It’s seven o’clock on Saturday morning. After a long week of work and caring for the house and family, you are looking forward to at least an extra hour or more of sleep. The windows are open to enjoy the cool weather of Fall and suddenly it starts. Your neighbor’s dog who has just been let out into the yard begins to bark. And bark. And bark some more. Frustrated, you realize that any hope of extra sleep has just been dashed by the neighbor’s dog. Unfortunately, this is a rather common problem in suburban neighborhoods. Dog owners sometimes let their dogs outside and then ignore the barking while either not realizing or not caring that the dog’s barking is severely irritating and negatively affecting the existence of the homeowners around them. Here are some steps to take to confront and rectify the problem.
First, Relax. Easier said than done, but keeping a cool head at this time is crucial to resolving the situation amicably. When a neighbor’s barking dog continuously wakes you or your baby from sleep, it is very tempting to beat down the neighbor’s door and give them a piece of your mind. Unfortunately, this will only put the dog owner on the defensive and probably get you nowhere.
Pay A Visit To Your Neighbor. Choose a good time to pay a visit to the barking dog’s owner. Do not go over there during dinner hour or as soon as your neighbor comes home from work. The more relaxed your neighbor is, the more receptive he or she will be to calmly solving the problem. Mid afternoon on Saturday or Sunday is a perfect time to pay a visit and discuss the problem of the barking dog. State your concerns calmly and without accusations or insults. Hopefully, this is all it will take to rectify the problem.
Contact The Home owner’s Association. If you live in a condo or townhouse and don’t get any results from calmly and rationally discussing the issue with your neighbor, write a letter or email to the Home owner’s Association of your home. There are rules and guidelines in effect for dog ownership in many of these dwellings and barking dogs who are a nuisance to neighbors must be reported to the Home owner’s Association who make sure that all residents are following the rules for the comfort of all the homeowners. Calmly state the facts, including that you tried to resolve the issue between the two of you and that nothing has changed.
Call The Police. If you live in single family home in a residential neighborhood, call the police. There are noise ordinances in effect that all residents must adhere to. If the neighbor’s dog is barking for an extended early int he morning, late at night or continuously during the day, this violates the noise ordinance in most municipalities. As guilty as you may feel for calling the police over this matter, at times it is necessary when you have attempted to work out the issue neighbor to neighbor and you have not had any results.
Call Animal Control. Unfortunately, some dog owners are not the responsible and attentive people we would like them to be. If you suspect that the dog is barking because it is left outside all day and being neglected, it may be time to call Animal Control to investigate the matter. Besides the obvious nuisance of listening to a dog bark from morning until night, it is everyone’s responsibility to look out for the defenseless creatures who sometimes land in the wrong hands. A dog who constantly barks may be in distress and may need to be removed from it’s current living situation.
