Here is what I don't understand about dog owners

[blue ivy schlotsky]

I live in an affluent area. Just to keep it real, I rent (and get a deal). But the people with the big bucks live on the other side of town. What I have noticed is that some of them seem trashier than the ones without the mansions and so much space between houses. Like I will come home at 9 PM and on the ritzy part of town I have heard dogs barking at that hour.

First of all, WHY have a dog that barks incessantly? Doesn't it bother the OWNER of the dog, also? And wouldn't you feel like an A-one asshat to let your dog bark at night when people are trying to relax? Especially at that hour. Some people go to sleep earlier than others but at the very least we all want to wind down at night and not have to hear a dog constantly barking.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. How do you know a dog is barking 'incessantly'? And what if it is barking

because a house is on fire, a burglar is breaking in, or a peeping tom is outside too?

[blue ivy schlotsky]

3. Like you have never lived near a dog that would NOT stop barking?

I used to have that issue and I went and left notes with the homeowner. Eventually it was discovered that the dog was her daughter's. Somehow they must have solved the problem because it stopped. Some municipalities fine owners hundreds of dollars for each offense.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Your post says the barking dogs are in the rizy section, across town from you.

[blue ivy schlotsky]

8. I have only lived here a few years.

I was referring to my last suburb (working-class town) and the mentality is no different.

[bluerum]

2. Woof woof.

Dogs bark.

[Johnny Rico]

4. Mine almost never barks. She howls.

One of the many reasons I love huskies.

[blue ivy schlotsky]

10. Huskies. malamutes (spelling)...

I love dogs who are MELLOW. Pugs don't seem to bark, either.

[Johnny Rico]

25. My husky is as mellow as they get!

Just don't get between her and her cheese...

[ProfessorGAC]

14. I Have A Very Non-Barky Dog

Surprising for a lab. Oh, he barks at US to get attention at times. And, if he has to go out. But, he almost never barks at anything outside. We're kind of surprised because that is very different than the other lab we had.
GAC

[Broderick]

22. Mine sang

Like a little child. Miss her.

[blue ivy schlotsky]

5. Not all dogs bark every time someone walks by.

I can't stand it when I'm having a nice walk and get frightened by some dog who can't allow anyone to walk by without being aggressive. Maybe some owners are just so afraid of burglars that they feel the need for one of these obnoxious dogs...

[Vincardog]

30. When I am challenged by one of those dogs I say "good Dog SIT".

[dmallind]

38. Since when is barking aggression?

If you want to criticize dogs and be taken seriously, learn about them first.

[FrodosPet]

62. When it is an angry bark.

Especially when it is accompanied by growling, lunging, and that "I'm going to eat your face" look.

[Drahthaardogs]

47. I don't think I would feed a dog

that did not at least bark a little when someone walked by the house.

[LibertyLover]

54. Well, don't walk past my house if my greyhound and whippet

are out. They will bark at you. You are walking past THEIR yard and not coming over to pet them. They take grave exception to that.

[grantcart]

7. They are just agitated that Romney is pulling 70% on Intrade for the nomination

If Santorum pulls ahead you will hear a lot less barking.

However if Romney gets the nomination you will need to double your Melatonin until the election is over.

I have tried to explain it to my dog but he still doesn't get the Electoral College.

The conspiracy mutts have taken over and they think that Seamus is still around

http://www.dogsagainstromney.com/

[Skink]

35. My dog does seem a little on edge

THANKS MITT

[Major Nikon]

9. I don't understand why anyone would want a pet to keep outside constantly

The biggest reason why some dogs bark constantly is because they are bored and lonely. My dogs have always stayed inside with me the majority of the time. The only time they go outside is when they are taking care of business and when I am playing with them.

[blue ivy schlotsky]

13. Maybe you've hit upon it:

The dog is their security blanket and not more of a companion to them. It's cruel to keep a dog outside for long stretches of time. Dogs are social animals and while it's important to give them fresh air, it's also important to spend time with them. I saw a pair of boxers who were always kept in a very small yard of a two-flat in my last 'hood. They were forced to lie on a patch of scraggly grass and hot concrete was the only other surface. It got very hot in the summer and I was concerned about them being overheated. I rang the bell and no one answered and then saw the man in front in his car on the phone. He was very dismissive of me. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised, given his attitude towards his dogs.

[LiberalArkie]

40. Mine wants to be outside most of the time, too many friends to visit and play with.

BTW, I live out in the country so my lab has plenty to do outside when I am not at home. He sleeps inside though.

[tblue37]

80. I report neglected and mistreated dogs to the SPCA. nt

[ProfessorGAC]

18. Neither Do I

I just don't get that. Our dog spends all his time inside, unless one of us is taking him out.

Somettmes he just wants to go out and look around, and he needs that, so we're cool with it. But, he's only out there WITH US, not by himself.

Then when business or curiousity time is over, back inside with the rest of the gang.
GAC

[Raine]

43. Agree, same with me.

[NRaleighLiberal]

11. People tend to get dogs when they are cute little puppies. they fall in love with them.

Then the puppies turn into dogs - and sometimes the dogs bark. We tend to not go for barky types (we like labs - but sometimes our labs can bark up a storm, esp when they are playing). I suspect when you own a barky dog you love you either overlook the barking, or don't like it but love the dog enough to overlook it. Just one of those things I guess - some of us get bothered by things others so, and some of the things we all do bother others.

[blue ivy schlotsky]

15. Well, I try to think of other people when I am in public or share a space

When I'm on the computer at the library, I make sure my headphones are not leaking noise. When I ride the bus or train, I make sure a senior is not standing up. I don't turn up music or tv when my landlord (or in the past, fellow neighbors) is home or capable of hearing it.

[NRaleighLiberal]

17. that's you - and your personality. I try to do the same - but it's a big wide world out there -

I've found that empathy varies widely and is very unpredictable!

[WingDinger]

12. Used to live near a very caring neighbor. He removed the vocal cords of his dog.

Lived in a condo, and his huge dog was quiet asa a churchmouse. Oh, he said he TRAINED the dog not to bark.

When I was dying of heart failure, I coughed frequently. this caring neighbor called the cops and said I was beating a woman, so I would get evicted, or hassled out of there. Conspired with my next door, is how I learned of it.

[blue ivy schlotsky]

16. Another bizarre thing are invisible fences that zap dogs

to keep them from wanting to run out of the yard. Why not just have a fence?

[ProfessorGAC]

20. Because Those Are WAY Cheaper

We have neither, but we looked into both decorative and privacy fences. Shazaam, that's an expensive project. For our back yard (we live on a corner), it would have cost more than we paid for siding, adjusted for inflation.

Those invisible fences are actually pretty cheap. My guess is that's the biggest motivator.
GAC.

[FarCenter]

23. Some places zoning laws restrict fence heights to less than what a dog will jump

[Logical]

27. So neighborhoods do not allow them on parts of the yard.

[lunatica]

19. I don't understand it either and I'm a dog owner

So your broad brush is basically just that. A broad brush.

[s-cubed]

21. A couple of thoughts

It's not confined to ritzy areas.

Some dogs (terriers for example) just bark and are very hard to train.

LOTS of owners have no idea how to train their dogs at all.

If one dog starts barking, often it will set off a lot of other dogs.

One of the reasons for the dog-people partnership (estimated to be 100,000 years or so) is that dogs do bark when they detect something/someone.

I've had a number of dogs. Some barked more than others, but except for my sister's damn Russell, I was able to train them not to bark incessantly. And even he got better.

(Please no flames from terrier and Russell owners!)

[roody]

24. A barking dog is a frustrated dog.

It wants exercise and love. As I walk my dear dog around town in the evening, we hear many barks from back yards from dogs that wish they could walk too.

[Logical]

26. Wow, really??? ......

Dogs bark for many reasons. Mine barks at rabbits hiding the deck, or at a neighbors dog.

Dogs bark for many reasons that are not neglect related.

[backscatter712]

28. There's usual/random barking, which is just dogs being dogs...

Then there's the dog that's penned up in a yard or left on a leash all day all night with no other interaction, nothing to do, nowhere to go.

Those are the dogs that bark and bark and bark day and night. And it's the douche owner that's neglecting the dog and needs to be held accountable.

[Union Scribe]

75. That makes sense.

My assknob neighbors never play with their dogs or walk them, they just let them wander around the back yard on 20-ft long ropes. To me that's abusive.

[saras]

29. Dogs that bark for more than a minute are being inappropriate

Typically dogs bark constantly when they are tied up and abandoned. Some people do this on purpose, because they think a dog that barks excessively at every trivial event is a good watchdog. They don't mind being woke up in the middle of the night because when they are they tell themselves the barking dog saved them from a bind-torture-kill sort of character.

And there are people who are just ignorant. They don't know anything about dogs except that they take care of themselves in the wild, and anyone can have one, and they do all kinds of stuff, from hunt bears dance on bicycles, so you can't possibly go wrong. Or they don't realize that you can't just put a dog on a shelf for months because you got bored with it, and play video games instead.

"Normal" dog barking gets a response, then it changes to something else. Long-repeated barking is neurotic, like chewing their own tails off.

So, your questions
Why? the feeling of security
Does it bother the owner? Not as much as fear.
Feel like an asshat? Yes, and proud of it. You got a problem with it? You want to coddle them criminals instead?

[kiva]

31. I've alway thought it's a lot like

parents who no longer hear their children in the same way that other people do. When you are constantly exposed to a sound, it tends to lose the annoyance edge. Of course that does nothing for the rest of us, and some people (not everyone) do not care about how it impacts anyone else.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

32. dogs owners near us kept their dog on a leash

in the driveway 24x7. it would bark incessantly at night...right at our house severely curtailing my sleep. i left them a nice note about it. i went to their door and talked with them about it and was brushed off. i got mad an copied the local noise ordinance section dealing with nuisance animals. none of it worked.

one night at two a.m. i rang up the sheriff's office and had them pay a visit (first call is nothing...the second call results in a $200 fine...then $400 then they seize the animal). the barking never happened again. i felt like a jerk...but i had run the best course i could think of.

sP

[Populist_Prole]

44. Was my exact experience a decade ago

It was a Dalmation and would have to be a mechanical borg dog to bark more. The think was unbelievable. The people themselves were just rude jerks in general as well, so I didn't feel bad about eventually having to sic Johnny Law on them.

[quinnox]

32. because they don't care and are rude jerks

I know the type, and the only thing you can do is call the police and complain about the noise. Some of these dog owners don't give a damn if their dog is barking all night and you have to take forceful measures like the police.

God, I hate dogs in general, and the barking is one of many reasons. Dogs are just ugh, horrible creatures all around. I won't get into all the reasons I hate dogs, but there are plenty of them .That is my opinion folks, so please don't get upset about it.

[hootinholler]

34. Obviously it's because they don't buy

Pedigree at Whole Foods.

[morningfog]

36. To be fair, for the dog that you hear barking incessantly, there are hundreds,

maybe thousands, of dogs within ear range that are not barking.

For all you know that dog that is barking incessantly at that hour has an owner who works during that shift. The owner may not be around to hear the barking.

[happy ash wednesday]

72. And do you think, on any planet

that someone who works the night shift should allow their dog to bark all night while they're at work? I feel like I am living in Bizarro World here. It's not acceptable behavior REGARDLESS of THEIR schedule! The world doesn't revolve around them, despite what they (and apparently you) might think...

[morningfog]

73. Kindly, don't put words into my mouth.

My post was in response to the OP disparaging "dog owners". I was responding to specific points in the post. I never suggested it was acceptable behavior, only responding when the OP wondered how a dog owner could stand to hear the barking.

Read more carefully before rolling your eyes at something I said and attributing toughts to me. Thanks!

[GeorgeGist]

37. Before giving a fair answer ...

how many dogs do you NOT hear barking at 9pm.

[SoCalDem]

39. and why are you wandering around in areas that you do not live in, at 9 PM

[bettyellen]

58. Ha ha. WTF is everyone on a curfew or confiedto their own neighborhood where you live? SAD.

[RebelOne]

41. I have 2 little yappers, but

my Chihuahua and the mini-Pin know the words "shut up."

[DCKit]

42. The barky dogs want to come in and sleep with their people.

Unfortunately, the people only keep those dogs as status symbols, not as pets, or friends, or children.

Those people shouldn't be allowed to own dogs - or have kids.

[Codeine]

45. People who let their dogs sleep outside shouldn't have dogs?

Seems a bit over the top to me.

[DCKit]

51. If you don't care to keep a dog where it's most comfortable, you shouldn't own a dog.

If you're not close enough with your dog that it want's to sleep with (or near) it's pack (you), you shouldn't own a dog.

If you consider pets 'possessions' and not 'family', you shouldn't own a dog.

Either I smell like a giant hunk of bacon, or dogs 'get me'. The only dogs that don't love me at first sight are owned by complete, angry assholes. When their owners turn their backs, their dogs are all over me, despite their poor upbringing.

I'm not talking about people who allow their dogs to sleep outside in clement weather, I'm talking about people who banish their dogs from the house, regardless of the weather.

But I don't think you're a dog person.

[Codeine]

52. My dogs have always slept indoors

regardless of weather, but I know some dogs that really prefer being outdoors. I just don't think that you can make such an absolutist sort of statement about this sort of thing. Many working dogs feel completely bugfuck when they're inside a house and need to be outside to be happy. Other dogs want a couch and the hum of the fridge to be content.

I am a dog person;



and a cat person as well.

[DCKit]

53. As I said, where THEY'RE most comfortable.

Dogs who are comfortable outside aren't going to bark all night long. If they do in populated areas, they need to be brought inside.

Exactly why are we having this discussion, self-professed dog person?

[Samantha]

46. I know exactly what you mean and I am a dog lover

Had dogs, trained them, love them. But sometimes people buy dogs as a security element. In my neighborhood, near a metro stop, some of the houses near the back entrance of the metro have acquired large dogs which seem always to stay outside. They regard themselves as the protector of the household. When people exit the back of the metro and walk down the sidewalk, these dogs bark aggressively. Even though they are in fenced yards, some of them run up and down the fence barking at pedestrians who they regard as invading their territory. Some of them look like they could take the fence easily. They petrify me. Sometimes I wait until other people exit the back of the metro, and I walk with them. I keep my head down and just pray none of the dogs come over the fence after me.

These dogs are doing exactly what their owners intend -- warding off potential intruders. In that process, they are also scaring the be-Jesus out of normal people just trying to get home after a hard day's work. It is an extreme overkill, if you ask me, and it should not be tolerated. I don't think one can legitimately complain and get anywhere because neither the dogs or the owners are doing anything illegal.

And I like you would be terribly upset if my dog did something chronically like this to bother my neighbors. One of the first things I taught her was "no barking." She only barks now if she senses someone at the door that I have not heard knock, or she hears a disturbance outside. She too regards herself as the protector of the household, but all my neighbors love her because she exhibits perfect doggy demeanor!!!

Sam

[Fawke Em]

48. Here's what I don't understand...

How is this idiotic thread allowed in a general discussion forum with no link to any political or news story.

Shouldn't this tripe be in The Lounge?

[YellowRubberDuckie]

49. I think people who leave their dogs outside indefinitely are A-1 Asshats...

...but that's just me. Why have a dog if you're going to ignore it and leave it outside 24/7? If you're out there a lot, that's great, but if you aren't, you're a douche and do not deserve that animal. My dogs are my children and I love them more than I love most of the people I'm actually blood related to. Friends don't let friends sleep outside.
Don't get me started about people who tie their dogs in the yard. Violence might ensue.
Duckie

[Honeycombe8]

65. You got THAT right! That pisses me off to no end. Chaining dogs up is against the law here...

over 2 hours or something. In other words, it can only be a temporary measure and not the way you "keep" a dog. It's considered cruel, and people can, and do, report it.

We have a problem with the illegal immigrants that live near here, in particular, chaining their dogs, or not keeping them confined at all. They don't know the laws, and they think of pets differently. There was even a goat in someone's yard for awhile (it was reported), as well as a rooster. I live within the loop in an urban location. A goat? A crowing rooster?

[Demonaut]

50. really, don't know..maybe...probably

[former9thward]

55. They don't even hear their dogs barking.

They become deaf to it. It is like the parents in restaurants who let their babies cry and cry. It is if they don't even hear them anymore. And they certainly don't care about anyone else.

[undeterred]

56. Now you've done it.

Why do I end up living next to people who have German Shepherds? Don't get me wrong, I love dogs. But I would never have this breed because they bark at every little thing and its so unnecessary.

Worst summer of my life I lived in a sublet with a GS above and in the house on both sides who had to bark at my dog constantly. He never barked back.

My current neighbor has a GS pup who has just reached maturity. She leaves him in the back yard for hours. There is a high fence so he can't see the world but he can hear everything so he barks and barks and barks and barks. I feel sorry for him. But you know I feel even sorrier for those of us who have to listen to him for the rest of his sorry life, barking for no damn good reason.

[Honeycombe8]

57. Dogs bark, birds sing, roosters crow. I'm surrounded by dogs...

It's a fact of life that dogs bark. There are 2 labs I can hear in my house from a neighbor out back (they are kept in the yard a lot, but are also taken inside, and I think they sleep in their garage). Those dogs bark a lot. There's a dog next door to me, but he doesn't bark, being old and sick (house dog let out sometimes for long periods). There are also 2 small quite loud yappy small dogs out back (they're house dogs that are let out at times). And I have 2 house dogs that I let out (they bark on occasional, but if I hear them bark to much, I tell them "QUIET" - they're trained to be quiet. If they're not quiet, I take them inside...no more play time! I try to prevent them from bothering the neighbors or ME.)

It may sound incessant at times to someone who is bothered by it, but in reality, dogs rarely stand there and bark constantly for hours. One or two dogs will bark a little while, then another dog nearby will bark a bit, then another one. Sometimes they hear something and they ALL bark simultaneously! That kind of barking usually doesn't last long.

I'm pretty understanding of it. Dogs bark. That's a fact of life. In fact, it's a good thing that dogs bark to let us know when there's a stranger in the alley. But sometimes it bothers me, esp if it's late (after 10pm is late to me).

What I do is:
I take it. It's not that big a deal to me. I have the attitude that I can't keep the world out of my yard or my ears or whatever. I also don't get upset when a possum lives under my storage shed, squirrels dig in my plants, or a stray cat passes through. Critters are part of the world, and my yard is part of the world...is my attitude.

But if it really bothers me, and once it did, I simply sleep on the sofa or end of house where I can't hear the dogs as much and/or put in earplugs.

But if it were really bad, I would simply call or leave a note on the owner's door politely telling him/her the dogs are barking at 9:00p.m. or whatever, that it was a problem or bothering me, and would they please do something about it.

I don't mean to say that barking bothering you is silly. It just may bother you more than some others - the owners for instance. When my dogs bark, not only can my neighbors hear them, but I hear them, too! Right now one of the labs is barking. .....Now he's stopped. Now he or the other lab is barking.......still barking.....now the barking has stopped. I know the owner of those dogs, and he sometimes tells them to be quiet, so he does shut them up sometimes. I worry most that neighbor dogs are being treated well, actually. I listen for sounds of loneliness or pain. That would disturb me to no end. More than barking.

[pecwae]

60. Every now and again

I can hear a neighbors dog, who is kept outside on a chain, bray a little. You can tell it's from loneliness because he only ever makes a peep when they're at home. It breaks my heart!

[Honeycombe8]

63. It's against the law here in Dallas, TX to keep a dog on a chain over so many hours a day...

I forget if it's two hours or what. And there has to be water within the chain length.

So all I would have to do if I became aware of that is pay attention to how long he's on the chain, and if it's regular, report the owner.

There was a german shepherd on a chain on front porch thingie a few blocks from me, I noticed when driving by. So I drove by a number of times after that. I was relieved to find that he seemed to be there only in good weather, at certain times. So I'm guessing someone is visitng, or maybe he's usually kept in the garage, but they let him get fresh air when the weather is good. Their backyard fence is crappy, is why they probably don't keep him there. I feel sorry for him, anyway. But there's nothing to report on, that I can see. He's well fed.

Dogs are social animals. They need companionship, so that would break my heart. I've lost sleep over things like that in years past. What I do sometimes is spoil my two rescue dogs rotten...they were apparently thrown away like garbage once.

I'm so glad my neighbors are all responsible dog owners. (But I look at that house for the german shepherd, still, every time I pass....just in case.)

[pecwae]

68. Unfortunately, there's no law forbidding it here.

I've often fantasized about stealing him. I do know one thing; if he ever manages to get off that chain and onto my property he's going straight to a wonderful, no kill shelter that I support a couple of counties away.

[Honeycombe8]

76. You and I think alike. But if it's a metal chain, there's little hope for him.

I guess they keep him on a chain because he can get out of the fenced yard someway. People like that disgust me. I'd be tempted to try to get him free.

[you are forgiven.]

59. Other mysteries to meb

Owners who think it's okay to tie their pooches up to some post right in front of a building entrance! Some of us are scared of dogs!

Owners who let their dogs off-leash while standing in front of their house or walking down the block. You never know what your dog is capable of! And I have gotten chased by dogs that were loose on their owner's property!

[sylvi]

61. Only the dog knows

[renie408]

64. We have four dogs and I would not put up with them barking incessantly.

In fact, I am pretty intolerant of them barking much at all. They bark when we come home or occasionally when the coyotes across the road start to REALLY go off. Other than that, they are fairly quiet. There is nothing, I mean NOTHING worse than a dog barking all night long. It is rude and inconsiderate to allow your dog to bother other people.

[flexnor]

66. there was a pointer on my paper route when i was a kid

when i first started, that thing would scare the daylights out of me when it would jump up to the garrage windows and bark it's head off at six in the morning when i walked past

but soon, i would creep up to the garrage window and pop my head right up to the window, waving my hands by my ears - pissed that dog off so much, really made my day

got scolded for it though

stupid animal

[lynne]

67. Dogs don't wear watches because they can't tell time -

- so they don't know that they're supposed to be quiet after 9:00 PM. You say you are coming through the ritzy part of town and don't live there so you really don't know what dog is barking, why its barking, or how long its been barking.

I have two dogs and - when I walk them before bed - they love to bark. Usually its at deer or squirrels or some other smell in the night air. They're DOGS, they're supposed to do that.

Unless you've witnessed a dog being abused, kept on a chain 24/7, ignored, etc., then you have no basis for your complaint as any dogs being walked in the evening will bark.

[happy ash wednesday]

71. Did I blame the dogs? Really?

I am blaming the self-centered people who think they can do whatever they want whenever they want and to hell with their neighbors. Some of those houses are going for $1.5 million or more! Or the surrounding ones are in the upper 700-800s. I mean, the point I was making is that I last lived in a blue-collar 'hood and that sort of behavior is more expected. But in a wealthy area it just goes to show that you can't buy class!

[99Forever]

69. You don't seem to have much..

.. of a realistic grasp on dog behavior. Each dog, like each human is an individual, even within a breed. I happen to prefer dogs to guns, so my GSDs will indeed bark when there are strangers in our area, it's their job. "Incessantly"? I guess that depends on several factors, not the least of which is personal opinion. Most locals have nuisance barking ordinances to curb that.

[lumberjack_jeff]

70. What does "not putting up with a barking dog" look like?

I only know one sure fire way to shut up a dog who barks.

[uppityperson]

74. Aww jeff, you make me go all weak in the knees when you talk about whipping out your little gun and

shooting a barking dog. swoon. I'm series!!!!1

[lumberjack_jeff]

78. Some people "put up with a barking dog"...

...because this is the alternative.

I dislike burying them, so I'm willing to put up with a bit of disapproval from passers-by.

[joeybee12]

77. Some people just never train their dogs...

It's as simple as that.

[Juneboarder]

79. Yelling at the birds!

I would often catch my neighbor in the front house yelling at the birds chirping in the middle of the day. It was friggin hilarious. When I would talk to her, I would have to maintain a poker face and hold back the burst of laughter trying to escape.

I pick and choose my battles, and a dog bark, bird chirp, chainsaw, lawn mower, car driving by, etc. will not disturb my peace of mind. There are other issues I must focus my energy on.

[Myrina]

81. I have 4 dogs ...

... none of them are outside on their own, ever, and when they do go out for their last 'bathroom break' before bed at 10pm, nobody barks.

However, the lady who owns the house that I share a lot-line with has a blind, elderly bassett hound that spends most of every evening outside (in the dark) until about 11pm, and then again sometimes from 4-7 AM.

Why? No freakin' idea.
Every one of us, on every side of her has complained to Animal Control. We've tried to talk to her, too. We all have dogs - so we're not 'picking on her'.

I think it comes down to plain old stupidity and 'bad pet parenting'.