Dogs barking - please help me

teachertrixibel

Hi there,

I have 2 collie X dogs. They bark at ANY sound they hear at the side/back of the house including when people walk through the side walk way at the side of the house. (which I'm happy with it - it provides me with SOME security!). They also bark at cats that walk on the back walls. Finally, when I let them out to the grass to play they bark with excitement and when they are chasing each other etc.

My neighbour has just called in to say she isn't prepared to put up with their barking any longer. I've explained what triggers them barking (as mentioned above) but she said she's had enough and quoted legislation to me.

I'm at my wits end now - I don't want the dogs NOT to bark if they hear something (ie: I'd rather know if there was someone at my side gate/back wall), but I don't want them barking at cats etc. Any advice about what I should do? The dogs are approx 3 years old and this is the first time aNYONE has ever complained about them......

Thx
worried dog owner :-(

antocann

you can get barking collars not that expensive at all ,

Wolfe Tone

You could try squirting them with water when they bark.


Oh and ignore the legislation thing, highly unlikely she would have any success going down the legal route.

ISDW

When are they barking, is it during the day or at night as well?

where do they sleep, inside the house or outside?

ICE HOUSE

Please stop them barking.
Ive lived in several different areas around Dublin where the neighbours had dogs like that and its a bloody nightmare !!!
I even had to move home on one occasion because of it !!!

Zapperzy

How often are they walked and for how long? Collies are by nature working dogs, they need a job to do otherwise they end up very wound up. If you could get them into something like agility, flyball or bike joring it would do them the world of good.

Yes you can get anti-bark collars (shock or the citronella spray type) but these are just combating the actual barking and not the actual reason they are barking. If you must get any type get the citronella spray collar, shock collars are cruel and have no place in training.

Up their exercise and provide them with mental exercse toys such as kongs and you should notice a difference. In as nice a way as possible try and explain to your neighbour what you have put in place to prevent the barking, maybe once she sees you are making an effort she might have a little more patience.

Shazanne

Hi teachertrixibel. I can really identify with all that you have said. I have exactly the same problem with my two - I am actually embarassed to be in the house at times when they start! They bark at anyone who is passing outside the wall (even though they cant see them!) and they can obviously smell or sense other dogs being walked on the other side of the wall as they go crazy when they pass. If they are inside they bark like mad if they see a dog/ person walking outside. I am at my wits end too. I haven't had any complaints (YET) but I live in fear of it. When I am am work I am worrying that they are creating a racket at home. My two go outside at about 9.30a.m. each morning and come back in at about 5.30p.m. They sleep indoors and are inside with us every evening.
I really hope someone can give us both some "sound" advice on this problem!:)

Just editing here to reply to Zappery - I have tried all of that, I really have! I am very grateful for your input and suggestions but no matter what I do the barking continues.

teachertrixibel

thanks for all your responses....

The dogs are outside when I'm out (so when I'm in work they are outside). They sleep indoors and whenever I'm home, they are in. Today I was doing bits in the garden and they were literally playing chasing with each other and barking - it was harmless stuff. I have to say that barking dogs drive me mad - so to a certain extent I can sympathise with my neighbour, but when it's "genuine" barking then I would rather my dogs bark because there is someone at the side-gate, then not bark at all.

Shazanne - hopefully we will get more tips - I love my 2 - they are real characters :-) It doesn't help that I live in the end house so lots of activity all around my 2 which they love!!!! ( but my neighbours don't lol)

Discodog

In a nutshell you only way to stop them is to keep them indoors. You can't have a dog barking to deter intruders & not barking at cats unless you are prepared to a lot of training & conditioning.

I disagree that the neighbour won't act. The law is totally on their side & it would drive me nuts. Because it would appear to be established behaviour it will be much harder to stop them but collie's are very intelligent.

I don't want to rekindle the old indoor/outdoor debate but dogs need to be indoors & under control when you are not around.

In effect you have taught them to bark by tolerating it or encouraging it as an intruder deterrent.

trio

It doesn't really matter if your neighbour can enforce it or not - you're driving her up the wall.

That said, mine's the same. We keep him in most of the time because of it. Outside, he just barks at the bloody sky. We've tried everything but he'll stop for 5 mins and then forget and start again. You'd have to be poised by the window for as long as he's outside.

So he's inside whenever he's not being walked. Luckily, he's an indoor dog and much prefers it. And the walks tire him out so much that he snoozes a good bit of the day.

That's not v. helpful I know - it's just that if nothing works, then more exercise & more indoors is your only option.

Inexile

I do sympathise with both you and the neighbour. I own a collie and she would drive you to drink. Sometimes there a reason for the barking other times its just crows flying over head. How do you prevent that. Thankfully I don’t live in an urban so its easier for me.
I also would not ignore the neighbours threat she could go to the council and ask them to act (I think thats how it works)
My sister who lives in an estate was worried that she would get complaints about her dog barking when she wasn’t around. Obviously training/entertaining the dog is the best method but you need to be there all the time and that isn’t always possible. While in the vets recently I seen antibark collars for sale. They are not the shock or citronella collars. With these ones you select either a vibration or a high pitched sound which is activated when the dog barks. I bought one for my sister and she says it worked immediately. Now she doesn’t even turn the collar on. The collars are cheap about €30 but they are a mainly made of plastic so one dog could possibly chew it off another.
I have my reservations about these collars but they can be beneficial if used carefully.

Good luck

calibelle

My 2 were the same when I moved house a couple of weeks ago- I think it was the unfamiliar noises and smells. I bought a childs water pistol and everytime they barked at something they shouldn't (cats birds, random cars or people) I sprayed the ground beside them ( not at them or they'd hate me!) so they got a tiny splash and firmly said the word quiet. After 3 days I stopped using they spray and just said the quiet command and now they rarely bark without a reason. Might be worth a try?

Edited to add I decided not to try any types of collars because obviously they don't discriminate between reasons for barking and sometimes we want the dogs to bark!