Do you let your dogs bark at all in the garden?

[belindarose]

10 month old springer has only just started to want to be in the garden on his own. Up to now he'd only go out for the toilet and want to come straight back in unless we were out with him. He'll happily chew a new bone for ages, but has taken to barking at a bush too.

I bring him in immediately if he barks, but don't know if this is the right thing to do. Don't want to upset any neighbours or let him get into a barking habit. He's not a very barky dog anyway.

My dog hardly ever barks but 'answers' dogs in other gardens sometimes. Doesn't stop Mr Miserable Bastard next door moaning. Sometimes it's his pesky cat in our garden that starts the dog off but he's having none of it. That's cat-lovers-but-dog-haters for you.

I don't 'let' my dog bark, he just does !

He's not very noisy, but this weekend we get our pup, who is of a breed who apparently like to bark.

Neighbours are really in no position to moan, when they leave their dog outside all day and night, and who barks intermittently, all day and all night !

Dogs bark, I really wouldn't worry about it to be honest with you. If you had a pack of dogs raising hell I guess your neighbours would have a right to complain but 1 dog telling a bush whose boss ? Don't get stressed.

Thanks. Next door have a dog that is left alone all day for around 4 days a week. She howls the whole time! Maybe I'm just trying to maintain the upper hand! I'm just not sure if I 'let' him bark, he'll bark more and more. He's trained to bark and be quiet on command, but if I'm in the house I can't stop him immediately.

But you're not 'letting' him bark, he's a dog, it's one way he communicates !

There is nothing wrong with a dog barking, it's part of what they do.

You could find that if every time he barked you immediately went to fetch him in, he would learn that barking gets him rewarded, by you appearing instantly and interacting with him. He should be able to have a mosey around the garden and bark at what he finds interesting !

You say your neighbour's dog howls, I really wouldn't worry about them complaining.

The only thing I could suggest (but which is a bit extreme at this stage) is to keep an eye on your dog's barking, and if you think it's a bit much, ask someone from the Council to pop down and check noise levels ?

I don't think anyone has ever gotten into trouble because their dog barks. Like I said, if you had a pack of dogs, or kennels where dogs barked incessantly, I would say you needed to do something. But you have just 1 dog ! Enjoy him, and the garden !

Our pup used to have the occasional bark when she saw an overhead duck, or a cat nearby. Then the pub a few doors down got a spaniel pup that they leave out on a fire escape (in a pen) all day... it barks almost constantly. As a result, all the neighbourhood dogs have joined in, including mine. I do bring her in when she starts though. The worst thing is, my dogs bark sounds a lot like the spaniel's so a few people have asked me if it's my pup that's barking all day... grrr!

So, this afternoon I went and forked out £20 for a 'No-Bark' Collar. I've set it to low vibrate and so far, every time she's started to bark, she's quickly stopped. It doesn't appear to hurt (and the pet shop lady said not), just distracts.

I might buy a couple for the children .

I play football and fetch in the back garden with my dogs and one of them only barks when he gets giddy, then I say 'No Barking', firstly to stop him barking and secondly to let any neighbours in the surrounding gardens know I'm stopping him.
My dogs don't like/wont play in the garden by themselves (?) and the female tends to bark once as a sign she wants to come back in.

There's a big difference between intermittent playful barks and the constant droning on of dogs shut outside all day everyday.

My dogs sometimes go out and have a bark but my sister's dog is a nightmare and just wuffs and barks at everything!!

Occassional barks and "chatting" with neighbours dogs is OK. Barking at people in driveway / approaching houses also ok.

Our neighbours were very understanding when our Old dog had to be left outside if we were out as he was incontinent. He would bark at them if he heard them in the garden but would shut up if they spoke to him as he recognised theit voices. However, if they had windows cleaned etc they put up with it. He is no longer with us.

I think you're doing the right thing, belindarose.
Yes, the occasional bark is OK but constant barking at anything in the area that moves isn't really on and it's good that you're training your dog not to do this - which is simple, straightforward and all good. (I wish my neighbours would do the same thing.)

I live in between two dogs. One where the owner is very responsible about which is just as well as the other owner allows their dog access to the garden all the time in the summer leaving the door open. As soon as it hears me, it comes out growling, snarling and barks, throwing itself against the fence. Our garden is about 25ft wide, so there is hardly any room to escape. It is really really horrible and frightening. Please dont let your dog ruin your neighbours right to enjoy their garden. My neighbours opinion is that 'Dogs bark' and quite frankly it is quite selfish. Besides that, if your dog barks how many other people in their gardens can hear it. Its not just your immediate neighbours is it.

Thank you op for being so kind and respectful. We need more people like you.