Dogs barking when left alone

RE: Dogs barking when left alone

hobbits — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 12:32:42 GMT

I would set up a video system every time you go out. This will let you know if there really is an issue or not, and will help you fix it. It will also give you evidence of a non issue if it comes to it.

RE: Dogs barking when left alone

Rachel Woodcock — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 02:34:09 GMT

Let us know how you get on x

RE: Dogs barking when left alone

Julie-Anne Wilson — Sat, 25 Jul 2015 23:12:15 GMT

That would have been my first thing to try but one of my dogs has an oesophageal dysmotility and has to be fed from a height. Also, I don't know how they'd both react with free food on the go - there may be fights.

We basically only go out twice a week at most and even then not for a long time so I'm going to try the background noise idea and see how I get on with that. Hopefully it works.

RE: Dogs barking when left alone

Alison Hague — Sat, 25 Jul 2015 18:26:28 GMT

So sorry - what a nightmare situation - I know from past experience what difficult neighbours are like. Have you tried introducing your dogs to the idea of part or all of their meals in stuffed, chilled kongs or similar stuffable chew toys - can teach them to play hide & seek with them and once they get the idea you can hide them around before you go out so they occupy themselves 'hunting' then settle down for a meal - maybe worth a try?

RE: Dogs barking when left alone

Julie-Anne Wilson — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 00:51:20 GMT

[quote user="Sal the 1st"]

thing is people don't very often communicate like they used to. There are so many people who have lived for years next to the same neighbour and have never even said hello and others who don't even know who their neighbour is. Some people find it difficult to speak to somebody they don't know and even more difficult if their reason for conversation is a complaint - so they sit on it until the reason for their complaint eats them up enough for them to do something about it - and that in some cases that will involve notifying an outside agency to deal with their complaint for them because they don't feel confident to deal with it themselves.

Can't speak for the SSPCA as I have no experience of them but if they operate the same as the RSPCA then your neighbours complaint may have taken quite some time before it was investigated - so although you have only known about the problem a couple of weeks your neighbours may have been putting up with it for some time, and what seems like a sudden escalation to you may have started as a simmer which has built up to a boil. If you want to try and get back on the right side of your neighbours then you can't afford to try solutions that may or may not work over time because your neighbours now are looking for instant solutions. Whereas earlier they may have been tolerant of a little bit of noise I will bet you that now even a couple of barks will wind them up.

How long have you lived there and how long have these people been neighbours- ie have they recently moved in?

[/quote]

I get that they've been putting up with it for a while but it was the way she approached me (or didn't as she just hung out her kitchen window) that really got my back up. Even an anonymous note through my door would've let me know there was a problem there in the first place.

I've lived there for 8 years and this couple moved in last year some time, I also only got my second dog last year. I'm going to try the radio thing for my next short time out when I got shopping. Although last time I videoed them when I went out for a short while there was no barking so I don't know what kicked it off the other night. I thought letting my boy out of the cage had stopped it, to be honest.

RE: Dogs barking when left alone

Sal the 1st — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 07:51:09 GMT

How long have you lived there and how long have these people been neighbours- ie have they recently moved in?

RE: Dogs barking when left alone

Julie-Anne Wilson — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 03:47:59 GMT

My husband works from home and we both work nights so they're only left alone maybe twice a week while we go shopping and possibly if we go out for a meal or to the cinema.

To be fair, yes it is at the shouty stage but there was no notes or conversations letting me know they were barking in the first place. I'm out the house so I didn't know it was happening. So as much as it's at shouty stage, it seems to have gone there quickly from my POV because I only discovered they were barking a couple weeks ago. She was straight on the offensive which put me straight into defensive mode.

I was going to try the radio/tv thing next time we leave. They're really not left alone all that often and never for long periods of time so I wouldn't get someone in.

The problem with using adaptil is that I don't know if it's separation anxiety or something else, I really don't know the cause which does make fixing it difficult.

RE: Dogs barking when left alone

Alison Clare Hickman — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 10:31:15 GMT

Discuss with boss temporarily taking them into work with you to alleviate immediate issue, while investigating permanent 'off-site' or 'calming' solution? As Sal says, if your very unfortunate problem has already escalated to shouty neighbour level you need a quick fix now!

Any friends you can ask to go round to let them out or dog sit? Dog walker. Go home yourself at lunch... etc etc.

Chocolates and a bunch of flowers from the dogs to your neighbours for being noisy and with an apology that their human (you) is trying to sort them out?!

Ali h

RE: Dogs barking when left alone

Sal the 1st — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 09:22:49 GMT

doggy day care so they aren't in the house to make a noise when you aren't there? If the neighbours are already at the stage of shouting comments and reporting you I am guessing they are getting pretty close to melting point. Must admit having lived in a flat one time where the flat above me had laminate floors and 2 staffies that barked non stop I can see where this is heading if you cannot find a quick solution, and to me the quickest solution is to get them out of the house when you aren't there.

RE: Dogs barking when left alone

Rachel Woodcock — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 05:55:23 GMT

have you tried leaving the TV or radio on? Or things like adaptil or other natural treatments like calm aid? How about having a dog walker come round in the middle of the day to take them out and burn off some energy in the hope that they might settle.

i had this issue with my dogs when I lived in rented accommodation and as such I was deemed to be in breach of my tenancy and it was not renewed at the end of the agreement.

Hope this helps