Dog Owner: You work 9-5 Monday through Friday. As you come home, your dog barks to welcome you home and you gladly welcome your pet inside the house. You realize that your pet does seem to bark a little more than necessary, but you think that a few barks periodically do not constitute a “problem”. In fact, the barking makes you feel safer. Unfortunately, whatever the details, your dog is disturbing your neighbor.

A barking dog can result in neighborhood disputes. Pet problems can soon become “people problems.” Barking dog problems can be resolved in an amicable fashion if communication, patience, and politeness are part of the process. Barking dog problems are rarely solved quickly! Discussions between the dog owner and the concerned citizen, explaining the problem, will probably resolve the issue. As the pet owner, letting your neighbor know that you are working toward a solution will probably allow you the time to find the correct solution for your household and your pet!

It is important for the dog owner to determine why their dog is barking. Is it genetically prone to barking as most herding dogs are? Is it bored? Lonely? Is the barking stimulated by territorial disputes? Is your dog afraid? If you know why your dog is barking, then it is much easier to know how to resolve the problem. Your veterinarian or a pet behaviorist may be necessary to help you make this diagnosis and develop a plan of action.

Here are some ideas for the dog owner to try that may curb their dog’s disturbing barking:

Privacy Fence: Certain dog’s barking will be reduced if they are not able to see the activities that occur outside of their yard. A solid privacy fence blocks much of their view. This may work for territorial and nervous barking.

Indoors: Move the dog inside. Again, if he cannot see and now, cannot hear what is going on outside, he’ll be less likely to bark. Should he bark inside, he’ll only disturb your household, not your neighbor. If your dog is not housebroken, crate train your pet.

Crate training is a wonderful and humane tool that keeps your home and your pet safe when you are not home. Many people use a bathroom or utility room instead of a crate. All barking dogs improve with this solution.
 

Location Change: If the dog stays outdoors, moving the dog away from the person being disturbed may be helpful. Cross fencing or creating a pen make solve your noise problem. Unfortunately, this solution may not be sufficient or may create a problem for another neighbor. This method works best on nervous and territorial barkers.

Bark Collars: There are training collars that may deter your dog’s barking. Training by the pet owner and collar maintenance are necessary for this tool to work. You cannot just put the collar on the dog and expect the barking to stop. Bark collars have two different training formats – smell and shock. Both are negative stimuli training mechanisms.

Citronella collars give the dog a short burst of citronella near their nose. Although the smell is not harmful to the dog, they do not like this smell and learn that no barking equals no smell. Shock collars work in the same manner, but a low voltage shock is given as the negative stimuli. These collars can be effective with those dogs that are genetically predisposed to barking, like herding dogs and territorial barkers. Some anxious dogs do not respond as well to the shock collars, but respond very nicely to the smell collars. Remember to purchase a more expensive training collar, minimum of $100 to insure a quality product. Visit on-line vendors and local specialty pet stores. Talk with your veterinarian.

De-barking procedure: This simple solution is controversial! It is a surgical procedure performed by a veterinarian which will not allow your dog to make a complete barking noise. Most veterinarians do not perform this procedure so you may be referred to a referral practice. Pain medication will be prescribed for your dog during the healing process. Your pet will still be able to bark, but the noise will be dramatically reduced to a soft hoarse noise. If your veterinarian does not have a referral practice, have your veterinarian contact the Huntsville Animal Services’ director for information.

Re-home: You can find a new home for your dog. Yet, remember that a new home may create a new problem for the new neighbors. But, a new home may mean a new situation where the dog’s barking will not be a problem such as an indoor only dog, a large fenced area without adjoining neighbors, or playmates for the bored barker.

Euthanasia: This is a drastic, permanent solution that does not make anyone happy. Neighbors do no want your dog to be euthanized; they only want the noise to cease. Unfortunately, some pet owners are often unwilling or unable to solve their dog’s barking and euthanasia is their answer. Obviously, we recommend this solution only as a last option. We do not want owners abandoning or releasing their pets, therefore; Animal Services will accept all pets with behavioral problems. Due to the high surplus of pets, we are not able to adopt all of our healthy dogs, especially those with barking problems.

Nothing: This is an option. You can do nothing! It is your neighbor’s responsibility to have you and possibly other neighbors brought to municipal court. We do not recommend this approach as it does not build good relationships in the neighborhood.

Animal Services’ Role: Our department does not and can not write citation or remove dogs from pet owners. Nationally, barking dog issues can be extremely hard to resolve. Our department can only act as a mediator and educator. We work to help the two households find a solution that is comfortable for both parties. Unfortunately, about 25% of these situation are not resolved with communication. The determination of the “nuisance bark dog” must be made by a City Judge and the complainant must be the one that asks the City Magistrate to issue a “summons to court” for the dog owner and any witnesses. We, Animal Service Officers and staff, can be summons be either party for their case.

Neighbor Court Appeal: You have been patient! You have talked with your dog owner. We have talked with the dog owner. Time has been allowed, but the problem still exists. Now what can you do? Because you are the victim in this situation, you must personally appear before the City Magistrate to get a warrant against the dog owner which would require the owner to appear in court about the dog’s disturbing noise. You, the complainant, have the burden of proof in this situation. So your “bark journal” (date, time, duration of barking, and what instigated the barking), any videos of the barking dog, other neighbors who can testify as witnesses, and Animal Service’s records should be brought to court as evidence.

Contact Information:
Huntsville Municipal Court
815 Wheeler Avenue

Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. 427-7800.