Hi
We have a mini-schnauzer, just over a year old. His name is Norman and we just love him to bits! Recently we have had some problems with our neighbours about his barking. They complained that they are fed up with his barking.
I was totally shocked and upset about this as I do not think he is a noisy dog at all! I work from home most days, for the whole day and feel I have quite a handle on the noise that he does make. We live in a semi-detached house with the neighbour's front door next to ours. He will bark when they enter and leave their house - maybe for half a minute or so. They have access past our back door to get to their garden, and similarly he'll bark when they walk by, again just a couple of barks. He barks when the post comes through the door or other people come to the door. As soon as we open the door, he stops. He is not in the least bit aggressive, and loves to see the neighbours in person (just not behind the door!).
I was wandering if people consider this to be excessive barking or perfectly normal. Do you think the neighbours have unreasonable expectations of quiet, or am I just being totally selfish? Any suggestions for getting him to quieten down would also be gratefully received! I have searched this site and already got a few, but think that the special anti-bark collars surely aren't neccessary!? Again, perhaps I'm just blind to his faults!
Thanks for a great resource!

I have to be honest, I hate the sound of barking dogs :( I was driven to distraction in my old house by a dog that was kept at the bottom of my ajoining neighbours garden who yapped madly every time we opened or closed a door or sat in our garden trying to have a drink. If your neighbours are complaining, then they are finding your dog annoying... I strongly suggest you take action now before it becomes a real problem :( I'm just not sure what to advise...

I have to agree with Chloe ..I find dogs that bark at the postman , my front door , me getting into the car , yada yada very irritating too. I am happy that a dog barks now and again ..everyone and everything makes noise ..but one persons sweet singing is another persons horrendous din.

If you truly believe your pup doesn't make much noise , then your neighbour will probably call environmental health ..they will ask them to keep a diary of the noise before doing much else.

At least your neighbour has spoken to you before anything else ..so often people go straight to the authorities

Melody :)

From what you say, that doesnt sound an unreasonable amount of noise at all.

However, neighbours are a funny species, i used to have horrible ones, who wound my dogs up, so that they could then complain about the noise (i moved! they did other stuff too!), now, i live on a noisy council estate, and my neighbours are great, my dogs bark when someone comes to the door, walks past the front window (which im trying to stop, cos it annoys me!) and if anyone is in my back garden.

Try talking to your neighbours about the problem, be reasonable, and hopefully they will too. I have found some ppl just expect absolute silence at all time, apart from the noise they make themselves, which is basically impossible unless u live in the middle of nowhere!

Em

Hi guest for what my tuppence is worth :p My shih tzu Molly barks when people come to door or neighbours put their head over the fence but I dont find this too bad. She is a bit vocal but not for long. If the neighbours come into the house they are ignored after a minute so the noise is not excessively long. I suppose I should do something about it but I am no going to at the moment. She barks at the pigeons and squirrels too now and again and not for more than a few seconds but I still have apples and pears on my trees this year. Perhaps I sound like the not the best sort of neighbour but at least we dont shout and argue and scream at the kids like a lot of people do - and they dont realise they are doing it do they? I think we humans make a lot of noise in gardens etc without realising it LOL :D :D

Gina

Our dogs bark whenever anyone comes into our drive or our neighbours drive. We want them to do this. Our house has fields on two sides and we have had attempted break-ins before we got the dogs. The elderly lady next door is pleased that our dogs bark when people come as it makes her feel secure. Of course, we do not encourage our dogs to bark continually or excessively. We have far more problems here with burglar alarms ringing constantly :)

Daisy

Also is he barking all the time if you go out ? This may well be adding to the problem !

Just a thought :)

Lucy