At the Barking Dogs Yahoo Group there was recently a post with a list of barking dog owner replies and excuses that one victim of barking had heard, either directly or from other victims of barking.
Here's the list (of course, my comments are in red):
1. "Dogs bark, babies cry." Would you let your baby cry for hours on end, all through the day and night? No, you'd get up to see what is wrong and make it right. Otherwise it is called neglect!
2. "I have them for protection." Well, shouldn't you get up to see if someone is breaking in, trespassing on your property, committing vandalism or some other crime then? And if there is no crime being committed shouldn't you tell the dogs everything is OK so they (and the neighbors) can stop being alarmed???
3. "Its the way they talk to each other." But most of the time Harley is talking to himself then. I occasionally hear other dogs barking but they usually get tired of the conversation pretty quickly.
4. "Deal with it." I am. I'm going to take you to court, and do whatever I can to make sure your dog stops barking and everyone in the neighborhood hates you, not your dog.
5. "A neighbors cat teases them. Why don't you do something about outside cats?" Your dog should be trained not to react to other animals, including people, unless the dog is trained for security purposes in which case the dog still should not be barking at other animals and the neighbors, and if the dog is trained for security purposes the owner should investigate the barking immediately. My cats have been blamed for Harley's barking, so now my 2 indoor/outdoor cats are mostly indoors, and when they do go outside it's not for long. If the cats are outside when Harley is barking I immediately check to see where the cats are and if indeed Harley is barking because of one or both of my cats I bring them inside. I've also taken the bell off of the one cat's collar because Harley's barking is triggered by sound (my voice, other people's voices, my back door opening, the cat's bell, other dogs barking, the guy working on his house across the field on Phifer St...). Cats account for maybe 1% of Harley's barking. What about the other 99% of the time?
6. "Other dogs bark in the area." Well, they aren't right right next door to me waking me up at night, barking at me every time I walk out of my house or drive up my driveway, barking at my friends and people working on my property..."
7. "What about boom boxes and airplanes?" Very annoying also...during the 5 seconds it takes them to pass by.
8. "I bought shock collars for them, but the expensive batteries wore out." Why didn't you get one with rechargeable batteries?
9. "Nobody else complains." Oh, yes they do. Or, as in my case with Harley, there are no other neighbors living less than 50 feet away from the barking dog's yard who can hear the dog in every room of their house, and who get barked at every time they walk out of their door.
10. "Im going through a divorce." So you are neglecting your "babies" emotional needs because you're getting divorced? By the way, ever see that show called It's Me or the Dog?
11. "They are my babies." Many people closely supervise their young children, and at least try to teach their children good manners and reinforce lessons in good citizenship using the positive reinforcement/negative association method. Your dog barks for hours without supervision, and your dog poops and pees in the house so you have not taught him any manners at all. You are neglecting your babies. Also, refer back to #1.
12. "They don't bark that much." Then that dog on my video/sound recordings must be another dog that looks and sounds exactly like your dog! Oh, look! Their yard looks exactly like your yard! Hey, there's a car that looks like my car...with the same license plate number! And they have another dog that looks exactly like your other dog...and it's even quiet like your other dog...
13. "I work all day." So you are neglecting your babies while you are at work...ever hear of day care and/or sitters? What about at night when you are home?
14. "They failed doggie school." Let's talk to a dog trainer and see who really failed doggie school. Surprise! It was you who failed, not the dog.
15. "They only started barking when I had to confine them." No, they've been barking as long as you've had them.
16. "Why dont you file a complaint with the state about coyotes howling?" Why? The coyotes aren't bothering me. They aren't howling day in and day out...right outside my house...
17. "Im not going to do anything until Im mandated by the court." Then, now...what's the difference? Why are you so belligerent? Why don't you just spend some time to train and supervise your dog so he/she is happier?
18. "Why cant you be neighborly?" I am...with the neighbors who aren't ruining my life and lowering my property value to $0 by allowing their dog to bark all the time. Thanks to you, no one wants to buy my house.
The only really mature statement would be, "I've been negligent with the training and supervision of my dog. I apologize for this causing a problem and I'm going to do something right away to remedy the situation," but chances are almost 100% that you'll never hear that come out of the mouth of a barking dog owner... I know I'll never hear it come out of the mouth of the people who own my neighboring nuisance.
GET A LIFE; had one but now it's ruined thanks to you and your barking dog...
F**K OFF; well, fuck you, too (but if I said that to them they have me in court fast...)
YOU'RE CRAZY; yeah, I am now, thanks to you and your barking dog...
YOU'RE NOISE SENSITIVE; hard not to be since your dog's bark is so damn loud, shrill and frequent...and echoes through my brain day and night.
PEOPLE WHO COMPLAIN ABOUT BARKING DOGS HAVE TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR HANDS; well...some people probably work during the day and would like to get some sleep at night...but since I'm retired I would like to be able to work in my yard again in peace...also use my office and library in peace...I used to read a lot...but, yeah, I now have too much time on my hands because filling my time with the things I like and used to do is impossible now, thanks to you and your barking fucking dog.
NO ONE LIKES YOU; ditto, and no one likes your dog either thanks to your negligence. He probably could have been a nice, affable dog if he lived with someone who took the time to teach him good manners.
GET EAR PLUGS. I have ear plugs that I wear when I'm mowing the grass... but I can't wear them 24 fucking hours a day...
By the way, last night Harley was barking from 12:08 a.m. until 1:44 a.m. Then the idiots finally went out and locked him up. That's nice.
