I wish I had researched this some time ago when our neighbor’s dogs barked incessantly. They used to leave their screen door open whenever they left the house. They used to have two loud dogs that wouldn’t stop barking. Despite filling many noise complaints, nothing was done about the noise. Our neighborhood became filled with more and more cranky neighbors as we were all getting less sleep than required for starters, and the constant barking was simply annoying and gave us headaches while wearing on our nerves.
I perfectly understand that dogs should bark in certain situations. After all, that’s a dog’s job, to bark when needed. There are situations when barking is really necessary. A dog can be left outside by mistake, it can get lonely, it can be hurt or anxious at something, or it can simply feel frustrated when being locked up. Or it can bark when it finds something very intriguing. Dog owners may even unconsciously encourage this behavior by offering their dogs rewards when they bark. They do not realize it, but giving your dog a treat or a pet on its back makes it bark even more often. This attitude will have an opposite effect and encourage the dog to bark all the time.
Leaving a dog outside all day is about the worst idea ever. It pretty much then comes with a guarantee that there will be problems with your neighbors, not to mention that there is no way to protect your canine from sudden bad weather. Some dogs are held in crates while their owners are away, but they shouldn’t be kept there for more than four hours at a time. One of the things you could do is keep it indoors, yet offer it a view on the outside of the house or apartment; it should have a space of its own where it can feel relaxed. Do not forget that the dog also needs a bathroom. Buy it a litter tray, or use a pile of newspapers in the farthest corner of the room. A better alternative would be to make it a doggie door so it can go outside to do its business.
So let’s say you have done all of the above and perhaps even more and your dog insists on constantly barking or perhaps it is your neighbor’s dog that is doing this annoying habit-what then? Perhaps a bark collar might be the answer. If your dog isn’t the problem, but your neighbor’s, a good idea would be to write him a letter in which you politely ask him to do something about his dog’s barking. It is possible that the neighbors are not even aware that their cute little dog is barking its head off while they are at work, although I am sure my neighbors knew since they had so many noise complaints brought against them. If your neighbor ignores your letter, you might send him a second one or talk to him face to face and recommend that he should buy his dog a bark collar.
If dogs are loud all the time, then you should do something about it. If barking turns becomes a constant habit for your neighbor’s dog, suggest him to buy his dog a bark collar. If you want to read more about how you could solve the barking problems with a bark collar, click on this link.
Tags: bark collars, maltese terrier, puppies
