My Barking Dogs While I'm At Work

[Puppoochi]

I live in a single fronted terrace in St Kilda and a neighbour two doors down from me told me tonight that as soon as i go out, my dogs bark continuously until I return, sometimes non stop for periods of up to half an hour at a time. BTW, I have 5 toy poodles which tend to bark at that awful pitch that goes right through you. Another neighbour (next door I think) has also written 2 anonymous notes complaining that my dogs bark 24/7, which is a complete embellishment of the truth. My other next door neighbour says that it's simply not true and says they aren't bad at all, however she's very old but doesn't appear to be hard of hearing.

Now I did some googling and discovered this product

http://www.aussiebarkcontrol.com/ds_pro.htm

I was wondering if anyone has tried it, and how effective it is.

Any help and input will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[corvus]

I guess it might work for some dogs. I once saw a dog on one of those RSPCA shows that it had apparently encouraged to bark MORE, though.

Do you give them a good long walk before going out? Tired dogs sleep most of the day. Also, you could give them Kongs or other treat dispensing treats, although with five dogs it might create more trouble, too.

[huski]

I think there was a thread recently on them - I don't think they have a particularly high success rate. I think the electronic anti-bark collars and the AirJet anti-bark collars are the ones with the highest success rate.

Is it all five dogs that bark? It could be expensive getting anti-bark collars for five dogs! What sort of mental and physical stimulation do they get each day?

Edited February 21, 2009 by huski

[Erny]

Good post Huski. I agree that the sonic ones don't have a great reputation for success rate. They sometimes work initially, but that's only due to the novel startle effect of the sound it emits. Once they get a bit used to that, they often learn to ignore the sound.

I also agree that excessive barking is more commonly and successfully resolved by use of the electronic style anti-bark collars. My preference is for the style that is (apart from good quality) one which allows the stim level to be manually set to suit the dog.

The problem with multiple dog households is that you need to be careful that the dog who receives the stim from it does not associate the stim as coming from (say) one of the other dogs standing next to or very nearby him/her, rather than from the action of barking itself. So yes, it can be a bit tricky.

There are the anti-bark spray collars .... their success rate is certainly better than the sonic device, but not as good as the electronic anti-bark collar. The spray collar might be less likely to be pared as coming from another dog.

It's not just a matter of addressing the symptom of barking though ..... the OP would do well to consider why the dogs might be barking and address that cause AS WELL.

[huski]

It's not just a matter of addressing the symptom of barking though ..... the OP would do well to consider why the dogs might be barking and address that cause AS WELL.

Thanks Erny I agree with the above. I would only use an anti-bark collar if I had exhausted other possibilities for the dogs barking like boredom - and I wouldn't use one on a dog barking out of stress/anxiety. My bitch here who barks because she likes the sound of her own voice however... :D

Edited February 21, 2009 by huski

[Puppoochi]

thanx for the input guys.

I used to take my dogs to the park pretty much every day when I had 4 dogs. One trustworthy dog (Elvis) would be off lead but the other 3 were on leads which would tangle in no time. Now I have 5, I just can't take them all. If I leave a couple behind, they scream blue murder which is worse and I feel so guilty.

I heard a story about the electric collar on a dobie.

The dog barked got shocked then screamed, got shocked, screamed again, shocked again, all the other dogs in the household then ended up attacking the screaming dog, and yes the dog never barked again , however, I think I'd rather get my dogs debarked b4 trying that.

Of late, I've been taking all my dogs to the park in a trailer with my electric scooter after work, Elvis gets to ride in the front with me. I have one very naughty bitch that likes to bark and follows people at the park and I have no recall with her. So, I take them to fenced ovals at Albert Park lake, if there is no one there, and make a quick getaway if someone does show, which is more often than not.

I had a long conversation with the old lady ( Rosa) next door today, being the person closest to their noise and she told me that the neighbours complaining are totally embellishing the truth. She said yes they cry when I leave for work but that only lasts a little while and there's no way that they bark non stop for up to half an hour at a time, She also said they do bark when they hear noises but nothing excessively . Being 89 I questioned whether her hearing was maybe failing a little, she said absolutely not.

I have a doggy door and they have the run of the house as well. I have floorboards throughout the house and when they are in the hallway and bark, the noise is amplified and quite loud from outside the front.

The last thing I want is the council coming to my house and fining me and/or confiscating some of my dogs.

I can't really use the electric or citronella collar on my worst offender because she's in show coat. I love them all very much.

You know, human noises like blaring loud music or screaming kids is totally acceptable, but god forbid if the dogs bark.

I'm at a loss of what to do.

One other thing, they know not to bark at night, be it a rat, bat or possum.

Who am I to believe? Rosa next door, who's pretty much home all day or the other complaining neighbours????

What to do, what to do??

I can't really afford to get them all debarked ATM but I am planning a couple of litters later this year, which could pay for it but my house mate is dead set against it and so is the complaining neighbour????

I haven't tried crating them as I fear they will howl as well. I'm at my wit's end with this and I'm sure some people are just more tolerent that others, but it's the intolerent ones that I've got to worry about. Here's a pic of the worst offender, Miss Grace.

[huski]

I heard a story about the electric collar on a dobie.

The dog barked got shocked then screamed, got shocked, screamed again, shocked again, all the other dogs in the household then ended up attacking the screaming dog, and yes the dog never barked again , however, I think I'd rather get my dogs debarked b4 trying that.

I am by no means an expert but in my limited experience with e-collars this sounds like an odd story... I've never seen a dog with a good quality e-collar on scream in reaction to it, I think you would be surprised if you put an e-collar on your arm and felt the stim it's really not as bad as people make it out to be. If I had pinpointed the cause of barking and found an anti-bark collar was a suitable solution, I would use an e-collar before any others - they have the highest rate of success and I would rather spend my money on a tool that has the highest chance of working rather than things like citronella collars or sonic sound machines as they are expensive but have a lot lower rate of success.

I know nothing about poodles but I can't see any reason why you couldn't use an e-collar on her without affecting her coat :D

Of late, I've been taking all my dogs to the park in a trailer with my electric scooter after work, Elvis gets to ride in the front with me. I have one very naughty bitch that likes to bark and follows people at the park and I have no recall with her. So, I take them to fenced ovals at Albert Park lake, if there is no one there, and make a quick getaway if someone does show, which is more often than not.

What do they have to occupy them during the day? They sound like they could be a bit bored and under-stimulated... what sort of boredom busting toys do they have to play with?

If it was me, I would set up a video camera and film the dogs over the course of a day or two. I would then watch it back to see if and when they barked, and try to pin point a reason for their barking and go from there. You might have one dog that sets the others off and this may be the only dog whose barking you need to tackle (as opposed to all five of them).

ETA: In my experience it is not pleasant to live near a nuisance barker, never mind five! So if your dogs really are barking all day IMO your neighbours are completely justified in complaining. Of course some neighbours are more polite than others, and I can understand if the neighbours are unpleasant to deal with... but if it was me I would mention the barking too. At least they said something to you first as opposed to going directly to the council!

Edited February 21, 2009 by huski

[Puppoochi]

thanx Husky,

Poodles in show coat cannot wear collars at all because it breaks coat and the neck coat is where it needs to be the longest. The whole look of the dog gets ruined if they lose it so you can forget about showing them if it's broken.

And yes I agree with you, a constant yapper really grinds on the nerves and can be excruciatingly irritating . I guess I was just hoping that the sonic device would work on them, and be an easy fix solution to the problem, but it appears not.

The neighbour complaining, did it in the nicest possible way, and suggested I google a solution.

The story about the dobe with the electronic collar came from a judge, by second hand information.

I have never tried kong's but I have recently heard stories about tongues getting stuck in them and swelling up, needing vets to remove them from their traps. I don't know , it could have been a cheap chinese replica kong. They've got lots of toys to play with but they love best of all to find their own. I often come home to shredded whatever's

My work is 15 mins away and I work 5 hours Mon-Fri, from 2pm-7pm, so I'm gone for approx 5.5 hrs, longer if I have to go to the supermarket after work.

They love their piggy ears and that keeps them occupied for some time.

I do agree, they need more stimuli. and I do feel guilty of probably not providing them with enough.

And to tell you the truth, even when I was taking them out daily, their annoying behaviour was still the same irrespective.

Yes, I would love to have a camera to monitor their behaviour, so at least I would know exactly what went on when I'm not home, I think tandy has some nanny cams that aren't too expensive atm.

Maybe I should try crating them while I'm away but I prefer not to, I'm just worried that if I do, it'll be worse and they'll howl. From my experience people react worse if they think you are being cruel, and more likely to report you because the dogs are unhappy.

Considering the fact that some people are less tolerant than others, I'm just figuring that the intermitting barking doesn't bother old Rosa where as it totally bothers the others and fom their perpectives, it is continual and unrelenting. I think the nanny cam is a good idea for starters, at least.

[corvus]

OH's parents have an electric anti-bark collar for their MinPin and he does yelp when he sets it off. I have no idea if it's a good one or not. He learnt that the barking is what sets it off, but sometimes the contact isn't great and so he'll bark and get nothing then bark and get a zap and cry. I thought they were illegal in every state but WA, but I guess not. I would be worried that it could be set off by one of the other dogs barking?

Anyway, it's a moot point if they can't wear collars.

Maybe if you crated them all with something super cool that would keep them busy for hours, like marrow bones or raw lamb breast or something? As you are only gone for a few hours a day, I wouldn't be so worried about crating them. Kivi is the size of a BC and stays in our kitchen for 10 hours at a time. The only difference to his activity level is that he gets antsy later on at night. I'm pretty sure he barely moves all day.

You could call the council and ask them what their policy on barking dogs is. It always helps to know exactly where you stand.

If it were me I'd be hustling them to the park for a good run before leaving, but I see that is a bit problematic for you too. Can you play a fast-paced game of chase and tug with them in the house before you leave?

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Maybe if you crated them all with something super cool that would keep them busy for hours, like marrow bones or raw lamb breast or something?

This is what I would try first, as they are smaller dogs I'd probably give them kongs or feed them their breakfast kibble in a buster cube.

The OP would know her group of dogs, and know which ones are likely to set each other off. I'd crate those dogs in separate rooms.

Good exercise is hard to go past tho', because if they're sleeping, they're not barking.

[Erny]

OH's parents have an electric anti-bark collar for their MinPin and he does yelp when he sets it off. I have no idea if it's a good one or not. He learnt that the barking is what sets it off, but sometimes the contact isn't great and so he'll bark and get nothing then bark and get a zap and cry. I thought they were illegal in every state but WA, but I guess not. I would be worried that it could be set off by one of the other dogs barking?

Doesn't sound like a very good quality collar, Corvus ... and if the contact isn't great, it doesn't sound as though it is fitted properly (this in itself would be human error). In addition, it must be a very old or cheaper quality collar if it is activated by sound rather than by vibration.

[SpikesPuppy]

I would try crating the dogs, at first they may whinge and carry on but I reckon they will soon settle down for a nap while you're gone.

I crate my 2 Border Terriers (each in a 30inch crate), when I go out and they have a little whinge when I leave and when I return home (i know this as I ahve asked the neighbours and I have also sat in the front yard for an hour LOL), occasionally they apparently have a bit of a bark but that is usually if one of the next door dogs is carrying on or someone comes to the door (again, this is from my neighbour). I don't like leaving them with the traditional Kongs (the tree shaped ones), but I give them a Tyre Biter toy each (get one either far too big or far too small for the dog to get stuck in) as well as the Kong sticks and Buster cubes. They get a different toy each day and I fill it with things like some of their kibble, a biscuit, or smear it with vegemite or something else they like.

They have no objection to racing into their crates when they see me preparing their entertainment in fact they spin around and occasionally yap at me to hurry up

I would love to have them in the yardbut I don't feel it's that safe, and I cannot be sure they wont get 'upset' by something going on and carry on- they are terriers after all.

I am working on building a shelf in the front room so I can stack one crate ontop of the other, to take up less space.

[CP*]

I wouldn't leave an electronic collar on them when you are not at home anyway. I understand about the coat - have the same problem with shelties and citronella doesn't work because the smell just clings to the coat and they become innured to it. The jet spray doesn't get thru thick fur either. On the whole I find the sonic sound works with mine but shelties are more sound sensitive.

Whatever the dogs exercise, dogs sleep 14+ hours a day anyway.

I don't use kongs because it takes mine 2 seconds to get thru them. Instead I either give them treat bottles (water bottles with holes cut in them and they can push them around to get kibble out) or a 'treasure hunt' with kibble and bits of treats - I hide/scatter the kibble and treats around the yard or house (depending on the weather) and they search for it. The latter keeps them occupied for quite a while and by the time they have exhausted looking its nap time. Just don't let them see you hiding/scattering the treats as they have a good memory for where to look and it takes less time to find the treats.

When I lived in last lived in Vic (it was over 5 yrs ago) debarking was illegal - had to go across the border to get it done.

If the council hasn't even investigated the complaint or sent you a letter then I wouldn't worry too much. They are a bit more understanding than you think. But it is worth checking with them what they believe constitutes a "nuisance". I had the same problem with someone houses away from my place who just hates dogs.

[poodlefan]

Take them out in shifts.

Pigs ears in a crate for those staying behind. Exercise does make a difference.

If you can't put a collar on them, I'd suggest you have at least the worst offenders debarked. But I'd be giving them a heap of exercise before going down that track.

[Affie]

I use an electronic collar on my affies and find it doesnt pull any coat out at all.

I was sad the first time it zapped them and they did squeal but they only had to be zapped once or twice to learn and now i only have to put it on occasionally to remind them.

I got one called a sportdog SB6 which is escalating ie starts off at the lowest setting and automatically gets stronger if they keep barking, however it has a fail safe that if they get scared and start screaming any constant barking for more than 15 barks the unit shuts off for 3 mins then resets itself to start again giving them time to calm down..........but as i said theyre smart they work out very quickly not to bark

[corvus]

OH's parents have an electric anti-bark collar for their MinPin and he does yelp when he sets it off. I have no idea if it's a good one or not. He learnt that the barking is what sets it off, but sometimes the contact isn't great and so he'll bark and get nothing then bark and get a zap and cry. I thought they were illegal in every state but WA, but I guess not. I would be worried that it could be set off by one of the other dogs barking?

Doesn't sound like a very good quality collar, Corvus ... and if the contact isn't great, it doesn't sound as though it is fitted properly (this in itself would be human error). In addition, it must be a very old or cheaper quality collar if it is activated by sound rather than by vibration.

:rolleyes: I know nothing. All I can say is it works after a fashion, but it's not all that nice for him, especially considering he's such a ridiculously frightened dog all the time. He spends a lot of his time pacing or shivering. It's pretty pathetic. OH's parents are your quintessential average dog owner and as far as they are concerned the collar works perfectly. They feel sad every time they put it on him because they know it hurts him, but that's the whole point to them. They leave him things to do and all that, but he's just an anxious dog and needs to bark a lot, poor thing. He has learnt to be quiet when he has it on, though, at least until something really excites him and he forgets.