If your dog barks constantly and is upsetting your neighbours, don’t wait for them to put in a complaint about you, do something about it now.
Every year the Noise Abatement Society receives many calls from members of the public complaining about dogs that bark constantly. It is a problem that can cause a lot of ill feeling between neighbours and in extreme cases can lead to a complaint to the local authorities or a report to the RSPCA, which may ultimately result in a Noise Abatement order.
It is natural for dogs to bark, it is how they communicate, but it is not natural for them to bark all the time and those that do behave in this way will have specific reasons for doing so – dogs that are left alone for long periods of time may be anxious or sad, bored or lonely, others may have been ‘programmed’ to think that if they bark then they will get some attention and some may simply be frustrated and in need of exercise.
In most cases excessive barking is not the dog’s fault – it is often a learned behaviour, caused by the, mostly unintentional, bad habits of their owners. However excessive barking is a behaviour that can be controlled or eliminated with some simple training. It may take time and dedication – you cannot expect your dog to break a lifetime habit in a few days – but you really can train your dog not to bark all the time. You will be happier, your dog will be happier and your neighbours will be happier.
For more information on training your dog not to bark visit the following websites:
