Complaint About Barking - New House Being Built

[Sonny]

Hi

We live in WA and have received an anonymous complaint in the post box about one of our dogs barking all day.

The note was a little threatening referencing “you need to shut your dog up before some else does” but trying to move on from that we spoke to person living at the back of our housewho then told us that our boy does bark at the builders most of the day.

The issue here is that there is a house being built next door to us with builders on it all day and our boy is obviously not happy with all the activity so in a small way is he trying to protect his area from what is a lot of activity.

Having said this we would like to reduce his barking (obviously like most of these situation he never does it when we are there) so we are considering an anti bark collar, but:

Is this excessive as the barking is due to the building and not a normal event (never had an issue before the building started)?

He is epileptic so will this be an issue with a static collar?

I am considering putting a note above the letter box so if another letter is coming then people know we are trying things and the building is a problem for us atm.

We also have a bull terrier that will like to hang off any collar so I think a static collar is probably the only option.

We had thought that we could buy it this weekend and trial it over the weekend just to ensure that we can monitor him with it on and hopefully when we leave him on his own on Monday he will at least learnt part of the lesson so it wont be too much of a shock so to speak when he barks at the builders again.

Also going to talk to the builders Monday to say we are trailing a collar and ask if they can let us know if it works or reduces the barking.

Really not sure what else we can do and it’s a real shame as our boy is very good normally and the building isn’t just an issue for him but also for us.

Thanks in advance

[Erny]

Hhhhm .... don't know what your Council is like (ie dog friendly or not), but perhaps a call to them first, explaining the situation (including your dog's epilepsy and concerns for using an anti-bark collar) and the fact that under normal circumstances barking is not an issue, perhaps they'll stretch you some leeway?

I'm assuming the building has not been on the 'go' for long? Spend some time on the weekend showing your dog the current activity is not a territory intrusion and settling him down.

Regarding the static collar - when you have two dogs some additional care is required. If the barking dog receives a stim in the early stages of 'training' whilst the second dog is standing near, it is possible that the stim will be perceived as having come from the second dog. I'm not sure of the affect of anti-bark collars in cases of epilepsy so I cannot assist you there, but it would be something of a concern to me and something I would prefer to research thoroughly before any use.

Finally, if you did go for a stim anti-bark collar, get a good quality one. It will cost more, but IMO worth it. My preference is for the style that do not escalate through levels, but that you can adjust the setting to suit the dog.

I agree that in one shape or form it might be helpful to contact the offended neighbour and let them know you are aware of the disturbance, and explain your circumstance. Perhaps find out from the builders how long they envisage building to take. Is it the heavy hammering/noises that is causing the barking, or them simply being there? If it is the noise of the builders, it might not be too long before the best part of it is due to finish, as the worst, I find, is in the construction of the house frame.

Edited March 6, 2009 by Erny

[sandgrubber]

I would also be inclined to report a threat of that sort to the police. Anonymous threats of violence are not something people should have to live with . . . although in neighborhoods I've lived in the "poison sausage" people strike without warning.

What council are you in? If you'd like to try a bark collar, I've got a couple and would be glad to lend one SOR. They're not the kind Erny prefers, that is, they automatically escalate levels. But in my experience, they're pretty effective. Not recommended for more than 8 hrs at a stretch (not sure why, but that was in the instructions). I would not expect interaction with epilepsy. I've read a bit on epilepsy and have never seen anything convincing about external events triggering seizures . . . but better to consult your vet first.