Seeking Advice: The Condo & the Dog From Hell

[harley]

It seems most buildings allow pets now, when traveling we can't seem to find a Motel that does NOT allow dogs.

We do not have\like pets and do not want to stay in a motel where pets were kept the night before. We have actually refused to stay at a motel that allows pets but it seems most do now, so we have given up.

Jim

We haven't traveled with our dogs yet, but I've looked into pet friendly hotels just in case. The ones I've talked to all have specific rooms for pet travelers, so you shouldn't have the problem of being put into a pet room. They'd be opening themselves to huge lawsuits, since some people are deathly allergic to cats/dogs. They won't put non-smokers in smoking rooms without their permission, and there's a lot less science regarding the dangers of second-hand smoke residue than there is about pet allergies.

 

[Helen]

We've been renting a townhouse in the city after putting our house on the market last May. We brought our dog with us and the neighbor told us the dog barked all day. We had no idea he was doing this as our house is in the country.

We put him on prozac and the barking stopped. The poor dog had been having separation anxiety and we had no idea prior to moving.

We are moving back to the house as it didn't sell. We are going to keep him on prozac for his comfort.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Helen, we live out in the country and have a neighbor that shoots his gun if my dogs bark too much. They are terrified of the gun, quit barking, and go hide under the bed. It seems to be a fairly effective method, and he doesn't appear to mind the cost of a box of shells every now and again.

Fortunately ours are usually barking "at something" instead of that dreadful keening "I'm lonely and bored" bark that we are all so familiar with. Since ours have 4 acres and a bunch of things to do, they seldom bark from boredom.

 

[unclemick]

In preparation for retirement, we are selling the house and have moved to a condo (renting). I have owned homes for 30 yrs, so this is new to me. There is a dog next door that barks often and long, usually during the day, but sometimes as early as 6:00 am...The owner isn't responsive to my requests for control. The condo assn is also unresponsive....I'm not the owner. I do have a lease purchase on the unit but will not buy.

Am I unreasonable to expect quiet? Have any of you faced this type of thing? I have enjoyed the privacy of a home for many years.....this still seems bizarre. Advice appreciated.

Tks in advance,
Chris

Yes. Learn to love Dogs. On a circle drive near yet another street - EVERYONE (me included has dogs). Even watching Dog whisperer - I can't get them together on times to bark or even on key - they take turns. Plus with the weather warming - the ice cream wagon and power walkers are out - keeping them barking.

Kids(here comes summer) and dogs - I can semi-tune them out. It's a meditation thing.

heh heh heh - Oh and the dang local tornado siren is 1/4 mile away - which they 'love' to test. .

 

[davemartin88]

We have a foster dog here that is 9 months old and likes to bark when he thinks no one is around- bad news is that he's deaf and blind so he doesn't know someone is around unless he's laying on their lap! He's doing better, he comes from a group of dogs that all had serious hearing and eye problems so we're trying to see if we can separate them so that we can find a home- thought is easier to find a home for one that needs the extra attention rather than four. I think this one and one other may end up having to be kept together.

There are collars that are used to train a dog not to bark using a spray that is activated by the bark and has a citronella smell, think they make an unscented version as well since it's the whiff of something in the face that supposedly breaks the habit. You obviously have to have an owner that is interested in doing something to have a chance and the success rates I've heard from others are mixed. Just a thought.

Good luck.

 

[Martha]

My cousin's son adopted a deaf dog. It worked perfect as he worked in a very noisy metal shop and his dog became the shop dog.

We tried the citronella collar on our wiener dogs which would get each other going with the barking. One of the dogs barked, got squirted in the face, she fell on the floor in total panic. She shook for hours afterwords and had loose stools for months. Needless to say, we could not use the collar on her. Imagine if we had tried a shock collar. The other dog was fine with it, the only problem was if the collarless dog barked very close to the collared dog, his collar would squirt him.

In general, not a success for us.

 

[chrisjul]

"Yes. Learn to love Dogs."

Thanks, great advice.....turns out the Dog From Hell is disturbing everyone else and she is receiving good advice from other neighbors also regarding her options....she is moving out IF she can sell the condo.......dog still barks 2-4 hrs non-stop in the early morning hrs. I will chalk this one up to good experience ....I may not be condo material.

 

[Sparky]

I know lots of folks don't want to hear this... take your dog for a 2-4 mile walk; that dog will be too tired to bark much.

 

[Redbugdave]

It seems like the barking would keep the owners awake at night, also. A proper owner would bring the dog in when it starts barking incessantly. The world is full of self centered egocentrics. That's because their parents did not teach them much about manners and having the awareness that other people live here, too... Probably the same people that throw their trash all along the roads...

It's not the dog's fault...just shoot the owner...

 

[ls99]

The one time in my life when living in apartment, had naighbor with lonely dog howls. Neither the neighbor nor management wold fix the problem.

My solution: sent letter to management noting that henceforth my monthly rent will be deposited in a savings account set up for this payment only. When the dog problem is resolved they get the money. Receipts of deposit and account number mailed to management.

Next I received summons to appear for non-payment of rent. Showed up with account book, copies of letters to management.

Judge ruled: when dog problem is solved they get rent.
3 days later dog gone, I paid up. And all was well with the world.

 

[TromboneAl]

Nicely done, 99.

It seems like the barking would keep the owners awake at night, also.

No it doesn't bother them. Once, there was someone up the street whose dog barked late into the night. The dog started barking again at 6 AM, so I got up and went to the woman's house. I go to the door and I see her in a chair in the front hall, asleep. She had let the dog out, then fallen asleep while he was barking to be let in again.

For me, barking sea lions don't bother me, but barking dogs do, because I get mad at the inconsiderate owners. For the inconsiderate owners, their dogs barking is just an inconsequential sound, and doesn't wake them up.

-------------------

On a related issue, I have a new neighbor who comes and goes at all hours of the night. I've started wearing earplugs, but by 2 AM I have 8/10 pain in my ears.

 

[spncity]

To eliminate the pain, can you get ear plugs molded specifically for your ears? I don't even know if this product exists.

 

[CuppaJoe]

To eliminate the pain, can you get ear plugs molded specifically for your ears? I don't even know if this product exists.

When I have house guests, I use foam-style ear plugs under iPod ear buds. So all I hear is the music. Don't know if it would work for barking.

 

[TromboneAl]

To eliminate the pain, can you get ear plugs molded specifically for your ears? I don't even know if this product exists.

Apparently it does: Custom fit earplugs.

http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/jbcuearpl.htmlI got the Hearos ultimate Softness Series plugs based on this review:

Quiet, please! Finding the best ear plugs. - By Ulrich Boser - Slate Magazine

I think I will first try cutting the plugs to fit better.

 

[harley]

The one time in my life when living in apartment, had naighbor with lonely dog howls. Neither the neighbor nor management wold fix the problem.

My solution: sent letter to management noting that henceforth my monthly rent will be deposited in a savings account set up for this payment only. When the dog problem is resolved they get the money. Receipts of deposit and account number mailed to management.

Next I received summons to appear for non-payment of rent. Showed up with account book, copies of letters to management.

Judge ruled: when dog problem is solved they get rent.
3 days later dog gone, I paid up. And all was well with the world.

Excellent, but not very reproducible, IMHO. My experiences with the legal (note lack of justice in title) system is that you'd have been ordered to pay, fined, and told that if you have a problem, sue. You must have gotten a judge with a neighbor whose dog barks a lot.

 

[chrisjul]

The Conclusion

Turns out the dog was bothering everyone...we teamed up on the oblivious owner and the association president suggested calling police next time. We sent dog owner a joint email advising her of our plan to press charges.

No more dog problem.

The positive outcome is that we have decided we are not "condo material".

Tks for the suggestions and feedback....very useful.

Chris

 

[rmark]

Years ago we had some neighbors who had left for the weekend, leaving their dog out overnight, something which he (she?) wasn't used to. And about midnight it starts a persistent yapping bark that carries through our open window. After about an hour of this I lean out the window and yell 'Shut Up' - and the dog stops barking. The barking starts again and I repeat ' Shut Up'. And it never barked again that night. I think it was just lonely and was happy to know someone was around.

 

[travelover]

.....................The barking starts again and I repeat ' Shut Up'. And it never barked again that night. I think it was just lonely and was happy to know someone was around.

..........or maybe it was one of those recorded barking dog alarms and the batteries went dead.