nieghbour and barking (the dog, not her)

HI

Haven’t been on here for AGES but really need some expert help from you guys.
We have two dogs, tess is a crossbreed aged 5, Shearer is a border collie aged 10 months.
We both work during the day, leaving the house 8.30ish, returning 3ish. Both dogs are walked a good walk in the morning and the evening. They are fed 8am and 4pm. Tess is given the run of downstairs, shearer is behind a baby gate in the kitchen as he’s a chewer now and again!
In October we had a complaint about them barking, we contacted the council and told them we’d recorded the dogs and they barked when pstman comes, window cleaner or anyone approaches the house in general. So we never heard anything again and all was well.
Last night I received a letter off neighbour who we don’t get on with, saying they bark at nothing continuously for hours and she cant sleep (works nights). Which is strange as the other side says she only hears them now and again. But I’m all worked up and at a loss what to do.
We’ve considered a dog flap as we have a large garden. Please help if you can!

Many thanks

Firstly can I just ask, could you not possibly get someone to come in at lunchtimes to let them out. Asking a 10 months old puppy to hold himself all day is a little unfair. If he chewing in the house, then I would suggest give him a toy to chew on, or a filled kong went down great with my two when they were pups and now.
I had the same problem, neighbours one side said my collies were barking, neighbours the other side said only when someone (postman etc,) came up the path.
I found out by tricking the neighbours that they were obviously lying.
As your neighbour works nights, they maybe struggling to sleep in the day and five minutes of barking from your dogs is annoying them. It's not really your problem though, dogs are expected at some point during the day will bark for short intervals and this is acceptable according to the councils. Just because people work nights, some expect the same rights as those that work in the day and it doesn't apply. I used to work on the airlines so would be home sleeping at any time during the day or night. A good set of ear plugs did the trick. I didn't expect next doors dog to stop barking now and then, or the kids to be quiet coming home from school. You just don't have that right or expectation.
If you can keep the dogs to the back of the house or as far from the neighbours bedroom as poss (hope this makes sense)
Having a dog flap might worsen the situation perhaps as they're are more noises and distractions in the garden, if you believe the dogs are only barking at passing public etc. Personally I'm not mad on them anyhow. Dog theft is on the increase, collies are a popular choice. Depends on where you live though and how secure is your back garden is.
Don't let this get you in a flap, your dogs are not doing anything wrong. You don't want to fall out with the neighbours, I realise that. Perhaps leaving a radio on with the dogs so that they don't hear outside goings on as much.
Otherwise from the Councils point of view, your dogs barking levels are acceptable.

sounds like the case of the 'a****hole' neighbour to me

in all seriousness i had the same prob,there was a 'lady' 2doors up that did this,but my nxt door neighbour never heard my dog
as i live in an housing association house it got pretty nasty with the council
keep recording them,say the date on each tape,b4 u know she mite b trying to make them bark
this will just ad to the proof that there not barking.
if your other neighbour doesnt hear them then she must be making it up
if she was that bothered she would of come round to talk to u,
she has to expect a certain level of noise through the day

How much exercise do the dogs get before you leave them and when you come home? Do you do some stimulating activities to help tire them before you go out?

How about leaving a stuffed kong or raw knucklebone each to chew on?

I wouldn't advise a dogflap, as I think it is more likely they will bark in the garden than in the house.

As Megan57 has said, is it possible to come home at lunchtime and give them a break, or get someone to do it for you?

There are several threads that already discuss this i will try and find them for you.

found one that might give you some help.

http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=53738

Hi guys

Thanks for your replies. Been crying at my desk this morning, so worked up. Shearer has a kong but gets the biscuits out of it in about 3 mins flat. He can be a swine, he even pulls my carpet tiles up!!
Tess is quite “vocal” in her barking, doesn’t like strangers really so when she barks, shearer barks and as collie owners know – boy can they BARK!
We’ve no family round us to let them out in the day, I don’t drive and takes me 20 mins walk to work so couldn’t really manage it in my dinner hour. Suppose could ask my neighbour (other side) if she could let them out, but she works two days a week.
That’s why I thought dog flap be good so they could pop in garden as and when they please, but maybe not then,
Just don’t know what to do next. Bleedin tape only lasts an hour so doesn’t give me the best of ideas.

Sorry this is getting you down so much

Try putting something in the kong that is more difficult to get out. Here are some ideas.

http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/kongrecipe.php


I have two collies (and a GSD) and even though they would bark when outdoors if postie, binmen etc came, they are quiet indoors. I think it could possibly help if you left the dogs together, rather than separating them - but that is difficult if Shearer is likely to chew your things.

How much exercise do they get before you leave the house?

What stimulating activities do you do with your dogs?

Answers to these questions may provide an answer

well to be honest Moobli, they go out about 30mins at 6.30am and then a good hour at night, at weekend they get walked to death. Could you give me some advice re this and re some stimulating activites

i really understand how you are feeling (and i can understand where you neighbour is coming from,although it seems she may be over reacting alot here)i work nights and my dogs used to bark when i would get in,like megan57collies said 5 mins of barking when you have finished a 10 hour night shift is very annoying and seems like 5 hours of barking!!!
what we did was change the morning rutine,i used to give the pups a walk around the estate when i got back for a quick toilet break then they would get a run over the field about 12,but what we do know is feed them when i get back in the morning then take them for a good long run,then they go round the estate at dinner time then another good run in the afternoon.
since we have been doing this they ahve been brilliant,with the odd barking when the post man comes if the front curtains arnt closed.
do they get a decent run before you go out to work?

Superb Link Moobli. It`s handy to have lots of ideas for those kongs.