help??barking dogs!

[Zebraspots]

A friend got a birdhouse that emits an annoying noise only the dogs can hear if they bark near it. It definitely works.

That owner doing anything about the issue is doubtful and the airhorn would make you the new obnoxious neighbor.

 

[DuneAHH]

Most of the dogs around us that are outdoor dogs are quiet. The polite thing to do would be to bring them inside.

She is polite enough to take them inside... but only after I've been driven to frenzied insanity and feel FORCED into REacting to regain my inalienable right to peace & quiet pursuit of happiness. The responsible thing for her to do would be TRAIN her furry babies so they don't have to be inside all the time. I mean... I can't think of a single species, or pack of creatures, in nature that behaves in this manner for such sustained periods of time (except for perhaps spoiled undisciplined children).

I like the air horn idea. I can see you now. But hopefully I won't be able to hear you. Haha.

Aren't you glad you live 4 miles away from me?! When it's all yelled & done, my OWN cattle calling voice (" 'om Boss! 'om Bossy!") is probably loud enough to carry 1/4 mile

A friend got a birdhouse that emits an annoying noise only the dogs can hear if they bark near it. It definitely works.

That owner doing anything about the issue is doubtful and the airhorn would make you the new obnoxious neighbor.

I wondered about the birdhouse thingy, as the reviews I read were far from universally positive. I'll reconsider it based on your friend's success.

And of course... you are 100% correct-a-mundo about becoming the new obnoxious neighbor. However... if driven far enough, I won't care.

 

[Teresa]

Seems like dogs that stay outdoors are the barking ones and I don't know how one would train them not to bark. They should stay inside mostly. Dogs really should be with their family anyway. If you want a yard animal, get a pig or chickens. Dogs are social, need to be part of their "pack" near their owners in the home and not left out in the yard.

We have barkers over here too. They are the ones left outdoors all night - that's what dogs do when left outside - hello dog owners.

 

[DuneAHH]

I can't speak to your observation Teresa. I grew up on a farm with lots of animals... but typically only one (never more than 2) herd dogs at any given time. Always outdoors animals and never psycho barkers. However farm dogs are working animals who are purely in love with their jobs... but if they can't go to 'work' each and every day they will get kinda nutty... depressed even.

These particular neighbor dogs are basically happy, beloved, inside dogs. But this morning I really watched what happens outside...

1) The two dogs, one male and one female, I have 'assumed' to be litter mates... but I don't really know. They 'feed' each others barking in a competitive bid for Human Mama's (or sitter's) attention.

2) Mama IS a good heart. She nearly always keeps the babies with her; takes them with her to work during the day... then outside to play, exercise, and keep her company at home.

Here's the but: while outside, she's multi-tasking (or thinks she is) by talking on the phone... and throwing their dog toys. Doggies fetch & bring the toys back to her... she is distracted with her business on the phone (oops NOT multi-tasking)... so they bark-bark-bark-bark-bark... until... she finally 'rewards' their barking by throwing the toy again. Rinse & Repeat.

It's the myth of modern multi-tasking: fractionally-there, not fully present/focused with ANYTHING or ANYBODY. The all too familiar, modern style of simultaneous ABSENCE on multiple planes of reality. Like something Sunspotbaby posted about parents so busy on their cell phones they can't even hang up when picking up their child from the day caregiver.

3) So. I believe neighbor tries, with every good intention, to be a loving attentive mama... but despite that loving intention, the action is ever so slightly askew... and unintentionally ends up rewarding the furry babies for inappropriate behavior that is rooted in HER OWN compliance with modern societal mores & distractions.

4) Then... 'society' (aka DuneAHH) complains and the babies get sent to prison (aka taken into the house) with no understanding of why, when they'd been having such a good time getting rewarded for fetching and bark-bark-barking.

Well Thanks All! This has been good therapy for me. Now I have an actionable vision for Hilary's 'It takes a Village working together to raise a... good dog' (and I won't have to resort to becoming the next new obnoxious neighbor with an air horn ;-))

 

[heartbren]

barking dogs

I can't speak to your observation Teresa. I grew up on a farm with lots of animals... but typically only one (never more than 2) herd dogs at any given time. Always outdoors animals and never psycho barkers. However farm dogs are working animals who are purely in love with their jobs... but if they can't go to 'work' each and every day they will get kinda nutty... depressed even.

These particular neighbor dogs are basically happy, beloved, inside dogs. But this morning I really watched what happens outside...

1) The two dogs, one male and one female, I have 'assumed' to be litter mates... but I don't really know. They 'feed' each others barking in a competitive bid for Human Mama's (or sitter's) attention.

2) Mama IS a good heart. She nearly always keeps the babies with her; takes them with her to work during the day... then outside to play, exercise, and keep her company at home.

Here's the but: while outside, she's multi-tasking (or thinks she is) by talking on the phone... and throwing their dog toys. Doggies fetch & bring the toys back to her... she is distracted with her business on the phone (oops NOT multi-tasking)... so they bark-bark-bark-bark-bark... until... she finally 'rewards' their barking by throwing the toy again. Rinse & Repeat.

It's the myth of modern multi-tasking: fractionally-there, not fully present/focused with ANYTHING or ANYBODY. The all too familiar, modern style of simultaneous ABSENCE on multiple planes of reality. Like something Sunspotbaby posted about parents so busy on their cell phones they can't even hang up when picking up their child from the day caregiver.

3) So. I believe neighbor tries, with every good intention, to be a loving attentive mama... but despite that loving intention, the action is ever so slightly askew... and unintentionally ends up rewarding the furry babies for inappropriate behavior that is rooted in HER OWN compliance with modern societal mores & distractions.

4) Then... 'society' (aka DuneAHH) complains and the babies get sent to prison (aka taken into the house) with no understanding of why, when they'd been having such a good time getting rewarded for fetching and bark-bark-barking.

Well Thanks All! This has been good therapy for me. Now I have an actionable vision for Hilary's 'It takes a Village working together to raise a... good dog' (and I won't have to resort to becoming the next new obnoxious neighbor with an air horn ;-))

Hi! I just wanted to say something about the barking dogs. I adopted a yapper who had a rough life for the first year of his. He was afraid of thunder, lightening, noises, etc. He barked at many things, but I particularly hated when it rained b/c that was the worst. The dog was just afraid of everything and had been alone so much. No one took the time to take him out or spend much time with him before. I started working with him with one word when he would bark, the word "quiet". Everytime he would stop barking after I said the word quiet, I would give him a very small reward - a piece of his favorite cookie. This takes a lot of work and patience. Eventually he stopped focusing on the noises because the minute he did I would say quiet. Each time it took less and less time until he just did not even notice the noises that used to scare him or he did not associate them with something bad. He started associating those noises with something good. Eventually I did not need to use the cookies and would just say quiet. I used this for outside as well as inside. If he did not stay quiet when outside after I told him to be quiet I would make him come in. Most of the time I can never figure out what he is even barking at when he is outside. He is a male and it is his way of guarding his mother - me. Anyway, he is an exteremely smart dog, but no one ever took the time to work with him. Now he does tricks (all taught using his favorite treat - just a small piece or they will get fat). He is a chihuahua and I never realized how smart they were until I adopted one. If I did not teach him to know what the word quiet meant, he woud drive me crazy!!!!! I can say I have been quilty of letting him outside and not realizing he had been barking for a while because I was on the computer and involved in something else. It does not happen often, but once in a while. I usually tell him quiet once or twice when he is outside and if he does not stay quiet he has to come in. Of course when someone walks down the street his protective side comes out and he barks at them or if someone is walking a dog. That is normal, but when he barks just to bark that is not allowed.

It is all up to the owner to teach their dogs. It is also better for the dog. My dog was fearful of these things so he wined and barked and ran around when he heard them. When I started training him, now he is no longer full of anxiety when he hears these sounds. He is a much calmer and different dog than when I first adopted him. I hace to say, he is a great watch dog with very good hearing. He can be sound asleep and jump up when he hears something that is not right. I've scolded him for doing that inthe past and went outside the next morning to find my car broken into. I have learned to pay attention to those things. He mostly only barks now inside when he hears a foreign sound. Owners need to train their dogs not just for the neighbors, but also for the benefit of the dog.

Thanks for being a good neighbor and caring about the dog and trying to understand what is going on. It should be addressed though for everyone's sake.

 

[willymac]

try finding someone like Newman on Seinfield. We have to have our sleep

 

[willymac]

Pull a newman from seinfield we have to get our sleep