I wish I knew how to prevent my neighbor’s dog from barking when it was really loud. They would leave the screen door to their deck open while they were gone to work and wherever else for hours on end. Both of the dogs barely took a minute to breathe since they were too busy barking almost 24/7. Even though I filled in many noise compaints, it did me no good. The dogs started to really annoy everybody in the neighborhood, as they would bark continuously, day and night.

I know that barking is what dogs are supposed to do, whenever there is need. Sometimes they have very good reasons for barking such as being left outside by mistake, being lonely, bored, hungry or thirsty or perhaps confined behind a fence and just wanting in on the action on the other side. Or it can bark when it finds something very intriguing. For some dogs, it is actually a learned behavior that is negatively reinforced by giving the dogs special attention and even treats to hopefully pacify and quiet the dogs down. This behavior will tempt the dog to bark all the time, in search for extra attention.

It’s not a great idea to leave your dog outside. It will make it bark even louder, plus that extreme temperatures can make it ill. Some dog owners place their dogs in crates while they’re gone but this is a bad idea, especially if they’re away for more than four hours at a time. There are other alternatives you can resort to, for instance a large area in your house or apartment where the dog can create its own space where it feels safe and comfortable. Do not forget that the dog also needs a bathroom. Buy it a litter tray, or use a pile of newspapers in the farthest corner of the room. A better alternative would be to make it a doggie door so it can go outside to do its business.

All this might not be enough for your dog to stop barking all the time. If this is the situation, then you should probably think of buying it a special bark collar. If it is a neighbor’s dog, the best way to start out would be to write them a firm but decent letter that you may want to consider typing and sending anonymously. Your neighbor probably doesn’t even realise that his dog annoys everyone while he is gone. If that does not resolve the issue, you may want to either send another anonymous letter or perhaps even talk to them face to face about them considering the idea of getting their dog or dogs a bark collar.  

If dogs are loud all the time, then you should do something about it. If barking turns becomes a constant habit for your neighbor’s dog, suggest him to buy his dog a bark collar. If you want to read more about how you could solve the barking problems with a bark collar, click on this link.