Barking - Help Please!

[kermat]

I've just had a call from our Strata company to inform me that one of our neighbours has complained that our 9 month old beagle Judd has been barking during the day.

She emphasised that they weren't nasty about it, they just wanted it bought to our attention. They said its only during the day when we're not home, and that they realised the dog was only young. We recently adopted Max, another beagle, who is 2, so that Judd would have a friend during the day. But what I think must be happening is that when Max has a bone or a toy, even though Judd has his own bones and toys, he wants whatever Max has got, and will just sit and bark at Max nonstop.

She said that they don't want us to get rid of him or anything - but I am afraid that it could head that way if we can't get him to stop. I really do think he will grow out of it, as I said he's only 9 months and Max is 2 years and doesn't make any noise at all!! But I think we should be seen to be doing something........... The only things I can think of are locking him in the laundry, which would mean either locking Max in the laundry as well or just Judd and leaving Max outside, which is cruel to both of them either way, or getting Judd one of those citronella anti-bark collars, but I don't really want to do that either.........

If anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated as I'm really upset and worried about this, I don't want to annoy our neighbours but I'm not sure what we can do!!

[Newbie]

Could try dropping treats all round the place, might keep him busy sniffing them out.

[The Spotted Devil]

Sorry you're having these problems...a few things I can think of...

* consider videoing what is going on in your absence so you really know how to approach this

* letter drop to all your neighbours, apologise for the disturbance and assure them you are working on a solution

* make sure your younger dog has a good 2 hours of activity before you go to work - sometimes it hurts when you have to get up early but I take my puppy down the beach for a 20 minute free run (better than a walk) at 6am then he comes home, has a rest or plays quietly with his toys while I get ready to leave the house. Then he gets his breakfast.

* have a variety of toys (kongs stuffed with food are great, freeze them using stock or soak biscuits in water to make it more difficult) and rotate them regularly.

* make sure you are doing some form of training - whether it's with an obedience club or just short bursts around the house when you are home - Beagles generally are very food motivated so you can use that to your advantage. My lad is toy motivated (esp. squeaky ones) so we play hide and seek with toys or he has to sit/drop/stand to play with his toy.

* I'm not away for more than a few hours a day (generally) and my lad happily sleeps in his (open) crate in the laundry while I am out. Generally he is so tired with all the brain work (can't over exercise at this tender age in a larger breed) he's delighted to go to bed with his puppy kong full of biscuits out of his ration.

* you could consider a dog walker to visit them in the middle of the day

That's it for now - I'm sure others will have some ideas for you too. Good luck!

[♥Bruno♥]

Could you seperate them during the day?

[Poodle wrangler]

My dogs will sometimes bark when playing, too.

Spotted Devil had lots of great ideas and I really like the idea of videoing and keeping neighbours informed- 'nip in the bud' any problems.

I have a neighbour that must have complained about every dog in a 500m radius of their house- they have no tolerance for barking whatsoever. They also both work full-time . Another neighbour blamed my dog for barking- hers never barked when they were home- and she just wouldn't believe her dog could be at fault (I reckon he was exhausted from barking all of the time they were out ). Some videoing can help you see exactly what they're up to .

[Jean26]

I suppose one psoitive is that you have understanding neighbours that were nice to you! I agree with the letter dropping, it'll let them know that you are working on the solution so hopefully they'll be more patient.

Have you tried Kongs?

Oh, my pup loves old milk bottles with the lid and ring taken off. I put kibble in them and he shakes it, chewes it and eats the kibble out of it. I leave a few lying around.

I also try (very hard with this cold perth weather) to get up a bit earlier and get him out in the backyard for a good play. Gets rid ot the excess energy.

Hope things go well for you!!

[Dogsfevr]

I think seperating will be worse.

I agree do a dummy run.Go out & then wait to hear the noise if possible vidoe or watch.

I agree talk to your neighbours & apologise & ask them to call you if there is any problems.

I agree start training,ensure there walked prior too .Also look at what toys are being left & whats creating the noise.

Do you mean meaty bones??If so i wouldnt leave bones unsupervised for starters,pick objects that arent possessions but fun

[oakway]

The answer is so simple. Take the pup to the vet and him de barked. Problem solved.

No more problems. Cost about $100 .

[Poodle wrangler]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but debarking is only a last resort i.e. if the dog would be PTS if not for the operation. Most vets won't do it, otherwise.

It's definitely NOT the first thing to try. The dog will still have a soft, raspy sort-of "bark".

[poochie]

Oakway, That seems so drastic

Has your dog/dogs ever had to be debarked?

Poodlewrangler; So they can still make some sort of noise? :p

do you know how or why they (vets) would do this procedure?

I would/could never do it myself. dont have a reason too. Thank goodness

Was just interested.

Cheers.

Cant spell, had to edit.

Edited June 19, 2007 by poochie

[poodlefan]

Been here.. done that. :p

Step 1 - how much exercise and stimulation is Judd getting. Whatever it is, increase it.

Step 2 - consider the use of an aversive collar (I use the Jet Care cold spray ones on my boys) They worked well on my dogs.

Step 3 - add some "white noise" to the at home environment - try leaving a radio on.. it seems to help.

Step 4 - try for some mind occupying toys like stuffed kongs or a treat ball to keep him busy.

Step 5- thank your lucky stars you have nice neighbours.

If none of this worked (and to find out ask your strata management for feedback) then, and only then would I consider debarking a dog. I'd be doing a fair bit of homework on the process and asking around for the best vet for the job too - results vary widely.

[oakway]

Yes, any dog that is barking for the love it is de barked here. It is legal in Qld.

I have had quite a few done. Look, the problem with a barker can be horrific.

The things I have been through to deter barkers is unbelievable. The dog is stressed I am stressed. Now day's straight to the vet. Yes, they may have a slight husky throat but it's usually only you that can hear them.

It's such a simple op, takes about three minutes. Straight down the throat and they cauterise the vocal cords.

[Rain]

I once spoke to a wheaten breeder and she has her dogs debarked, i dont see anything wrong with it. Her dogs her choice.

[kermat]

Thanks for all the advice so far everyone, it is much appreciated.

So far we have done a letterbox drop to all our neighbours, apologising for any nuisance and letting them know we are doing our best to address the problem. We also encouraged them to give us feedback on whether or not the situation was improving, either by approaching us personally (we're not scary!!) or leaving a note in our letterbox.

My OH has started getting up earlier every morning and taking the boys for a walk before work, so hopefully that might make some difference. I've printed off several different Kong recipes and have been trying them - although the problem seems to be that Judd always wants whatever Max has got, even though he's got the same thing, and he'll just keep barking until he gets it!! Or if he wants to play and Max has had enough, he will bark at Max "play with me play with me!!!".

I like the idea of leaving a radio on so I might try that, and as a last resort we thought about one of those collars - a friend has a citronella spray collar that she is not using (because it didn't work for her dog!) so she has said we could borrow that to try, if necessary. I really don't want to have to resort to one of those electric shock collars, or debarking. I do hope Judd will get better with age, and that this is just playful (adolescent) puppy behaviour. Max only barks very rarely (he is 2 years old) so we're hoping he'll teach Judd some manners!!

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I had two young dogs and got complaints from a neighbour that they were barking when I was at work. The problem was they were playing with each other and 1 set the other off.

Luckily they were foster dogs but so bonded to each other that when I thought I'd have to separate them to rehome them quicker, it was very distressing to me. A few days after the complaint I found the perfect home for them where noise when playing was not an issue.

You can rent some collars through a website advertised on DOL, I think they blow air or something when the dog barks. Might be worth a try.

I hope you can find a solution to this, good luck.

[Kavik]

My parents adopted a Beagle that barked non-stop when they were not there (and at night!).

Some great ideas here - Kongs and toys, exercise, radio.

Re barking collars - the citronella collars don't work on every dog (they didn't work on the Beagle my parents had - he just barked until it was empty). Also, if the dog does find the citronella aversive, the smell hangs around long after they have stopped barking, so they may feel they are still being corrected.

I have an electronic no-bark collar, which gets occasional use. I have found it to be very handy, the collar I have has levels, and it always starts at the lowest level. The correction is only for a short amount of time and does not hang around afterwards. This is the only collar which worked to keep the Beagle my parents had quiet - they had multiple complaints from neighbours before they would consider it.

I have seen dogs which have been debarked - they range from silent to still quite loud, most sound like they have a hacking smokers cough when they bark. I'm pretty sure in NSW it is illegal unless you have proof that it is the last resort before PTS (that you have had complaints and have tried other methods which haven't worked).

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

The answer is so simple. Take the pup to the vet and him de barked. Problem solved.

No more problems. Cost about $100 .

You're joking, right?

De-barking isn't a first-step approach but the absolute last resort shy of euthanasia.

If you are wanting to offer meaningful and helpful suggestions, perhaps try again?

I'd suggest to the OP: using a DAP diffuser (this helps to calm the anxious dog); use of interactive toys such as kongs, buster cubes, egg toys etc; confining the dog to a smaller area; leaving the TV or music on for 'company'; obedience work before you leave combined with a walk; minimising the 'hello's and goodbyes' and giving the dog as few leaving cues as possible; employing a routine for when you are home; videoing the dogs when you're not there to see what's really happening; and doing some alone training so the dogs learns that it's OK to be alone.

It's good that your neighbours seem OK with this but beware as this can change rapidly in some cases. Let them know you're trying to resolve it and that should help. :D

[kermat]

I've been looking into the DAP diffuser, but I'm not sure where would be the best place to plug it in. The boys are outside during the day, but they can get in and out of the laundry through their doggie door. Not sure if the diffuser would really work as well if it was plugged in outside, but would it even have an effect if I plugged it in in the laundry, and the boys are running around playing (and barking) outside??

[archie]

depending on how many hours you are away, maybe leave them in the house.

My sister leaves her dogs inside when at work, they are well exercised before

she leaves for work and all seem happy with this routine.

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

I've been looking into the DAP diffuser, but I'm not sure where would be the best place to plug it in. The boys are outside during the day, but they can get in and out of the laundry through their doggie door. Not sure if the diffuser would really work as well if it was plugged in outside, but would it even have an effect if I plugged it in in the laundry, and the boys are running around playing (and barking) outside??

In that case, a DAP diffuser won't help. It works best with indoor dogs - we have two in the house going all the time.

Can you keep the barking pup indoors?