Barking dogs

I'm sitting here now listening to a dog barking like crazy.
Its 4 houses down the road.
Two springer spaniels live there.

Every evening the barking starts around 7 pm and goes on till over 10.30 some nights,.

The dogs never go out as far as I can tell.
And when the fence blew down earlier in the year they both rampaged through my allotment and into my garden, one was actually in my pond when I noticed them.

I feel sorry for them, but not sure what to do, they seem well fed, just neglected regarding any real life.

I think they are just shut in the kitchen all evening while the morons watch TV.

They must hear the barking, but seem to be able to ignore it, some how.

 

It's tricky - if you don't feel you can talk to the neighbour and it's really a problem then you can contact environmental health. They deal with noise nuisance and might be able to solve the problem without things getting too heated

 

Dogs like Springers needs loads of exercise and mental stimulation and shouldn't be kept by anyone who can't provide that.

 

Pete I've been having similar issues with dogs for the last four years. I'm now recording everything for Environmental Health. A neighbour across the road has two terriers that become hysterical each time something or someone moves. This is all day, every day during the summer when they are outside.

Try speaking to your local RSPCA first, ours here (the Manx version of) called on the neighbour to have a word but told me there was nothing more they could do because they haven't got the same powers as the RSPCA.

 

The RSPCA won't get involved if the dogs are fed, watered and have shelter - and are not abused, obviously. The dogs sound cared for as far as the laws go and are not a danger to anyone so not really a job for the RSPCA or even the dog warden. It does really need to be Environmental Health as it comes under noise nuisance, the same as a loud stereo would

 

I'd definitely get on to the EH @pete I'll never understand how it doesn't drive the owners scatty listening to it as well...

 

I think you will also have to have more that one person to complain about the noise

 

Pete you have my sympathies. It is of course the owners not the dogs. Faced with your situation I'm not sure I would not go round and thump the owners.

Get onto environmental health and as Sheal says record everything.

We live in a world where many are so selfish and have no respect for their neighbors.

I wish you well with a good outcome mate !

 

Well, I'll not contact the persons involved.
There are two houses between me and them, one of which is actually joined to their house.

I was told by another Neighbour that the people in that house actually moved because of the dogs noise a year ago, so its been going on for a time.

Its not actually the noise that bothers me, its the well being of the dogs.

I hate to think the dogs, although well fed, get no exercise, and are shut in the kitchen most of the time, its a diabolical life for them.
They do get out in the garden, but its no life for a healthy dog.

 

.....And that can be said for a lot of dog owners. It's 'fashionable' to shut dogs in cages now and those poor dogs suffer even more. No freedom to move around all day while the owners are at work and rarely walked because those same owners are to tired to be bothered when they get home. Why do these people have pets, it seems to me they are just 'must have' accessories!

 

Yep, just hate those dog cages you can buy.
OK if the dog is sick maybe, but I'd never put a dog in a cage on a day to day basis.

 

At my old house, the dog next door always barked and whined continuously whenever they went out and left him on his own. I told my neighbour who just said she didn't know what she was supposed to do about it. So I eventually told the RSPCA - they said that I should tell the police.....well, he was the police (firearms!) so when I said that to the RSPCA they just said there was nothing they could do. I moved (not because of the dog) but still feel sorry for it.

 

Honestly people who take on dogs should dam well look after them! I'm desperate for a dog, I'd love to have one but it's totally out of the question, we work far too much to even consider taking in a dog.
We have a real problem in the next village, a woman has at least twelve huskys! They bark all the flipping time! The RSPCA have been called, environmental health & the police have all been but nothing has happened, she walks the dogs two at a time, so literally walks all day in all weathers but how can you look after twelve dogs of that size???
Good luck with it @pete

 

I've used a crate (cage) before but not with the door closed for long periods. For a lot of dogs they become a 'den' if you cover them in a blanket, ie somewhere safe they can go (eg if your dog is scared of fireworks), but with free access. One of my dogs was so nervous/scared when I got him that he hid in his crate most of the time and used it as a bolt hole whenever he needed to. For him it was invaluable because it was obviously somewhere he felt safe. The other dogs used it a lot too (and subsequent fabric ones I've had), they obviously loved their hidey hole.

Colleague of mine has a puppy who is very destructive. She locks it in a crate all day while she's at work. I did warn her before she got the puppy that it wasn't fair because her and her husband are out at work all day. She took no notice and bought the puppy and a tiny crate. She showed me a picture the other day, which she thought was funny, of the puppy inside the crate which her husband took when he got home. The crate was barely large enough for the pup to turn round in (and it's a small dog). The pup had chewed it's cushion bed up and got its head and front legs stuck in the bedding. It must have been terrified - god knows how long it was stuck like that, could have been hours. I did lend her a much larger crate a while ago, but she said it was too big to fit in her kitchen. She has bought a bigger one since I had a word with her after the photo incident and now uses the bigger crate and vet bed rather than a cushion type bedding. Still not ideal though.