Hi guys

i have two shih tzus.  I have just moved house last friday to a brand new house whch is still on a bit of a building site.  I have never had a probem with my dogs barking however where I have lived in the past we had elderly neighbours who never went out into their gardens so the dogs didnt really hear or see anyone.  since moving our dogs are barking at the builders noises ( althought they cant see them they can hear them) and if they hear any neighbours in the garden they bark.  As soon as they start barking we fetch the straight into the house or try and distract them.  While in the house they aint a probem.  they have always had a garage which we have developed into a dog house with plastered walls and heating etc along with a dog flap so they can have access to the garden if we are at work (I work for myself so some days they migt be alon for 2 hours others 5 hours)  however they have not been a problem before.  I belive its just a time thing and I need to distract them from barking .  when I am there and reward their good beaviour.  However they only tend to bark when they think i am not about.  As I say I have lived in the property for less than a week and have already had two letters from neighbours saying about the barking (although I would not say it was excessive - only when someon is around or strange noises) and I have also had one vist from the noise pollution person at the local council who told me it was not fair the dogs being out in the garden and living in the garge (as he put it!) when I went shopping or to work however said I should lock them in the house.  When I explained about my situation and that they where in a new environment he basically said tuff if they continue barking I will have to get rid of them... can anyone offer some advice please.

You said, they tend to bark whenever your out rite ? Try to leave on the radio or t.v at a low-medium volume at they can hear something inside, thinking your in.This might/ mightnt work but its worth a try, it worked for a friend of mine with Rottweilers.

I have the same problem, but thankfuly, the people i live have an understanding about dogs and dont lose their heads.

This seems to have been blown out of all proportion.  I had the council at my door some time ago to ask me if I agreed that a neighbours dog was causing a barking nuisance.  I didn't agree and to be honest I had never even thought about it.  Dogs do bark, mine included, but unless it is constant all day and night, who would report it?  Obviously it's upsetting someone but I can't see that they can force you to get rid of your dogs when you are clearly looking after them properly.  I work for my local council and I'll look the policy up next week about barking.  As far as I know that comes under noise nuisance and it has to be very loud before the council will take action.  As for your dogs "living in the garage", wouldn't it be nice if the council were so concered and came and took into proper care all the dogs that are "living rough" in their appropriate areas.  Jobs worth as far as I'm concerned.

CG

Go round to your immediate neighbours and be very nice... if you deem it necessary take round a cheap bottle of plonk to get on their goo side :) The bonus is it will make the ones who reported you feel guilty if you're nice to them! Explain to them that the dogs are not used to the noise and never caused a problem in your previous home. Apologise in advance for the noise and ask them to let you know when they've barked when you've been out as it will help you cure it a lot faster. If the neighbours don't compare notes, you'll be able to tell if one of them is telling porkies too.

Allowing them access to the garden when you are out is asking for trouble. A neighbour petty enough to complain after less than a week is capable of poisoning or letting your dogs loose while you are gone. Anyway, 5 hours is not too long to expect dogs to be indoors without being noisy/messy. Try the radio trick and leaving them in an interior room may well help as even if the garage is insulated, it's not going to be as sound proof as the house for both sounds getting in and out.

Or you could acoustically sound proof their room in the garage with that stuff they use for record studios - and don't forget to double glaze the window/door. They can bark their heads off then and nobody will hear them!

Thick expanded polystyrene will do the trick for soundproofing ;) 

Start keeping a log of when you're in and when you go out ;)  and of when you know the dogs are barking and for how long.  Whoever complained will have been told to do the same ;)  Take your dogs with you when you go out if at all possible (put them in the car in the garage first so the neighbours don't know the dogs aren't home) and log that too :D   If someone's telling porkies it will soon show up ;)

Start to make friends with the neighbours and introduce the dogs to them, apologise for any inconvenience and explain they are unused to all the noises.  Ask the neighbours to let you know if the dogs barking is bothering them as you're trying to find out what's causing it ;)

I used to have a bit of a problem, mainly with a now passed on nervous Bernese who used to start the girls off!! Apart from all the other sound advise(pun, get it??) I would go out and train them! Use treats to reward them when they don't bark! So, be outside with them...when they start barking use a command and keep to it...say shush or something, then when they quiet reward verbally...GOOD DOG(or something) then give a reward...it didn't take me long, but a few hours work now will repay itself in the future! Go and see the neighbours as suggested, ask them to be patient while you work on the problem? If they're still a pain in the a** MOVE! LOL Just kidding!

>When I explained about my situation and that they where in a new environment he basically said tuff if they >continue barking I will have to get rid of them... can anyone offer some advice please.

Hi
We have the same problem with our neighbours but in our case it is out of spite as the dogs do NOT bark too much. All the same we are moving and have said we will never ever have neighbours again as it has been an incredibly stressful 3 years. Anyway, what I wanted to explain was that it does NOT work like you were told, not at all.  Nobody but nobody can make you get rid of the dogs, for a start you will always have the choice to move again, but mainly there is NOTHING the council can do without PROOF. The only way they can get proof is if they install listening equipment and after having listened to the recordings (and it isn't just one person that listen to them either but a whole committee)  decide that the barking is excessive -according to the law dogs are ALLOWED to bark, as long as it isn't for prolonged periods of time (I think it is 20 minutes at a time), and/or during the night etc. Our neighbours had the listening equipment installed after their 6th complaint (they refused before then as they knew we'd be in the clear, all they want is to cause trouble), and in a nutshell we were proved right -our dogs do not bark too much. If this isn't done it is just one person's word against another and that will most certainly not hold up in a court of law! Good luck!!