HELP neighbors complaining - Page 1

.

It's difficult dealing with idiots,  I see them every day at the shelter,  I tell people I love it when my neighbors dog barks because the dog is just letting everyone else know that something is up,  weather it be a stray cat, or a lurker of the human kind who should NOT be there.   That statement alone typically shuts people up pretty quickly and they suddenly see the dog in a new light.   neighborhoods that are populated with pet owners are ALWAYS lower  % in crime rates.   Maybe find your own way of mentioning that to her and the other neighbors as well,  It may ease the tention for a while.

Good Luck.

Try giving them the biggest marrow bones you can find, it will calm them down, they love to chew stuff.   Also, separate your two dogs,(They sound like partners in crime)  have one in your house loose, on patrol, the heck with barking at a buglar, how about giving him (or her) a biting chance.  See which one does better left alone for that amount of time, with a bone & no food or water, only feed that dog at 4pm, or when you get home.  If you want to do 2 feedings, feed the indoor dog EARLY, like 5 or 6 am, and give it the chance to go before you leave.   You will learn through trail & error, trust me, I still have some dogs that I don't allow upstairs in my house, cause they can be naughty!!!!

Remember a full grown dog can hold it, but, when you get home the first thing you do is let him outside..........imediately............

You have the best security money can buy, put it to good use.

I sometimes use a bark collar to get through the night, but they catch on quick to you saying SHHHHHH......... They can graduate from the bark collar, if used properly, do not leave it on for long extended periods, or if you notice irritation to their neck.

Hope I helped,

                          Paula

here is something I wrote for our local newspaper... feel free to print it off if you like.

Don’t Dismiss the Barking Dog too quickly…

There are many reasons that dogs bark, However the most common is when they’re space is being intruded upon, and if that intruder happens to be human in forum, You may be wanting to pay some attention when your dog barks.

If you get up in the night hearing your dog bark and you look outside but of course because it’s dark you can see nothing, Don’t immediately dismiss your dog, Look out of a window before you step outside, get an idea of the vicinity your dog is barking in, and watch the posture of the dog, If he is lunging at the fence or end of the chain bouncing up and down, Someone or something likely wondered too close to your dog and then acted like a “Bunny” or Prey and is going the other way now. However if your dog’s head is low and tail is down and he’s “locked on” ( staring down ) what ever is out there is very much still there and very close your dog is feeling threatened by the presence and is standing ground in that posture. There are some good books out that help you to interpret your dogs “Posture”

Learn how to read your dogs bark and posture before you dismiss your dogs warning in the middle of the night, It could prevent losing property or worse by means of a home invasion.

Dogs are a pack animal, You are the pack leader, and your dog when feeling threatened is going to sound off when intruded upon your territory. That’s his job to do so. You as the pack leader are to investigate the intruder thoroughly and then you decide if the issue should be dismissed. Your dog does not get to choose, He awaits your decision and will continue to sound off until your decision is passed onto him, or until the intruder is no longer present.

It has long been recognized that burglars do not seek homes with dogs in them, There is a reason for that. Dogs are alarm systems that need no setting and have no wires to cut. Studies have shown that nearly 100% of Career Burglar’s will tell that they avoid homes with dogs. A comforting feeling for those of us who have dogs, And once considered maybe appreciated by our neighbors as well, But if we dismiss our alarm systems too quickly, and later find that we have been victimized well then… even I said once, I told the dogs to “Shut-Up” in the middle of the night last night.

I have learned my lesson, I no longer dismiss my alarm system before thorough investigation.

Mitch Powell, Hermiston, Pet Rescue

I find it very annoying to hear a dog barking at thin air, I feel that if you let your dog out & he can get to any spot in your yard, his teeth will deter any buglar.  I did have an unfortunate mishap, a few weeks back, a ground hog popped his head up from his well dug tunnel, all that was left was a leg & some fur, unfortunate for the little bugger, & my garden was well protected!

I agree with Echo about the statistics and Mirasmom about bringing one or both of the dogs inside.  When I was a cop, I never saw a house with a big dog that was burglarized.  It didn't matter what kind of dog it was, it didn't happen.  It is sad to be on a call on Christmas Eve and go to a tidy but modest little house with several small children where all the presents were stolen right out from under the tree while the family was gone to visit relatives for the day.  If they'd had a dog on duty, it probably would not have happened.

If you can afford it, a privacy fence in between your yard and the yard with the dog might stop some or all of that barking.  If they can't see the little dog, they may not bark at it.  Perhaps your neighbor would like to have a privacy fence too, and will divide labor and materials costs with you.

Veronica

Do your dogs get much excersise?  You stated you work 10 hours a day and the dogs are mainly outside dogs, do they have an outlet for their energy?  A high energy breed like the GSD with little to no excersise will bark out of frustration and bordom.  A tired dog=a good dog

Hi,i have one of my boys that has so much drive that he cant help but to chase and bark at squirlls also and i try to shift his attention to his toy and tell him to quite.Thats all i can really do about it.Try a toy and see if that works.As far as the food goes,I would advise AGAINST feeding ANY  GSD  once a day.Always split the food in 2 meals to try to protect against bloat.You may also discover that it may help a bit with hunger pains and the dog may be a bit more quite.Im not sure how much help this will give you ,also the other poster mentioned a privacy fence which may also help.

I too can't stand a dog that just barks continuously at the littlest thing.  It can be annoying to people especially if they don't have dogs themselves.  Isit possible to bring the "barker" in the house perhaps in the garage crated until you get home?  Chances are even if the dog barks inside the crate in the house the neighbor's won't hear it as much and get off your back. 

.