Chronic barking from neighbor's dogs.....

[YELLAHEEP]

So, right next door we get new neighbors about this time last year. They bring a Beagle with them. Yeah, he barked every now and then - we kinda got used to it. About 4 months ago, they bring a 2nd Beagle into their home...... and now the barking is out of control.

7:30 am when they go to work, they put 'em out...... they bark for hours.

4:00 pm the chronic barking starts up again. They've been outside all day occasionally barking, but it seems that with the weather getting cooler in the evenings, these Beagles chase each other around and bark constantly. When the fallen leaves blow along the sidewalk behind the fence - they go nuts!

Saturday and/or Sunday nights, they're always gone somewhere - like tonight, they're likely at a World Series party. It's 11pm and the dogs have been barking non-stop since 4pm.

When they moved in, we'd only see them occasionally when they drove their cars into the garage coming home. I'd wave, try to appear personable, approachable.... not so much as a wave back.

3 months ago, I left a note on their door pleading with them to take notice of the problem their dogs have made in the neighborhood. I asked them to bring the dogs inside more often, or get anti-barking collars.... anything. I let them know that I truely didn't want to get Animal Control involved....... No change, no contact. Just barking.

Our City Animal Control has ONE officer. So, you can imagine I'm going to have little satisfaction from getting anything constructive done. My HOA is nearly defunct so all they'd do is write a "violation letter" to them.... big whoop.

Anyone else had to deal with chronic barking dogs and had good results? I'm so hot about this that I doubt I would remain civil with them - I'm fairly certain they're just going to try to B.S. me....... or start a code enforcement war..........

 

[johnnyc]

Do they know what you do for a living? Or wouldn't that matter to them?

 

[88xjchief]

My grandmothers neighbor has a problem like this. When the owners are gone the dogs are left in the house. They bark for hours. The police and animal control were called a bunch of times. The last couple of times the have gotten tickets for disturbing the peace. If I were you I would call animal control.

 

[selarep]

With the situation as is with animal controll, I think you should take it a step farther. Wait until they come home and bring some one with you and talk it over with them face to face. I've had labs my whole life so not as much barking but we got them shock collars a while ago to keep the peace as well as respect for others. I would expect a neighbor to come over if there was a problem. A note on the door kinda means you dont wanna get confrontational and wont do much about it where as getting in their face should shine a little light. Then again, I deal with unfair issues a little on the agressive side... its worked for me before. Also kinda sounds like they dont care and wanna show it to your face. THEY know how loud those dam dogs are... and they dont sound friendly at all. Let us know what you do and what is the outcome. you might want to set one night aside to work on the fence closest to their window.

 

[RichP]

A powered high frequency dog whistle or just a high fequency tone generator that humans can't hear....

 

[goXJ]

get you local hunt club to loan you 20 beagles for a week. leave them out while your neighbor sleeps. deploy rabbits into the yard at hourly intervals during the night. :roflmao::roflmao:

 

[DrMoab]

Foam sponges cut into pieces soaked in anti-freeze.

 

[8Mud]

The easiest solution, would be to buy a fifty pound sack of dog food (dog food is cheap) and feed them till they pass out. It's hard to bark with your mouth full of kibble.
Maybe dump the whole fifty pound sack in there back yard, whenever they get around to asking where the mess came from, tell them that's the only way you can get there darned dogs to shut up.
I'd also scold them for barking, it's a slow process, but they will eventually catch on. Maybe check with the Vet. about the effects of sleeping pills on a dog and ask for recommendations. Drug the suckers.
Plan two, record there barking and play it over your loud speakers (preferably while the neighbors are trying to sleep or hung over), until they call the cops. Tell the cops you are just playing back the barking you have to listen to all day.
Wars with the neighbors are a no win situation. I've actually had better luck threatening to black both there eyes, than trying to reason with them. Sometimes quick and painful is a better solution than prolonged feuds and constantly high blood pressure.

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Johnny....... I don't wanna be the guy that feels the only way to handle neighborhood problems is to throw my being a cop in their face. I doubt it'd matter to them anyway. They're hispanic. He works for the post office (you know how pleasant those folks are) and when they have friends over - the majority drive cars with "dubs" and wear ball caps cocked sideways..... This is partly why I don't want a face-to-face confrontation - it'd likely just result in a bunch of yelling, and then I get mysterious property damage or cars broken into.......... I actually don't understand what they're doing living out here anyway.

Ryan...... trust me..... that idea has been given serious consideration. Problem is - it's not the dog's fault. I'm fully aware that this is what Beagles do naturally - it's what they were bred for - to let hunters know where they are when chasing game.

Hurting the dogs isn't in my nature - plus, I'm not fond the associated Felony charge that'd come with it. Could you imagine the headlines? "Sheriff's Sgt. kills dogs to keep the peace."............. I'd have to move to Utah or sumpthin'!

The sonic bark controller is something I'd seriously considered too. I'd looked into them when the 1st dog was bothering us. On line reviews of those products seem to indicate in majority that they don't work - and they're kinda pricey. If anyone has used them with success, I'd like to hear about it.

 

[goodburbon]

I say walk over there with a 2 beers. they open the door, hand them a beer and ask if you can talk. Make it clear that you don't have any ill will toward them but that the dogs are really disturbing your peace. Any reasonable person should respond well to this, unless they don't drink.

2 ways to go about this, one is to make friends, the other is to make enemies. Your choice on which way to go.

 

[johnnyc]

Gotcha. You didn't mention the caliber of your neighbors.

Twenty years ago, when I was a letter carrier, I had one of those sonic dog things clipped to my mailbag. I would say that it had an effect on 80% of the dogs. They would stop in their tracks and perk their ears up, with a puzzled look on their face. Or some would run and hide inside the house. The other 20% could care less. It all depends on the dog, or breed of dog.

 

[planefixer]

I've lived in 2 different houses with noisey Beagles for neighbors and here is what I did (it seems kind of mean but worked great both times):

Whenever the dogs would start barking I would discreetly go out on the back deck/porch and start launching small rocks or dirt clods at the offending animals.The key is to do it every chance possible when they bark.Keep in mind you don't want to actually hit the animal with the projectiles just land them close enough to get the dogs' attention.Even though I absolutely despise Beagles and would never own one (because of the inherant excessive barking the breed is known for) they are pretty smart dogs and after a few weeks of having stuff thrown at them they learn.In both instances I managed to get the dogs "trained" to the point all they had to do was see me come out of the house and say SHHHHHH! and they would immediately run and hide and cease with the barking.Just remember don't hurt the animals, just get their attention.It also sounds like you need to address your neighbors face to face about the issue.
Here in El Paso County we have quite a few animal welfare officers. All it takes is a phone call and the pet owners are automatically slapped with a $25 fine unless they want to go to court to challenge it (at which time the complaintant must also appear to defend thier accusation).I've only made the call one time due to ridiculously constant barking from 11:00p.m. to 4:30 a.m. for a week straight by a Golden Retriever of one of my neighbors - they didn't challenge the fine and the dog started going inside at night, no more barking.

A good friend of mine had a beagle that barked all the time and the anti-bark shock collar did not work- at all, it just made the dog bark more.

 

[8Mud]

I raised Beagles and never had a chronic barker. When they did bark it was usually at something, I'd let it go on for awhile and then call a halt to it. I didn't try to train them not to bark, I'd let it go on for a few minutes and then yell stop. Next step was a boot in the arse or like someone else suggested a dirt clod. They eventually caught on not to bark in excess and learned I was only going to tolerate so much.
I work from around 3 AM to 8 or so, then get a nap, do my chores and then most days am at work again in the late afternoon. If the dogs were keeping me up, I'd ask the vet what to use and the dosage and roll up a sleeping pill in bacon or a piece of cheese and drug the suckers.
And like I mentioned, most dogs after they have eaten there fill, are ready for a nap.
I adopted a chronic barker (Plummer Terrier), I've about got him cured now, though it took six months to do. Once it gets out of hand, it's a pain to get them stopped.

 

[RTicUL8]

My next door neighbor is an animal control officer in Denver.
I'll ask him tonight what he suggests. :thumbup:

.

 

[AzRick]

Taser the dogs?

 

[selarep]

I say walk over there with a 2 beers. they open the door, hand them a beer and ask if you can talk. Make it clear that you don't have any ill will toward them but that the dogs are really disturbing your peace. Any reasonable person should respond well to this, unless they don't drink.

2 ways to go about this, one is to make friends, the other is to make enemies. Your choice on which way to go.

I like this idea best. I'm not gonna comment on how you (YELLAHEEP) stereo typed them... but the beer thing should work.

 

[5-90]

Hm - can you get your paws on OC/CS "paintballs" and an airgun from the department? You won't even have to hit them, and it shouldn't harm them - but they should get the point a little quicker (and it won't leave any marks that can be identified...)

Positive reinforcement only really works well if you have constant time and attention to devote to the task (like 8mud and his new "adoptee") - but negative reinforcement simply requires consistency, and is rather quicker.

Just a couple of quick thoughts...

 

[YELLAHEEP]

I like this idea best. I'm not gonna comment on how you (YELLAHEEP) stereo typed them... but the beer thing should work.

Oh puhleese....... stereotype? I didn't call them mexicans, beeners, wetbacks.... they're hispanic. Doesn't get much more PC than that. Am I not supposed to call it like I see it? Dubs, cocked ball caps...... yeah, they're REAL approachable. That's all I was trying to communicate - I think it's a valid factor to the issue.

They should be very aware I'm a cop. They've seen me in uniform. I'm thinking that fact has actually made things harder. They've probably stereotyped me too.

I left another note on their door last night - kept it polite and matter of fact. Asked them once again to stop the barking and be more attentive to their dogs....... hell, it was 38 degrees at 11pm when I left the note and the dogs were still outside - they still weren't home.

Today, the dogs haven't made but a peep except when let out to do their business. We were raking leaves all day - it was a nice change.

If they make good progress, a good effort....... I'll probably try the 2 beers thing and let them know I appreciate the change - and see if we can mend fences so to speak.

 

[selarep]

Oh puhleese....... stereotype? I didn't call them mexicans, beeners, wetbacks.... they're hispanic. Doesn't get much more PC than that. Am I not supposed to call it like I see it? Dubs, cocked ball caps...... yeah, they're REAL approachable. That's all I was trying to communicate - I think it's a valid factor to the issue.

They should be very aware I'm a cop. They've seen me in uniform. I'm thinking that fact has actually made things harder. They've probably stereotyped me too.

I left another note on their door last night - kept it polite and matter of fact. Asked them once again to stop the barking and be more attentive to their dogs....... hell, it was 38 degrees at 11pm when I left the note and the dogs were still outside - they still weren't home.

Today, the dogs haven't made but a peep except when let out to do their business. We were raking leaves all day - it was a nice change.

If they make good progress, a good effort....... I'll probably try the 2 beers thing and let them know I appreciate the change - and see if we can mend fences so to speak.

All right buddy, that's to much sh!t talking. Keep that kind of stuff off the boards.

 

[Glenn B]

Huh?

All right buddy, that's to much sh!t talking. Keep that kind of stuff off the boards.

Yella, glad to hear progress is being made.