Device to Stop Neighbor's Dog from Barking

[Aerides]

Exactly, this neighbor is a nut job. Thus, our avoidance of anything that could lead to retaliatory escalation.

This dog is constrained to inside the owner's house, so it is not barking at me or anyone else. It just barks. I would not go near this neighbor and dog if I could avoid it.

If it's inside the house how can the noise be that bad from yours?

 

[planuntilthefisthits]

If it's inside the house how can the noise be that bad from yours?

Lot sizes are small. This neighbor doesn’t have AC, and has lots of open windows. Dog has resonating bark unlike none I’ve ever heard before.

 

[Koolau]

Lot sizes are small. This neighbor doesn’t have AC, and has lots of open windows. Dog has resonating bark unlike none I’ve ever heard before.

Cujo on steroids! And that's the neighbor.

 

[Aerides]

Lot sizes are small. This neighbor doesn’t have AC, and has lots of open windows. Dog has resonating bark unlike none I’ve ever heard before.

Then Google for devices like I mentioned upthread- they claim to work up to 35 feet.

 

[threeonesix]

PS: Please don't suggest police or ASPCA. I have a friend who works for the latter, and he says there is nothing they can do. And, I don't want to sue.

I would advise that you bring this up at a city council meeting. If there truly is nothing that can be done legally then your local ordinances need more teeth. We have a noise ordinance in our town that includes barking dogs. First offense is a warning. Second offense is a small fine. Third offense is a large fine. Further offenses become criminal and owners can be arrested and serve time in jail. Under no circumstances does the ordinance allow punishing the dog in any way. It is the owner's responsibility to get their dog professionally trained. That will include the dog being trained to not bark simply because they are left alone. Dogs won't stop barking because they are punished; owners will stop dogs from barking when they are punished financially.

Here, the biggest problem we have is the inability of dog owners to constrain their dog within their own property. Dogs roaming at large have become a massive problem as younger generations emerge into adulthood and home ownership / rental situations. Some of these dogs have attacked humans unprovoked. Those dogs have to be put down, which we do not want to do, but must. As a result, we (city council) have been discussing requiring a license to own a dog within city limits. The license would be issued by the city, and would require proof of professional training for the dog. Everybody seems to think, "Hey, I grew up with a dog, I know how to own a dog." The reality is, no you do not know how to properly own a dog just because you grew up with dogs.

Do not do as others have said, and offer the dog a treat through the fence. This is rewarding the dog for barking loudly, which you do not want to do under any circumstances. It may work with some dogs, but not many. They may stop barking for a short time ... until they want another treat.

 

[Chuckanut]

Here, the biggest problem we have is the inability of dog owners to constrain their dog within their own property. Dogs roaming at large have become a massive problem as younger generations emerge into adulthood and home ownership / rental situations. Some of these dogs have attacked humans unprovoked.

A friend of mine was on a neighborhood HOA. His worst experiences were with feuding dog owners. He had a sub-folder on his computer for dog owner complaints and problems. He called it Dog S@%#!T. And he wasn’t referring to the dog’s behaviors. .

 

[Aerides]

So this is about an indoor dog - not a dog barking outside in the yard like the 90% of the replies seem to address (and that's the common problem).

In that case, none of the solutions like the HOA or animal control or city council or noise ordinances will apply. (I'm pretty sure even with the windows open, a dog barking inside isn't going to exceed any decibel limits past the property line.)

 

[Gremlin]

Lot sizes are small. This neighbor doesn’t have AC, and has lots of open windows. Dog has resonating bark unlike none I’ve ever heard before.

So this is about an indoor dog - not a dog barking outside in the yard like the 90% of the replies seem to address (and that's the common problem).

In that case, none of the solutions like the HOA or animal control or city council or noise ordinances will apply. (I'm pretty sure even with the windows open, a dog barking inside isn't going to exceed any decibel limits past the property line.)

I’m wondering if some sound mitigation measures inside the home would help.
Edited to add: I’m referring to the inside of the OP’s home.

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

I used one of these successfully years ago. However, the dog was about 10 ft away and outside. There is a higher power version that might be worth trying- STÙNICK SB2 Anti Barking Device or STÙNICK SB1 Anti Barking Device. Note that the full 350 feet range is accessible only with the remote control. If their windows are open then the high frequency sound could travel inside. I would try to point it as close as possible to an open window. It they are closed, high frequencies would be blocked (but allow the lower frequency barking to be heard by you).

 

[GenXguy]

I mentioned the loud dogs barking when I take my walks. Some of them are inside of homes. And the OP shouldnt' be expected to build a room inside of another room that's completely sealed against sound leaks and at great expense and even then, only partially effective. The dog owner should be addressing the issue.

 

[planuntilthefisthits]

I used one of these successfully years ago. However, the dog was about 10 ft away and outside. There is a higher power version that might be worth trying- STÙNICK SB2 Anti Barking Device or STÙNICK SB1 Anti Barking Device. Note that the full 350 feet range is accessible only with the remote control. If their windows are open then the high frequency sound could travel inside. I would try to point it as close as possible to an open window. It they are closed, high frequencies would be blocked (but allow the lower frequency barking to be heard by you).

Thanks for the specific recommendation!

 

[marko]

So this is about an indoor dog - not a dog barking outside in the yard like the 90% of the replies seem to address (and that's the common problem).

In that case, none of the solutions like the HOA or animal control or city council or noise ordinances will apply. (I'm pretty sure even with the windows open, a dog barking inside isn't going to exceed any decibel limits past the property line.)

In our area an indoor concern becomes an animal abuse issue immediately. Nothing to do with decibels, it's "interpreted" as an animal in distress.

Again, you go through the process of a warning, a few citations and eventually, removal if necessary.

 

[HFWR]

Maybe Rand Paul’s neighbor is available…

 

[DallasGuy]

If it's inside the house how can the noise be that bad from yours?

Unless you've lived in a neighborhood with houses very close together and one of the neighbors has a very large dog (like I do), you have no idea how loud they can get. I have two neighbors that live very close to me with dogs. One has a medium sized dog that barks occasionally. It's a minor annoyance. The other has a very very large German shepherd. It has an extremely loud bark. It's a problem for me sometimes. I've heard that dog barking when I'm in my house and the dog is barking inside the owner's house with windows and doors shut. It's loud. I don't complain about that, but I can hear it occasionally.

 

[Pluperfect]

They help, a little bit, but the primary way they help is it makes you feel like you are doing something. Like maybe you are bugging the dog a bit in payback for the unceasing background barking.

I have a device called a Barx Buddy and agree that one benefit is that it makes me feel like I have a little control in the situation. Kind of like how I like to corral cell phone talkers in stores--as they're mindlessly strolling around yammering and bugging me, I approach them from various sides as if I'm just walking around, too, and make them move in a certain direction without their even knowing it.

I live in an RV and am subjected to a constantly changing array of barking dogs, usually in pretty close proximity.

With every dog I've tried the Barx Buddy on, I could tell from their reaction that they heard something. Sometimes they would quit barking entirely, and other times they would react, pause, and then start barking again--that happened especially with a little yapper that was so agitated it was destroying the blinds on the window it was looking out. When the owner came back, I told her I felt sorry for her dog because it was obviously suffering to be jumping and running and barking so frantically, but she claimed the dog didn't bark when she's gone.

But the biggest success ever with the Barx Buddy was recently, when I was staying in my motorhome at a repair shop. They had two dogs behind a chain link fence that would suddenly go bananas with howling and barking for no apparent reason. They were about 15 feet from my RV, and I hit the button while pointing it through the windshield and they stopped INSTANTLY, and just turned around and went back to their houses. It was thrilling.

Other times I'd open the window and direct it in their general direction and they stopped INSTANTLY. I kind of wonder if they reacted so "well" because they'd been trained to be guard dogs, where they're supposed to bark until told not to, and they knew the sound meant stop. It was pretty clear the little yapper who ignored the sound hadn't been trained to stop barking.

I'm looking with interest at the Stunick device linked to above, because I'm sure the Barx Buddy's range is more limited than that. But I'm telling you, even if the damn dog doesn't stop barking, I can't begin to describe how satisfying it is to know that you're getting into the beast's mind even a little bit.

 

[sengsational]

I’m wondering if some sound mitigation measures inside the home would help.
Edited to add: I’m referring to the inside of the OP’s home.

Decide to be happy you have the ability to hear anything, and move on. What is it about the sound of a dog barking inside the neighbor's house that it really a problem for you? Is it that you can't hear the TV? Well, increase the volume. Does it disturb your sleep? Buy a white noise machine. If it's simply that you are annoyed by it, that's in your control: choose not to be annoyed.

 

[DallasGuy]

Decide to be happy you have the ability to hear anything, and move on. What is it about the sound of a dog barking inside the neighbor's house that it really a problem for you? Is it that you can't hear the TV? Well, increase the volume. Does it disturb your sleep? Buy a white noise machine. If it's simply that you are annoyed by it, that's in your control: choose not to be annoyed.

In defense of the original poster, that's easy for you say. You're not the one that's subjected with loud barking day after day after day.... Until you have, you have no idea what it's like....it's like torture and the frustration builds up over time. I have been in a similar situation and still occasionally am. IT IS NOT FUN....and simply turning on a noise machine is not a good solution. I don't know what the solution is here. But just telling someone to basically "be happy you can hear and move on" is really insulting.

 

[Golden Mean]

Decide to be happy you have the ability to hear anything, and move on. What is it about the sound of a dog barking inside the neighbor's house that it really a problem for you? Is it that you can't hear the TV? Well, increase the volume. Does it disturb your sleep? Buy a white noise machine. If it's simply that you are annoyed by it, that's in your control: choose not to be annoyed.

I think you are making a lot of assumptions here. What if the homeowner wants to read, take a nap, watch tv at a normal level, listen to music, enjoy the birds? White noise machine isn't going to do anything.

I actually sold my last house and moved, partially due to a constantly barking dog.

 

[Koolau]

In defense of the original poster, that's easy for you say. You're not the one that's subjected with loud barking day after day after day.... Until you have, you have no idea what it's like....it's like torture and the frustration builds up over time. I have been in a similar situation and still occasionally am. IT IS NOT FUN....and simply turning on a noise machine is not a good solution. I don't know what the solution is here. But just telling someone to basically "be happy you can hear and move on" is really insulting.

Yeah, until you've been driven "crazy" by noise you can't control, you don't know what it's like.

There was a HUGE story about a woman here in the Islands who killed a peacock because it was "driving her crazy" with its screeching at all hours. I take no position on the woman's act(s) or the outcome as I wasn't there and I didn't attend the trial. But, interestingly, she was acquitted of animal cruelty.

 

[sengsational]

I think you are making a lot of assumptions here. What if the homeowner wants to read, take a nap, watch tv at a normal level, listen to music, enjoy the birds? White noise machine isn't going to do anything.

I actually sold my last house and moved, partially due to a constantly barking dog.

Another solution I have that is completely in the control of the OP:

 

[Drifter]

It is all about respect and varies depending on where you live. I wouldn't let my dog yap all day because maybe my neighbors don't want to listen to it. I would think my neighbors would do the same but nah.

 

[Aerides]

Another solution I have that is completely in the control of the OP:

I have a pair from Loop. They have a whole range of earplugs designed for all levels of noise reduction. they have a quiz to determine your best ones. They design in a way so that you can get, say "I want to be able to have conversations like normal but filter background noises" and they come with 4 different sizes of the part that goes into your ear (I need the extra smalls).

I use them on flights to drown out the chatter of those around me, or that guy behind me cracking pistachios with his teeth....

 

[braumeister]

I use them on flights to drown out the chatter of those around me, or that guy behind me cracking pistachios with his teeth....

Maybe I'm just lucky, but the noise canceling function of my AirPods Pro 2 works so well I really can't tell it apart from the big over-the-ears noise canceling headphones I used to use. Almost complete silence even on a noisy jet.

 

[GenXguy]

Earplugs including ANC ones don't help against dogs barking, plus then you are in danger of not hearing things you need to hear like alarms or many other things to live a peaceful life, like talking to people. Plus, they get uncomfortable after a while. The OP shouldn't have to do this. This is all on the selfish dog owner controlling their dog.

 

[Golden Mean]

Another solution I have that is completely in the control of the OP:

I've tried many things like this. $300-$400 Bose, Sony ANC headphones. All were returned. None of these noise canceling headphones deal with impulse noise. ANC earbuds are even worse at blocking out music, talking etc as some sound is conducted by our head and jaw. They excel at reducing constant noise like electric motors, fans etc.

The only thing close to helping was foam earplugs with the best sound blocking earmuffs (Peltor 30 db NRR) I could find. They are big, hot and sweaty.

I've even built sound plugs (layers of drywall with an airgap) for windows, but nothing is keeping close low frequency barking (or music) out, other than a purpose built soundproof room (without windows). Which isn't great if you'd like to enjoy your backyard.