Barking dog...again

[hillarycamp]

Hi everyone -

I've very late to this thread - I don't check the BB very often. 

However, we have a house full of dogs right now (one extra small, extra barky one that we're watching for a few months) + 1 Full Great Pyreness + 1 half GP + 1 medium mixed breed that is not the problem.

I concur with Jackie that GP's especially are very attuned to wildlife around (we get bears in our back area + foxes and other critters). They, unfortunately, also bark at all of our lovely neighbors walking down Main St., and for that I am very sorry. 

Someone mentioned that the dog owner of a particular dog must be deaf and you're correct - I have severe hearing loss. I am at home alone with the dogs while I'm working all day. Sometimes they are outside and I'm on a video call and cannot get off the call to bring them in. Again, I am very sorry for any disturbances.

At night, we try to make sure they are all in by about 9pm. However, our very large, very hairy, very old GP sometimes wants to stay out longer at night in the cool air. My husband is usually really attentive and tries to bring him in if he's barking for more than a few minutes. 

Also, regarding bark collars - we've tried those and they don't work on dogs like GPs with very thick woolly hair around their necks. I haven't tried the specific training suggested, but we've tried a lot of other things. GPs are barkers, but they're really good at keeping the bears from breaking into our house.

If anyone would like to reach out to me directly on this topic, or if you are having an issue about our dogs, I welcome that. It pains me to hear that people think the only recourse is to call Animal Control. I would much prefer speaking to any of my neighbors about this in person. We exchanged phone numbers with our sweet neighbor above us so that he can let me know if there is a barking dog that is disturbing him. (I get my text messages even when I can't hear the dog).

So please, this is a lovely, sweet small town. Let's be kind to each other. I will do whatever I can to help out and to encourage a better situation in relation to dogs barking. There are a lot of dogs in town and dogs do bark, but I am willing to do what I can to help reduce the disturbance to my neighbors.

Hillary
51 Main

[RobertH]

Hi everyone -

I've very late to this thread - I don't check the BB very often. 

However, we have a house full of dogs right now (one extra small, extra barky one that we're watching for a few months) + 1 Full Great Pyreness + 1 half GP + 1 medium mixed breed that is not the problem.

I concur with Jackie that GP's especially are very attuned to wildlife around (we get bears in our back area + foxes and other critters). They, unfortunately, also bark at all of our lovely neighbors walking down Main St., and for that I am very sorry. 

Someone mentioned that the dog owner of a particular dog must be deaf and you're correct - I have severe hearing loss. I am at home alone with the dogs while I'm working all day. Sometimes they are outside and I'm on a video call and cannot get off the call to bring them in. Again, I am very sorry for any disturbances.

At night, we try to make sure they are all in by about 9pm. However, our very large, very hairy, very old GP sometimes wants to stay out longer at night in the cool air. My husband is usually really attentive and tries to bring him in if he's barking for more than a few minutes. 

Also, regarding bark collars - we've tried those and they don't work on dogs like GPs with very thick woolly hair around their necks. I haven't tried the specific training suggested, but we've tried a lot of other things. GPs are barkers, but they're really good at keeping the bears from breaking into our house.

If anyone would like to reach out to me directly on this topic, or if you are having an issue about our dogs, I welcome that. It pains me to hear that people think the only recourse is to call Animal Control. I would much prefer speaking to any of my neighbors about this in person. We exchanged phone numbers with our sweet neighbor above us so that he can let me know if there is a barking dog that is disturbing him. (I get my text messages even when I can't hear the dog).

So please, this is a lovely, sweet small town. Let's be kind to each other. I will do whatever I can to help out and to encourage a better situation in relation to dogs barking. There are a lot of dogs in town and dogs do bark, but I am willing to do what I can to help reduce the disturbance to my neighbors.

Hillary
51 Main

[RobertH]

In my  experience  it's futile  to try negotiation with dog owners.   Jamestown has dog ordinances, as does BoCo.
Calling animal control is the only solution that I've found to be effective.
Please call Sheriff's Officer Sarah Spensieri, who is the head of Animal Control - Direct Line 303 441 1360
She will have you
a) Collect photos and recordings.
b) Document times of barking incidents and keep notes
c) get neighbors to complain for verification.
After giving her a call, email her:   SSpensieri@bouldercounty.org

Dog owners, dogs and the rest of us make the community sweet, so here's some info that might be edifying for Hillary.

The ordinances exist for these reasons:
* Your neighbors have the right to the quiet enjoyment of their homes at all times of the day and night.
* Barking dog conflicts can lead to violence to the dog or the owner.  And as you can imagine, barking is a trigger that doesn't seem to let up.
* Dogs pack.  Their behavior as a pack is different  than as individuals.
* Dogs chase wildlife - maybe good in the case of bears, and anthropocentric notions aren't necessarily bad,  but it's  yet  another predation on the wild ones.
* They knock over old  folks (like me) with their friendly greetings.  And I like dogs.
* In  2023, I suffered two dog bites that required visits to the doctor.  In  both cases  the owner said "but my dog is friendly".
   Imagine if I were child ... 
   Biting is unpredictable - more so outside the home.
   In both cases,  the owner called the dog and the dog was all friendly again in seconds.
* Dogs can go nuts over cyclists and cause injury
* Dogs  on icy roads can cause car crashes  when the driver (naturally) swerves to avoid Fido.  Not at Ivydell, but close to there.
* I'm sure you can imagine more reasons.

The heat has stressed everyone out, but this situation existed before the hot spell.
Hillary, I  bet you could save yourself some hassle by calling Sarah at  303 441 1360.   I worked with her on a complaint,
and she cares about animals and has concrete suggestions for dog  owners - that's her job.   
She does NOT want to write you a summons and have  to go through legal process.

I agree that shock collars are a  cruelty, and that rewardian training methods are effective.   I would imagine if you call her and implement her
suggestions and let folks know that you're doing so, the complaints will vanish.  
Oh - when I went through this on the complaint side, she made sure that I wasn't  being snarky or  doing some kind of vendetta.
And these days when my neighbor's 3 dogs do have a barkfest, or leave me a little gift, it's OK - they're dogs - and I can overlook
infrequent behavior.  My neighbor is part  of my community, and in an emergency we might have to rely on each other.

Owning a dog used to be inexpensive.   We tend  to remember the goodoldays.  The best parallel I can come up with is understating
real expense of car ownership. We don't want to realize pet ownership costs - and this includes training and the time it's going  to take.

I just dropped $2000 on my cat Thomas Aquinas who had ashtma and pneumonia concurrently.  The Veterinary Emergency Group down by Trader  Joe's
looks like an emergency room for humans, and Uniquely Cats across 28th St. saved him.  A regular dog-oriented
vet was ineffective.  I guess where I'm going is that the "standard of care" for our pets has changed (for the better, but at a cost) over time.

In addition to pre-empting legal trouble by talking to Sarah, you could:
* keep the dogs indoors during zoom calls
* give your neighbors your phone number to  call you when the dogs are disturbing them.

If Hillary is able to avert this slow-moving train wreck, I  will perform a special entertainment
in the little park ramada.   It will involve my Grace Jones impersonation - I'll slow-dance to a Bee Gees tune in a wetsuit 
filled with warm beef stew at sunset on a misty December day.   

Now which one of you little rascals hid my meds ???

Good  luck!

[John Hardman]

Couldn't help myself 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/acDy6uqJPkY

Love Lila.  ^-_-^  

[Nancy Farmer]

Dan Novak - thank you for the resource - my own very elderly dog has started barking nonstop since my other dog died and I hope it's not driving my neighbors crazy. I will try to be more mindful.

Also, folks, Donkol lives on the Bar-K and Hollis lives in JT, so they are two separate situations. I'm not saying that endless barking is acceptable, but it's not the same location.

[Hollis]

I tired to sit on my back porch this morning 4 different times to enjoy some peace and quiet between the hours of 6 am and noon, didn't make it, each time I went out, sat down with a cup of coffee, within less than 5 minutes, dogs barking, from the south side and then from across the street, then some dogs on what sounded like Ward St. decided to join in, a cacophony of unnecessary barking.
As I type, I'm hearing them again. It's never ending.
Unfriggin' believable.
It looks like contacting animal control is my only option.

[Hollis]

Never ending, been home an hour, each time I try to sit outside for some peace and quiet, there are dogs barking all over town, one on the west end of town nonstop for the last 30 minutes, 2 yappers across the street at anything that moves, one up the hill I can hear from inside its house, these poor dogs sound as if they're bored, lonely, or distressed.

I actually feel sorry for them and it seems as if their owners are absent, and or just oblivious.
I can't be healthy for dogs to bark so much.

Here they go again, go outside and listen, absolutely nutz!

And it's not just today, it's everyday, just after dawn to shortly after dusk.

[O'B's]

Hey Hollis-
I feel your pain. Our dog is pretty quiet, unless he's out front and another dog goes by, but it's brief. Kind of like watching the speeders on lower main when we sit out on our porch. We try to ignore them but everyone has a breaking point. Have you tried locating the dogs and talking with their owners directly?

[hockeytim1992]

It is out of control this morning. 

I watched the mean, old laberdoodle that roams freely near the big park snap at some kids the other day. 
Leash your dog up & pick up its shit.

[Hollis]

Hey Hollis-
I feel your pain. Our dog is pretty quiet, unless he's out front and another dog goes by, but it's brief. Kind of like watching the speeders on lower main when we sit out on our porch. We try to ignore them but everyone has a breaking point. Have you tried locating the dogs and talking with their owners directly?

OB, The owners know...

Have you ever tried telling a parent with a problem child that their parenting abilities could use some improvement?

[Rich-17WardSt]

I tired to sit on my back porch this morning 4 different times to enjoy some peace and quiet between the hours of 6 am and noon, didn't make it, each time I went out, sat down with a cup of coffee, within less than 5 minutes, dogs barking, from the south side and then from across the street, then some dogs on what sounded like Ward St. decided to join in, a cacophony of unnecessary barking.
As I type, I'm hearing them again. It's never ending.
Unfriggin' believable.
It looks like contacting animal control is my only option.

Hey Hollis,
Dogs do bark, and a friendly neighbor should let a little bit slide. But there is clearly a point when there is TOO much barking. And then their human guardian should take preventive steps (exercise their dog MORE/bark collar) to alleviate the problem. I live across the creek from you on Ward St., and my dog Lily has a big bark, but doesn't bark incessantly. She definitely is not as well behaved as Rowan, my former, super, well-behaved dog. Please let me know (303) 709-1816 if her barking causes a hassle for you.

[Hollis]

Hey Hollis,
Dogs do bark, and a friendly neighbor should let a little bit slide. But there is clearly a point when there is TOO much barking. And then their human guardian should take preventive steps (exercise their dog MORE/bark collar) to alleviate the problem. I live across the creek from you on Ward St., and my dog Lily has a big bark, but doesn't bark incessantly. She definitely is not as well behaved as Rowan, my former, super, well-behaved dog. Please let me know (303) 709-1816 if her barking causes a hassle for you.

Rich, I've been letting "a little bit slide" for years, like 15 years,  I'd venture to say that makes me a pretty good neighbor. 

I think a better, more effective use of a Bark Collar would be for the owner to wear one, that more than likely would alleviate the problem in a short time and would save a "friendly neighbor" the hassle of having to call their good neighbor.

Since this topic has come up, I've had a handful of folks contact me agreeing and mentioning that it puts them in an awkward position to have to contact their neighbor and some are concerned about the situation getting ugly.

This thread has nearly 2,000 views, and not one reply stating that they enjoy dogs barking or that would honestly say that it doesn't bother them.

[Julia]

For what it’s worth:

I’ve raised generations of chocolate labs and have lived next to all sorts of disruptive barking dogs. In my experience, many dog owners become accustomed to their dogs barking and don’t realized how disruptive it can be. So communication can help.

More importantly, with some effort and no punishment, you can train dogs to not bark when someone or something goes past their home or when they are frustrated or unhappy. I trained my dogs to only bark briefly when someone was standing in front of my door. No barking when anything walked down the street. That way barking was a single woof or two and occasional and anyone who wasn’t a friend would know I had a protective dog. You can teach a dog to not bark even with someone on your doorstep as well. You use the quiet command and rewards when dogs are quiet, but not punishment or even scolding when they bark. Your dogs want to please you and they will figure out what you want, if you put in the effort. Also, you must insure that your dogs are happy, healthy, well exercised and feel secure. You have to be their alpha. The internet has many resources for the process. A group of dog owners could probably find someone to come up and help train their dogs too.

[O'B's]

In a kind and polite way, yes, and it was effective. Can you slow the Main St speeders down? With all of its imperfections, it's still our town.