@domino-710 wrote:
Just curious - how did you deal with it. ??
First we tried telling it to be quiet, sit down, hush, no, etc. but it just ignored that.
Then we had a yarn (conversation) with other neighbours around the area to get their opinions on the matter, all of whom agreed it was causing them problems at times.
We'd heard others yelling at it to be quiet, sit down, shut up etc. etc., also with no effect.
Cracking a bullwhip did have some limited success for short periods of time, but wasn't a practical long term solution.
Next we mentioned it to the owner in a non-confrontational way, which wasn't easy when sleep deprived, which was also a waste of time as he didn't seem to care.
Then we wrote a polite letter explaining exactly the issue, included a copy of the advice given on the Council website, and left it in his mailbox, mentioning that if it continued we'd have no choice but to take the matter to the local Council.
That was also ignored so we contacted the Council, they sent us a kit with a diary etc. so we could make note of the times it was being a nuisance.
Our Council determines continuous barking for 7 minutes or more in a 1 hour period is classed as a nuisance, so we kept a diary of the times it was being a nuisance.
This info was submitted to the Council, numerous times.
It did subside for a few days at times, so I guess he got visits from the local Council's animal control officer, but eventually over time it went back to the same almost constant barking.
I arrived home from work about 7:00 am one morning and it was going on as usual, I got a camera out, started videoing while inside when it could be heard quite plainly, walked outside camera pointing towards the dog & left the camera running for over an hour while the dog barked the whole time.
Uploaded it to Youtube & sent the Council a link.
Soon after that things went relatively quiet again, he apparently bought an electronic barking control collar and put on it, while this didn't completely stop it, it did slow it to the point it was no longer keeping everyone in the area awake day and night.
It probably took about 2 months from the first conversation with the neighbours until he got the collar for it, after about another 6 months he left town and took the dog with him.
During that time if that dog never had the control collar on and he wasn't home, it was constant barking as usual.
It was a beautiful dog, but it was a working dog.
Something I see more and more nowdays is people getting high maintenance working dogs and doing nothing with them, they spoil them rotten when they're cute pups instead of teaching them some manners, then all of a sudden the cute pup is not so cute anymore and gets designated to the yard and left to it's own devices while the owners are at work or whatever...and therein begins the problems.
I believe it's about time people should require being licensed to keep animals, to show they understand the responsibilities and what's involved raising an animal.
It sure would solve a lot of hassles, don't do the right thing too many times and the license is revoked.
It would provide more revenue for local Councils, and it would go a long way towards ensuring that those of us who do the right thing with our animals aren't constantly having our lives, sleep, relaxation etc. interrupted by people who just don't care.
