Dogs that CONSTANTLY bark! - Paw Talk

Denise · #1 06-02-2005, 06:55 PM

There are three dogs across the street that do nothing and I mean nothing but bark at everything! If I open the back door to where I live they bark, if someone gets out of their car, they bark, if someone is simply walking across the street, they bark. I had Oscar in the backyard on Sunday and the dogs were in the house and somehow they could see Oscar and they were going nuts! They are a royal pain in the behind. I couldn't stand to have a dog(s) that bark at everything. To me, that is not a sign of a good watchdog. As a matter of fact, one of the dogs was off leash and a woman wanted to cross the street and the dog was barking up a storm! The woman was afraid to cross the street. The dogs are in their yard 98% of the time and come and go as they please. Now that the weather is warm, all I hear is barking!

Plummie · #2 06-02-2005, 07:25 PM

Ugh, I know exactly how annoying that is. The neighbors in my backyard have a chocolate lab that is completely neurotic and she barks at everything too. She barks just to bark and does it all night long sometimes. She is emotionally neglected and maybe does it to try and get let in the house. I really don't know.

Her barking wakes me up on a regular basis, even in the middle of the night at 4 am. It's just a constant stream of two barks in a row. *bark bark* *bark bark* *bark bark* like a broken record. I've asked them to do something about it since other neighbors have also complained, and they said they would try and keep her quiet. But I still hear her every day and night, barking away as unhappy as ever.

I know it's awful but I am just waiting and praying for the day that she dies. She's at least 12 and this has been going on for years now. At least she would be in peace at the Rainbow Bridge and so would everyone else who lives here.

diggy415 · #3 06-02-2005, 08:15 PM

In calif in my small town you have to have 3 ppl you aren't related to, to write letters to animal control. Heck I write an annoymous letter to the owner stating the problem, and I will have no problem calling the authorities every time it happens to show how inconvieant my life is. My BF goes to work at midnight and 2 dalmations bark at that. If i sit on my porch there they go again. Like the above mentioned its a pain. So try the letter and send several written differently and see if that works, has for me.

RSbunny · #4 06-02-2005, 09:16 PM

that sucks Denise!! I know what you mean though..there is a little yapper across the street that barks at nothing all day long!! It drives me insane! Thankfully small dog = small bark so by turning up the music I can drown it out and it must sleep inside cause I never hear it of a night time.
I'll admit, Biscuit can be very noisy when she wants to be...but she is only allowed to go on for so long before she is bought inside. It's not fair to the neighbours. I try and let her go cause she isn't barking as such, she's just talking for attention but there's only so much you can allow. Cindy will bark, but only for a purpose. I don't mind dogs that bark for a purpose, but when they bark cause a leaf moves and everyone around them has to listen to it all day while they are out it shouldn't be allowed!

CTChin · #5 06-02-2005, 09:32 PM

Plummie that's so sad

No dog should have to live like that all alone. So desperate she barks pathetically like that. It blows my mind that her owners can sleep all tucked in their nice comfy beds and not hear her.

Plummie · #6 06-03-2005, 12:09 AM

It is heartbreaking, Brenda. I recently met their new chihuahua whom they let sleep in the house (probably in their bed too!) but that poor lab has always been left outside since I can remember. I can't stand that she's all alone and I know that's why she barks. She just wants to be included in the "pack."

corgimom · #7 06-03-2005, 01:16 AM

Ein has been doing that lately, and I have no clue why. He doesn't do it all the time, but if someone comes in the house or rings the doorbell (of if a domino's commercial rings a doorbell), he'll bark. Ditto if he thinks he sees something 'off'.

velvetrabbit · #8 06-03-2005, 01:28 AM

You know, our next door neighbours each have two dogs (the ones on either side of us). On the one side, it's a male and his daughter, possibly of some pit bull descent?. We've lived here longer than those dogs have, and yet, if the neighbours aren't out and about, those dogs will bark at us. They get let out of the yard on occaision and feel it's alright to roam our yard, and they still bark at us!

On the other side is a little yappy maltese (like Greyfriar's Bobby! loved that book), and a rather well behaved dalmation-lab cross. The dalmation-lab cross just howls with the sirens, usually....

In either case, it's rather annoying. At least I know that those dogs are not neglected, though perhaps lacking in some serious training....

Denise, I bet it sucks now that it's getting warmer out, wanting to spend more time outdoors, enjoy that new place of yours, and having those dogs bark... IS there anything that can be done about them??

ninja_smurtles · #9 06-03-2005, 02:52 AM

olle used to bark a lot and not from neglect either.
He would bark at ppl. dogs, in the car and in the house.
I think it was because of what happened before in his life but there was just no way of us stopping it especially in the car.

pihlaja · #10 06-03-2005, 07:03 AM

Well, when we got both of our dogs, we KNEW they were breeds prone to barking and have taken steps to train them to CONTROL their barking.

Seamus LOVES to bwoof and yap but he KNOWS that if he starts barking a lot outside, he has to come in, so generally he keeps it to a mimimum. Sami and I have always tried to see to it that our dogs don't annoy the neighbours around us, and this was especially important when we lived in the apartment.

Our neighbour's dog is a barker, though, and she's outside ALL DAY so there's lots of barking going on from her. When we first moved here, she barked at us ALL THE TIME and it was REALLY starting to irritate me. But, after she met us, a few months after moving she stopped barking at us. Now, she only barks at me when I come home from school and when I say, "Yes! Hello big girl!" she quits.

She wants me to tell her hello back, you know?

I do wish that people would be more considerate about their dogs barking. I mean, sheesh, doesn't it bother them AS WELL AS the neighbours? I know when OUR dogs bark, it annoys ME so I know it MUST annoy some other people, right? People need to be more considerate of their neighbours.

Nikki6496 · #11 06-03-2005, 09:29 AM

I know how you all feel.

I have a dog that barks. She is by no means an outside dog. She... barks inside. I can't control her when I'm not home, but when I am I get sooo upset. We can't even have the front door open. She barks at birds... and I mean really FLIPS out at them.

Not just birds though, trees, grass, leaves moving, the wind, moths, people walking, people talking, cars driving by. But do you think she'd bark at one that would pull in. NOOOOO WAAY. When I'm home alone and Ken comes home she doesn't even more... the garage door opens he opens the door. NOTHING. I thought the point of a watch dog was supposed to alert me when someone comes in the house! Not the neighboorhood!

She makes me so mad :hitself: When she is barking at everything and nothing at the same time, I'll tell her NO and she won't even listen until the point where I'm actually YELLING at her, she stops for a minute and then always always always... WOOF. Like she gets the last word. UGH!!!

I honestly don't know how to control it. She definitely knows we don't want it, or like it.

Now I've noticed that when we let her out to pee or poo she runs out and barks. Woof Woof. She knows we don't like it so she does it a few times as to not get yelled at.

We've really tried everything though, collars.... scolding...... kennel...... inside..... I don't know how to control it. It has been getting worse since the weather has warmed. Luckily we don't live too close to people but it annoyes me so much.

On behalf of the barking pet owners I apologize. I know its

maddening. If anyone has any suggestions I'd be glad to listen!!!!!!

pihlaja · #12 06-03-2005, 10:23 AM

With Seamus, when he started going on a barking spree, I would first WARN him by telling him "hush" in a low, mean voice. If he didn't, then I would gently grab his muzzle and stare him DIRECTLY in the eyes and repeat "hush" in the same tone of voice. I would hold his muzzle and stare for about 35 seconds and then I would let go and see if he continued. If he did, I would start the procedure over (warning and then stare). If he was quiet for about 40-60 seconds, I said, "Okay! Good boy!" and he would get a tiny treat.

Now, all I have to do is say "hush" and give him a hard stare and he quits because he does NOT want the "Mama Stare-Down" treatment.

velvetrabbit · #13 06-03-2005, 11:14 AM

That's a very interesting tactic, Rowan. Was that suggested to you by someone or did you just decide to do it on your own??

(saving up tips for when I have my own dog

).

Nikki6496 · #14 06-03-2005, 11:42 AM

I do stare her down! To the point where she wont even look at me. Then if I leave the room even for a second... she's right back to it. UGH.... I think I'll try it Your way Rowan. See if it helps, I have not grabbed her muzzel. She's not really into treats like that though... but maybe a hotdog!!!

. Not really food motivated.

Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try!

pihlaja · #15 06-04-2005, 02:21 PM

Bex, it's something I've done on my own. When trying to teach dogs, I've always tried to employ things that would seem more natural to the dogs rather than to a human. For instance, when Kirby begs, I growl at him instead of saying "no." And, once (as I posted about here in another thread) I bit him when he tried to steal my food. This is something an alpha wolf would do to reinforce they are the boss.

Nikki, it's very important you don't leave them alone shortly after correcting them because if you are not there, then they are more likely to continue the behaviour.

It's also very important to NEVER yell when they bark because the dog sees it as you being loud which means they can CONTINUE being loud.

I find that holding the muzzle while staring just reinforces the fact that you want them to be silent since they can't bark or bwoof when you are gently holding their muzzle.

And, a little piece of hot dog could be a great treat, too.

And when you DO praise them for being quiet, don't be too loud about it because then you could just raise their excitement level back up and the barking would continue. A pat on the back and some scratching behind the ears while saying "good girl/boy" should be sufficient.