In pretty much every city, it’s up to you, the dog owner, to keep your dog under control. If you don’t, you’ll quickly find that neighbors may not be very understanding, and you’ll receive a visit from animal control.
In this article, we’ll talk about what to do when animal control comes knocking, and how to keep your dog from becoming a nuisance animal.
Can animal control take my dog for barking?
It would be very unusual for animal control to take your dog for barking. In most cases, you will receive a warning, and if there are repeated offenses, then there will likely be a fine to follow.
However, it is possible that your neighbor could file a civil lawsuit against you in court. The court could then order you to solve the problem by either controlling or re-homing the dogs. This situation is unlikely though unless your neighbor has clear evidence that your dogs are a persistent nuissance.
So, I can ignore my neighbor’s complaints right?
Not quite. Depending on your local laws, there could be more legal action taken against you, because you are now a nuisance. However, even if there’s not, bad blood between neighbors is not a great living environment, and you should take steps to rectify the problem.
You should also remember that not all neighbors are nice. Some people are downright awful, and after calls to animal control do not work some people will take things into their own hands. It is not unheard of for disgruntled neighbors to attempt to poison dogs they don’t like!
What if my neighbor is making frivilous complaints?
Some people just like complaining, and if you feel that they are being unreasonable, then you’ve got a few options. First, you could try talking to them, but for someone who loves making a stink it will likely be ineffective.
A better bet is to actually record your dog while you’re gone. If animal control shows up, you can show the recordings to the animal control officer to prove that your neighbor is just being a pain, and it’ll provide evidence in your favor if they actually do decide to take things further legally.
Please read this article for more information on what to do when animal control comes knocking and how to defend yourself from a frivolous neighbor that likes to complain about nothing.
How can I keep my dog quiet while I’m gone?
Okay, what if you find out that your dog is being a little loud? Well, keeping your dogs quiet can be a challenge, but there are a few things which you can try to keep them from making a ruckus.
Keep them inside
If your dog spends his time out in the yard when you’re not home, then they may need to stay inside during work hours. This can keep them from barking at other dogs in the neighborhood or people.
Plus, if you give them plenty of stuff to do indoors then they can likely behave themselves. However, be mindful of how many hours that you’re gone. Somebody might need to come let them out in the afternoon!
Get a bark collar
If you’d prefer not to keep your dogs inside then you could try a bark collar. These collars detect vocalization vibrations and deliver a light shock to automatically correct your dog’s behavior. This allows you to train them and keep them under control when you’re not home. Garmin makes a pretty good bark limiter, and some pet parents have found that these collars are the only way to protect their pups from angry neighbors.
Kennel or restrict them
For dogs that still bark their heads off at the window, kenneling might be your only option. Make a room in your house your “dog’s room” and keep them in there when you’re at work. Make sure to move their bed, food, water, and toys in there to keep them comfortable, and if you work long hours, you might need to have a dog walker come check on them halfway through the day and take them out.
We’ve also written a training article which you may be interested in. This article contains tips on training your dog to stop barking. It won’t be a quick fix, but you can, with patience, teach your dog to stop barking at the window.
