Someone sent the cops over!

[JackieMaya]

Today when I let the dogs out (at about 7:45 a.m.), they were playing like crazy and barking a lot. I was really trying to keep them quiet, and it would work for a little while, then they would start up again.

Well, a few minutes ago two cops showed up at my door and said that one of my neighbors had complained about my dogs barking, and said that it happens a lot. I told the cops that I had a new puppy, and that they were barking more than normal. The cops were VERY nice, and told me to try to be more cognizant of my neighbors and the barking.

The problem is that when Jackie is playing with Pooh Bear out of Maya's reach, Maya barks because she wants to play. And when Maya is playing with Pooh Bear, Jackie barks because she wants to join in. And Pooh Bear barks at lots of stuff that Jackie and Maya don't, like birds and the neighbor dog.

So... I think I'm going to get two more citronella bark collars and they'll ALL have to wear them when they go outside, ESPECIALLY in the morning and at night.

I've always tried very hard to keep my dogs quiet at the times when people would be sleeping, but it's hard with three of them. I feel real bad, because I don't want my neighbors to think that I'm a negligent dog owner. I want my neighbors to like my dogs, not hate them. I'm really upset about this.

[Horsefeathers!]

I certainly know how you feel. With ten dogs in the yard, I have to work hard, too, at keeping them relatively quiet. It's the primary reason I'd like to have lots of acreage... so they can bark all they want.

I try to respect my neighbors' right to a bit of peace and quiet (though they certainly don't mind blasting us at all hours with loud music and fights... beside the point, I reckon). I suppose I can understand how barking dogs could be a nuisance to others.

At least the cop was nice. If nothing else, you can look at it as a good thing (I know, I know). Rather than having a storm brewing behind your back, and being totally unaware that "someone" was having a problem until it escalated to a big show-down and ultimatums, at least it was brought forward while you have a chance to "fix" everything. I suppose that beats having someone show up at your door and issue a summons, or try to take your dogs, or even worse, someone being annoyed enough to throw some kind of poison bait over your fence. That's the kind of thing I worry about. My neighbors aren't the kind of citizens who want a lot police presence in the neighborhood... they'd more than likely try to just harm my dogs outright.

I hope you're able to get everything resolved. I know you're upset, but maybe it's not as bad as it seems.

[CincoandDahlilasgirl]

I know how you feel. When we had Blackie(pitbullxlab) our neighbor didn't like him cuz he was "big" and he was a "Pitbull"(she's one of those people who think pits are bad) so one time when my mom went inside to do something real quick like take the trash out she put a toy in the outside dog kennel my dad put up so Blacky could run either off leash or on a 6ft chain well anyway my mom was inside for a few minutes and the lady called cops and said he was barking (he was barking cuz he threw the toy over the fence nto the driveway and wanted me to get it) the cops came over and said told us to quite him down(he stopped barking by then :roll: )

Ticked my mom cuz this was coming from the same lady who let her dog off leash in the yard with no supervision and fence and that also she gave both her dogs up cuz they had accdents in the house :roll:

[courtnek]

I am VERY fortunate that all of my neighbors but one have dogs, and they all do barkfests with each other thru the fences....

the police have been here twice because of Laurel however...she is a hound and her bay made the neighbors think she was being abused (if you dont know any better you'd think it was a howl/cry).

can you talk to this neighbor?ask them to bring their concerns to you
first? if possible introduce the dogs to them and get on their good side.

good luck

[Guest Anonymous]

I have 5 dogs, with varying bark threshholds. So we have a pretty strict policy - One of us is always outside with them. If they bark, I call them to me to redirect them into a sit or down, reward with treats (if I have them) or just googly priase. Then I release them again. Usually this is enough time for them to forget what they were carrying on about. If they dont come or they immediately go back to barking - play times over and inside we go. If I have to go get someone *cough*cough* the terrier, I dont make a big deal about it, just "Woops, Your'e done". If he is super over stimulated a little crate time to cool down (until he shuts up) is in order.

The moral of the story is excessive barking = play times over. We are so consistent with this that we can curtail almost any barking session. In fact its usually, Bark Bark Bark does Mom have anything good ? LOL.

I have used the citro collars before with one of my dogs. She just barked and winced until she emptied the cartridge (it really doesnt take long) and then went along her merry barking way. LOL.

[ObedienceGrrl]

[quote name='Sarahq']
I have used the citro collars before with one of my dogs. She just barked and winced until she emptied the cartridge (it really doesnt take long) and then went along her merry barking way. LOL.[/quote]

I know of dogs who have done this. Smart little things.....

We end outside time if barking starts. Then, they each go out separatly. And they just think that stinks!! It's a pain for me (we have 4) but if that's how it needs to be, then that's how it will be.

The littlest one, of course, is the loudest. He outbarks the German Shepherds any day. And he's much more noisy than the other Chinese Crested. I know they are barky dogs.....but we got spoiled with Tater! He's just so quiet. But not PoGo!!

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='ObedienceGrrl']
The littlest one, of course, is the loudest.[/quote]

MINE TOO! I swear my JRT out barks all my other dogs combined. Not to mention that his bark is god awful. :-? Of course he is also the newest guy, so I have had to be super strict about the barking ending play time policy. But we are making progress. Today I was able to call him away from a Llama on the otherside of the fence. Like a charm, after a few sits, downs and hotdog chunks he forgot about what he was barking at. Or maybe he just didnt want his little field trip to end. :wink:

[JackieMaya]

Tomorrow I'm going to call the Police Department and find out who it was who complained about me, and then I'll go talk with them, VERY diplomatically, and explain that I have a new puppy and that all the dogs are barking more than normal, and that I was trying to get them to stop.

In the meantime, I've been bringing them in as soon as they start barking. And if they can't go outside together and not bark, I'll start doing the one at a time too, although that would really suck. I'm also going to get a citronella collar for Pooh Bear and see if that helps with him. Jackie will pretty much stop doing anything if I tell her to, so I don't think she'll need a bark collar.

This really sucks!

[kendalyn]

Unless you have a pretty good relationship with your neighbors, I wouldn't go over there. The reason they called the cops is because for whatever reason, they didn't want to talk to you directly.

I wouldn't be surprised if they complained anonymously though. I've called the cops on loud neighbors before (they were fighting very loudly and I was not about to go talk to them personally) and the cops didn't even ask my name once I said I wanted to be anonymous.

Good luck with the barking!

[Malamum]

I think the issue may be the time more so that the actual barking.

7.45 is still early and people may still be trying to sleep. Can you hold off on letting them out for another hour or so?

[eric]

We have some of the same issues, although thankfully our guys are not naturally barkers. When they play, there might be a single bark if somebody gets a little rough trying to get whatever they are playing with.

The bigger problem we have is that being in the country, there are occasionally deer, wild turkeys, and of late, ducks and Canada Geese in our pond.

Our GSD Travis will inevitably spot these intruders and charge, Woo-Woo-Woo-ing the whole way. Its maybe 10 seconds of barking, then its over, as most animals decide that they'd rather be somewhere else as Travis comes barrelling towards them. It is however, usually 6:30 am so we're trying to put an end to it.

My wife now goes out with them in the morning to try and avert this, but its not always possible. The other morning, she went out and made sure there was no wildlife before letting them out. While they were all out, a pair of mallard ducks landed in the pond, which set Travis off.

Of late, however, we've been thinking that instead of getting all anxious and stressed about trying to control this, we'll just let it be.

Why should we kill ourselves keeping the dogs quiet when our neighbors make absolutely no effort to keep their teenage kids quiet. If I have to listen to screaming profanities and music, then you can put up with 10 seconds of barking.

[JackieMaya]

Normally, my dogs will let out a few barks, and then they'll stop (especially if I tell them to). And they normally never bark at night or when I first turn them out in the morning. But my new puppy, Pooh Bear, has them all more excited than normal, so there is more barking than normal. Having a third dog is still in the new and exciting stage for my older dogs. Pooh Bear is getting real good about coming when I call him, and I've been watching them VERY closely since the cops came over, and if they start barking and won't stop, I make them come in.

I think that the people who complained are the people who live directly behind me. They've never had a dog, and they've complained about almost every neighbor at some time in our area about something. And I live in a nice residential area. I told a few of my neighbors that someone had called the police on me, and they said they figure it has to be the grouches behind me. And they both said that they really like having dogs living around them because it makes them feel safer. And they both said that when dogs play sometimes they'll bark!

The people who I think called the cops on me called my next door neighbor shortly after I got Jackie saying that she didn't think I was taking very good care of my dog! LOL! She said that my dog had been outside for a long time. My next door neighbor said "well, is the dog barking?" And the grouch said "No." Then my neighbor said "then she must be okay." I got Jackie in February, so it was on the chilly side, but Jackie has an incredible double coat, so cold and snow don't bother her. I let my dogs stay outside until they tell me they want to come in (or if I have to make them come in because they're barking).

My next-door neighbor also told me that she saw the grouches throw branches off their tree into my yard behind my trees! I didn't know about that until yesterday!

So that gives you an idea of the mentality of the grouches who live behind me. And I'm being polite by using the word "grouch" instead of the word I would really like to use!

So I'm on real strict bark patrol now when the kids go outside. If they start barking and won't stop when I tell them to, they have to come in immediately.

[Horsefeathers!]

[quote name='eric']Why should we kill ourselves keeping the dogs quiet when our neighbors make absolutely no effort to keep their teenage kids quiet. If I have to listen to screaming profanities and music, then you can put up with 10 seconds of barking.[/quote]
I agree with this in theory since the kids in my neighborhood are a bunch of thugs, too, and I have to listen to obnoxious kids and their loud music yet have to try to keep my dogs quiet. It sucks.

However, it's not as likely that you're going to throw poison bait at these kids (even if they would eat it), or have their parent's right to "own" them taken away. I worry (with good reason in my 'hood) about having a frustrated neighbor throw poison over my fenced unnoticed.

I work very, very hard at keeping my dogs quiet. Not because I like my neighbors, or even respect them. It's because I don't want to lose my dogs. My dream is to one day own enough acreage to let my dogs out to bark until they can't bark anymore.

Eric, I share your frustration. It's just that my paranoia trumps my frustration. :oops: