How much barking is too much?

[KeepLosingThings]

One neighbour has a dog that barks in the garden, 4 times a day, about 2 mins each time, between 9am and 9pm.

Bark is very loud.

Houses are detached but close together

Other neighbour has a bit of a go and says this is causing significant mental distress.

Who is being unreasonable?

Will tell you later which neighbour I am, so these are at random:

YANBU - this is an unacceptable level of noise and it was fair to complain

YABU - this is an acceptable level of neighbourhood noise

With their dogs of course.

One of my neighbours lets their dog out at 5am and at 10pm. The dog barks constantly for the couple of minutes it’s outside doing its business. Even though that’s only 4 minutes a day, I’ve come to dread it. The 5am outing wakes me up. And at 10pm I kind of tense up because I’m expecting it. It’s very annoying and surprisingly intrusive.

Would wind me up. If dog is let out and owner goes with them chances are they won't bark- simple

It wouldn't bother me. It's just neighbourhood noise. I can hear various dogs from around the neighbourhood at various points during the day. Just like I can hear cars, children, birds, even the odd cat fight. I just tune it all out. If you focus on stuff like that you end up going barmy.

Thank you everyone!

Really interesting to see the split of views.

I am the dog owner.

I honestly feel terrible about the neighbour being upset.

I don't leave him out there, door is open, sometimes I go out with him or sometimes am inside but right by the door

As soon as he barks I call him in. But his recall is not good so it often takes a couple of minutes to persuade him. Also have to bribe him with treats which means he probably thinks he's being rewarded for barking.

I think I need to go back to only taking him out on his lead so I can make him come back in.

Also somehow need to find the time and energy to train him better and probably get some professional advice. I have a lot on (and dh was meant to be in charge of training!) but will just have to prioritise as it will be better for us all, including the dog, who could then go out a lot more!

Any other tips from anyone who has successfully trained a dog to be quiet?

Really appreciate everyone taking time to comment, and if any of my neighbours are on here I'm very sorry to those we are annoying!

Keep your dog on a long-line and bring him in every single time he barks. If it happens immediately, he should soon learn that barking = no garden.

Ours messes about and often won't come back in, she doesn't bark but I just take her out for a wee on the lead and bring back in to avoiding the whole tempting with treats.

No-one wants to hear a dog bark, its a really annoying noise so yes go back to toileting on the lead and straight back in. Does it bark indoors or when left alone?

Yes stop with the treats - he will essentially think he's being rewarded for barking and that's unfair and confusing for him. Take him out on the lead and if he barks, immediately bring him in. It will take some time but he will soon start making the association. If he manages to be outside and not barking, that is the time to praise and reward him.

Dogs shouldn’t be barking outside at all (long-time dog owner)

Around us, it’s the lockdown cocker/cava/maltipoo’s which apparently can’t be trained to stop barking, unlike all other dogs

Four lots of barking episodes. I wouldn’t worry over that.

Barking is irritating AF, but the length of time its going on, isn't a lot.

That said, when the barking starts does the neighbour know it'll carry on for a few mins, or are they steeling themselves for 4 hours of it?

My neighbour has a yappy dog, and to be fair I only hear it once a day, maybe when its excited to go out for a walk. But when it starts my first thought is for them to get their dog to STFU.

Ours is not a lockdown something-poo. The lead thing seems obvious now that you all say it, can't really remember why we stopped, we'll just do that!

No, you train your dog. Mine has been trained not to bark wildly. The postman comes, she barks and is quickly silenced with Sssshhhhhtttt.

Not acceptable. My dog barks once and I get her back inside.

That's kind of where I am with my dog.

The back door is open and she wanders in and out as she pleases. If she starts barking I give her half a dozen woofs before I intervene, because sometimes she settles down after a few woofs. If she carries on she gets brought back in and the door is shut for a while.

She knows she can't woof repeatedly as she will stop and look at the house after a few woofs, expecting me to appear.

2 minutes non-stop is quite a lot, four times a day.

OK , so I suspected you were the owner
As someone who lives near a yappy little dog who does my head in, I have to ask you .....why have you not trained your dog ?

I know dogs bark , you want them to alert you , but a simple "bark" then stop , unless someone is intruding or the dog is hurt .

Might be divisive, but I use a plant sprayer full of water. Often one warning squirt in her direction is enough, and sometimes she sees me reaching for it and stops barking.

It sounds a bit like you are letting the dog rule you? Don't tempt it back in with treats, go straight out and say NO firmly, but kindly, and then herd it back in doors.

4 episodes of a minutes of barking is annoying, but not unreasonable.

My dog barks occasionally, he’s a dog. He gets bought in immediately.

Thank you for being a responsible and empathetic dog owner. I would urge professional training to help you deal with the dog behaviour. I wish more owners were as considerate as you!

It doesn’t sound excessive to me

If a dog is barking it should be brought inside.

We have similar from a dog owner who leaves his dog outside all day every day. It'll pipe up randomly through the day but it's not constant

Loud dog barking is absolutely unbearable to me. I don't know how people can stand it

That’s not excessive at all.

They are protecting their homes though. Dogs have been bred for thousands of years to bark, to warn their owners of danger. It's quite difficult to train them out of it.

I would say you are underestimating how much the dog is barking. If you think it’s loud it must be very loud.

I also think it would take a lot for a neighbour to complain so I am on their side with this.

Exactly.

Our dog actually did warn us against an intruder last month and I was incredibly grateful for it.