AIBU to want more awareness from dog owners?

[Continuewithfacebook]

I’m an animal lover, I have two cats, and even though I've never owned a dog, I love dogs also. However now that my teens are older, I don’t have the inclination to dedicate myself to another creature, and I don’t think it would be fair to the dog if I couldn’t give it the attention it deserves.
When we moved to our current neighbourhood about 10 years ago, only a few neighbours had dogs. They were well-trained, rarely heard, and the street was very peaceful.
Since lockdown, there’s been a surge in dog ownership on our road. Many seem to have gone for the same kind of breed, cavapoos or similar, and what used to be a quiet street is now filled with near-constant barking.
The dog next door, for instance, is often left outside and barks at another dog that lives behind us. They set each other off and it goes on and on. It’s honestly exhausting and headache inducing to listen to.
I do understand that dogs bark, that’s part of who they are. But my neighbour on the other side to us has had a dog for years and we’ve never heard a peep from it. So I’m left wondering: is it naive to think that with the right training, barking can be better managed? Or are some breeds just more vocal and there’s not much to be done?
It feels like some newer owners aren’t fully aware of how upsetting the noise is. I don’t think it’s malicious obviously, perhaps it’s a bit like when people become new parents and temporarily forget the world around them.
Even socially, I’ve noticed things have shifted. Some friends now only want to meet for dog walks, and I find it hard to have a proper conversation while they’re managing the dog or chatting with other dog owners.
I know this all makes me sound grumpier than I am but I’m genuinely curious what others think. Is it fair to expect a bit more awareness from dog owners?

I agree about the barking. I hate yappy dogs.

Don’t agree with your complaint about the walks though. The world does not revolve around you any more that it does around the dogs.

Probably the same owners that let their dogs bound up to people in public whilst laughing saying “it’s ok, he’s friendly”.

There seems to be a sense of entitlement amongst some dogs owners, thinking they don’t need to train them these days, and that everyone loves their fur baby too.

We are still in the period of increased dog ownership driven by lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 - there is a lack of space for all these dogs in urban areas. I think once the lockdown generation of dogs die, dog ownership will settle back down again.

I am a dog owner so I am biased but even before owning a dog I quite liked listening to them shouting at each other. It goes back to 101 Dalmatian’s and the description of twighlight barking. But, living next door to a dog that is constantly barking is a noise nuisance and the owners should be doing something about it.

I think that the pandemic encouraged people to get dogs so they could legitimately go out several times to walk them. I think the animal charities would say that we’’ve been seeing the results of that for a couple of years now, as things got back to a different normal, people returned to hybrid working and dogs were left alone.

I think there were also people who really had no clue how to care for, or train a dog and got fed up with the time and effort it takes. Certainly, where we used to live, dog ownership increased exponentially, as did dog mess, despite the prolific number of dog bins. What’s worse is the number of incidents that have occurred with poorly trained and out of control dogs. I stopped walking the fields locally because it was both unpleasant and scary.

There are aware dog owners, of course there are. But there are definitely those who aren’t.

I think the new cavapoos type breeds are particularly yappy, they also don't like being alone at all.

I would say the increase in barking is because of the increase in dogs. Obviously if there are 2 dogs in the street and they barking once a day it's not a big deal, if there are 20 barking once a day it's a very different situation. There is also the fact that they are likely to live closer together, statistically more likely to go out at the same times, and one barking is more likely to set others off. It doesn't necessarily mean worse behavior, but it is multiplied which makes it harder to manage, and as a non owner you will notice it more. Also some people may be less inclined to try and keep their dog from barking because 'everyone else is'.
Adding to the fact there are more dogs is also lockdown impacting on training and socialisation in young dogs and the fact that as employers push for more people to return to the office circumstances may be changing and dogs that have previously had company are now being left alone more. This may also be why you are seeing people wanting to socialise with their dogs. There are so many factors.
I don't think you are wrong, but I'm not sure what the answer is. Unless everyone who lives near you collectively begin to make changes you are unlikely to see a real difference.

I have a dog who generally isn't a barky dog. But there is another dog that has recently made an appearance somewhere nearby that yaps and yaps constantly. It sets my dog off and I ended up bringing her in, which is unfair as she likes to mooch round the garden.

I have made progress with her though, I have now got to the point where I can call her name or clap to get her attention and if she is feeling amiable she will then have one more bark, then drop it. And she gets to stay out. But if she is not feeling amiable, then I still end up bringing her in.

I just wish the other owners would do the same and try to keep their dog quiet too.

I have a yappy dog. Didn't bark at all until they were 18 months old and it was only a few barks there and then. I was very strict about discipline them right away, but stupid husband thought it was harmless, and ok because it was only very occasional. He would let them have their barking sessions. Inevitably, it got worse. We had many arguments about it and he refuses to accept responsibility. Worse, whereas doggy stops when I feal with it, they ignore my husband completely so he says there's nothing he can do. Arggggggg. However, even if I had to tell him to intervene, ultimately he does. I do immediately and bring the dog in. They are never allowed to bark ongoingly and people who think it is ok are so selfish and inconsiderate. It's the same who let their kids scream and screech and think that's acceptable.

My little boy has a severe allergy to dairy (carries and epi pen) and actually came out in full hives and needed antihistamine after a dog ran up to him and licked his face, the dog had just had an ice cream! The owners ambled over with a cheery don’t worry he’s friendly, they did not get the reception they hoped for. I find a lot of dog owners are more indulgent that most parents and don’t seem to realise that the barking/licking/jumping up with muddy paws is incredibly irritating for most of us

I work with dogs, and this is another one of those things where owners are either oblivious, don't know what to do about it, or just don't care.

So many aspects of people owning dogs are like this, and it is relatively easy to solve.

I don't take my toddler to kick his ball around on our village's football ground because of all the dogs off lead. The owners don't seem to think it's an issue for their dog to come running right up to us and bark in our faces. It's a shame, especially as there are signs everywhere stating dogs should be kept on lead.

I can't abide barking dogs. How does anyone stand it?

I have a friend who phones me when she walks dogs (dog walker!). She's constantly shouting at them while on the phone to me. It's really offputting and I can never relax and have a good talk with her.

I’ve got two dogs and they have been trained to not bark excessively, obviously dogs do bark but should not be allowed more than a couple of woofs in the garden. My younger dog, as a puppy, barked at my neighbour through the hedge. I told him ‘quiet’ but he barked again so I took him inside. He very quickly learnt not to bark at my neighbour in her own garden.
Little dogs are yappy but it is up to the owner to train them out of it. Most dogs can be trained.
Personally if my dogs were forever barking it would drive me mad and I have been known to politely speak to a neighbour whose dog was out all day barking constantly. It wanted to go inside but owner was at work. They did listen to my ‘observation’.

I have a cavapoo who isn’t yappy (though she does object quite vocally to any cats visiting our garden) and historically has been fine being left alone. Since Covid DH has been working from home so I suspect she may be less happy about being left alone now as she’s out of practice. There is a dog nearby who barks in the garden a lot, which does set her off. It’s really annoying because I always bring her in if she barks because I’m not an inconsiderate neighbour, but that means she can’t have free run of the garden as we’d like because the other dog owners just leave their dog out to bark for hours. It bothers me that people probably think they keep hearing two dogs barking at each other a lot, and don’t realise it’s one dog barking all the time and my dog being brought in as soon as the other one sets her off.

Yes the barking line! I always think of this as well 😃

Ooh look, another dog bashing thread. How tedious. It must be days since the last one.

Not all dogs can be trained out of barking, it just has to be managed.

DDog and I shave a lovely time in the garden, until the neighbours come out. Then mine goes ballistic at their dog, through the fence, and has to be brought in.

I wouldn’t mind, but when they are home they leave their doors open so we can’t use our garden at all (due to our own dog’s misbehaviour). There’s a, “quick, the neighbours are out!”, shout and we dash to enjoy the garden until they come home 🤣

Believe me, I have tried hard with the training.

I can tell which dog is barking in my street and it’s very obvious which owners are proactively doing something to stop the barking and which ones can’t be arsed

my collie has a bark occasionally in excitement but is quickly diverted to something to calm her down as I know my next door neighbour doesn’t like dogs especially barking ones

I think we've all tried to be balanced and respectful here and no one's bashing dogs. The owners maybe, but not even that.

My NDN has a barking dog. I don’t know how they stand it. It barks every time they move, open a door, go outside, come in or out. They can’t have visitors and live with the blinds and curtains constantly closed.

Why you would want to live like that I don’t know (and I say that as a dog owner and lover!)

My dog gets one chance to be outside! If I hear more than two barks in a row, he has to come in because he has a very LOUD voice. Next door has a lovely elderly spaniel with dementia, so he goes outside and just stands there barking because he’s forgotten what he’s doing sometimes my dog will bark in response if he’s been barking for a while, but we are all just used to it now. I know I will actually miss hearing him bark when he’s gone. Neighbour is 90 and deaf so she often doesn’t hear him when he barks.

One benefit is that my 3mo will sleep through absolutely anything because he’s so used to having a barky dog next door!

She’s not a very good dog Walker if she’s chatting to people on the phone while she’s doing it. Maybe if she was paying them her full attention they wouldn’t be up to mischief.

I have dogs. If they start barking at a bird/fox whatever I call them in. It annoys me if they bark as much as it does a neighbour.