If you don't want to talk to them, then start calling animal control when they are barking. Many people don't understand that barking is an issue, and can be noise pollution. My dogs are permitted to bark to communicate, for a short while, then are told to be quiet. There was a local woman who actually was arrested because of her barking dogs. Even though I have 2 dogs, I find excessive barking to be extremely annoying.

My sympathies. I ,too, have dogs and the barking can shatter my skull! However, I have always taken great care so as not to affect others.

Some years ago, I had neighbors that let their dogs bark endlessly. We tried talking to them to no avail and finally called animal control multiple times. They never came out and said that that responses are based on priority. I told them it was a priority for me and they suggested I contact the local police.

Thankfully, their stay was short.

I have a blue box gadget that I used on my own dog when she would fuss over nothing to get her to stop. The idea is to give a command and push the button without them knowing it and the ultrasonic sound gets them to pay attention and learn. I used to visit a friend who lived down a road where there were multiple hounds on a property, who would bark and chase cars going by and some would turn away, but it was just too many of them to be concerned really, so wasn't effective. It might work with the neighbor dogs, and no one would have to even know about it since it doesn't hurt them and isn't abusive or inhumane. If it doesn't change things then return the gadget and set about to either put up with it; move from your home; or report them to make it as miserable for them as it is for you. Link is to what I have, but mine came from a gadget catalog and cost about 8 bucks several years ago. Okay, so I tried posting a link twice, but it won't come up. Go to Walmart's site and look up Pet Zoom Pet Trainer to see what I'm talking about. It's also on Amazon, along with other gadgets that hang like a bird feeder to stop barking. Good Luck!

Manufacturer says range is 20 feet.

I've tried discussing this matter with neighbors in a polite way in the past and was met with hostility. I suggest calling animal control. I had to do this in my old neighborhood last year and the cop who showed up said it was the worst dog barking violation he'd ever encountered. The owner was fined 282 dollars. She was a repeat offender. Once people feel the pinch in their pocket book, they become more "polite".

Junebug1961 - I'm glad to hear you spoke with your neighbors first but sorry they treated you poorly. A few months ago I came home from to find a note taped to my house stating that my dogs were barking and disrupting the peace and quiet, demanded I keep them inside after 5:00 p.m. (umm, that's a long time until morning to not have a potty break), and if I didn't stop them, they (implying all neighbors) would band together and call the police (although I feel it was only one neighbor that did this). I was shocked as I had no idea when I was gone my dogs would go outside through the doggy door and bark. I felt sorry the dogs were doing this but also humiliated that people were so upset with me. I wished they had spoken to me first - instead I just felt attacked. I was embarrassed to go out with my dogs. Now I keep them in when I'm gone, and when I go to work I pay someone to come let them out for a potty break. I wish my neighbor (whoever it was) had handled it the way you did. And I wish your neighbors had been more receptive and responsive to you.

Loretta, if you are gone all day at work I hope you are hiring a dog walker to come and take your dogs out for some daily exercise. Usually tired dogs are quiet dogs.

Weathy, she did say that she had someone come take them out "when I go to work I pay someone to come let them out for a potty break".

DebraW, re: dogs home all day, yes, dogs being let out for pee/pooing is great. With daily exercise like an hour walk (depending on dog's age/health) tired dogs are happy and quiet dogs. Maybe you meant the potty breaks included a game of fetch or other back yard play. :-)

In the case of my neighbour's dogs, they have a large property (50 acres) to stretch and play in. I would say the dogs are between 3-5 years old and possibly a yellow lab mix. I see them happily racing across the fields behind my house chasing birds and harassing the groundhogs to their hearts content. We live on a gravel road and the dogs hear when a car is going down our road. They run and play all day, but that doesn't stop them from barking at any vehicle that passes. The dogs are not tied up. If we are standing at the fence chatting with the neighbors, (we are on friendly terms), the dogs will stand there and bark at us the entire time. Not once does the owner shush them. Unfortunately in this case, these happy, well exercised dogs are not quiet

It is a terrible thing, the barking of dogs. When I first came here, to a very rural part of Ireland, a woman on the neighbouring farm had dogs that barked all night every night. He clearly kept them chained up in the back field, even in storms. A t errible howling then. Sheer terror I met the owner once in town and tried talking to her but she brushed me aside and said the dogs were fine. NOT!i So I wrote, then when that had no effect, called the area Vet officer, and the SPCA and as many animal groups as I could find, or, rather, emailed them. That worked thankfully and now I only ever hear them when there is justification . My dog is always inside if I am out, or when folk arrive and she barks. That is her job; I am alone in a very isolated house and she is my alarm dog . I would not dream of letting her disturb others . Sometimes the only way is to involve officialdom if you have tried a simple direct approach as I did .

I came over to this forum to ask about this very subject. My neighbors recently got a smaller dog that barks constantly when they are not home. It is a shrill yap. The dog is inside but our houses are very close. If I sit on my patio, all I hear is yapping. I can hear it inside with the doors and windows closed.

I have not yet talked to the neighbor, but plan to, in a friendly way. However, from past experience I have a feeling her answer will be that there's nothing they can do. Once before I asked them to please turn off a floodlight that shine in my bedroom window and they said no, that it keeps the raccoons away. That's a joke, I can see the raccoons in their trash every night. They simply are not the cooperative type. Their attitude is that it is my problem, nit theirs.

Anyway, is there any reliable way to train a yappy little dog to not not bark? I'd like to be able to suggest this to them.

Ultrasonic birdhouse bark deterrent. It looks like a birdhouse but emits a sound dogs hate, but you can't hear

It works well.

Not sure if it will work on dogs inside a house.

For the inside dogs, I'd probably give neighbor a note that says "you may not be aware, but I think your dogs may have separation anxiety. They bark nonstop when you are gone." Also a book on separation anxiety, and a bottle of 1 MG melatonin. Dosage for dogs is 1 MG per 20 lbs. (To a max total of 3 MG. For an 80 lb dog, for example).

As you're probably already aware, the dog is most likely showing signs of separation anxiety. I've attached an article from Cesar's site that can help you understand it better. Not everyone buys into what he says but his methods have always worked well for us. Obviously, it would take work on their part so like you said, it's probably a waste of breath and effort but....

Neighbors like yours can be the worst because it's impossible to reason with ignorance however you may still have recourse. Our town has laws that protect neighbors from unwanted noise including the non stop barking of a dog; maybe yours does as well. Rather than try to be nice, I'd make a call and have a deputy or officer go talk to them instead, then not only will your dismay remain anonymous but you will have documentation of your efforts on record should your issues with them escalate later. Hate to think like that but again when dealing with ignorance...

Dealing with dog anxiety

Sorry I did not check back here sooner. Thanks for your responses. Yes, I believe the dog has anxiety. I think it is rather cruel to leave the dog in distress like that for hours. Maybe he will soon get the idea that his family will return, but I kind of doubt it.

Since we live so close, I really want to try to keep good relations. I will soon leave a note or talk to er when I see her, although she is a rigid sort of person. I think I am the only neighbor who hears it. The other neighbors work during the day and their houses are situated differently. I think the medication is a good idea and may be the only thing that will work. I do wish people would think more carefully before getting a pet and be responsible owners.

I agree, it is cruel and sad. I hope it works out.

Probably the owners have no idea what is happening when they are out. Had a neighbour once, farmer, who went off to cut turf and for some reason left his wee Jack tied up at the house. That dog barked non stop for eight hours. Left a note on his door expressing great concern and offering to call a vet for him. He was angry but the dog never did that again. He had no idea. I get very crafty. Old man at another farm ; snow on the ground and dog chained up outside in true Irish fashion and in great distress. I was chatting to a road worker and asked if the old man was alone there as the dog was barking non stop and I was worried in case he was ill etc, what with the bad weather. I said that if it went on I really would have to call the Gardai and ask them to check on him... The dog was quiet after that... I would seriously involve officialdom. We have no real animal protection laws in Ireland you see; still following 1917 rules.. A great pity to have to medicate a dog like that though. And yes, they should be careful; my wee dog was taught that sometimes I go out. But always I came back

Thanks. I am sure she knows the dog barks. When she drives in, the dog is yapping away and does not stop until she is in the house. He also starts up the minute she walks out the door. We had another situation on our street with a Bernese Mt dog who was in the yard and barked all the time. A neighbor is a college professor and worked from home some of the time. He finally warned the owners that the dog had to be kept quiet or he would call the authorities. They kept the dog indoors much more because they could not stop the barking. Bernese are rather short lived so the problem was ultimately solved when the dog died.

When we moved my old dog was a mess, trying to figure out what was going on. He started barking when we left. We would rush back inside and scold him and then he was quiet. He also figured out that we were coming back and stopped the barking, thank goodness.