew over this, as they may be ( and were ) the type loath to be "told what to do". I figured they figured that if the dog kept barking I would take it further and so I played psychological chess with them by letting them know by passive actions I was aware of the barking as it happened, but didn't visit them.

This went on. Sometimes they'd bring the dog inside but it would bark up a storm inside as well; I could hear it even then. I guess they kept it inside till it drove even them up the wall and let it out again.

Finally I called the cops. Made a report and let them handle it. The barking continued. One late evening on a day off as I was pulling in to my driveway I see a police cruiser parked along the street, half in front of my property, half in front of a neighbors. Curious, I casually walked over, waved and smiled and indicated I'd like a word. I asked if their was anything I could do ( but really wondered "why is a cop car in front of my house?" ) A policewoman asked if I knew where such and such house number was ( the numbers are confusing, jumbled, non-linear ) and I said I think it's the next street over. turns out she was responding to a complaint of a barking dog. I said I have one too, made it a while ago. she said their were several complaints. I then directed her to the offending house.

The dog barking never completely stopped ( spiteful owner? ) but do you know what happened? The people moved out shortly. Don't know if it's coincidence or a passive-aggressive desire to cater to a goddamned dog, but that's the story.

The main thing to take from it; what I take from it is that I am not the only one but it apparently took my initial actions to get the ball rolling. Perhaps the same may apply in your case.

[Arugula Latte]

13. Hope for a large and hungry bird of prey ...

Just kidding. I am super low-tolerance of dog barking (just one reason I'm a 100-percent cat person) but I try to tell myself that it's not the dog's fault that s/he's annoying...Stupid humans.

I don't have a good answer -- sorry.

[raccoon]

14. There are some gizmos that are supposed to stop barking dogs. I can't vouch for them personally,

but here's a link:


http://www.ultimatebarkcontrol.com/?pk_campaign=Adcenter-Bark-Exact&pk_kwd=stop%20barking%20dogs%20devices


I feel your pain. I once had a neighbor who had a terrier that had a loud, shrill, piercing bark.

[MADem]

20. Those bark control things are CRUEL and unusual, and they do not work.

They react to a truck passing by, a car horn, a child screeching.

They are the equivalent of a high pitched screech to a dog's ears, even when the dog is doing nothing wrong.

[Skittles]

15. get one of those long-lasting bone treats and toss him one

[elleng]

16. Talk to the people,

unless you know they are unfriendly. If that's the case, call the police.

[edgineered]

17. Buy a good dog whistle and use it.

When the whistle sounds the dog will stop, even if just for a moment. Repeat as needed. It has worked well for me several times, usually by the end of the third day its over. Good luck.

[blogslut]

18. A radio and a long extension cord.

Set the radio to a nice soothing NPR/Classical music-type station at a reasonable volume and aim it to the vicinity of puppy. It's lonely.

[MADem]

19. First, talk to your neighbors.

Maybe video the dog barking before you do.

Then, if they don't fix it, you need to call animal control.

Is there a doggie daycare in your area? When you talk to the owners, you might want to give them a list of day care places where they can take the dog so he isn't yapping all day.

What the owners are doing is cruel and neglectful, but maybe they don't realize that.