Neighbor dogs barking incessantly--a very long rant

[texsuze]

Our pleasant rural way of life became drastically, terribly altered one year ago when our neighbor sold her 11 acre parcel to some people from the City. Our property surrounds theirs on 3 sides. Their house and huge metal barn sit at the top of a hill, with my barn on top of the next hill over. These folks have cross-fenced and are maintaining a dry-lot scenario on this place for a goat ranch operation. Dozens of goats in fenced paddocks and inside the 2400 sq. ft. metal barn.

They have a pair of untrained 'livestock guardian dogs' (GPs), plus a pair of golden retrievers who operate as a rowdy pack, barking at deer, birds, leaves, and air. None of the dogs knows their job, and behavioral boundaries are non-existent. When these folks first moved in, their dogs trespassed onto our property several times. I spent 3 hours one day patching the fence where they squeaked under. The dogs also squeeze under their main gate and roam our county road, making their way onto other neighboring properties. Everyone around here has some type of pets or livestock of their own. The owners told DH that although they understand the prevailing attitudes of canine trespass in this area, they've "come to terms with it" should their pack meet its demise at the business end of a neighbor's rifle.

With their hilltop location, plus the prevailing winds, we are subjected to non-stop bark-a-thons at our barn and our home (which is even further from their compound). I'm not talking occasional barking--this is constant, incessant, loud, every hour of every day and night. First thing in the a.m., before I get to my barn to do the chores, throughout the day, 9:30 p.m. when I do my night check, 11 p.m. when we can hear the pack even with our bedroom windows shut tight. Last week the canine chaos set in at 1:45 a.m. and did NOT let up until 2:30 a.m. Kicked in again around 3:30 a.m. ALL. THE. TIME. No exaggeration. I'm surprised the dogs don't go hoarse.

DH has had about three 'over-the-fence' type casual conversations with the husband, who fancies himself a real goat man, but who is apparently clueless about LGDs or neighborly responsibilities. The bark-a-thon relaxed for a few weeks after one of these chats, but has ramped up full force in the last several months. It's beyond us how these cretins can go merrily about their way living with the noise.

But wait, there's more! Adding insult to injury, after hosting a wedding event in one of the goat pastures this summer, these folks apparently decided they liked hearing loud music in addition to non-stop barking. The sound system inside their barn, used for post nuptial dancing, has now become the second wave of noise pollution emanating from their compound. We are subjected to the barn boom box, complete with garbled DJ speak and heavy bass reverb, hand-in-hand with the bark-a-thon--noise at all hours. Poor goats!

For 21 years we had peace and country quiet, despite an increasing and changing population of folks coming and going along our dead-end county road. Now we are going crazy, literally, with the assault on our senses from the dogs, and barn boom box. I'm completely at my wits end. Within the city limits, we'd have some recourse but being in the county in a rural setting, people seem to treat life as a wild west free-for-all. No enforceable codes, no accountability. Before I poison or shoot their dogs (truly not the dogs' fault) I'm composing a letter to the goat people, outlining the noise issue from our point of view ("we have rights, too"), suggesting some resolution that satisfies both parties if possible. I'll be direct, but unthreatening. I doubt it will have any effect; these folks are morons of the highest order.

Ranting here makes me squirm, but it helps me with the process, so thanks for tolerating this long post. Chime in with your supportive opinions, and any personal experience with these country-folk issues.

[Abby Kogler]

I am all sympathy. No matter where Jurgen and I have lived, whether a neighborhood or here in the county, we have had periodic dog neighbors that never. stopped. barking. It can make one absolutely crazy. I sooooo get it.

Most of the time here we have been ok. When we first moved in there was an endless barking dog up the hill...I drove up once day out of frustration to see where it lived and to maybe talk to the people...I found the house...it was an ancient beagle, probably blind and senile, head pressed against the chain link fence, barking methodically. The people weren't home. I didn't have the heart to complain about the poor old thing. Lucky for me they moved about six months later.

A house behind us is a rental. Every one who rents it seems to think that now they are in the country they can have a Big Dog and let it bark constantly. Its really been a problem through the years. Also lots of parties.

GPs seem the be the Country Dog du Jour here. Sadly, they are one of the breeds most often surrendered, because they bark and they wander, that is their genetic destiny. People are too lazy or too stupid to do any breed research and the breeders seem to be pretty cavalier about who they sell their puppies to. There are actually 5 or 6 GPs now in a Merced shelter. Its so sad. They are wonderful, loving dogs.

We got a rescue GP from a shitty home, like the one you describe. When she wandered they locked her up. Then she was chained outside 24/7/ Barked 24/7. Neighbors complained over and over. The owners finally surrendered her and I got her from the vet and rescue. Completely untrained and barked constantly. Why wouldn't she?! No one had ever given her a job or a purposed. I put her in a training collar and praised her for barking, told her that was enough and she was a good girl to alert us, asked her to stop, and beeped her, with huge praise when she stopped. It didn't take long. We both work at home and she is outside with me all day every day with the heeler and the GP/Anatolian/Aussie/Heeler mix. They know to bark when there is a coyote or bobcat or someone drives in and they know to stop when I say 'Im on it! good dogs!"

Most people get terribly defensive when you say their dogs are annoying. Bu not always. The latest renter neighbors got a frenchie puppy and it barkd ALL DAY EVERY DAY FOR HOURS. It was was making me crazy. I went up to there house and introduced myself, said our dogs will bark too, would you like to come meet them and swim on a hot day...and by the way your adorable puppy drives me crazy. They were really nice, took a suggestion about a collar, moved it to more away from us, and it has not been nearly as bad since.

I would talk to them Very Seriously. Say that you have been patient, that could would help them in any way you could with the dogs, but that you are not going to move and you are not going to listen to that any longer. I would start with saying you could call AC and get them nicked for neglect, or that you could call a Rescue, or that you will call the sheriff as many times as it takes. But It Has To Stop. That livig in the country means being a good neighbor, and that they are failing.

Good luck. Vent away, I totally get it.

[Koolkat]

Do you not have county codes in regards to this?

We're on 6 acres with a bit of a "family compound" below us. By that, I mean that there is a group of 5-6 closely spaced homes and everyone is related. In the house directly below us (gently sloping hill), lives a 70ish couple with a covered back porch. They owned a Pekinese, which they tied to their back porch whenever they let it out (yard not fenced). Unfortunately, the acoustics of us on the hill and the dog on a porch would have put a Roman amphitheater to shame. I swear we could hear the dog breathing. . . Anyway, it was an incessant barker, a very yappy high pitched barker. They would put the dog out, anytime day or night and leave it for hours. Even with your head under the pillow it sounded like it was in the room with you. . .
It was impossible to sleep. Did I mention we had jobs? I called a couple of times. I was told that that was just what (I can't remember what the little precious's name was) so and so did. The second time she said, "Look, we've lived here for 35 years". What that had to do with the issue was beyond my comprehension, I assume the meaning was that since we had lived here for less time, they had the right to disturb us at their convenience. I confess, I was reduced to going out on our front porch at 2:00 in the morning and screaming shut up along with obscenities. . . In the meantime, showing up for 9:00 am meetings with eyeballs backwards in my face, just wanting to pull them out and drop them directly into a cup of coffee = torture. I looked up county code and complaints about barking dogs had to be substantiated by neighbors (or brothers and sisters and nieces/nephews in this case. . ). Finally, after about 6 months, on one very bad night, I called animal control at 2:00 AM and left a very tearful message. Amazingly, they took action. The had the people fenced their backyard and take the dog off the rope. It made a huge difference. When it was excited, it ran and ran (and ran) the perimeter of the yard instead of barking and when it did bark, it often wasn't on the porch so the amphitheater effect wasn't quite so loud. A couple of years later, someone told me Mrs. So and So was still angry because I'd called animal control on them. They'd been given multiple opportunities/time to deal with the issue and had refused to do so. And of course, the dog was much happier. But who cares when it's really all about power/you can't tell me what to do.

Anyway, look into county code. I'm sure you have nuisance dog laws, and they will probably have good ways of dealing with the issue. If you need to document trespassing dogs, get a cheap game camera and strap it to a tree or fence post. Good luck, you very much have my sympathies.

[fergusnc]

That. Just. Sucks.

NC surely isn't Texas, and rural sure can vary, but FWIW, we have talked to our county sheriff's deputies before about nonstop, two hour, rapid, LOUD, big, gunfire after the third time it happened. Even though the ordinances were vague...from one interpretation they were too close to dwellings, from another it was fine...the deputies told us that there is a noise ordinance and they could always come for that. I asked qualifying questions about time of day, duration of noise...didn't matter. It was if that noise was interfering with us being able to live our lives...sleep, handle the horses without getting run over...my guys are good with guns but this was making my big guy freak the crap out, enjoy sitting outside for lunch, whatever. After five minutes or an hour.

I hope you get some resolution and relief. I'd suggest covertly helping dogs to a new home next time they wander, but folks that behave this way just bring home more. Poor goats. Poor dogs. Poor YOU!!!!

[heddylamar]

A couple of years later, someone told me Mrs. So and So was still angry because I'd called animal control on them.

Darn

We're in a different situation -- townhouse in suburbia -- but I've lived in the country many years. Anyway, a renter neighbor several years ago used to REV the engine of his over powered, muffler-tuned, muscle car. In. The. Garage. At 5 AM. Every. Day.

I recorded it, with decibel info overlay, and walked next door and asked him to please quit revving the engine at 5 AM. I didn't even need to share the recording from our third floor -- he didn't realize we could hear it SMH

I'd check into county ordinance. And get yourself some earplugs until something improves <3

[Tarlo Farm]

I'm on the planning committee for a very large, very diverse township. Check for a noise ordinance, not a dog ordinance. These are obviously terrible owners if they've "come to terms" with the idea their dogs may be shot or hit by vehicles. Bleh. Be the squeaky wheel until they get rid of the dogs.

[texsuze]

Thanks for the stories; it's no surprise to me that so many of ya'll have had these horrible experiences with dingdongs. I'll check but I seriously doubt there are noise ordinances in our county. We're in rural central Texas, with a STRONG agrarian cultural overlay and history in a state which tends to favor a "we'll do what we please" attitude. I love Texas, but not this way.

I've been looking at those sonic anti-bark devices that are supposedly activated by dogs barking. Kind of a feedback device that irritates the pups until they quit making noise. I'm willing to try anything. Also thought about rigging up an audio speaker, high up on our windmill, which sits 50' from our common fenceline. I'd need to find a geek who can set up a voice (rather...bark) recognition system so at every bark, the speaker would blast some heavy Wagner, or Rachmaninov (or maybe Radiohead into the goat people's airspace--music on my playlist but not on theirs. Retaliation would be sweet but is likely to only make matters worse.

DH says under no circumstances should I include 'suggestions' on what the goat people might do with their dogs, if I can get my Grievance Letter to them completed. But my thoughts were to suggest, in a nice, civil tone: some input from a professional canine trainer (for both the GPs and goldens), re-home the GPs to a larger property where they could do their job without interference from the family dogs and bring in a well-trained llama as the new (quiet) goat guardian, or explore some training devices that might work. DH says I'd pi$$ them off by making suggestions. What do ya'll think?

[Tarlo Farm]

I think they are clueless. And/or selfish beyond belief.

[Kelo]

Man that is the WORST.

My dogs get about 1 minute or less of random barking in the back yard before I'm after them. I HATE incessantly barking dogs. HATE it, it's noise pollution and there's no reason for it but laziness.

[kande50]

Someone bought the place across the road from us and started a doggie daycare. We didn't oppose it because we had no reason to. Over the years they've expanded to way over the agreed upon number of dogs on their permit, which hasn't been a problem because they're cooperative, responsible neighbors.

Our agreement with them is that we don't care how much noise they make during the day as long as it's quiet at night.

Twice, in about 5 years, they've had dogs start barking at night. I called them up and asked them to do something about the barking dogs and they came right home and took care of it. So maybe persistent phone calls from all the affected neighbors whenever the dogs are barking....?

[Rockabilly]

I have a story about a Amish guy who shot my dog. Lied about it and then said he had been wanting to shoot her for a while. I agree with you and like someone said the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

[piedmontfields]

Time and loss may be your only ultimate solution. I am in a similar environment in Tennessee, but we are all on larger acreages here (20-200 acres). I know my dogs bark when I put them in the kennel and prepare to leave for work (for about 5 minutes), a few 5 minutes rounds during the day when the FedEx driver comes or deer or something go by (because sometimes I work from home) and also when I pull up the drive. However, they do not bark non-stop or at night (they are inside then).

There are many neighboring farms that have dogs barking at 10 pm, 1 am, etc. The only thing that seems to truly shut them up are coyotes sounding larger and more numerous than the dogs. I think if more people who had non-functional livestock guardian dogs simply brought them in the house, they would shut up.

[texsuze]

Yes, Piedmont, there's no point in having a LGD who doesn't know their job unless one wants a pure pet. We are on 173 acres, our house being exactly in the center, and are the largest acreage on our dead-end road. Yet the distances between houses seem so close due to property lines and hilly terrain. Flat properties would stretch the distance between homesteads, but everyone is built on top of a hill.

I don't mind the occasional 'recognition' or even 'pseudo-alert' barking, but this pack has been going at it with gusto non-stop.

Latest development I'll relate: last weekend, after I'd done my usual night check at the barn ( +/-9:30pm), I drove the Gator up to our windmill, headlights shining on the "goat compound", and yelled at the barking dogs, just to let off steam. I was shouting things like, "hush up! be quiet! I'm sick of your barking!"--I did not use cuss words The barn boom box was going and I saw no one, presuming they were in the barn with music drowning out both canine chaos and my yelling. The next night----silence. The next day and night----silence. For nearly 4 days now, I've only heard the odd barking, perhaps coming from inside their barn. Once, I heard a short-duration (15 minutes) bark-a-thon, but the quiet has been uncanny. I'm waiting for the bomb to drop again. I don't for a minute think the goat people heard my shouting and put the dogs inside as a result. I'm betting they are busy at some goat confab thingy and stored the GP in the barn. Time will tell. I've held off finishing my Grievance Letter to them until the onslaught picks up again. Fingers crossed....

[Tarlo Farm]

Maybe they did. Maybe they heard the crazy neighbor lady yelling at their dogs and they got it. Got that they were driving you crazy. Fingers crossed for you.

[piedmontfields]

Txsuze, I am ashamed to admit that I have used a similar technique in the past, but with added profanity and threats. It actually did help quite a bit and the intrusion of neighbor dogs onto our property was greatly reduced. Probably the dogs listened and not the humans!

[texsuze]

The Silence of the Dogs continues..... The goat people quite possibly heard my hilltop rant (mentioned in earlier post), as the dogs seem to have greatly reduced their bark-a-thon sessions. Wonderful!! Also, absolutely NO barn boom box since I vented from our hill! It's been a huge improvement, go figure.

Question: Do I send a 'thanks' correspondence to the goat people, acknowledging the wonders of quiet (with no mention of my vent session), a sort of 'pat on the back' thing, in hopes they'll continue to keep the pack quiet, or should I just enjoy the time until they backslide again and send my Grievance Letter when the noise ramps up?

[Koolkat]

The Silence of the Dogs continues..... The goat people quite possibly heard my hilltop rant (mentioned in earlier post), as the dogs seem to have greatly reduced their bark-a-thon sessions. Wonderful!! Also, absolutely NO barn boom box since I vented from our hill! It's been a huge improvement, go figure.

Question: Do I send a 'thanks' correspondence to the goat people, acknowledging the wonders of quiet (with no mention of my vent session), a sort of 'pat on the back' thing, in hopes they'll continue to keep the pack quiet, or should I just enjoy the time until they backslide again and send my Grievance Letter when the noise ramps up?

I'd keep quiet and let sleeping dogs lie.

[piedmontfields]

I'm inclined to agree. Keep quiet, but consider another rant if necessary. If you are a rational, data driven person it is hard to realize that most people are not---(they are emotion-driven and very in the moment)---but it is useful to remember.

[Moutaineer]

I'm with Koolkat and Piedmont... just enjoy the peace. You've probably put the fear of God into them.

[heddylamar]

Until [IF] they say something, enjoy the silence.

[texsuze]

The goat dogs are ramping up again....I knew it was too good to be true Not constantly, like the previous 13 months had been, but I hear an increase in activity, especially at night. Last week, one of their bark-a-thons went from 10:45pm to 11:30pm. Without. Stopping. We could hear through our upstairs bedroom windows, which were closed.

I phoned goat man on his cell phone--Me: Sam (not his real name), it's 11:30pm and your dogs are barking. Can you do something to address the issue? We can hear them through our closed windows....
Sam: Oh, really I didn't realize. I'd better go check to see what they're barking at.
Me: Yeah, probably the blowing wind. (Thinking: e$$hole liar!) (Click)

Bark-a-thon continued for another solid 30 minutes, probably as a punitive action on his part. Anyway, I'm about to buy one of those bark silencer ultrasonic devices. I can mount it on a tree about 30 feet from our common fenceline and point it directly at the pack. I hope they work. Apparently they require some fine tuning during the initial couple weeks' setup. Can't implement this until we've got mom successfully relocated into her new home, so another few weeks and I'll be able to focus on bark silencing. Fingers crossed.

[Tarlo Farm]

I would have called ten minutes into it. And again. And again. And again. My sister used one of those devices for her dog - mounted it on her yard fence. Think it worked.