Barking Dogs from a Street Away

kyle on 08/02/2021 - 22:23

So it started happening a few months ago.

TL;DR Barking dogs from a street away. How to go about it?

Every night usually around 10pm without fail, there's this dog that lives in the next street on the opposite side in my quiet eastern suburb in the LGA of Manningham would start barking and another nearby dog or two would join the chorus. It gets annoying because I would be trying to sleep and could still hear the barking with the windows closed. During the day while WFH or having a lunchtime walk, I don't hear the barking. But a couple of houses there have the dog warning signs.

I did contemplate walking to the next street at night and find out which house the dog belongs to. One thing I find surprising is that the neighbours on the next street haven't complained or if they did, the council or EPA hasn't taken any action after months. The barking usually wouldn't exceed 30 mins at a time but sure it gets annoying.

So what would you do? Has anyone made a noise complaint without knowing the exact property address?

Home & Garden

Comments

  • SF3 on 08/02/2021 - 22:26

    Ear plugs.

    • kyle on 08/02/2021 - 22:43
      -2

      They hurt my ears

  • jjjaar on 08/02/2021 - 22:30
    +2

    Contact the council. They (should) have a list of all the pets in the area (all dogs that are registered) and they’ll just send a generic “we can hear your dog, maybe shhh” letter to them all within a 100m radius of yours to alert them to the fact that someone has complained.

    This happened to my friend a few years back, but her dog can’t bark so she knew it wasn’t hers =p

    • kyle on 08/02/2021 - 23:42

      Ok let me email them

  • kizzy on 08/02/2021 - 23:16
    -8

    I think that's part of life mate

    • kyle on 08/02/2021 - 23:43
      +10

      Listening to barking dogs at night when the owners should be more responsible?

      • pharkurnell on 09/02/2021 - 09:46

        Your assuming the owners give a shit…

    • participant123xyz on 09/02/2021 - 10:10

      Agree that in an ideal world, we could all live in suburbia in silent bliss. Unfortunately we don't live in an ideal world and dogs bark, people mow lawns, use lawn blowers and use BBQs - sometimes all at the same time.

      It's part of suburban life, if silence is what one seeks, then unfortunately, moving to the country and eating peaches is all one can do.

      • samfisher5986 on 09/02/2021 - 10:23
        +1

        All of those things you mentioned can only be done between set hours.

        A dog is not an exception to that.

        • participant123xyz on 09/02/2021 - 10:27

          Yes, agree that rules/regulations exist but unfortunately people are inconsiderate and don't give a toss. I too like my quiet as much as anyone else.

          Just the way it is.

        • pharkurnell on 09/02/2021 - 10:33
          +1

          Buy the dog a clock.

  • Gnostikos on 09/02/2021 - 03:09
    +15

    I've been through this dance more times than I can remember now.

    I always identify the owner, approach them directly and work out a suitable compromise/plan over a period of time.

    Anything else is only likely to escalate things to the point of an ACA-style neighbourly feud or likely to be completely ineffective due to council/ranger unwillingness to get involved and/or your neighbour's complete indifference to formal dispute resolution.

    As an example, the last place I lived at that, I had a corner property adjacent mine (so not a direct North/East/South/West neighbour, but diagonally opposite my house) who already had a very well-behaved Husky for years (more credit to the breed than its owners) but then decided to get some worthless little, small-dog syndrome mutt the size of a rolled up carpet along with a horrendous-sounding bird that literally gave the impression they kidnapped an Ibis from a nearby lake and shoved it into a cage over the WFH period in 2020. The worthless mutt barked all the live long day due to the fact that his dumbass owners left him alone, locked in the house for hours and hours at a time and the Ibis liked to do backing vocals with squawking and screeching non-stop; both of these animals could be heard clear as crystal even with all of the windows and doors closed.

    Luckily I had a neighbouring couple who were also annoyed by these animals (whom I had previous contact with) and on their behalf and mine, I knocked on the offending neighbour's house, plainly stated that their new dog barked incessantly when they were away from home (as well as past 10PM on numerous occasions, hell even at 2AM sometimes) and that their new bird was the turd dressing on the top of a sh*t sandwich (not in so many words). I mentioned that the other neighbours were on the verge of reporting their dog to the council (which they were) and that we should exchange numbers so I could keep them informed of when the dog was barking so they could take reasonable steps to try and correct its behaviour. They were thankfully quite approachable about this, but it took about 3 or 4 instances of me notifying them about the dog before we got to the point of exchanging numbers and them taking the issue more seriously.

    Now, the resolution was a very drawn-out and laborious process, I won't lie, and it took months for any improvements in the dog's behaviour to manifest, after the neighbours tried a bunch of different things including anti-depressants/anti-anxiety medication for the dog, dog behavourist sessions and ensuring at least one person was home most of the time to mind the dog. Pretending to give a sh*t about the dog's welfare does give them some sense of investedness on your part and does make them feel all of this effort is being done for the sake of the animal; because you know, you getting 5 hours of sleep a night because one of them got bored after being home for a few weeks and decided to make an incredibly, short-sight impulsive decision, isn't that important. But the imprisoned creature with a sub-decade lifespan at best, doomed to spend the rest of its miserable years in a tiny villa well under 150sqm, doped out of its mind on Dogzac or whatever it's called, that's the real Greek tragedy here.

    These last dog owners by the way, I had never once and I mean not once in 12 years, seen them walking their dog/s or taking them anywhere nor even standing in the yard and playing fetch with them; their main form of interaction with their animals was telling them off about something and closing the door on them.

    After about 6 months, the dog's behaviour became incredibly improved to the point where it went from barking at least a couple of hours every single day to barking once or twice a week for a few minutes tops. It took probably 50 text messages of me notifying them about the barking and the other neighbours notifying me if I wasn't home, before they cottoned on to the fact that this dog was seriously out of control and needed help desperately, but we got there in the end.

    The bird I don't think ever changed one iota, but they started keeping it indoors more often, which noticeably muffled the incessant screeching or whatever the f**k that sound is called that resembles one of those stereotypical noises a parrot makes just before it repeats something a human said.

    I have a pathological hatred for suburban dog owners at this point in my life, just in case that might not be clear, because having become unwillingly acquainted with so many of these dipsh!ts over the years, I've become painfully aware of the fact that they are not qualified nor trustworthy enough to be in possession of a coffee maker, let alone other living animals that require a level of care that they don't really afford themselves or their fellow householders. Most of them view dogs as some sort of status symbol of their "Troo-Bloo 'Strayan Dream Loifstoil" along with their sh*tty decking and patio, 19-burner barbecue, Buddha statue in the backyard and other assorted paraphernalia of middle-class, cashed-up, bogan suburbia. It's basically shoved into a corner and forgotten about like the rest of that crap and occasionally they remember they have it and bring it out for a novelty form of entertainment once in a blue moon.

    • franco cozzo on 09/02/2021 - 05:02
      +1

      …great reply. unfortunately i am experiencing what you are describing at the moment and your words brought me great comfort…you are a much more patient man than me

    • kyle on 09/02/2021 - 07:15
      +1

      You do have time and patience. I often wonder why the owners themselves don't get annoyed. Kind of like children or babies crying, isn't it?

    • BargainCowboy on 09/02/2021 - 09:37
      +3

      This last paragraph is gold

  • ozbargainer666 on 09/02/2021 - 09:14
    +4

    start making a noise log and get ready to submit it to council

  • Manifesto on 09/02/2021 - 09:33
    +8

    I have exhausted all avenues of complaints. All authorities ignored me, they are too soft on the dog owner or too slow and inept to step in.

    There's are saying don't get mad get even.

    I have 6 wireless magnetic window alarms with remote controls. They can be purchased for under $20 from tomtop.com.

    Each unit has 102 decibels.

    I placed them inside my fence and opposite neighbours window. Every time the German Shepherd Dog Guard barks I press the remote control and the alarms go off, the owners get annoyed and take the dog inside the house.

    Both the alarm unit and remote control don't have infrared.The alarm can be activated through walls and up to a distance of 10 meters.
    Instead of using 6 remote controls to operate 6 alarms, you can pair 1 or 2 remote control to operate all 6 units at the same time.
    There are an instruction manual and youtube videos on pairing these alarms and remote controls.

    Good luck

    • Stalker on 09/02/2021 - 10:34
      +2

      The story above from Gnostikos was far more interesting to read, but I much prefer your approach. Personally, I either turn on the patio sound system quite loud and/or fire up the Ozito Blower (that I bought from here when listed on sale) and clean up right next to the fence. The neighbors have now connected the dots that I only make this kind of noise to let them know that their dog barking is irritating me (as they have obviously learned to tune out the sound of their own dog barking like a lunatic), and they will come out to deal with dog and I return the favour by going silent. Passive aggressive? Sure. A bit childish? Perhaps…but after discussing the issue with them and then doing the local council dance for around 18 months with only temporary improvement, I've decided I may as well have some fun with it.

      In trying to be helpful to the OP, I would in fact go for a walk at night when the barking is happening to locate the offending house and I'd leave a reasonably nice note in the letterbox to let them know that them allowing their dog to back for considerable periods of time, especially late at night and in the early hours of the morning, is a nuisance and quite disrespectful to others in the neighborhood, and that you are currently maintaining a log that will be provided to the council in the coming days. And then do the log. If you are feeling brave, have this discussion in person - but I wouldn't recommend it as you really don't know what kind of people you are dealing with. Good luck!

      • kyle on 09/02/2021 - 12:22

        Yeah I did think about going for a walk at the time of barking, but often I was already tucked up in bed.

      • ChocStrawberries on 09/02/2021 - 12:23
        +2

        Just make sure you have the right offending dog before you leave any letters. We got a nasty letter from a new neighbour last year about our dog, who barely makes a sound. I was really upset, since the letter was pretty threatening, so went to speak to the neighbour. Turns out it was a dog two doors down that they were hearing.

    • kyle on 09/02/2021 - 12:21

      Only problem is the dog or dogs are one street away and there could be collateral damage.

  • Jugganautx on 09/02/2021 - 14:01

    Just go outside and yell shut the (profanity) up!

    It'll do the job pretty quick.

  • Jugganautx on 09/02/2021 - 14:01

    Just go outside and yell shut the (profanity) up!

    It'll do the job pretty quick.

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