The barking is driving my neighbour nuts!

Inappropriate or excessive dog barking and howling is one of the most complained about things, not just by neighbours but by the dog owners themselves, especially if they have babies or work shifts. Noise nuisance impacts the amenity of the neighbourhood and has the ability to completely destroy neighbourly relations.

The fact of the matter is, dogs bark. It’s one of the ways they communicate. And many of us want some types of barking (such as alert barking that keeps us and the neighbourhood safe) and don’t want other kinds of barking (say, at the mailman). So what do we do about it?

Firstly, if you are the neighbour complaining, please just speak to the dog owner. Honestly. Even a note in the mailbox if you’re not comfy chatting, but do identify yourself in the note and offer a contact method. Most of us are empathetic and are not going to go all denial on you. The owner may not be aware there is even a problem, and they can’t fix what they don’t know. Then, please be empathetic yourself. Trust me, I know, once you hear a noise nuisance once you’re hypersensitive to it, and one little yap might send you screaming over the edge! But stop, breathe, and give the owner time to work on the issue now that you’ve brought it to their attention. Even think about what you might be able to do to help, such as keeping a diary (a pattern may emerge) or even offering to walk the dog.

Now as the owner, it is important to address these concerns. Have that empathy and consider how you would feel subject to noise nuisance (such as 6am whipper-snipper guy). Bear in mind too, if it does get to Council complaint level, your dog could get a Nuisance Order… But DON’T PANIC. There are ways to work through it.

1. Determine the reason for the barking. Alert barking, attention seeking, defensive barking, and boredom are some of the reasons dogs bark. Ask why?

2. Respond to the reason. Boredom barking may be reduced by providing more enrichment. Sometimes it’s a learned response – mailman approaches, dog barks, mailman leaves, dog learns barking at mailman gets him to go away – and may need more creative thinking to break the habit or even counter-conditioning if it is fear-based (mailman is scary). There are some tools available, such as citronella bark collars, that can be successful used in conjunction with a good plan of action. Remember a tool won’t address the underlying reason for barking and should be used with caution.

3. Work with your neighbour and in your neighbourhood. Overall your dog could be an asset to the safety of your street and you want to leverage off that.

Call me, I can help.

So can the Community Justice Centre if it has already gotten to that. They can provide professional mediation services for neighbourhood disputes.

Please though, don’t use dogs as pawns in neighbourhood disputes. Don’t let it escalate. Empathise – we’re all humans trying to live in our neighbourhoods, with our dogs, in peace.