Howling Neighbourhood Dog: It's New!

[Loving my Oldies]

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.

I don't know what FTR means :)

The difference between barky dogs and crying dogs is immense, in my opinion :) . They aren't annoying, but distressing. Well, yes, I guess it can be annoying, but the main feeling is distress on behalf of the dog.

[Rozzie]

FTR - for the record

[Loving my Oldies]

FTR - for the record

Of course: . Thanks Rozzie.

[Dave73]

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.

Sorry it is a dog act and a weak act at that. Go and knock on the door or leave a nice note stating that there is a issue as the owner more than likely didn't even know. The 2 people that complained have commented to me that they are know quiet and they were told by me what I thought of them and all they had to do was come and see me and I would of rectified the issue which I did. But know there is angst with neighbours when there didn't need to be.

[westiemum]

Late last year Andy spent the day at the vet (or doggy day care?) - and apparently Sarah didn't bark - she howled. I've learned not to separate them particularly if I'm not home. So they go for walks together and to doggy day care together.

[Skruffy n Flea]

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.

Sorry it is a dog act and a weak act at that. Go and knock on the door or leave a nice note stating that there is a issue as the owner more than likely didn't even know. The 2 people that complained have commented to me that they are know quiet and they were told by me what I thought of them and all they had to do was come and see me and I would of rectified the issue which I did. But know there is angst with neighbours when there didn't need to be.

dave, I understand completely and if I'd been in a position that night to deal with it myself, if I didn't have 'stuff' I had to deal with myself, if I knew where the dog was, if it wasn't dark out, if it wasn't raining, if it took less than 15 minutes to deal with, I'd have gone to that place where that dog was just to sit with it so it knew it wasn't alone. but I couldn't! and so I looked for alternatives and one of them was to look up the rspca or a ranger or ANYTHING that could do for that dog what I wanted to do. but it was after hours late on a rainy Friday to boot, but no-one, nada, zilch would have been available --- I just wanted comfort for that dog right there, right now but I couldn't provide it and so I 'heard' it howling for hours...

it tore my heart not being able to provide that dog some comfort.

be sure tho and as you'd be aware, what steph says is absolutely true and it is up to the 'neighbour' to make such decisions and in my neighbourhood, there's been a number of times I've been close because I know the owners aren't doing what's best for the dog/s but I've never reported anyone over excessive noise. I have dogs and therefore I understand and would rather talk to the owners about them. for me, it's about building relationships and showing genuine concern rather than causing a local government authority reign their own particular terror upon a neighbour's household when the occupants know already that they have a problem dog. that is a sucky situation to cause anyone given that dogs is dogs and they're animals in any event and you can't just tell dogs to stfu...

Late last year Andy spent the day at the vet (or doggy day care?) - and apparently Sarah didn't bark - she howled. I've learned not to separate them particularly if I'm not home. So they go for walks together and to doggy day care together.

:) I wish I had the gift of convincing my dogs that the vet is IN FACT doggy day care...

point taken tho westie; if I walk one of my dogs [for training] without the other, the one left behind has its own reaction --- I had my boy at 'day care' for a mere four hours one afternoon some months back and my girl's reaction was something to behold; she would bed down but not relax, she'd sniff around, wander about and whimper when she couldn't find him, she'd sit and stare at the door, stare at me, whimper some more, sniff...

I don't want to invite it but I'd be curious to see how each would react without each other when left on their own!

I really hope that time is a long way off...

[Dave73]

I see where you are coming from and understand your predicament that night but some people just say call the council for a dog that barks, its the easy solution. We had the same issue with a neighbour they got a border collie 12 months old and for the first week every time they went out she would howl non stop. I could of called the council and neighbours did call, probably the spineless ones that reported my dogs for barking for a few hours in the morning due to kids bashing on the fence but I went over and told them that she was doing it and gave them a old Kong that my dogs had used and gave them a few tips it didn't help. It lasted a week and the dog settled but they too are down as having a nuisance dog.

The dog was and is very well cared for and if neighbours had spoke to them they would of said she is just settling in and it will get better and acknowledge the issue and the pushy council wouldn't of needed to get involved and they wouldn't have a strike against them for NOTHING...

Edited April 17, 2014 by Dave73

[Skruffy n Flea]

dave, calling the authorities is the last call on my list at any time. If I'd not been so involved in my own circumstances that night, I'd have taken the walk all the way round just to locate that poor forsaken dog just to give it company but that wasn't to be and so it howled for that long time and so I had to make an effort to find an authority, any authority of any kind to attend that place where that dog was because it really was that bloody distressing and I don't know how other neighbours managed...

I haven't heard the dog since and so I HOPE we're never in that same situation EVER AGAIN!

[Leah82]

Before we got Sarah we found out that Collie used to howl during the day when we were at work, turns out he didn't adapt to being an only dog as well as we thought, the neighbours didn't say anything for about 5 months and it came up in another conversation.

They didn't have an issue with the noise as it wasn't consistent although apparently their little girl would comment that Collie was crying again when it happened

We were pretty heart broken about our little boy being in so much distress and immediately took action to try and rectify the situation. We tried a thunder shirt and I would go home more regularly at lunch time but in the end the best thing for him was to get another dog.

Saying something is always the best way to approach it initially, if you fear backlash then you can always leave a note but to have someone that can report on the situation as you try and improvement it is a big help.

The owners of this dog Skruffy may have accidentally locked their dog outside when he's usually tucked up on the couch waiting it's owners return. Unfortunately you never really know what's going on.