Fence-line Fighting/barking

[shekhina]

My backyard backs onto 3 other yards, 2 of those yards have dogs. One lot of dogs are quiet andwell behaved and don't stir up my boys, the other lot of dogs are a downright nightmare. The guy who lives with those dogs recently added another one, a blue heeler, that's 5 dogs in a small unit yard (I also live in a unit, but my yard is bigger than most suburban yards). The blue heeler is driving my dogs crazy, and my dogs are driving me crazy

The heeler jumps up and down at the fence and barks at my two until, usually Kovu, gives in, cracks the shits and goes after it...and then there is much barking with 7 dogs from 2 yards going off. This happens pretty much all day. I go out there, tell my two to be quiet and they will...but then the other dogs will keep going and going and going until Kovu gets shitty again.

I am getting incredibly frustrated with this guy's dogs, it's the same dogs that come into my yard all the time

Please can anyone help with ideas on how to at least have my dogs stop barking at the nutters over the fence before I lose my mind? I can't block that area off and I can't spray my guys with water or anything like that because the fenceline is just too far away from the house.

Edited May 16, 2006 by shekhina

[peibe]

Could you spray the neighbours dog with water from a hose? Seeing as he is insigating the drama, wait until the heeler starts and spray him

I know the council are no help to you either

Wish you luck

[shekhina]

Well, that could prove to be rather theraputic for me, standing at the fence with the hose getting my revenge on the little monster Except I highly doubt the hose will reach that far, and I don't think a spray bottle is gonna deter this guy. He's only been here about a week and he's gotta be going nuts in a tiny yard with 4 other yappers

[Guest magnum]

I'm sure the local council will sort this out with 7 dogs barking all day, maybe you should let the council know before your two dogs are also in trouble for the barking.

[Sardog]

Have a bucket of water down next to the fence plus a stand for you to climb on and when they start barking quietly go down the back and let them have it.

BEEN THERE....DONE THAT.....It worked with 2 pitbulls we had next to us meany years ago!

It's a very frustrating problem - good luck!

[mita]

Are you able to block the dogs' vision of each other thro' the fence? A cheap & easy way to do it is to get some of that thick plastic which is used as weedmat under landscaped areas. Line your side of the fence with it.

Then sprinkle the area next to your fence with pet repellent granules used to keep dogs off gardens....

[sidoney]

Putting up a barrier between the fence and your dogs, set out from the fence a bit (distance may depend on what is effective), may also help - prevents them barking directly AT each other through the fence.

[shekhina]

Hmm, I did post in here earlier but it seems to have wandered off...

I can't block that area of the yard, I can however attach more wiring from my electric wire around the top of the fence to the bottom of that section so it will at least keep my two that little bit further away and wary of the area.

If that doesn't work I'm going to start getting pissed off. Ever since I moved here that guy's dogs have caused SO much trouble and I'm always the one trying to fix it

[jaybeece]

What's the council limit on dogs? Seems like you neighbour has an awful lot of them, especially for such a small yard.

My council has a 3 dog limit (or maybe even 2) and after that you need a permit. I believe part of that is proving the yard size is ok for the number of dogs and that you are able to care for them adequately.

Might be worth a call to the council, I've never heard of any that allow 5 dogs without special permission.

[shekhina]

The limit in my area is two dogs with no kennel licenses given out to anyone who isn't a registered breeder, so he would need to get rid of three dogs. The council already know I think, I called them to see whether anything could be done about the fencing because his dogs keep escaping and coming into my yard or wandering around the streets.

The dog ranger saw how many dogs were in the yard but they're all still there. I don't want the guy getting into trouble for anything, or having to get rid of dogs, I just want my guys to be safe in their own yard and a little less barking from over the fence would be rather nice too.

[Scarlet]

I second using the hose-buy another and extend it to reach. I've used that before and it works, plus it doesen't hurt the dog.

[jaybeece]

The limit in my area is two dogs with no kennel licenses given out to anyone who isn't a registered breeder, so he would need to get rid of three dogs. The council already know I think, I called them to see whether anything could be done about the fencing because his dogs keep escaping and coming into my yard or wandering around the streets.

The dog ranger saw how many dogs were in the yard but they're all still there. I don't want the guy getting into trouble for anything, or having to get rid of dogs, I just want my guys to be safe in their own yard and a little less barking from over the fence would be rather nice too.

5 dogs in a yard that small is downright cruel. He's got a working dog cooped up in there going out of it's mind and not even keeping them all contained properly. There is absolutely no excuse for this kind of neglect and it sounds like he's simply an impulsive animal hoarder. I doubt they'd be getting adequate vet care or enough attention/exercise.

He's neglecting them, over the council limit and not even willing to do anything about it by the sounds of it. Have you said something to his face? Is he aware of this problem at all?

I'd keep pushing the council to take action- surely they're not all registered? Maybe if you catch one wandering it'd be a good idea to turn it into the pound. If it's not registered he'll get slapped with a fine for that as well as the dog being loose. He'll either not claim each dog as it gets turned in or be forced to at least stop them from getting out.

[Lablover]

Where are your dogs through the day? If loose do other neighbours complain of excessive barking, which you are not at home.

What am I missing here? I would not allow my dogs to bark at the fence, if I was in attendance.

[TigerJack]

Block their vision. I did this at my place and it worked. I hung weedmatting ($1.80 a metre) over chicken wire and threaded it along the paling fence, behind the posts so it can't be pulled down. Its still there a year later and they don't bark at movement on that side of the fence anymore.

Alternatively, Innotek sell a nifty gadget that sprays water when anythng moves within range. Set one up, aimed at the fence. You'd need that extension hose I guess. It would stop your dogs going near the fence and the ones on the other side would get the message soon too, whether you are there or not.

[shekhina]

The dogs cannot see through the fence, so it's not a matter of blocking their view because they don't have a view to block.

And I can't see that you're missing anything Lablover...my dogs are both inside and outside during the day, inside at night. Each time my two bark at the fence I call them off and they stop. But the dogs over the other side of the fence keep barking and barking and jumping and barking some more until Kovu gets the shits with them and start barking again, so I call him off again etc etc etc.

I will definitely try the hose thing for the dogs over the otherside, it wont work for mine because if I go outside they stop and run over to me, no matter how quiet I try and be, but if it stops the neighbour's dogs from barking that will stop the problem altogether.

[Labsmum]

I find it difficult to get help from the council especially if the barking is erratic. I have a problem with a GSD next door, he is absolutely miserable but the owners cannot see it. They pen him up by the side of the house and he goes mental, barking, whining and banging the fence. I lost the plot last weekend and banged the fence myself a couple of times. They called out "is that really necessary?" I called back, "is it necessary to pen your dog up like that? Can't you tell he is miserable?" Now they are building him a new enclosure further away from my fence. The mother (Macedonian family) came over apologising and saying it is just the dog, he has always been like that (I've known him since he was a puppy, four years now). It is a case where the owner, her 40 year old son, leaves the dog with his parents and rarely walks it or gives it any quality time (he is an outdoor dog). Yet when we chatted in the past he tells me how much he loves his dog and what a champion breed he is (black sheperd). When he barks he just gets told to "shut-up". Now that I have complained he is getting even worse treatment. The poor dog and the poor mother just wants to keep peace in the family. Ultimatley it is the son's responsibility. People tend to take the line of least resistance. I've tried everything, even playing music through head-phones not to hear his barking (doesn't work ).

Sorry for hijacking your thread Shekhina. In your situation do they have council approval to have 5 dogs? Maybe it can be sorted out that way?

Edited May 21, 2006 by Labsmum

[shekhina]

No, he don't have approval, you cannot get approval in my area unless you are a registered breeder. The council know about his dogs, but they don't seem to be doing anything about it.