Maintaining a positive relationship with your neighbour is crucial. It might not seem significant, but if your neighbours are irritated with you, life can become more challenging.
We've put together some tips for handling a complaint about your barking dog. These strategies can help maintain a good relationship with your neighbours and address nuisance barking.
1. Avoid Being Defensive
The instinctive reaction when your neighbour complains about your dog’s barking is to be defensive. It's natural, as they're criticising your beloved pet.
However, defensiveness will only worsen the situation. It will increase tension, heighten hostility, and your neighbour will likely escalate the situation (which you don’t want).
Remember, your neighbour’s perception of your dog's barking is their reality. Take their complaint seriously and empathise with their situation.
2. Listen to Your Neighbour
Avoid a conflict with your neighbour; it's better to defuse the situation quickly. Set aside defensiveness and listen to their concerns.
Your neighbour wouldn’t complain without a reason, so there might be some truth to their claims. Even if you think they're exaggerating, they might become upset or angry if they feel unheard.
This could further escalate the situation, making them demand immediate action. If they say your dog barks all day next to their living room, there might be some truth to that.
3. Be Empathetic
You don't need to admit guilt to apologise. Try saying, “It must be frustrating to hear a dog barking all day,” or “It must be annoying trying to sleep while a dog is constantly barking.”
Apologise sincerely for the disturbance, and reassure them that you don’t want to own an annoying, loud dog. Emphasise that you're looking for a solution to the barking.
Ask for some patience while you work on the issue, as training out nuisance barking isn't an overnight fix.
4. Investigate With Your Neighbour
Ask your neighbour questions without offending them, such as “Is there a particular time when the barking is most annoying?” and “Is it just my dog, or are other dogs barking too?” Another useful question could be, “Besides giving up my dog, what would make you happy?”
The goal is to address the barking problem. Keeping this problem separate and asking neutral questions can help you both find a solution.
Investigate the barking issue yourself. Talk to other neighbours to see if they hear barking from just one dog or several.
Set up a video camera to observe your dog’s behaviour and identify what triggers the barking.
5. Respect Your Local Council Laws
Our recent blog discusses what nuisance barking means according to local councils, and the consequences of not addressing the issue. The consequences vary but always end in a fine and potentially court charges.
Ensure you talk to your local council or check their website to comply with excessive barking laws. Most councils advise people to first talk to the dog owner before escalating complaints.
If your neighbour complains, they've likely researched their options, and this is their first step. They have a right to complain to the council about excessive barking and may need to keep a journal as evidence.
Being proactive and cooperative with your neighbour can prevent them from contacting the council.
6. Don’t Make it Worse
Avoid actions that might worsen the situation with your neighbour. For instance, ensure your dog doesn’t run to greet your neighbour if they're off-lead.
If your dog wants to play noisily, make sure it’s not early in the morning. Your neighbour might have a fear of dogs or dislike the noise. They may have a family member who feels the same way, and you controlling your dog’s barking can help ease their anxiety.
Adhere to all local council dog laws and avoid giving your neighbour additional reasons to complain.
How Do You Deal With a Barking Dog?
It’s time to address the barking issue and provide peace and quiet for you and your neighbour.
Wear Your Dog Out
Consider when your dog is barking. If they bark during the day when you're at work, try using enrichment toys to distract them. You can also invest in an anti bark collar.
Switch Up Your Daily Routine
If your dog barks first thing while you're in the shower, adjust your routine. Spend time outside with them, playing and tiring them out so they stay occupied.
Try Doggy Daycare
Consider doggy daycare a few days a week. It’ll tire them out, improve their social skills, and give your neighbour a break from the noise.
Use a Local Dog Walker
Hire a local dog walker to take your dog out while you're at work.
Hopefully, they'll be too tired to bother your neighbours. If barking happens randomly, try reducing any triggers.
Use an Anti Bark Collar
An anti bark collar distracts your dog when it detects barking. Citronella collars or shock collars are effective at curbing nuisance barking.
Citronella Barking Collars
Citronella barking collars release a puff of citronella to stop barking.
The citronella doesn’t harm your dog and is directed at their lower jaw, away from their eyes, serving as a harmless distraction.
Dogs quickly learn that barking results in a citronella spray, modifying their behaviour rapidly.
Shock Collars
For more stubborn dogs, dog shock collars are highly effective. These collars emit a gentle static shock when your dog barks.
A common misconception is that shock collars hurt dogs, but they don’t. You can test it on your hand to see. Most have adjustable intensity levels, so you control the correction strength.
Setting the collar to its highest intensity is usually unnecessary. The goal is to distract and halt the excessive barking. We recommend using these collars for up to 8 hours daily.
With these collars, your dog quickly learns the consequences of barking, correcting their behaviour fast.
Try Enrichment Toys
Enrichment toys can keep your dog occupied during the day. You can create or buy toys that keep your dog engaged.
Regular exercise is key. A tired dog is more likely to relax and sleep instead of barking during the day.
Keep Your Neighbour Updated
Keep your neighbour informed of your efforts to stop the barking and ask if they notice improvements. Document your actions in a diary to show you've been actively trying different methods.
Record any improvements noted by your neighbour and save receipts for any purchases made to address the barking.
Involving your neighbour in the process makes them less likely to escalate the issue with the council.
If you’re struggling with your neighbours, manage the relationship and address your dog’s nuisance barking. To quickly curb the barking, explore eDog UK’s range of anti bark collars.
