Letter from dog warden today re. Excessive noise. Mortified.

[Schmoozer]

My fifteen year old lurcher has an outside kennel all warm and snug, she has the run of the garden whilst we are out at work most of the day,
She wears 3 coats, and i know she stays warm and dry,
Basically she is outside when we are out because she needs wees and poos quite often in her old age, and needs access to the garden.
We have never had a problem with her woofing while we are out,
We have a year old shitz zhu too who is also with her, and since we have had her, she annoys the lurcher at times, by trying to get her to play nudging, her, jumping etc..
And the old lurchers response to this is really loud woofing.
Which entertains the little, hence more woofing until they get fed up,
Well they must be annoying the neighbours, we got a letter, and now we are facing the prospect of keeping two dogs cooped up indoors for long periods, when they used to the run of the garden, and one is elderly and needs to go....
Nightmare. Any ideas ???

[D0oinMeCleanin]

Rehome the little dog to someone who has time for her, let the older one indoors and have someone call in midday to give some company and a loo break.

[PartridgeInASpicyPearTree]

What D0oin said. It's not fair on either of them, the little one to be left bored all day or the big one to be bothered by a much younger bored dog all day. They must both be very frustrated.

[TheCrackFox]

You can't leave a dog all day and you are being completely unfair on your dogs and your neighbour.

You need to at least get a dog walker in to give them a walk during the day.

[SauvignonBlanche]

You can't be completely surprised if you leave them alone all day?

[Floralnomad]

Rehome the youngster and get a dog flap fitted for the old one. I never quite get why people get a new young dog when they have an elderly dog as very often the older one doesn't enjoy being harassed by a puppy.

[SantaIAmSoFuckingRock]

i'm not surprised there is barking. i'd shout too if i was left alone outside to entertain a yappy youngster all day with no breaks.

[slambang]

Is the kennel heated?

[Schmoozer]

I don't Believe the young one needs rehoming,
We are out 830 am til 3
They have a good walk, and company with us the rest of the day,
They are well fed, and loved,
The younger one has just finished puppy school and starts junior school in the new year, she gets tons of attention, just not school hours,
I think a better home, where someone is available most of the day, is just not attainable for most dogs, ideal, but if that was thought to be the only acceptable option, a lot more dogs would be languishing in dogs homes...
We cant get home at lunchtime, we work too far away from home,
All our holidays all year round are organised so the dogs come with us, I think, on the whole, they have a good life.
Clearly we cant keep leaving them in the garden, too much barking, i will have to get out of bed earlier, and take them for a morning walk, and settle them into the house until we get home. Ive been thinking for a long time, i need to walk them in the morning, so i will action that now.
Unfortunately we cant install a dog flap, we only have pvc glass doors.
So thats not an option.
No the outside kennel is not heated, but it is hand built, thick, porch over the entrance, see through dog flap door, so the draft doesn't go in, full of dog bed / blanket, really cosy, and she often chooses to go out there rather than stay in the house with us, when it gets a bit rowdy. She is Definitely warm and dry in there.
Do you really think we are being unfair, and need to rehome ??!

[FromEsme]

I think 8.30 - 3 is too long to leave a young dog, yes.

[judefawley]

Dog day care?

I'm at home most days, this would drive me slightly bonkers.

[SDTGisAChristmassyWolefGenius]

Could the old lurcher stay in the garden/kennel, whilst the younger one stays indoors, with a dog walker going in to see them both at lunchtime?

[didldidi]

So they don't even get a morning walk either?

[CajaDeLaMemoria]

I don't think rehoming is on the cards.

What you do need to accept is that 8.30 til 3pm is too long. I appreciate that you are there the rest of the time, but to be honest, it'd probably be better if you left them 9 - 1 and 2 - 5. They'd be quieter, toileted and happier.

You can't help that, though. A longer walk may tire them out a little in the morning but it's not likely to significantly change the noise. Is it possible at all to get home to them at lunch? If not, look into either a doggy daycare type place that could look after both dogs, or someone to pop in once or twice a day to toilet and play with them.

To get a dog warden letter the noise must have driven someone mad, so I wouldn't risk another complaint. If there are no friends and family nearby who could go in, could you pay a neighbour to pop in? If not, try calling around a few people to visit at home. See if you can get a good rate - and don't be afraid to barter. Then try doggy daycare. You'll get a discount for having two dogs and some can be very cheap, but you'll have to factor in the cost of getting them there and picking them up.

At least with a daycare, you can ensure that your younger dog gets plenty of fuss, and your older dog can toilet as often as necessary, and will be able to sleep. They do do training etc too, so it could be very beneficial.

[Schmoozer]

We dont work near enough home to get back at lunch
Im a nurse, i dont even get a lunch break,
The only way would be dog walker going in to break up the day.
Bloody hell, thats going to cost me a fortune :(
Well somethings got to crack, cant keep doing what we are doing, and dont want to lose them.
Re the age gap, we had a second dog who died about 18 months ago, she was 8, the old dog really didnt like being on her own,
So the puppy was to be her company, puppy as opposed to older rescue dog, as we also have 5 yr dd and wanted to be as sure as poss re breeding, temp of parents etc...
For the most part old doggie seems quite settled with pup, lets her sleep on her bed etc, but does need to be able to get away, when she has had enough, which she has space to do.
I understand there are dog day care places but if its anything like child care fees we wouldn't afford it. I think dog walker going in, will be most realistic way forward.

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

Have you got a neighbour or friend who's at home that might help you out?

[PseudoBadger]

I get up at 5 (sometimes before!) to walk my dogs if I'm at work all day. And then they get a walk in the afternoon/evening too. And I'm lucky that my parents are here with them all day when I work. But if they weren't I'd pay someone, rather than lose my dogs. I hope you get something sorted.

[CajaDeLaMemoria]

Don't get too upset about prices yet.

I worked in a few different doggy daycare places when I was training in veterinary science.

They will barter on price to try and outdo each other. So get a quote, and use it to lower other quotes. Then see if you can lower it again. It's time-consuming, but some people would get hundreds off by doing this (and we had some people with 6 - 7 dogs!)

A daycare might be cheaper than a walker. Try both, and see if they are affordable options.

How well behaved is the pup on her own? If you gave her some intellectual toys (the proper ones - they last forever and should keep her entertained for hours!) with treats for rewards, would she bark? If she barks when she's lonely, that won't work, but it could be a temporary solution for now. Could you speak to a neighbour, explain you are doing something new, and keep her inside tomorrow? Put your old dog outside, as normal, and if you are sure she is warm enough she'll probably sleep. The young dog won't be able to wind her up, at least.

You'll just need to make sure your pup doesn't get bored or she may bark or howl anyway, and then your older dog will probably join in.

[poncyettia]

May I ask - what exactly did the letter from the dog warden say? Is it just to say they have received a complaint or is it telling you that they have already gathered evidence that the barking is a nuisance? There is a world of difference between the two.......

[Schmoozer]

No, we dont have someone who could pop in,
Family other counties,
Friends all work, neighbours ; nothing more than nods, and hello
No real rapport with neighbours as basis for asking favours,
Just not a particularly communicative area, as opposed to anything else.
Well i do appreciate we have been annoying, but now its come to a head, things will change,
Dog walk am.
Local mobile dogger going in during the day.
Home at 3.

[Schmoozer]

The letter said they had received a complaint,
And they hoped the issue would be resolved, if they received further complaints they may start evidence gathering.....

[Schmoozer]

Pup doesnt woof at all, as far as i know, that is,
She plays with toys, chases birds, digs my garden up :(
Etc. etc.
The old girly woofs when pup is on a wind up mission.
The old gal woofs really loudly which incites the young one to jump and dance about excitedly, which makes her woof more, when old girl has had enough of this, she goes in her kennel and pup gets on with something else, because old girl wont her in her kennel, pup has her own.
So its a bit of a game that they play, i guess if lurcher was younger they would tear around together.
When we are there, we intervene and distract pup and get her to play with us, or whatever,
When we are not there, i guess this loud behaviour, could go on for sometime, and has obviously been bloody annoying.

[slambang]

I think 8.30 to 3 is manageable for some dogs. Our terrier is on her own for exactly those hours and snores the entire time on the sofa. I sometimes come home at lunchtime and she doesn't even get up to acknowledge me until the proper time.

But I'm a bit shocked that an old dog is outside in this current weather for that long. It's bloody freezing. Barking may well be a warming up exercise or an attention seeking 'let me in please' tactic.

Bring them inside. Keep them in a room with a washable floor and get a dog walker if you possibly can.