Howling Neighbourhood Dog: It's New!

[Skruffy n Flea]

we live in suburbia and there's a new dog, it's moved in close by but it's over behind us and down a bit, we've not heard it before up until maybe 3 or 4 days ago. it barks and it barks and it barks and we all recognise that kind of bark as a 'come home' bark and it barked like that for most of the afternoon today but tonight, it howled and it howled and it howled from maybe 7pm 'til well after 10.

my dogs weren't concerned by it but after a while I was and I started to feel an element of distress for the dog; it's howl while remaining loud and somewhat consistent, it after a while seemed to weaken, sounded as though it was starting to tire and could barely muster the energy to continue. on several occasions I went out the back to see whether I could identify precisely where it was and figure out whether I could do anything for it and while the dog lives very close by, it's quite a distance to walk and I actually considered getting in the car and taking a drive. BUT, I wanted to call some authority because this poor dog had been howling for hours, after it had barked incessantly for most of the afternoon and I just wanted someone to check in on it! oh, I don't know to what avail, I just wanted someone to show up and give it some company or something --- it really was, by about 8:15, quite distressing to listen to this poor dog vocalising it's distress. imagine living right beside! at one point, people living along the same side of the street as the dog and several house blocks closer to it than I [but only 2 from me], ventured into their own backyard and played some soccer and as I made out some light-hearted banter, they seemed unperturbed by this poor dog even tho they were perhaps only one or 2 houses away from it! I worry about complaints to council.

so, I looked for a phone number for some authority that could make a 'house call' AND I KNOW that it's not in any authority's job description to check on a dog suffering separation anxiety AND I KNOW that to expect something like that is so completely unrealistic. but still I tried: Friday night and I tried but to no avail...

nothing, no organisation, no one, is available for that kind of intervention --- 10:51 pm was the last time I heard a sound from that poor dog so I can only assume, hope even, that it's humans had finally returned home...

so funny story last: just in the past week or so, a neighbour rehomed their neglected large breed dog because they were moving interstate. what's funny about that? this beautiful dog barked incessantly throughout the day waiting for its humans to return; luckily for the owners, closest neighbours did their utmost to keep the peace...

we heard that the dog was now living in the lap of luxury on acreage and we cheered :)

if anyone is aware of 'options' then please let me know...

[sandgrubber]

Have you talked to the owners or left them a note? I would do that before trying to contact the authorities (who are not interested anyway).

There's a chance that it's just a passing thing . . . moving house, dog disoriented, people running between locations . . the situation may settle down.

[Skruffy n Flea]

I've not been able to identify the house where the dog is and while tonight is the only night we've heard it howling, it's barked noticeably over at least the last several days.

I don't want to cause any problems for the owners and obviously if I knew where the dog is, I'd most certainly drop the owners a note or knock on their door --- their neighbours may already be on to that but I don't know that and I won't know that anything's being done...

I wanted to call a ranger or someone, something, I just wanted someone in authority [as opposed to a nosy neighbour] making an enquiry into the dog's welfare.

[Kirislin]

Poor dog!

[Animal House]

If it starts that howling again at night, get in the car and take a drive round there, get out and walk around, you'll find the house. I'd drop a note in their letterbox, they could be quite unaware it's been howling/barking for hours, most people are if they aren't at home, and probably only hear the dog on return.

Not sure any ranger is going to investigate a howling dog, and if they did, I'm not sure what they could do anyway.

If my dog barked incessantly when I was out, I'd hope my neighbours came and told me, or dropped me a (nice) note. :D

[Christina]

Try & find it. They may have gone away & just left it.

Hopefully it may be adjusting to new circumstances & be fine. That would distress most people I guess.

[~Anne~]

We have a similar scenario with a dog up the street. He howls and barks when his owners are not home.

A neighbour up the back come around door knocking one night to try and identify where the dog was. I spoke with her and explained the owners probably didn't even know it did this when they were out. She saw sense and instead of alerting the authorities made the decision to send them a nice note letting them know what was happening.

I've rarely heard the dog ever since.

You can't assume the dog is terribly distressed, although it obviously is suffering some stress, hence the vocalisation. You need track down where it is coming from and alert the owners to what is happening. I'm always surprised by the number of people who go straight to Council with complaints instead. I would hope that of my dogs ever annoyed anyone or were stressed when I wasn't here, and therefore was unaware of the problem, that someone might tell me first.

[trinabean]

If it starts that howling again at night, get in the car and take a drive round there, get out and walk around, you'll find the house. I'd drop a note in their letterbox, they could be quite unaware it's been howling/barking for hours, most people are if they aren't at home, and probably only hear the dog on return.

Not sure any ranger is going to investigate a howling dog, and if they did, I'm not sure what they could do anyway.

If my dog barked incessantly when I was out, I'd hope my neighbours came and told me, or dropped me a (nice) note. :D

Yes, I think a drive to locate it next time it howls is probably the best way to locate it, and a note in their letterbox. My neighbours have taken on a rescue dog who cried and howled for the whole day, the first few days that they went to work. He is quiet when they're home, so they had no idea how noisy he was in their absence. Luckily he has settled in now though.

[Loving my Oldies]

I wanted to call a ranger or someone, something, I just wanted someone in authority [as opposed to a nosy neighbour] making an enquiry into the dog's welfare.

Are you in Parramatta Council, Skruffy? I don't know what they are like, but I had a long talk with someone in my council (Hornsby) the other day because of a Labrador puppy crying with loneliness across the road from me.

Although sympathising, the person told me they neither could not would do anything; it isn't part of their remit, etc etc etc etc. If I made a complaint about barking, I would need to keep a diary for 14 days as to when and for how long the dog barked.

I know the people are aware of the puppy's distress, because they are at home at all different times through the day. I have seen them drive in, get out of their cars and just walk past the gate behind which the dog is parked virtually 24/7 and not even look her way.

[Rosetta]

I wanted to call a ranger or someone, something, I just wanted someone in authority [as opposed to a nosy neighbour] making an enquiry into the dog's welfare.

Are you in Parramatta Council, Skruffy? I don't know what they are like, but I had a long talk with someone in my council (Hornsby) the other day because of a Labrador puppy crying with loneliness across the road from me.

Although sympathising, the person told me they neither could not would do anything; it isn't part of their remit, etc etc etc etc. If I made a complaint about barking, I would need to keep a diary for 14 days as to when and for how long the dog barked.

I know the people are aware of the puppy's distress, because they are at home at all different times through the day. I have seen them drive in, get out of their cars and just walk past the gate behind which the dog is parked virtually 24/7 and not even look her way.

This situation really gives me the pip - why on earth get the dog in the first place? And if they are sick of it so quickly why don't they rehome it

OP - the dog may just be adjusting and will settle down. If not I agree with others who suggest trying to identify where it is coming from - surely a door knock would help narrow it down. The owners may be genuinely unaware of the distress the dog is in. It isn't always easy to fix a barker - I have one here I have tried everything with and no success. Now I just manage around it and try not to leave him alone too long so the neighbours aren't bothered for hours on end.

[twodoggies2001]

My son had a similar situation with a dog barking most of the night. He located where it was and put a note in the owner's letterbox and the barking has now stopped. It happened to be a small dog which was left out all night but now they bring it in. Seeing that they remedied the situation, he sent them a thank you note in appreciation.

[Loving my Oldies]

This situation really gives me the pip - why on earth get the dog in the first place? And if they are sick of it so quickly why don't they rehome it

I get so mad and so distressed when I hear the puppy, Rosetta. The people are known in the neighbourhood for being a bit strange, particularly the woman. I would not be happy approaching them. I have no idea why they got a puppy, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was simply to be able to say they have a dog. I never see or hear the children playing with her.

My son had a similar situation with a dog barking most of the night. He located where it was and put a note in the owner's letterbox and the barking has now stopped. It happened to be a small dog which was left out all night but now they bring it in. Seeing that they remedied the situation, he sent them a thank you note in appreciation.

That is the sort of outcome we would all hope for. Well done your son

[twodoggies2001]

This situation really gives me the pip - why on earth get the dog in the first place? And if they are sick of it so quickly why don't they rehome it

I get so mad and so distressed when I hear the puppy, Rosetta. The people are known in the neighbourhood for being a bit strange, particularly the woman. I would not be happy approaching them. I have no idea why they got a puppy, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was simply to be able to say they have a dog. I never see or hear the children playing with her.

My son had a similar situation with a dog barking most of the night. He located where it was and put a note in the owner's letterbox and the barking has now stopped. It happened to be a small dog which was left out all night but now they bring it in. Seeing that they remedied the situation, he sent them a thank you note in appreciation.

That is the sort of outcome we would all hope for. Well done your son

Thanks. I like to think that he has been well brought up lol. I also often wonder why some people get a dog and not make it part of the family. We had at one stage a particularly large Great Dane who lived inside with us.

[Loving my Oldies]

Thanks. I like to think that he has been well brought up lol. I also often wonder why some people get a dog and not make it part of the family. We had at one stage a particularly large Great Dane who lived inside with us.

I'm sure a large Great Dane would be less of disturbance than five littlies all barking at once and charging for the door at some noise :laugh: :laugh:

[Dave73]

Go see them, or leave a note just don't go straight to the council its a dog act. Had it happen to me my GSD barked when we weren't home from 8am till 930am every weekday morning as we live next to a laneway and the kids going to school bash on the fence. Council rock up with threats of fines and the like and I have to just suck it up cause 2 people said its a issue but 3 other neighbours had no issues, would of been nice if those 2 had the ticker to come and see me we would of sorted it without getting council involved.

[Steph M]

Don't think I'd think of it as a dog act. Should the people who reported it suck it up?

Frankly you do what you have to do. I'd rather someone call the council and I know about it than throw bait over the fence or start letting the dog out.

People are well within their rights to contact the council over excessive noise.

[Skruffy n Flea]

ok, firstly I want to thank each of you individually for the advice given and secondly, to apologise for taking a week to reply...

over the past week, I've walked my 2 dogs along that side of the street where I 'thought' that dog was and as with most dogs, I imagined it would surely 'alert' to most sounds from the sidewalk and I made sure to make audible sounds as we passed by those houses but without any result --- nothing at any gate, no growling nor any barking inside or outside...

importantly, we've not heard the dog since that night and because we'd only heard it the few days before that night, we can only assume the dog was 'visiting'.

just as importantly, to those thinking I wanted to 'report' the owners, that was the very last thing on my mind; I felt distress only because I believed the dog was distressed and I really wish I could have done something myself for that poor dog!

you really needed to be here to hear it for the time that it lasted.

[Agility Dogs]

Go see them, or leave a note just don't go straight to the council its a dog act. Had it happen to me my GSD barked when we weren't home from 8am till 930am every weekday morning as we live next to a laneway and the kids going to school bash on the fence. Council rock up with threats of fines and the like and I have to just suck it up cause 2 people said its a issue but 3 other neighbours had no issues, would of been nice if those 2 had the ticker to come and see me we would of sorted it without getting council involved.

Completely agree - people need to be given a chance to fix things. Try and let them know in a civil manner what is happening if you can work out where the dog lives. I think if more people adopted that approach rather than going to the authorities or getting abusive from the word go (not saying you will, but it was certainly my experience when we had a noisy puppy) we'd all be in a far better place as far as dog friendliness goes.

[Agility Dogs]

ok, firstly I want to thank each of you individually for the advice given and secondly, to apologise for taking a week to reply...

over the past week, I've walked my 2 dogs along that side of the street where I 'thought' that dog was and as with most dogs, I imagined it would surely 'alert' to most sounds from the sidewalk and I made sure to make audible sounds as we passed by those houses but without any result --- nothing at any gate, no growling nor any barking inside or outside...

importantly, we've not heard the dog since that night and because we'd only heard it the few days before that night, we can only assume the dog was 'visiting'.

just as importantly, to those thinking I wanted to 'report' the owners, that was the very last thing on my mind; I felt distress only because I believed the dog was distressed and I really wish I could have done something myself for that poor dog!

you really needed to be here to hear it for the time that it lasted.

It's horrible when they are that upset - good on you for caring. :)

[Agility Dogs]

Don't think I'd think of it as a dog act. Should the people who reported it suck it up?

Frankly you do what you have to do. I'd rather someone call the council and I know about it than throw bait over the fence or start letting the dog out.

People are well within their rights to contact the council over excessive noise.

Yes, they are, but surely we are better off to try and live together and work things out as a community than we are to run and complain when there is a problem. It's, in part, this mindset that has made it difficult to live with dogs in suburbia.

FTR - I live next door to two VERY barky dogs, I feel the pain, but I don't run to the coucil every second week.