Barking dog in the morning, neighbour complained

[Barkingdog2022]

We wake up just gone 6am each morning. Let the dog out and generally leave the door open whilst we get ready, especially since the weather has been better. There will usually be something that the dog will bark at so we would go and get her in. However if we are in the shower barking will be heard whilst we are getting ready and if there is something to bark at. Our neighbour has complained. We will look at bringing the dog in straight away after they have been to the toilet. I feel terrible this must be waking them up and disturbing them, it is obviously causing them annoyance. Are there any tried and tested methods for making the dog less reactive? The barking is defiantly reactive and it’s like they are on high alert when first going out in the morning. Usually the barking is when other dogs bark, noises such as electric scooters etc, sometimes birds if they are in the garden that type of thing. Thanks in advance.

So you’re going to put a lead on or not putting a lead on? Not doing stuff, are doing stuff? Confusing. Very, What are you doing, not doing??

I explained how to make your dog not react but you have completely ignored my post.

We have a different slip lead that we use for popping on to take her out for a wee so she doesn't associate that with getting excited for a walk. Agree with PPs that only takes one bark to wake your neighbours so only way to prevent this is no garden time in the early hours. I'm not sure you can train not to bark at things, only train to stop and come back immediately but by then might have already disturbed people if it's really early.

@Fluffylittlepup i did reply to your post (two down from it) but didn’t tag you. I mentioned going out armed with treats. Then I have thought about on a lead and the way forward I tho I is an immediate walk this week. I’m just considering all the advice and will probably take some time to try a few methods.

@TheUsualChaos another good suggestion on another particular lead if I go down this route. Thanks.

@Fluffylittlepup you do seem a little angry and frustrated in your posts. I’ll take on all advice and ideas and comment on how it might work for us.

Go straight out for a walk once you're up, problem solved.

My puppy is 5 months old and will occasionally bark if let out early. I get up half an hour before she does to get ready then and take her straight out for a walk. It's tiring but my choice to get a dog and I would hate to disturb the neighbours.

I don’t understand why the dog needs to stay outside while you get ready - if she’s desperate for a wee (although unless it’s an older dog I don’t see why this would be the case) let her out, do her business, bring her back in. Otherwise, let her out later.

@BeanieTeen we have made the mistake of having the door open to allow air and and giving her freedom to go in and out. She doesn’t do it daily and probably about 15mins alone so it can happen which is the point. Completely out fault and will rectify.

@Gigia yeah I think going out straight away will be what I try first from all the suggestions. It’s not her it’s us and with the nicer weather we allowed her the freedom. She’s not allowed upstairs. I do want to do some generally reactive/shush training ok barking and this thread has helped with tips and focus the mind.

Why not walk your dog first thing then they will be more settled and you might even be able to let them out. If not at least you can shower in peace

Yeah I will do that and change the routine. It’s a new thing with the weather so hasn’t been like this long. She will bark at the postman or deliveries sometimes but they don’t come until mid morning onwards.

I let my dog out around this time and she’s very good for about fifteen minutes mooching about after a wee, has a drink and a potter. During that time I make myself a coffee and get dressed
she very occasionally barks to be let in I’ve discovered as the barking is accompanied by paws going at the door

Hey, no problem. Hope you sort it out.

Our NDN's got home at 11.30pm last night, and let their freak of a bulldog/bully xl cross out into the garden where it barked non stop for about 20 minutes. Its got such a deep bark it could wake the dead......... and it was out at 6am for another round. I think they were probably drunk as there was no reaction to it at all! If we weren't trying to sell, I'd be getting the council involved.

Don't be that neighbour.

@Badger1970 that sounds really rubbish and we wouldn’t be like that. It has made me think more though.

Yes early morning walk (6ish) is what we do if she can’t be trusted not to bark

It’s not just the waking people up, our neighbours’s dog does the same and me and dh end up arguing over having the window open or shut. Even when it’s boiling hot he wants it shut all night so there’s less chance we get woken up at 6am by the barking, and I hate sleeping with it shut because then I wake up in the night sweating

Mine barks at birds, cats and neighbours dogs (protecting his territory) in the garden, so he's not allowed on on his own. He doesn't bark on walks or in the house.
Recently I discovered that if I put him on the very long training lead (with 3/4m length to move and the rest wrapped up) he doesn't bark, or even move - it's like he doesn't realise he can move when he's on it 🤔.
There are two daschunds nearby who yap ALL. DAY. LONG and are driving me insane, it's so annoying so am super conscious of not letting my dog piss neighbours off in same way.

I take my dog in the garden on a lead first thing. She does her wee then I bring her straight in. Takes seconds. Any longer garden time is only when I'm downstairs listening out for her. It's just not fair otherwise. Old neighbours used to leave their back door open and let dogs run free and they'd bark and bark.
Be careful with that approach of teaching her to bark and then to shush. It did indeed teach mine to shush, but years later, she still comes up to me sometimes and barks expectantly, like "Aren't I a clever girl? I'm barking!! You like me barking, don't you?". She never gets rewarded for this with attention or treats, and yet it still pops up sometimes!

I always let ours out on a lead early morning and late evenings saves faffing around especially during winter calling them to get in .

Hi, tried this morning out for a wee and straight back in worked completely fine. Will also try a walk this week. She’s not a dog that does bark a lot or continually but she’ll react if she hears something. I tho j as the weather has been nice we perhaps didn’t have the self awareness we should and even one bark is annoying. Really don’t want to be an annoying neighbour or dog owner at all so it’s been a wake up call.

Let mine out at 5.30 because no way I could keep him in because he's desperate for a long wee.I wait till finished and get him straight in so he has no chance to bark.Then for a walk 10 mins later.

It's not a 'quiet' or 'shush' command you need - you need to make sure dog isn't allowed to be out there to bark and need shushing at that time in the morning, and I say that as a dog owner.

Take the dog for a walk for the loo as soon as you get up, or take them in to garden on a lead and bring them in as soon as they've been.

My dogs are far from immune from barking, but they are definitely not allowed to do it before 8AM on a weekday, 9AM on a Sunday, 10AM Sundays/bank holidays!