Q&A for How to Stop a Neighbor's Dog from Barking

If you know the neighbor, talk to them or even leave a note on their door to let them know the dog is barking. Start there before you make any calls because the dog is obviously in some kind of distress if it is barking like this. I would assume that if the owner knew that, they would want to fix it. They may be at work all day and unaware that their dog is barking.

It depends on the whistle. Generally, you would need to be within 15-20 feet of the dog for the whistle to be effective.

Absolutely. Imagine having someone yell "WAKE UP!!" at you for ten minutes in the middle of the night, every night. While the dog barking may not bother you, some people are light sleepers and sensitive to sound. I know my wife suffers physical chest pain when our neighbor's dog barks at 5 a.m (probably due to the stress and the jolt of being forced awake).

This can constitute abuse or harassment, since you are in your yard and clearly not trying to get into hers. I would record evidence of this with your phone and take it to the police and explain the situation. It's one thing to have a guard dog, but quite another if she is teaching her dog to try to attack you.

A police officer is just another citizen. Any abuse of authority should be reported to the department or agency they are employed with.

Possibly it is legal but it is most certainly not advised. Think about it -- how long does it take to eat the biscuits? Because as soon as they're gone, the barking starts again. And you've just reinforced the behavior you're wanting to extinguish. Also, food is only useful as a training tool in the hands of someone who understands proper timing of rewards and is actually actively training the dog. A dog that nuisance barks is trying to communicate -- boredom, anxiety, discomfort, loneliness, etc. The cause of the barking needs to be assessed and addressed by a trainer -- who could be the owner or just someone who cares about dogs. Talk to the neighbor first.

Contact the police chief, and if they won't help you, contact the mayor's office. Make a nuisance of yourself until someone helps you.

Call the police immediately. That's animal cruelty and is illegal.

Talk to your neighbors and explain to them about your condition and see if they can come up with a solution first. If this doesn't help, you may have to call law enforcement. If it is affecting your quality of life, this should be taken seriously.

Call the police. Police will give the owner a warning to control the barking or risk getting fined at least $50 per incident call.

A silent dog whistle might do the trick. High frequency sounds can also be blasted from a CD player out the window. But I think the whistle would be an easier and more immediate action to take when the barking starts. Depending on the range of the whistle, this should be helpful in quieting multiple dogs in your neighborhood.

Inform the neighbor about the problem, and explain that the noise is a problem. If it doesn't stop, file noise complaints until it does.

We took the steps of talking to our neighbor. They got some kind of a squirt collar for the dog when he's left alone outside, and when he barks, it seems to have helped. A lot depends on how ignorant and inconsiderate your neighbor is. I'd start with trying to make contact and starting a discussion, explaining why it's a problem. Try to enlist their help before indicating further steps might be necessary. You might be surprised. The ignorance may be that the owner had no idea the dog was doing that. If all fails, then you would be justified in involving the authorities.

Advise the property manager/superintendant. They could write a generic letter to all the dog owners in the building.

It might not "hurt" them depending on the frequency, but a cat will almost certainly be able to hear the whistle.

Consider building a fence around your yard to keep your dog safe--or letting your dog out in your backyard instead. You can also approach your neighbor to discuss the two dogs' behavior and relationship. Your neighbor might be willing to come up with a solution with you, as this also considers his dog's safety.

Call Animal Control and ask them to do a Wellness Check on the dog. Explain about any neglect or mistreatment that you have noticed or suspect. The dog may be barking because she's suffering, e.g., is cold, is in hot sun, is thirsty, hungry, in pain or discomfort, etc. She might be in serious need of attention or medical care. Officers can make a home visit and check premises for shade, shelter, water, etc. depending on local animal ordinance requirements. They can also observe body condition of the dog. In many communities, the complaining neighbor may remain anonymous if they wish. This could be an opportunity for officers to gently educate the owner as to humane care, if need be.

Just be aware that you will bother all of the dogs in the building, not just the dog that is bothering you. Try to talk to the neighbor, the landlord, animal control, or law engineer, in that order.

There is really nothing you can do because the dog is inside his or her own home which is private property. However, I would mention it to my neighbors just in case they don't know their dog is barking all day.

Talk to the neighbor. Tell them you're concerned that the dog may be feeling neglected and the sound is becoming a nuisance. If you have the time and you're feeling generous, you might even volunteer to take their dog for a walk once in a while.

Do not spray your neighbor's dog. Instead, talk to your neighbor about the issue.

See wikiHow's article on how to get dogs to stop barking .

Call animal control and report them for neglect, especially if it's hot outside, as this could easily be life-threatening for the dog.

The "Sonic" bark silencers only seem to work at a range of about 10-15 feet. And that is only if the dog you're trying to silence is "normal." Our neighbor had a black lab mix that hated everyone except her owner. When confronted with the silencer she acted like it wasn't even there. After that neighbor moved, the next ones had a beagle, and the silencer worked just fine on that one.

No. Dog whistles tend to make dogs bark. They would be useless for a burglar.

It varies, but most dog whistles have a range of 100 kilometers, which will shorten considerably if the sound has to travel through walls.

Consider talking it out with the neighbor about what is going on and how it maybe bothers you. But don't jump into an argument. Talk it out nicely and try to find solutions on how to stop it. Tell your neighbor what you think, and maybe they will consider getting a bark collar for the dog to help prevent the barking.