It would’ve been great if I discovered how to stop my neighbor’s dog from barking when it was really annoying. They were always leaving their screen door open when they were away. They also had two dogs that used to bark all the time. Despite filling many noise complaints, nothing was done about the noise. Our neighborhood became filled with more and more cranky neighbors as we were all getting less sleep than required for starters, and the constant barking was simply annoying and gave us headaches while wearing on our nerves.

I am in no way implying that dogs should not bark! They are dogs and that is what they do. There are situations when barking is really necessary. A dog can be left outside by mistake, it can get lonely, it can be hurt or anxious at something, or it can simply feel frustrated when being locked up. Or it can bark when it finds something very intriguing. Not all people realize that giving the dog rewards when it barks, such as a good treat or special attention, will only make it bark louder and more often, rather than calm it down. In reality, it is showing the dogs that this is a good behavior and that if they want more attention, all they need to do is to continue barking more.

Leaving your dog outside is not the best solution. It pretty much then comes with a guarantee that there will be problems with your neighbors, not to mention that there is no way to protect your canine from sudden bad weather. Some dogs are held in crates while their owners are away, but they shouldn’t be kept there for more than four hours at a time. There are other alternatives you can resort to, for instance a large area in your house or apartment where the dog can create its own space where it feels safe and comfortable. Do not forget that the dog also needs a bathroom. Buy it a litter tray, or use a pile of newspapers in the farthest corner of the room. A better alternative would be to make it a doggie door so it can go outside to do its business.

All this might not be enough for your dog to stop barking all the time. If this is the situation, then you should probably think of buying it a special bark collar. If it’s the neighbor’s dog that’s so loud, and you don’t want to confront its owner face to face, write him a letter in which you explain the situation and ask him to take the appropriate measures. Sometimes people don’t even realize what problems their dogs cause while they are away at work. If he doesn’t pay attention to your letter, you may write him again or, better, confront him directly and suggest him to buy his dog a bark collar.  

If dogs are loud all the time, then you should do something about it. If barking turns becomes a constant habit for your neighbor’s dog, suggest him to buy his dog a bark collar. If you want to read more about how you could solve the barking problems with a bark collar, click on this link.