Outside Dogs Barking...

[SparkyTansy]

Hi everyone

Just hoping for some ideas for a neighbour of mine. She has two Pom mixes that bark a LOT. This morning a neighbour of hers complained that they were barking and that his family wasn't getting any sleep. My neighbour doesn't know what to do. She asked me for advice as she knows I have dogs, but my dogs are inside, don't really bark a lot, and because I'm inside with them, when they bark I just tell them to be quiet and time out them if they don't stop, which helps. but, because of this, I just have NO suggestions for her on how to get her dogs to stop.

Thng is, she is NOT a real dog person, hence the dogs are outside... she doesn't want them in, so that isn't a suggestion I can make... and as irresponsible as she sounds, she does care about stopping the dogs barking.

I did suggest a citronella collar but that is all i can think of, and I wouldn't use one of them on my own dogs...

Anyone have any suggestions? I'd like to help, I just don't know how. HEr dogs do bark, and Id like them to stop too, although it doesn't bother me except that her dogs are the only ones in the street that get mine going, and I can't let them into the front of the house anymore because her dogs sometimes get out and run over to my front door and my dogs of course go nuts.

[Loving my Oldies]

Rehome them to someone who understands that most dogs, particularly littlies like Pom X are not bred to spend their lives outside. They want to be inside with the family and have the choice to go outside when something is happening out there.

Probably the barking has become as natural as breathing to them .... perhaps that is the way they get attention and/or amuse themselves.

Edited February 23, 2013 by Danny's Darling

[zeebie]

Obviously they are barking out of pure frustration and seeking attention, can you offer to walk them for her or let them have run around with your dogs?

Possibly a downstairs inside area to confine them to although if they are barkers this won't stop them just reduce the noise for neighbour.

Yes antibark collars if she is agreeable but these won't stop the barking just reduce it and still an annoyance.

[pebbles]

During the day are they barking at something or just plain bored? Those type of dogs really need human company but if they aren't allowed inside well that's a problem. Perhaps for night time, is there a garage, shed, somewhere they could be locked in with a bed and some chew thing so they would settle? Not much help I'm afraid, mine are inside with me, reckon they would bark if they were locked out lol.

[Loving my Oldies]

Ditto re mine, Pebbles. A few times over the years, I've thought about having a night without them on the bed. They had other ideas and certainly let me know.

And it certainly made them more responsive to anything going on outside in the trees, possums, cats, whatever.

Each time, I've had to bring them into the bedroom just to stop them racing outside and barking in the wee small hours.

Sparky, I think this woman just doesn't understand her dogs' needs, and unless she can be brought to that realisation, I don't hold out much hope for a cessation in the barking.

[RiverStar-Aura]

My two live outside and don't bark at night. Zeus is the exception though because if I don't make time to take him out every day, he'll bark all night. I've worked hard with him and realised that because he's such an active and mentally stimulated dog, it's not fair on me to expect him to sleep the night with all this pent up energy.

All he needs for a good quiet night of sleep is a walk, the dog park or a training session. Humans are much the same.

I feel bad for these two Pom crosses -- they're a toy breed who thrive on companionship. To have them outside is so not fair on them.

Is there a way for her to confine the dogs outside -- perhaps a garage for them to sleep in? My two have kennels near the laundry door but prefer to sleep in my handmade wooden boxes in the garage. I fence off the entire backyard with a stretched out puppy play pen so it keeps the dogs away from the front, side and back fences.

[Greytmate]

Refer her to a professional trainer and warn her that the council will seize the dogs if she is unsuccessful. It is a serious problem. The dogs are probably barking out of boredom because she doesn't spend enough time with them, so some training work might settle them down a bit. If the dogs are barking because of a trigger, a trainer can advise how to manage the problem or change the behaviour.

[Rosetta]

Have you explained to her that she has dogs that are meant to be companion breeds - therefore kept inside - and may be prone to bark at the best of times? They are just not meant to be put outside at night poor things. A bark collar would be horrible for such small dogs. She needs to put them inside - perhaps a laundry? - if she has any hope of solving the problem. If she refuses to even do that then she is not really interested in solving the problem.

[Dogsfevr]

Does this person work night shift or do they not here there dogs bark if the others can't sleep??

Poms themselves are very vocal & i can imagine why they have complained there yappy bark does your head in after awhile.

Not sure about a citronella collar on such small dogs .

Given she doesn't want them inside i would leave it to her she needs to be prepared to compromise too but chances are these dogs aren't toilet trained .

You can tell her the obvious inside,more attention/mental games.

I would stress she is very lucky the neighbours have approached her first off & not gone to the council but she needs to do the hard work & seek help or change some living options before they do head to the council

[Loving my Oldies]

Poms themselves are very vocal & i can imagine why they have complained there yappy bark does your head in after awhile.

Hmmmm - my pom crosses (owned, fostered, recued) have never been yappers.

These sorts of across the boards statements don't do anything to help anyone except to perpetuate myths and feed people's already ingrained prejudices.

[BlackJaq]

Maybe you can encourage her to give them kongs with food inside and other interactive toys to keep them busy? Otherwise I can only recommend training and mental stimulation and, as has been suggested already, letting them come inside, especially at night. I doubt there will be a quick, easy solution that requires minimum effort on her part, unless she gets them debarked and even that may not work permanently....

[Rosetta]

I don't think (hope) any reputable vet would debark dogs when the owner hasn't bothered to exhaust all the alternatives. I really do not understand people who buy small companion breeds and refuse to let them inside. I asked a neighbour with a small maltese type dog who barked at night if he could perhaps keep the dog inside at night as it was barking at the local wildlife. His solution? Put an e-collar on the little dog - I was mortified and sorry I said anything

Edited to change bake to bark - I wish my dog baked at night :laugh:

Edited February 24, 2013 by Rosetta

[BlackJaq]

Yes, working on other solutions would obviously be what most dog lovers would do. But for the majority of people dogs seem to be some kind of backyard accessory unfortunately

Lots of bigger dogs are in the same situation, too, it's not just littlies

[mita]

The smaller companion dogs are not good left outside. She could look for some way where they can be kept more inside.

[Dogsfevr]

Hmmmm - my pom crosses (owned, fostered, recued) have never been yappers.

These sorts of across the boards statements don't do anything to help anyone except to perpetuate myths and feed people's already ingrained prejudices.

[

I have shown Poms for many years & spend alot of time with friends that breed & show Poms they are yappers & Pom breeders will tell you they can be ,no prejudice just honesty ,people should be willing to say what a breed pitfalls can be so they as owners are prepared to address it ..

No breed is perfect but everyone nows that breeds have there little quirks .

[Loving my Oldies]

No breed is perfect but everyone nows that breeds have there little quirks .

I guess I've been lucky then in terms of having non barkers for the sake of barking. My dogs bark - I check it out.

That said, I believe a wee bit on senility is creeping up on Danny (approx 13-14) because he occasionally starts barking at something and has to be brought out of the "zone" to stop him. He then looks as if to say, "What's the matter with you? Why have you given me a prod?" :laugh: :laugh:

[Lollipup]

If I left my two outside at night they would bark too, at any sound with all the wildlife around and the neighbour type noises. Mine sleep in the garage attached to the house when we do confine them (otherwise they sleep in the house in the lounge). Does she have a patio or garage she could put them in since she doesn't want them in the house? If she has a sheltered patio, she could use a puppy pen to keep them confined to a smaller area at night and this will stop them being able to have free run of the whole yard where they can run out and bark at anything. Ours slept outside for a short time, and confining them to the patio helped stop them from barking, because when they barked at things, it was usually at the front of back fence-line and they ran over to it to bark.

Agree with what others have said though that they should be inside more.

[sausy.dog]

I think she should rehome them. If she is not a dog person, why does she want dogs, doesn't make any sense.