Dog barking nuisance can result from various reasons based on the nature of your dog. Let us see the reasons behind and what to do about it.
We often mistake our dog’s bark for communicating with other animals, which is the case sometimes.
However, our dog’s body language is the best form of communication with you and also other dogs.
Nevertheless, even as much as we want to entertain our dogs, barking can become a problem, especially if he does it more often.
This kind of behavior is frustrating and is termed a dog barking nuisance in the neighborhood, leading to legal complaints from your neighbors.
We can debate whether dogs bark to communicate or express themselves, but we cannot forget that dogs in the wild do not bark often.
They can only bark for valid reasons, for instance, oncoming danger, to relate to other animals.
Domestication and breeding, however, have led to dogs becoming even more vocal since some of them are bred for herding and security purposes.
This is why it is essential to choose your pup carefully to avoid getting a barker in your apartment, which could result in legal complaints against your dog by your neighbors.
Reasons Why Your Dog is Barking Excessively
Alarm barking
This is one of the most common forms of barking in dogs, whereby your dog will bark because he has noticed something unusual.
For instance, unusual noise could lead to excessive barking, especially if your dog cannot see where the noise is coming from.
This could be your neighbor walking up the stairs or a stranger approaching your door.
Your dog could also be barking at other animals and pets around the compound, and in most cases, you should be able to check out the motivation for barking.
Frustration Barking
When your dog is angry at something, he will bark at the cause of his frustrations.
This barking is usually consistent until his needs are met or his motivation has been removed from sight.
Frustration barking is usually directed at something else, not his owner.
If you have other pets around your household, you may consider putting them in a different area from your dog to ensure he is no longer barking.
Greetings barking
Some dogs are pretty friendly and bark at you and other people and animals to greet them.
Doorbells can also trigger him to bark as he anticipates seeing who is on the other side of the door.
He might bark at you when you get home to greet you after a long day of being away from you.
Some dogs will also bark at people passing by, trying to greet them.
Demand Barking
Most dogs bark to demand something from their master. For instance, your dog might bark at you to get your attention or even get some treatment.
Giving him what he wants will only encourage the behavior.
Avoid looking at your dog whenever he is barking for your attention or even giving him the treat he is crying for.
Instead, ignoring your dog will train him out of the habit, but you might receive several complaints from your neighbors.
To eliminate dog barking nuisance, you should investigate your dog to know his motivation for barking.
You can control your dog through training and other behavioral techniques.
Dog Barking – My Neighbor is Complaining
Most people do not know how to react after their neighbor complains of a dog barking nuisance.
However, taking your neighbor’s complaint seriously and investigating your dog’s behavior is essential.
For instance, if you leave your dog at home alone all day and he has developed a barking habit, you may not be aware.
Below are some of the steps you can take if your neighbors are complaining about your barking dog…
Listen to your neighbor
This is where we mostly go wrong; by ignoring your neighbor’s complaint, you will be forcing them to seek legal options.
Instead, it would help if you listened to what they had to say without getting defensive or admitting to the accusations.
However, it is essential to avoid arguing with your neighbor. Listen to them and let them know that you understand their point of view.
This will work for you because they will feel like you are considering their pleas and you are willing to correct the behavior.
You may also go ahead and apologize for the disturbance and ask them how often it happens to make your neighbors feel like they have been heard and if they are sure you will address the dog barking problem.
Apologize for your dog
Chances are that you will live with your neighbor for quite some time, thus the need to live in harmony with them.
If your neighbor complains to you about your dog barking, you should be able to apologize to them for your dog’s behavior.
People always want to feel appreciated and respected, and apologizing for the barking nuisance will be one step ahead on the road to maintaining a good relationship with your neighbor.
This way, you will avoid legal complaints and have enough time to correct the behavior before it becomes chronic.
If your neighbor has left you a note, it is also essential that you let them know that you are sorry for your dog’s behavior and assure them that you will do something about it.
Be empathetic with your neighbor
Well, it is hard to see things from your neighbor’s perspective, especially when we are on the receiving side.
For instance, if your neighbor complains about your dog keeping you awake, you might be tempted to be defensive and ignore their complaints since you love your puppy.
However, once you ignore your neighbor’s complaint, they will likely take more severe steps to maintain their peace.
It is essential to get yourself in their shoes to be able to see things from their perspective.
This way, you will understand why they have complained about your dog. Even though our dogs can keep us awake all night, we sometimes do not bother to correct the behavior.
However, living with other people will require you to take steps to control the behavior.
Investigate your dog
When your neighbors complain about your dog barking, it is essential to study him to tell why he has developed the habit.
Spending some more time with him is an excellent idea, as you will be able to monitor his behavioral patterns.
This way, you will be able to know how to correct this behavior based on the cause.
For instance, if your dog is barking whenever you leave him alone at home, you should have him checked by a veterinarian to rule out any underlying anxiety disorders.
Once you have determined why he is barking, it will be easier to take steps to correct the behavior.
In most cases, thorough training is an essential part of training your dog to stop barking.
You can even pretend to be away from home to listen to him and determine the time and frequency of his barking.
This way, you can identify the things that trigger him to bark. You should not stop at this; instead, you should be able to devise a way to curb the dog barking nuisance.
Observe Dog Laws
Depending on the state you live in, you should always make sure that you are observing all dog laws. For instance, most countries enforce leash laws strictly.
Even though this is not related to barking nuisance, observing the laws will make it easier for you to control your dog and keep them from threatening your neighbors and passersby.
The leash law is one of the most common dog laws in most countries, with the government and councils reinforcing it.
The leash law is mainly used to control roaming dogs that could cause several issues in the neighborhood.
For instance, your dog could be threatening to people, hence the need for a leash at all times you are out walking him outside.
When your dog is on a leash, you will also be protecting your dog from the possible spread of diseases and parasites.
How To Stop Dog Barking
Once you have determined the cause of the excessive barking, you should be able to correct the behavior. However, it will take you some extra effort.
You can be able to train him and prevent him from barking.
The good thing about dogs is that they can learn to obey commands quickly, which makes training efficient to curb barking nuisance.
Below are some of the best techniques you can use to curb the barking problem…
Don’t yell at your dog
When you yell at your dog as he might think that you are joining in the barking, and thus he will feel encouraged.
Dogs, like humans, can feel energies, which makes them sensitive pets you can keep.
He is likely to feel the annoyance from you, and instead of staying calm, he will continue barking,
Instead of yelling or getting angry at your dog, you should remain calm and instruct your dog to be quiet.
This is why training your dog in a few commands is essential to train your dog in a few commands.
Train your dog
This is one of the most important routines you can have for your dog as it eases your relationship. When you can control and correct all the behavioral vices in dogs.
For instance, you may consider training your dog to stop barking and offering him a treat every time he gets it right.
However, as much as offering and bribing your dog with treats might work, you must ensure that you do not reward him for stopping barking.
Instead, it would help if you gave him pleasure when he has already stopped and is quiet. Your dog will always keep calm because he expects his reward.
Training your dog will take time and so much of your energy, but if you are doing it right, you will never have to deal with this kind of problem anymore.
Since training may take some time, it is essential to be patient with your dog and consistent to avoid confusing him with different tricks.
Relocate your dog
Dogs that bark at guests at the door or even passersby should be relocated to curb the vice.
For instance, if your dog spends his day at the window staring and barking at other pets and people on the outside, you should consider dropping your drapes off before leaving.
This way, you will be blocking his view, and thus you will have removed the motivation for barking.
Desensitize your dog to the motivation
As mentioned earlier, you should always investigate why your dog barks before deciding on the following steps to stop him.
By desensitizing your dog to the barking stimuli, you will be curbing the vice ultimately, but it will take time, and also, your neighbors might not be precisely patient with you as you help him get used to the stimulus.
You can make him face the stimuli until he gets used to it and stops barking at it.
For instance, if your dog barks at your friend, you should make him meet them often so he can get used to it.
However, this technique might not work well with things that bring fear and anxiety to your dog.
You may expose your puppy to more fear, and thus they might develop anxiety disorders.
Exercising your dog is also crucial in curbing dog bark nuisance, as you will always have a healthy dog, and he will sleep from the physical activity.
In conclusion
You must listen to your neighbor’s complaints and stop your dog from barking before getting any legal complaints.
You should also apologize to your dog and ask them to devise a plan to stop the barking for a few days.
Maintaining a good relationship with your neighbor is important, thus the need to curb nuisance barking.
