DOG TALK; Love it or move!

By Officer Brandon Loomis

Why do dogs have to talk so loud? An even more perplexing question is why don’t their owners answer them? If the entire neighborhood can hear the dog’s blasts, why can’t anyone in the dog’s very own household hear them? It seems that dogs only bark when it is most annoying for the neighbors. They also choose to ‘preach dog gospel’ at the highest part of their yard like on a deck or hill. Good luck contacting the owners when all this is going on. They always seem to be out of town, out to dinner or otherwise out gallivanting around. Wherever they are, it isn’t home listening to their dog bark. This, of course, aids in the prevention of an unwilling listener from giving them ‘what for’.

What is it that makes a dog’s bark so annoying anyway? Don’t know; don’t care. My job is to listen to people explain how the neighbor’s beagle, “Bailey”, wakes up their two month old at 5:00 every morning. All the while, “Bailey” is barking so loudly, I can hear him over the phone. I must also hear how Mr. Johnson’s basset hound, “Duke”, never barks unless he sees someone. For some reason, the neighbor just doesn’t like him. Unfortunately for the complaining party, I can’t do much of anything except tell the owner their dog is bothering someone. As for the owner of the dog, they’re in luck to an extent. Not many Animal Control Officers will give someone a ticket for barking dogs. The reason for this is that an officer has to witness a violation as it occurs in order to write a ticket. There is an interesting phenomenon that happens, preventing us from actually witnessing a barking dog. It is dog’s uncanny ability to stop barking just prior to our arriving on the seen. It is one of the Animal Control Taboos. Whatever side of the proverbial fence you are on, you have a difficult time ahead of you so I’ll try to help a little.

This paragraph is for the person looking for help with their neighbor’s noisy dog. If you are not this person, please skip this paragraph.

Now that the dog owners are gone, the truth can be told. Your neighbor doesn’t like you so they bought a border collie and just left it out there. I know what you’re going through and it is wrong of them to torture you like that; but before you go out and by a BB gun or rent a wood chipper, there are some things you can do. The first thing I suggest is that you go next door and talk with your neighbor. Politely inform your neighbor that their dog -- not “STUPID DOG” or god forbid “@#$%ING DOG” -- just that their dog, is barking too loud. (Saying what you really feel is never a good idea when trying to be polite.) Doing this can have positive results. Many times an owner may simply not know their dog’s barking is a problem. You will have enlightened them, and they will then fix the problem with the utmost expediency (in a perfect world.) If that doesn’t work, the next step is to call the authorities when the dog is barking. If you call they will come. If they don’t come, keep calling and they will eventually have to come.

Persistence pays off when dealing with law enforcement. The law will drive by a few times and if they are pure at heart they will notify the owner. An officer knocking on the door at one o’clock in the morning is sobering for any dog owner. This will correct the problem forever (in a perfect world.) Now I know that the last thing anyone wants to do is file an official complaint on his or her neighbor. Or should I say- the last thing anyone wants is for their neighbor to know who filed the complaint on them. Well, there comes a time in a person’s life when they are forced to grow a spine. If all else fails, a person has the right to sign a formal complaint against the owner of a barking dog. This means gathering proof and the possibility of facing them in court. When a judge fines the owner of a dog, however, it tends to have good results. The world is not perfect so even this may not fix the problem for good. If you have tried all of these tactics to and still get no satisfaction, you may want to get quotes on that wood chipper (just kidding).

This paragraph is for the owners of dogs being complained about. If you are not this person, please skip this paragraph and enjoy the rest of the article.

Now that the whiners are gone, I can tell you that your neighbor hates you and they are just getting you back for something you did ten years ago. Maybe it’s about the fence you put up or that time you trimmed their tree because it was hanging over into your yard. Whatever it is we both know it’s not really about the dog. Or is it? I know there are fifteen dogs on your street and they all bark, but maybe your dog is really bothering your neighbor. Either way, you have the makings of a real problem. When your dog barks, and it bothers someone, they have the right to complain. If they formally complain to authorities in whichever city you happen to live, you’ll have to go to court.

When you go to court, more often than not, you will be fined. This will fuel your neighbor’s ego and they will continue to file complaints more & more until, eventually, you are forced to give up the dog. No one wants this to happen (except maybe your neighbor) so what can we do to prevent this from mushrooming? Forget the wood chipper; it will only make things worse for everyone. The best way to solve a problem with a complaining neighbor is to comply.

I don’t know how you can successfully make your dog stop barking (I would definitely tell you if I knew) but I can tell you that by law you have to figure it out. The best advice I know to give you is to put your dog inside when you are away or as soon as you hear it bark. There are products out there as well as dog trainers that will promise results. Try them; they may help; but remember that there is no dog quieter than the one inside.

Having a noisy animal is one of the most common things that will drive a wedge between neighbors. I have seen situations become so bad that otherwise good people do things they regret. There have been instances where someone has been so fed up they’ve harmed, even killed a neighbor’s dog, and some have even become physically violent with a neighbor.

There have also been occasions where people have ultimately decided to sell their house and move. Many complaints result in court appearance after court appearance and fines into the hundreds of dollars. All of this sounds ridiculous when put into context but barking dogs do truly bother some people. Whether you have a complaint or have a barking dog, it is always important to be a good neighbor. Communication and compromise works with every relationship and being a neighbor is an important relationship.