What to Do When a Dog Ruins Your Relationship With Your Neighbor

A neighbor's barking dog can wreak havoc on the entire neighborhood, not to mention most especially the people in closest proxies to the noisy dog: you! The worst part is that the dog is more anxious when the family is away and so he barks even more than normal. These nightmare pets can make life miserable when trying to sleep at night or when just trying to relax any time of the day. It's hard to know what to do when you are faced with this situation, but here are some helpful tips that will hopefully help smooth out the wrinkles and fix the problem.

First, try and speak to your neighbor in the middle of the day or after work when you have not just gone through a frustrating night. Presenting yourself in a calm manner will go a long way with how you come across and how your statements are taken by the neighbor. Mentioning that no one is able to sleep and that it's hard to relax when the dog is disabling the quiet with its barking are usually good things to say. These are neutral statements that present the facts and do not get too much into emotional issues that are the result of the barking such as frustration, anger, etc.

If speaking to the neighbor the first time did not fix the problem or lessen it by much, go back and suggest a bark collar for the dog. Offer to help your neighbor pay for part of the cost of the collar. Even though no one takes an offer like that, it shows how serious your request is and how much it means to you. If your neighbor says that bark collars are cruel and they do not want to disciple their dog that way (some neighbors' arguments), tell them about the new citrus spray, vibration, and tone collars. These collars are humane, pain-free and extremely effective. Hopefully they will see that this is something that can really benefit the dog through better discipline and can also give the entire neighborhood a better night's sleep! If they remedy the barking problem, invite them over for dinner and make it the first of many friendly gatherings to come.

If the barking problem has not been fixed in due time, purchase a sonic bark deterrent that can be in your own yard and pointed at the area where the dog resides. This sonic device is weatherproof, reliable, and usually is very effective. It emits a sharp tone, similar to a smoke alarm sound, when the dog barks. It will take a few days or up to one week (hang in there), but the barking will subside once the dog learns that the barking behavior is causing an annoying sound in his ears! This type of device is made for just the situation discussed here; a neighbor who ignores repeated pleas to quiet their dog.

A bark collar or a sonic barking deterrent can save your relationship with your neighbors as the angry interchanges end and the peaceful days and nights begin!