Warning!

Do not fall for this: http://www.barkender.com/ which I found by following a link from this web site: http://www.gotbarking.com

Those of us who have been tormented by barking dogs know the feeling of desperation very well, but paying for a letter to a barking dog owner is not necessary.

You can find samples of such letters here: http://www.guruhabits.com/noisy-neighbors/ and some good advice to follow when composing the letter. And if you need help composing your letter or finding your animal noise ordinances, I'm sure there are many people who are willing to help for free. Or you can leave a comment below this post and I'll help you.

Barking Dog Advice from an Expert

I was going through some of the Barking Dog Yahoo Group messages that I saved and came across the following, which makes excellent sense. The bottom line is, if you have recently begun to be tormented by your neighbor's barking dog, don't wait to do something about it - jump into action immediately.

Dr. Craig Mixon, an expert on the subject of barking dogs and their owners, and founder of BarkingDogs.net, says...

"To a large extent, your best course of action is always determined by your own individual skill set. You need to do what you are good at doing, and what you know how to do. Some people are brilliant at confrontation ­ others at maneuver, persuasion, or politics ­ still others do best to steer clear of all categories.

"But as a trained behaviorist I can tell you that the longer you let any given response continue, and the better established it becomes, the harder it is likely to be to get it stopped.

"So if your neighbor gets a dog and the barking starts, then, if you are ever going to talk to him about it, you had better do it immediately. Because every minute it continues, the less likely he is to be willing to bring it to a stop. That is true of dogs and humans alike. The research shows that beyond the slightest doubt."

I now, well over 2 years later, realize the above statement from Dr. Mixon is true and I wish I would have come across his works sooner. In retrospect I could have saved myself from over 2 years of barking torment and the mental, physical & financial side effects of this noise trauma had I acted sooner. As it is, I allowed myself to be victimized for well over 2 years by my neighboring sociopath barking dog owners and their incessantly yapping psycho dog since day one of the dog's arrival as a puppy, hoping they'd recognize the problem and put and end to it.

This attempt to be patient did no good at all.  The barking did not subside, in fact just got worse & worse,  and just caused me immeasurable stress, anxiety & tension and also ended up costing me a lot of money. The dog's owners are as hostile toward me today as they would have been then, if I'd jumped into action when they first got the dog, but at least I could have saved myself from a lot misery (and also saved some money). At this point, I don't care if they hate me. Neighborly relations were ruined the day I realized they were just going to let him bark and bark and bark without any regard for neighbors, which was on day one when they brought the dog home and he was running around the yard yapping & yapping at me and everything else that moved or didn't move.

From the first day, at the end of November in 2009, that we began complaining about the barking...first by "talking" to them about it, which was a one sided conversation and a complete waste of time and breath, then by me calling them at night when the dog was barking, which only put an end to the barking temporarily that night, then later by calling the police and animal control, which at least put an end to the dog being out at night...it has taken less than 6 months to attain relative peace again. Fortunately for us the neighbor's oldest son, unfortunately due to his own misfortune, had to move back home and started working with the dog to make him stop barking.  The son has done a marvelous job with the dog, especially considering he has his own mother working against him by inciting the dog to bark when her son is not around... 

Beginning sometime in late March this year, things began going along very nicely and quietly (it was odd but I wasn't going to question it), and then suddenly there were a couple of weeks late in April when Mrs. Barking Dog Owner, who claims to be a good Christian, was letting the dog out very early in the morning (like between 6-6:30 a.m.) and allowing him to bark which had very rudely & traumatically awakened me 4-5 times. One morning I actually caught her in the process of provoking some barking, at least it seemed so to me when I witnessed her standing on her screened porch making some sort of noise which, everytime the dogs heard it, caused them break into a barking fit. Some people whom I've told about this, who have also heard the unbearable ruckus, asserted that it sounds like spiteful behavior on the part of the mean old bitch...

The second time this happened, I went outside, probably looking like some sort of psyco myself as I'd just been awakened from a very deep sleep and was still trying to get my wits about me...fortunately my sleeping attire was not going to get me arrested for indecent exposure..., and let her know that I was not happy about being awakened. Of course, she lashed out with hostilities and accusations about me being a bad neighbor for calling the police... blah, blah, blah...and accused my cat of instigating the barking (he was in the house, still sleeping...that's how early it was) and then she, the good Christian, threatened to trap my cat and send him to the shelter...etc., etc. It was difficult to get a word in but I was finally able to casually mention that I had video/sound recordings of her dog being left outside to bark for hours, at all hours... Apparently she, oddly enough as I don't credit her with much intelligence, realized that along with telling her I had the barking evidence on tape (so to speak) I was also implying that the evidence points out that she neglected the dog by allowing him to be unattended during these sometimes hours long barking fits because she seemed to be taken aback and lost for words...at least temporarily until she lamely got the last word in and again reiterated how she couldn't believe I would ever be such a bad neighbor. Boo hoo. Realizing I'd have better luck communicating wtih a rock, I walked away.

This early morning barking occurred several more times and so I again called the police and animal control. They never came out again as by the time I called them Mrs. Sociopath had locked the dog up (nice, huh? lock them up rather than enforce the training that her son has implemented), but I gave them all a good ration of how I was fed up with losing sleep and my life being ruined because my neighbors were being allowed to let their dog be a barking nuisance...and on and on. Then, just as suddenly as it began again, this early morning barking suddenly stopped again so maybe the police or animal control sent a notice or called them or something. I don't know and, as long as the dog successfully continues on his path of barking behavior modification, I don't care.

So, since perhaps you missed it because I've rambled on and on about my barking misery, the main point of the story is, don't wait to start the process of putting an end to the barking. You'll just be more and more traumatized the longer it goes on, the neighbors will probably hate you regardless of when you let them know that you won't tolerate it, and you'll probably have better success at stopping the barking if you speak up right away.

By the way, I have nothing against Christians or people with any other religious beliefs. I do not, however, like people who are hypocrites.

Prozac Nation...Psychopharmacology vs. Shock Treatment

I'm not exactly sure what is going on here, but my neighboring nuisance has become an almost tolerable neighbor. Of course he still barks at my cat, but as soon as I move the cat out of his view he stops barking, which is uncharacteristic as he used to bark long after the cat was out of sight, and I have spent many hours in my yard since the weather has warmed up and he has not barked at me nor at anything else very much at all. In fact today I glanced over and noticed Harley's side kick, Cherokee, sitting at the fence watching me (kinda creepy the way she sits there and stares at me but she doesn't bark...yay) so I walked over and petted her on the head over the fence and told her she was a good girl. Harley was in another part of the yard and had not even paid any attention to me until he heard me talking to Cherokee at which time he trotted over for some attention. He did not make one peep so I petted him on the head also, and told him I was very happy that he was learning to be a good dog. Of course when he saw the cat, who had followed me, he began barking but stopped as soon as I scooted the cat our of his view. Strange.

There was, however, something else very odd about Harley. Not that I'm complaining because at least he is finally being quiet (most of the time), but he has changed in other ways, too. Not only was he very loud before but he used to look like a total psycho, jumping around, doing this weird thing with his mouth, making weird moaning sounds between barks, twitching his head, practically running in circles trying to decide what to bark at next, barking at the wind, barking just to bark, or so it seemed...I mean totally wacko...but he seems so calm now, and looked sort of normal in his dirty mop looking way.

I suspect he might be on drugs. I mean, drastic personality change, etc.

Although I'm in strongest favor of dedicated training and behavior modification techniques, I realize that some dogs (and cats) need something to take the edge off before they can learn or relearn and so I have to admit here that I am an advocate of using drugs, such as Prozac (fluoxetine) and similar drugs, for animal behavior problems. I'll tell you why, but first I must annouce that I am not a veterinarian nor an animal behavior specialist and my suggestions are based on my experience, observations, research and common sense, and if you are truly dedicated to changing a behavior in your dog (or cat) you must gather info, and consult with experts. Please do not try to drug your pets without consulting an expert, and don't give your pets your own antianxiety or antidepression meds, please.

But anyway, a few years ago I was one of those nasty detractors who criticized giving drugs like this to pets, and you could not convince me that putting an animal on antidepressnats was a good thing. I felt that doing so was a sign of laziness on the part of the owner and that it was detrimental for the animal. At that time, my own experience with antidepressants consisted of my observations of their lack of effectiveness in people (e.g., my sister for one), and it seemed that they were way over prescribed in lieu of trying to teach a person to change their thinking and become an effective problem solver, or even in lieu of trying to discover something deeper such as hormonal or nutritional imbalances that might be contributing to a brain imbalance and thus the erratic behaviors. In fact, 2 of my own doctors tried to talk me into taking antidepressants, however I declined first of all because of my psycho sister and secondly because I knew my "issues" had to do with thyroid and other hormonal, and probably nutritional, imbalances and I worked to successfully resolved my "issues" by tuning up my body through the use of natural methods (diet, supplements, herbs, acupuncture, etc.) through research and consulting with experts.

Back to the subject and to make a long story short, because I can ramble on, one of my cats had a serious spraying issue. Not only was he spraying but he was aggressive toward the other cats to the point that a couple of them became very fearful, he'd stare aggressively at and start fights with my older male cat, and he ran around the house making a bleating meow sound like a goat cat...he was affectionate and never aggressive toward me, but he looked and acted like a psycho with the other cats. I mean, after 2 years of this, I was ready to have the cat euthanized (save your nasty comments because if you have a nasty comment about that then you've never had a pet with a serious behavioral issue) because he was ruining my house and making me and my 4 other cats crazy so in a final fit I took him to the vet and presented the ultimatum. The cat was already neutered (when he was 6 months old) and the vet had known us long enough to know that in the last 2 years I'd tried everything possible to resolve the issue: behavior modification, enriching his environment, more play, more affection, Feliway, calming herbs, flower essences, dietary changes, consulting with an animal behaviorist who told me the cat wanted to be an only cat...and if I could have found the right home  for him I would have gladly let him go to make us all happy but who the hell is going to adopt a cat that sprays was my question. I wasn't willing to pawn him off on someone else and I wasn't going to dump him off at the shelter (where he would have been gassed to death the same day). So the vet said, "Let's try Prozac."

I'd known about the veterinary use of Prozac for quite sometime but I was reluctant to put my cat on drugs even though I was desperate, prefering to work things out and/or use natural methods. Of course, if I still got high I probably would have tried giving the cat of hit of a joint, but smoking weed is no longer in the picture here. Anyway, not really wanting to admit defeat and loathing the idea of euthanizing the cat just because he was marking his territory (and if I had a cat proof yard or lived in the country I probably would have just let him go outside to mark his territory, but I live on a busy street not to mention all the stray dogs that pass through our yard...sigh...) I decided to give him the Prozac. Best decision I ever made. He stopped spraying from day one, even though the vet said it might take a couple weeks. I've attempted further behavior modification and have tried weaning him onto lower doses so as to possibly get him off the Prozac altogether, but on any dose lower than 1/2 pill every other day he starts getting wacky, attacking cats and spraying again. He's been on Prozac for 2+ years now. He seems to be in good health and his bloodwork has not shown any abnormalities. He still bleats like a cat goat occasionally, but I can live with that.

So that's why I am an advocate of giving animals these drugs. BUT, and this is a big but, the cat or dog cannot tell you what it's feeling so you have to familiarlize yourself with the drug and the side effects and carefully monitor your pet, and adjust the dose if necessary. I had to do this with my cat, but the only reason I knew this is because the vet tech, who has one of her cats on Prozac, told me she had to reduce the dose for her cat and the vet concurred that I should lower the dose if it seemed necessary. Of course, my vet knows me well enough to know that I'm capable of doing this without running to the phone to call her to see if it's OK, and you have to be aware that some vets do not work outside of standard and conventional doses and ideas so you might have to use your power of observation and make a decision yourself to lower the dose on your own (or find another vet). Initially, my cat was prescribed 1/2 of a pill everyday, but I noticed even though he was not spraying he had become agitated and showing other signs of overdose so I reduced his dose to 1/2 pill every other day. This has been the magic number. My cat stopped spraying, he stopped being aggressive and provoking fights with the other cats, he's active, playful, affectionate, has a good appetite but has not gained weight, and all my other cats have relaxed as well now that my psycho cat is easier to live with.

"But," you say, "were talking about barking dogs and you are talking about cats." Yeah, well, the point is that these drugs might calm your dog's brain long enough for it to focus and learn a new behavior (like not barking at everything). Do I like having my cat on these drugs? No. But it's better than the alternative which was either euthanization or continuing to let him ruin my house and making me crazy and my other cats fearful. Will it work for every cat (or dog)? I don't know, probably not, but I think it's worth a try (especially if you or your neighbors are being driven batty by your dog's barking) if you are dedicated to helping your dog change his/her behavior (which, of course, unfortunately, eliminates many of the owner's of the barking dogs that are driving us nuts).

So the thing here is, a lot of people, including several dog trainers I've consulted with about my loud neighbor, suggest using a bark collar which consists of a device attached to a collar that delivers a shock to the dog's neck, via a couple of metal prongs, when it barks...is it just me? or does this sound somewhat sadistic? The theory is the negative feedback will teach the dog not to bark, as he will associate barking with a very unpleasant sensation. In theory it sounds good, but in reading further about these devices, and using common sense, the dog needs to be monitored for signs of shock trauma... Apparently these shocks can really freak some dogs out (no fucking shit) and some dogs might become fearful, nervous, maybe even aggressive or maybe even bark more (yikes) from these shocks. Personally, and this might sound a little odd to some of you more sadistic folks, I would not want to subject my pet to being shocked over and over again despite the success of negative feedback in behavior modification. But that's me. By the way, don't hit the dog or scream at it either. We're trying to help the dog become a better citizen, not make it more antisocial.

The success of any of this, of course, depends on the owner's dog savvy when it comes to the way they interact with the dog, and their powers of observation and deduction, whether you use behavior modification alone or with the aid of drugs or shock collars or whatever. Well, this brings us to somewhat of a delemma now because if we were dealing with dog savvy folks we wouldn't be having barking dogs, now would we? I mean, some folks actually inadvertantly teach their dog to become a barker by giving it a treat and/or attention when it barks, in an attempt to try to get it to stop barking...thinking that the dog is upset and needs to be comforted, or that the distraction will make it stop barking, I suppose, which it does as long as the treat and/or attention lasts...however, in the dog's brain this is a reward for the action and thus actually encouraging the undesired behavior...duh... But then again, some of you folks have inherited, or rather adopted, barking dogs that were damanged by the sub savvy previous owners who couldn't deal with the product of their own ignorance and decided to pawn it off on someone else (and who, by the way, might have been smug and felt oh so superior because they could claim that were finding the dog a better home...) and so now you have to deal with it.

Moving on...if I had a barking dog would I rather shock it into submission or put it on drugs? Quiet frankly, since excessive/inappropriate barking is usually a sign of some deeper, darker psychological thing going on with the personality and in the brain (I'm talking about the dog here, not the human although the human who created the barking dog is usually rather dark as well) logic tells me that the drugs are the better way to go so as to attempt to calm any anxieties and balance out brain chemicals and thus be better able to learn the new behavior. A shock collar focuses on one thing, the barking, but does not address the psychological/brain issues that might actually be causing the barking. But hey, what do I know. I was a detractor of drugs and now here I am promoting their use.

So, for those responsible dog owners who are trying to get their dog to stop barking inappropriately/excessively and conventional training methods aren't producing the desired effects, I suggest talking to the vet about using Prozac or a related drug in conjunction with continued behavior modification training. Your vet should give the dog (or cat) a complete physical to make sure there is not some medical condition contributing or causing the offending behavior, including blood tests which will have to be repeated periodically to make sure the drugs are not affecting the organs. Along with a prescription your vet should also give you instructions for behavior modification and you can contact outside specialists for this as well. Of course, you have to be really dedicated because it takes a lot of time, patience, and work to retrain pets with behavioral issues, but if you are one of those folks who really cares about your pets you'll do it.

You can get Reconcile which is the more expensive dog version of Prozac, or use the generic Prozac that you can get from Walmart for $4 for 30 pills. My cat is on the generic. Of course, Prozac (fluoxetine) is not the only drug given to animals with behavioral issues as there are a number of other antidepressants and antianxiety (like Valium/diazepam) medications that can be/are used as well. Just make sure you read up and learn everything you can about the drug before giving it to your pet. Don't just take the word of the vet because a really good vet is just as hard to find as a good people doctor.

Here are some links for further reading:

The Use of Prozac in Animals for Selected Dermatological and Behavioral Issues by Dr. Steve Melman, DVM - written in 1995 before these drugs were approved for use in animals, but an excellent article, mainly about using  psychopharmacologics for obsessive compulsive grooming disorders, but touches on other behaviorl issues and very informative.

neurophilosophy.wordpress.com - a short blog entry about Reconcile, which is Prozac manufactured by Eli Lilly and marketed just for dogs. The reason I've included this link is so you can read the comments from dog owners about all the dogs that have been given Prozac as a last resort for behavioral issues with successful results. You'll also notice a number of comments made by nasty detractors but just ignore them as it's obvious that a number of pets and owners are much happier thanks to drugs.

Animal Behavior Associates, Inc. - I think this is an old article but here's a few more comments about Prozac and dogs, and do visit their web site at www.animalbehaviorassociates.com for info about training and behavior modification.

National Geographic News - note: I do not approve of keeping wild animals in zoos or cages, therefore I do not condone the use of Prozac in such animals. I've included this article merely to demonstrate the effectiveness of Prozac in different animal situations.

Behavioral Medicines a list of drugs at veterinarypartner.com (I found this through Cornell U Vet Med)

Cummings School of Vet Med, Tufts U - a couple of case reports.

Finding Veterinarians & Clinics - a link to other links...

UC Davis Vet Med Pharmacy Toxicology Report - not much about Prozac, but some other useful info.

Some other interesting stuff from UC Davis Vet Med - Behavior - fact sheets/brochures/newsletters

Too Much Puppy Love - by Nicholas Dodman, DVM, Cummings School of Vet Med, Tufts U. Infromative article about how we contribute to our dog's undesireable behaviors.

Whole Pet Vet - holistic veterinary practices, acupuncture, chiropractics, etc. I'm a firm believer in holistic/alternative medicine, and I do believe that alternatives will help some pets as well. In fact I'm thinking about taking my cat in for acupuncture so as to maybe get him off drugs. I found this site through the Cornell U Vet Med library.

I'll add more links as I find useful info about psychopharmacology, behavior modification and training, and dogs.

Legal Action...non sequitur

It's been a while since I've made any entries here but, trust me, Harley the dog has not been as remiss with his barking as I have been with my writing.

However, it's time I quite whining about the yapper and share my experiences and advice in dealing with a barking nuisance and shitty, rude neighbors.

Unfortunately, and this is very depressing, according to what I've read about other people's experiences, the chances seem to be slim to none that you'll get any satisfaction from the laws or the courts very quickly, and my own experience, to date, concurs with this. But anyway...in the event that you are either really lucky or you live in one of those evolved areas in which humans are top priority...

Find out what your local laws, codes and ordiances are pertaining to noise and animals, and keep a copy on hand to refer back to at a moments notice. Scrutinize them thoroughly because your neighbor might be in violation of more than just the barking section. If you can't find the ordinances on your local gov. web sites you can probably find them here: http://www.amlegal.com/library/ This is for the United States.

Call or visit the local magistrate/court, the Police, the Sheriff, the Animal Control...anyone and everyone so you can find out or confirm exactly what procedure needs to be followed to deal with these noise/animal nuisance violations. Keep at it until you are certain you know the correct process. I failed to do this. I was initially told one thing (by a magistrate and an animal control officer), which I put all my energy into preparing for, then when I went to the magistrate's office to file my complaint I was told I couldn't do this, and was then told the process was something entirely different. So after the weekend I'm going to start calling around to make sure I now know the correct process to follow so I don't waste more time.

In general, the following is what everyone, including Monroe and Union County residents should do in their quest for peace. And, by the way, don't wait until you have been driven completely batty by the barking and are in desperate need of relief. Many of us wait, hoping that the neighbors will suddenly become good citizens or that a large tree will fall on the barking dog, but it won't happen and the barking will continue unabated in many cases.

1. Start gathering evidence right away, in the event you end up in court.

• Written documentation, such as a Barking Log. My Barking Log has the date, the day, the time, the barking status (barking or quiet), and a column for other relavent notes (what the dog was barking at, where I was when the dog was barking, if the dog woke me up, whether the neighbors came out to quiet the dog or he just stopped on his own, when I had to leave home to get some peace, etc.), and I also have a column called Cat Location since my cats are often blamed but usually innocent. In some areas you might have to count the barks per minute, in which case you can go to barkingdogs.net where there is a form and instructions.
• I also keep a Call Log, mainly for my own reference, which includes the name of the person I spoke with, who they are (i.e., police, dog trainer, dog owner, etc.), their phone number, the date and time, and the purpose/results of the call;
• I'm also have an ongoing chart of how the barking has affected my health, physically and emotionally, which also includes when I've gone to the doctor, chiropractor, massage therapist seeking help for or relief from the symptoms caused by the barking;
• Another statement as to how the barking has forced me to modify my activities both inside and outside my house.
• Keep all receipts and record the financial impact of the barking (i.e., medical bills, barking deterrents such as the ultrasonic device I bought that didn't work, sound proofing material for your home, etc.);
• Video recordings with sound. I used my cell phone and digital camera so I have a lot of short clips and videos on different days, at various times, both inside the house and outside, but if possible purchase a security camera which you can mount in a stretegic spot on the outside of your home (preferably where the neighbors can't see it) to record the barking 24/7. Try to exclude any identifying landmarks, but do try to include the dog in the video so he can be seen as well as heard if there are no shrubs or fence to block the view. A wireless model would be perfect, and send the feed to your computer and back it up. This will also be helpful if you have to do the bark per minute thing, although you might have to take some xanax after having to listen to the same barking twice or thrice to get the count correct.

2.  I didn't do this, and I regret it, but rather than talk to the neighbors about it (like I did), send them the anonymous letter, via the post. Don't use threats, expletives, or other nastiness. Be nice and polite. There is a chance that the owner just doesn't know how much the dog is barking (hard to believe, I know, but apparently it does happen). Try to sound like more than one neighbor is being disturbed by the barking (if you are in fact the only one like I am). Explain the depth to which this barking occurs, the times, etc., and ask if some other arrangements can be made to make the dog happy so it doesn't bark so much. Keep a copy of this letter. There is a very slim chance that this will work but if you are really, really lucky, the barking will be dealt with (one way or anyother) and you won't have to go any further.

3.  If the letter doesn't work, call the law. It's always embarrassing to have the cops show up at your house so call the Police first. I recommend requesting to remain anonymous, if possible, and I also suggest calling the local nonemergency 911 number so the operator can hear the barking in the background, and ask them to dispatch a Police officer. If you are really lucky this one visit from the law will be enough to prompt your neighbor into quieting the dog, one way or another, or getting rid of it.

4.  If this first visit from the police has no impact, call the local animal control and ask them to make a visit. Continue to remain anonymous as long as possible, but you will, at this point, want to start having conversations with the law enforcment officers to make sure they are following the correct legal procedures (e.g., issuing citations, etc.). Have your copies of the ordinances/codes handy to refer to if necessary. When dealing with the law, always remain polite and courteous, even if you feel murderous. Don't use expletives, don't badmouth the neighbors or the dog...just state the barking facts...and you might even wish to express a bit of concern for the dog's neglect (even if you don't give a shit), because lot of people take animal neglect more seriously than they do the health and well being of the human who is being traumatized by the dog's barking, and barking is a sign of some sort of neglect.

If, by chance, your sly neighbor runs out to shut the dog up as soon as the Officers drive up and they don't hear the barking (this happened to me twice, and they have to hear the barking to be able to do anything about it), you'll have to call again but explain what happened and ask if they can park down the street and arrive on foot. In my case, I suggested to the Animal Control Officers that they park in the church parking lot that borders the back half of our backyard, and walked through our yard to our back door. They kindly did, and on their way through the yard they heard every shrill yip, piercing yap and mind splitting bark.

Unfortunately, at this time, even though my neighboring psycho barking nuisance has been heard, loud and clear, by both the police and 2 animal control officers, I'm still living in barking hell.

If nothing is done to your satisfaction you will either have to move or just go insane or...whatever... In some cases being very diligent has paid off. You can also begin work on changing the noise and animal laws. For this, since I have not gone this far yet, I recommend consulting the experts in the Barking Dogs Yahoo Group and BarkingDogs.net which is the most informative web site on the planet about barking dogs.
Good luck, and I hope you can get some peace and quiet before you become as batty as I have.

Plan of Action

The following is a post written today by Dave Black, on the Barking Dogs Yahoo Group under the original post entitled "Things That Work and Don't Work." Under this original posting there is a continuing debate over what works and doesn't work to shut the damn dog(s) up (duh), and whether one should begin by approaching the dog's human or not.

Dave says,

"Hello, My personal experience on this (approaching the neighbors):
I basically have 3 close neighbors with dogs that bark, some more than others.
   #1. We had an OK relationship for years until the dogs took over. I spoke with them nicely and thought everything was OK. I continued to speak to them for 6 months, then I started calling the cops. Cops do nothing except get in the way. I continue to call the neighbor up and also call the cops. Much better now= little barking to none+ I don't talk to neighbor #1. I didn't like them anyway.
   #2.  A lady owns a B&B(business). She got two used (rescued dogs), ankle bitters, that use to run loose and bark at everything. Called the cops at first and that was a waste of time. Started calling her at all times. That didn't work either. Had to threaten her with a suit. Sent her Junk mail on anti barking stuff. That didn't work. Got the good neighbors in the area to complain. That didn't work. Sent her flowers for Valentines day. That helped, but thats all. Today it's much better, occasional 1 to 2 minutes. Don't know what worked here. Waiting for the dogs to get lost or run over.
   #3 Neighbor. He recently got a used dog. (rescuded). His dog is really bad. Out of control.I can here it bark in the house. He never leaves it out. He wan't to train it. He is always with it. I immediately spoke to him and explained my problem. So far it has been good. I haven't called the cops on him yet.
Closure: I call the cops on anything that I think is wrong. I call the people and talk with them if I think that they are wrong. I am the neighborhood watch. So far no one has called the cops on me, maybe because I am right. My theory is: If they bother you then you must bother them, but worse."

Right on, Dave!

(Oh crap. Now I got this highlighter on and can't turn it off)

Hmmm...I really like Dave's philosophy. I am very weary from not only being forced to listen to the barking but from resenting my neighbors for forcing it upon me, and I feel myself losing steam...feeling hopeless...on the verge of giving up...I'm becoming resigned to the fact that I'll just go batty and/or die from a stress related disease... but! this has given me a boost and I'm going to follow in Dave's footsteps. Harley's humans better watch out.

Inhumane Is as Inhumane Does...

I wrote to the Metrolina Dog Reporter in Indian Trail, thinking she might have some suggestion. Here's what she said (my comments are in pink, if you couldn't guess...),

Dear Ms. X (No, not telling you my name),

"Assuming you have tried to make friends with the dog next door, Yes, and I used to be friends with my neighbors, too. it sounds like you have been extremely patient with a dog that has not been properly socialized. Really. It could also be that the dog senses your feelings of frustration and is misinterpreting that as a threat. Yeah, that's why he starts jumping around and wagging his tail when I approach the fence. The dog can't tell me, his neighbor who used to give him treats, play with him, and pet his head over the fence, from an intruder, so I doubt he can distinguish much else. He treats me the same way he did before I became hostile.


"Your e-mail does not mention anything about calling the police or the sheriff's department to help you handle this situation only animal control. Yes, I've called the police and they sent out the animal control guy. In Union County, Animal Control is, as you may know, under the jurisdiction of the Sheriff's Dept. so if I call Eddy guess who they will send out. So whether I call the police, the sheriff's dept., or animal control the only person I'll see is an animal control officer, and probably the same one that always shows up. And when the animal control guy came out a few weeks ago, all the neighbors came out into the yard so the dog wasn't barking. There are nuisance ordinances that cover barking dogs. A visit from a city policeman or deputy sheriff is sometimes necessary when it comes to such inconsiderate neighbors as you describe. Yes, we do have animal control (nuisance) ordinances, which date back to the days when animal control was under the jurisdiction of the health dept. (until 5-6 years ago), but it does no go to have the ordinances if they aren't enforced, which they aren't around here, at least not in my experience. And by they way, they do kill animals in a gas chamber in Union County, so this will be the likely outcome for any animals confiscated by animal control. Isn't Indian Trail in Union County? Last time I checked, it was.

"Keeping a small squirt bottle filled with water handy will be easier than dragging around a garden hose or you may want to try buying a small can of Direct Stop at Petsmart. Direct Stop is a cintronella spray that dogs find very offensive but it will not harm their eyes. And people have insinuated that I'm mean for using the ultrasonic device. Somehow I find it hard to believe that citronella is kinder. It makes my eyes and skin burn when I use it on just my skin as an insect repellant. So try squirting the dog in the face and telling it "NO" with either water or Direct Stop whenever it barks at you and this may help curb the its behavior. Right. Well, she does have a somewhat simple grasp on the classical conditioning concept, or she's just putting it in simple terms because she thinks I'm an idiot. Anyway, I did this thing with the squirt bottle, way back, and the dog just laughed at the squirt, then went on his merry barking way... "hahaha...rahrahrahrahrahrah..." 


"I did this with my own dogs when they kept barking at my neighbor's new cat. I also squirted the cat because it was coming right up to our fence and taunting my dogs. Yeah, my neighbor's tried to blame my cat, too. Not sure what the excuse was when the cat wasn't around. My cat used to "hunt" in the shrubs near the fence, but he can't stand the barking either so he doesn't go over there any more. But the dog still barks...whether the cat is outside or not. My two dogs and the neighbor's cat eventually learned to change their behavior because they did not like getting squirted in the face with water every day. Refer to the above. Hence the more effective hose which got his attention after 3-4 uses. I understand that training the neighbor's dog is not your responsibility but a month of your time conditioning the dog to stop its obnoxious behavior is better than putting up with four more years of aggravation. A month of my time??? I have been working on trying to "condition" this dog not to bark at least at me since they got it as a puppy, and then I realized one day that when the neighbors are in the yard and the dog starts barking they give him treats and attention to distract him, which, as anyone with any insight into classical conditioning knows, is just reinforcing the undesired behavior and therefore counterproductive to anything I do. I was willing to pay for dog training, but the 3 trainers I consulted with told me the same thing - waste of money...training won't work if the owners don't participate and reinforce the training (duh). Let's see, I've been outside at least 8 times today to quiet the dog. Actually, I just came in and he's out there barking again. I actually set off my car alarm once hoping to attract his people's attention because I was tired of getting up to shut their dog up. I thought perhaps I could "condition" the humans to get up and tend to the barking when they hear "Pavlov's bell ringing"...but I supposed if I let it (the car alarm) go on too long they'll call the cops and the cops will rush right out to put an end to the noise nuisance...even though it hasn't been going on anywhere near 4 years. Go figure. (At this point, you probably want to squirt your neighbors in the face, too, but I do NOT recommend it). Really. I said I was going crazy, not stupid.


Good Luck!
Deborah Parkhill Mullis

Gee. Thanks Deborah...so much for the Metrolina Dog Reporter. I think Deborah needs to go back to school...or maybe she has never lived next to a barking dog and thus does not realize the damage it can do to one's life both emotionally and physically.  


Well, then...anyone else want to insult my intelligence?


P.S. I was making some progress with the ultrasonic handheld device along with rewards when the dog sat quietly watching me while I was in the yard. But I've also had to run outside early in the morning in my pajamas to make the dog stop barking, sometimes 3-4 times before he stops, and no sign of his people (yes, they are home), and the dog wakes me up barking in the middle of the night so I've had to move my bedroom, first across the hall upstairs, and now I'm sleeping in the living room, the room farthest away...but he still wakes me up.


I've had a couple "dog people" scoff because I'm using the ultrasonic device. I guess they think it's inhumane... however I find it to be very inhumane and abusive to drive a human crazy and to disrupt one's whole life by allowing this barking to continue. and no one seems to care about the people, just the dog...except for other people who have been driven mad by barking dogs and insensitive, rude neighbors.