Post by imojoebunny on Aug 4, 2015 12:45:26 GMT -5
So my neighbors have two dogs that live 100% outside, even when it is freezing out, in a pen about 15x15 most of the time. At night they bark frequently. After a year of this, I finally went over and told them that I could not take the frequent waking a anymore. I cannot wear ear plugs because my kids are still small enough to wake in the night occasionally and we need to be available to our rental tenants overnight in emergency situations.
I spoke to one of the tenants in the house, not the dog owners, who do not live there (too weird to explain), and said that the dogs barking every night, sometimes for well over an hour at a time, multiple times a night, was really impacting my life, and was a violation of the town code, and they needed to find another solution for the dogs at night. He agreed the dogs bark a great deal.
I got a text from the dogs owner later that they were going to get an electric shock collar for the dogs, that would shock them when they bark to solve the problem. I don't know how or if to respond.
At least 30 people live within hearing distance of the dogs pen, our yards are mostly 50'x150', in the city. I am sure others hear them.
I feel terrible for the dogs in general. They are nice dogs, if only they could go inside at night, but the humans won't let them.
Would you reply? What would you say? I feel like they are saying "we will torture the dogs, so you can sleep" rather than actually taking care of them. The lack of sleep is really effecting my DH and I. It can take 10 hours to get 8 hours of sleep because of the barking, but shocking a dog for barking at whatever it is barking at seems very cruel. Other neighbors have called police and animal control at times because of issues with their care in the past, but nothing was done.
First, bark collars are not torture if used properly.
You could try and complain to animal control, but I'm guessing there isn't anything they can do if they have food, water and are adequately cared for, even if it's not how we feel a dog should be raised.
First, bark collars are not torture if used properly.
You could try and complain to animal control, but I'm guessing there isn't anything they can do if they have food, water and are adequately cared for, even if it's not how we feel a dog should be raised.
I assume it would be police who would enforce the noise ordinances, but mybe animal control could have some suggestions on the barking.
OP, that's a tough one. We once had a neighbor who we felt was mistreating their dog, but it had food, water, and (iffy, IMO) shelter so it wasn't clear that anything could be done. I just gave the dog all the attention I could (she'd come to the fence for love) and silently rejoiced hen they rehomed her.
First, bark collars are not torture if used properly.
You could try and complain to animal control, but I'm guessing there isn't anything they can do if they have food, water and are adequately cared for, even if it's not how we feel a dog should be raised.
All this. But if you really wanted to get (more) involved, you could suggest a citronella bark collar instead of a shock collar. My friend's dog did really well with one, plus they don't need human involvement, which it doesn't sound like they get much of.
If it gets very hot during the day, or very cold in your area, I would be on the phone with the non-emergency police line every hour on the hour until they agree to do something about the dogs living outside 100% of the time.
Oh poor puppies. That is heartbreaking. I like lurknomore's idea to suggest a citronella collar instead. And I would absolutely call animal control during very hot or very cold weather.
First, bark collars are not torture if used properly.
You could try and complain to animal control, but I'm guessing there isn't anything they can do if they have food, water and are adequately cared for, even if it's not how we feel a dog should be raised.
I do not think bark collars are torture when used appropriately. I should have been more clear. What they are going to do is put it on the dogs all night, while they are left outside, and then it will shock them, if they bark at all, so even when there is a wild animal in their pen like a raccoon, or possums, or the fire truck goes screaming by. For training purposes, I can completely see the benefit, in this case, what they describe sounds like something that will shock them, no matter the conditions.
There is nothing animal control will do. When my neighbors called on them in the winter for leaving them out in 14 degrees with high winds, they just told the owners they needed to put some straw in their pen.
I don't feel every dog needs to be a house dog, but in our city, it is very uncommon to have a 100% outdoor dog because the noise ordinance and lack of shelter. I have friends up in the mountains who have outdoor dogs, but they have barns, outbuildings, or garages where the dogs can go for shelter in bad weather, not just tiny dog houses they barely fit in.