Anti-Barking Device for Neighbour's Dog

Daedalus on 07/12/2019 - 17:27

My neighbour's dog keeps barking. Have spoken to them cordially but it still continues. I would like to resolve this without complaining to council and only do that as a last resort.

Does anyone have any recommendations for anti-barking devices? Cost does not matter, will happily spend hundreds, but just don't want to buy something that doesn't work. The only constraint is that I can't do anything physical to the dog or can't get access to their land.

Loads of products on google but after people's experiences.

Pets

Comments

  • Donaldhump on 09/12/2019 - 08:48
    +3

    man you have told them and they are gronks,
    go to the council, dont reward their ignorance.

  • TheLurker on 09/12/2019 - 08:49

    Comments are right about council, but the comments on music might have merit.

    When our dog went through a barking phase we started leaving the TV on for some background noise and it settled his separation anxiety. Could be worth hooking up an old radio in the yard to see if it helps settle the dog down? At least it's a cheap test.

    In past other neighbours got their dog a shock collar. Every time a truck went past the dog started screaming with unexpected electrocution. Not recommended. Air blast collar is much more humane. Obviously the neighbour has to do that though

  • Duram on 09/12/2019 - 09:39
    +2

    Dogs bark, my dogs bark. My neighbours children also houl like werewolves while playing outside. I hate their kids, they hate my dog. At the end of the day were all to povo to live on acreage away from other humans so we put up with it.

    • Eeples on 09/12/2019 - 11:26
      +2

      Would you out up with loud parties on weekdays at 2am?
      A dog barking at 2am is just as bad.

    • UFO on 09/12/2019 - 21:41

      Kids play for an hour or so during the day.

      Dogs can bark all day and all night.

      If you think loud kids = loud dogs, you're more delusional and inconsiderate than you think.

  • superdarkhumour on 09/12/2019 - 10:08

    Or adopt a dog and they can be friends and live happily ever after =)

  • kaleidoscope on 09/12/2019 - 10:37
    +1

    Council and they’ll teach them the hard way. Don’t tolerate ignorance.

  • Dominic on 09/12/2019 - 12:18

    Sound advice at the 28 sec mark from this 90s Aus comedy gem.

  • dansblackcat on 09/12/2019 - 12:45

    Record the dogs constant barking. Then every time you leave your house and they are home playback the recording on loud speakers outside.

  • SnakeCasablanca on 09/12/2019 - 13:19
    +4

    First of all you need to decide whether the barking is a nuisance. Dogs bark randomly and some people think that all dog barking should cease. This will never happen. If it is non stop (Check you council guidelines) or happens a lot outside of daylight hours (7pm - 7am) the I would agree that this is annoying and is up to the owners to address.

    I used to have to dogs next door to me that used to bark incessantly when we were in our yard. They would come up to the fence and just go nuts.

    The neighbours would never walk them and would go away for 3 days at a time and just leave the dogs in the yard and they would lonely bark through the night.

    I employed two methods:

    • When They were in their yard and barking at me crazily. I go directly up to the fence where they were barking and give them a short sharp blast from a party air horn in a can. This would quiet them down for a while. Basically I barked back louder than them.

    • When the neighbours went away and the dogs were barking at all hours of the night. I would send them an SMS and politely let them know their dogs were barking / still barking. If the dogs were keeping me up an hour later… Another text. If their dogs are keeping me up then they should also be keeping them up. IT wasn't a malicious thing it was just communicating with the neighbours about their dogs affecting other people.

    Eventually the neighbour decided that their lifestyle was not conducive to pet ownership and rehomed the dogs. Thank God.

  • nutella9 on 09/12/2019 - 14:49
    +1

    My experience has been that councils won't do much to resolve this. I had a problem with 2 absolutely ferocious dogs next door that barked and charged the fence whenever any of us was out in the backyard. Council's suggested approach was to talk to neighbours - who were seemingly even more feral than their dogs. So that was never going to get anywhere. Just had to put up with it till the neighbours moved out.

  • kylarstern on 09/12/2019 - 15:45
    +2

    Always blame the owners not the dog. The dog is an animal and barking is a way of life. It's the owner's responsibility to ensure that the noise does not disturb the neighbours i.e. ensure the dog has been trained, fencing is proper (obscuring blocking the view for the dog) and there is discipline when the dog barks out of order.
    I'd personally avoid the collar (do some research - they do more harm than good) and just contact council. Maybe dont make a complaint but just have a chat about the options available.

  • ro0sta on 09/12/2019 - 18:13

    I've had the problem before. Council step in very late and more of a last resort. They ask that you (a) Approach and address problem as civil as possibly in person, if that doesn't work (b) write a cordial note/letter addressing the problem and when its happening so owner can try and take action at offending times (c) if persisting and you make a formal complaint, the council will send you a DIARY to record start/end times and length of the so-called noise pollution. They will also do this for any other local resident bothered by the matter…they generally then try and send a local council officer around the property with documentation of the complaint, evidence and also documents around actions that can be taken and what they can do…I've not been on the receiving end, not having owned a dog for a long time, so i can't comment about how serious the matter is addressed, how it was received, etc. Just so you know, there are times of the day/night, loud noises can be considered as noise pollution and not all local council laws are identical. So if they are unco-operative (and a poison steak is almost certainly out of the question), then using the law when its on your side is the best bet.

    Animal noise is one thing at wee hours of the morning or late night - Owners ignorance is WORSE and very hard to correct if you've never established a relationship, or they are just weirdo's and prefer to ignore you and let their dog rule the whole block. Goodluck. I am actually blad I moved house, as there's nothing worse than an owner who is a bigger f*kwit than their animal.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/12/2019 - 20:56

    Get yourself some wireless noise cancellation headphones

  • MrSammyMcG on 10/12/2019 - 00:48
    +1

    I read the title as anti baking device for neighbours dog and I was concerned why you were baking their dog haha.

  • Gersman on 10/12/2019 - 09:13

    Double glazing it works.

  • Roman Sandstorm on 10/12/2019 - 10:40

    @Shiv86

    Get yourself some wireless noise cancellation headphones

    @Gersman

    Double glazing it works.

    The OP should definitely not have to change their own lifestyle, or spend their own money, in order to maintain 'quiet enjoyment' of their property.

    An outside party is causing disturbance beyond what is reasonable; it is clearly the responsibility of that outside party to resolve the matter. If they refuse to do so, then the OP should go to the relevant authorities (local council).

    Any discussion about dog's nature, lonely dogs, inside/outside dogs, whatever, is irrelevant. The owner of the instrument causing the disturbance is responsible.

    That said, other advice given here is correct. The council will ask that the OP has made an effort to discuss and remedy the matter with the neighbour. (Not the dogs, as dogs are incapable of human conversation.) If that has not been successful, the council will request the OP keep a log book / diary of noise disturbance. It would also be useful to have some audio records of the actual noise disturbance, noted and correlated with times in the diary.

    Councils do take this type of thing seriously. (There can sometimes be a correlation between annoying/noisy animals and subsequent animal attacks, and councils would not ever want to appear as having done nothing to prevent such…)

    However, some time and effort will be required by the OP. It's not really fair (life, that is), that someone else is being anti-social, but you have to make the effort to bring them into line. But that's life, eh?

  • Jackkkkkk on 10/12/2019 - 11:53

    Our right neighbour have a Rooster that wakes you up as soon as Sunrise/Sunset hits everyday
    Our left neighbour has two maltese b*tches whom I have the same problem as you

    Which one is worst?

  • Cheap Gamer on 10/12/2019 - 12:20

    Councils can be painfully slow at handling dog complaints. If they went after owners with the same zeal they have for parking inspections, there'd be much fewer nuisance dogs. A few councils use recorders, but most rely on stupid diaries. They're suppose to give rangers an idea of when to patrol, but barking is spontaneous and has no pattern. Diaries are just busy work for busybodies.

    Noise-cancelling headphones don't work well with low-frequency sounds. They may block the shrill barking of a small dog, but they don't block the doof-doof barking of a large dog.

    Ultrasonic devices have a limited range and only work if the dog is close. Most devices are pretty shoddy and don't last long outdoors, and they can be easily destroyed with a screwdriver or hose. Some owners will be so outraged you made their dog suffer, the device will be vandalise as soon as it's discovered.

    The police could charge the owner with public nuisance in bad cases, so it might be worth a call to your local cop shop.

    The sad truth is some owners use their dogs to harass their neighbours. They know what they're doing and love watching you suffer. They brag to their mates and mock your protests. You're only solution is to collect plenty of evidence and take the owner to court. A noise abatement order may work but is hard to enforce. If the barking disrupts your sleep or work, sue the owner for harassment and loss of income. It's the only way you'll ever get any compensation.

    • Roman Sandstorm on 11/12/2019 - 11:02

      @Cheap Gamer

      A few councils use recorders, but most rely on stupid diaries.

      There is a reason for this. I do not think many council residents would be happy with their rates being spent on the wages of council officers sitting in their office listening to hour upon hour of mostly recorded silence, occasionally interspersed with a bout of yapping. And then making notes on a piece of paper of those times. (Er…. exactly like a diary.)

      With a diary already filled out (by the person/people the noise actually affects), a whole lot of time is saved. Further, if there is a recording, the evidence can be corroborated against the timing on the diary.

      The sad truth is some owners use their dogs to harass their neighbours.

      This is sadly too often the case. Humans are terrible.

      But even in situations of non-deliberate neighbour harassment, it seems that dogs are often simply an extension of their owner's ego; a convenient toy or plaything for when it suits them, and ignored all the time they are at work, out, etc. Humans are terrible.

      • Cheap Gamer on 11/12/2019 - 15:30

        They use audio software to speed up the process. The software filters the recordings to remove the silence and extraneous noise. They can quickly spot the barking periods from the remaining waveforms. Dog diaries are about as accurate as a teenager's driving diary. Ok maybe not that bad, but they all get fudged to some extent.

    • Gilll on 09/01/2022 - 18:11

      The police will not respond to a barking dog, I have tried. They refer you back to the council who does nothing.

  • Sage on 10/12/2019 - 20:00

    Any anti-barking devices for my mother in-law over Christmas?

    • kmwa on 11/12/2019 - 17:21

      There was a young Ozb-er called Sage,
      Whose mother-in-law belonged in a cage.
      Her gift was a puzzle,
      So he got her a muzzle -
      But his wife flew into a rage.

      Should have got a prenuptial…

  • mingofmongo on 12/12/2019 - 18:00

    Perhaps buy him a copy of this book? https://liartownusa.tumblr.com/post/133851106900/enjoy-your-…

  • Bad Company on 18/12/2019 - 09:29
    +1

    Step 1, get your hands on some rat poison.
    Step 2, get some sausages from a local supermarket.
    Step 3, plant poison inside sausage.
    Step 4, feed it to the owner.

    The world is a better place.

  • Gilll on 09/01/2022 - 17:59
    +1

    I just found an ap From the Android playstore called Bark Monitor (sound workbench), sounds like it will do the trick. I am also having trouble with a neighbor's dog for the past 2 years with no luck. The council told me to move, which I think is extremely unfair as I have bought this house that I am currently in and the person with the nuisance barker is a renter. The landlords don't care. I have tried a voice recorder from ebay which is hard to use and is totally useless. Hoping this bark monitor will help me with this problem.

    • kmwa on 10/01/2022 - 17:53

      There is also an iOS app called Bark'n Mad at https://www.john-hall.com.au/bark-n-mad.htm
      It has mixed reviews, but may be useful for putting together a sound diary to complain about a neighbour's dog to the council. You can also print out graphs showing the extent of the problem over a full day or night of barking, useful for sticking under someone's nose to try and get some action.
      $6 for the basic app, another $10 for the full version.

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