Friday, March 29, 2013

This Week's Barking News Roundup - 03/29/13

Another good night's sleep ruined by barking dogs. Hence, this post goes out to all of those idiot neighbors who can't seem to keep the dogs inside. Oh, if you can't handle the dogs inside your house, here's a suggestion: Don't bother having a dog. Because it's obvious that you can't take responsibility for one.

Mariaville approves barking dog ordinance

Excerpt: Anyone bothered by a barking dog can make a written complaint to the town's animal control officer or to a law enforcement official. That official can then investigate the complaint, and issue the owner a warning if needed.

A second incident will result in the owner being summoned for a civil violation. Upon conviction, that person will be fined $25. Additional convictions will result in fines of $50 for each incident.

Tip: If I owned a barking dog in Mariaville, I'd be laughing my butt off. Because this new ordinance has no teeth whatsoever. This story is open for comments. Let 'em have it!

[Elected official's] help with barking dogs offers example of his leadership

Excerpt: [The official] takes the initiative to keep our neighborhood great. For instance, over the years, there have been several nuisances with barking dogs in the neighborhood. [He] would work with residents to help reduce the noise.

Tip: Here's an elected official who's worthy of support. And this letter to the editor is open for your comments. Follow the above link and share.

The Department of Shameless Self-Promotion. Show the idiot dog owners what you think of the endless noise. Check out the QuietBarkingDogs store. Clothing and bumper stickers that make your point. Quietly.

Friday, March 22, 2013

This Week's Barking News Roundup - 03/22/13

Slow news week last week. Hence, no Barking News Roundup. But don't think for a minute that peace and quiet have broken out. Because the Roundup is back.

Barking Dog Log' Triggered following Complaint

Excerpt: The complainant, a resident of [Non-Stop Noise Assault] Lane, must keep up the 14-day log in order for police to assess a fine for the owner of three dogs nearby.

Tip: This story is open for comments.

My favorite: "
No one wants to listen to three dogs barking on a regular basis, sad that the responsibility falls on the neighbor to prove it. Furthermore, the dog owners must be aware of the situation, why don't they correct it?"

Follow the above link to share your experience with logs and other non-solutions to the barking noise problem.


From the TWBNR Advice Column Department, we have these two questions:

I have a new neighbour directly behind me who has a large dog who is left outside all the time--in a completely paved in backyard--even in the cold weather we've been having. Consequently it barks a lot, in fact it's barking right now. I was so fed up with it at one point last week that I knocked on the owner's door at 12:30 in the morning to ask him to let his dog in the house, or at least get it to be quiet.

Tip: This discussion is open for comments. Follow the above link to add yours.

Yesterday I had my windows opened and had to listen to that [bleep] for 4 hours straight, with windows closed I can still can hear the [bleeper].

Tip: Another discussion that's just itchin' for your comments. You know what to do.

The Department of Shameless Self-Promotion. You can advocate for peace and quiet without making a sound. Check out the QuietBarkingDogs store. Clothing and bumper stickers that do the talking for you.

Monday, March 18, 2013

A Police Department That Gets It

In many communities, calling the police to report chronic barking is an exercise in futility. It might even expose you to retaliation, not just by your neighbors, but by the police.

That happened to me a year ago today. It was a Sunday evening, and I called to report a nearby neighbor's robo-barking pit bull. When the police finally came out, that dog was as quiet as could be. Officers threatened me with arrest for false reporting if I made such a call in the future.

If any good came out of this situation, it was that the pit bull owners bailed out of this neighborhood the very next day. We haven't seen them or their vicious little noisemaker since then. And we don't miss them.

Here's what I think led these neighbors to flee: I'll admit that I made a lot of calls about this robo-barker. I figured that the calling route was safer than attempting to talk to the neighbors, who didn't appear to be the most law-abiding of people. And, in case you're wondering, ownership of pit bulls and other dangerous dogs has a close correlation with criminality.

Furthermore, if you're a crook, you don't want the cops to keep coming around to chat you up about the barking dog noise. Heck, you don't want the cops coming around at all.

Okay, so that's how things work with the police in this municipality. Not all police departments are like ours. Take, for example, Canby, Oregon. The local police department has an entire web page devoted to barking dog noise. Here's an excerpt:

[W]hen a dog engages in excessive barking it stands a greater chance of being ignored if there really is an intruder. Instead of the neighbors calling the police because their neighbor’s dog is clearly upset about something they just think “that *%&^# dog is barking again!”

It gets better, and I encourage you to read the entire page. Better yet, share it with your local officials.

Friday, March 8, 2013

This Week's Barking News Roundup - 03/08/13

Daphne City Council cracks down on barking dogs

Excerpt: To muzzle the noise, Daphne’s city council greatly increased the fines dog owners could face if their dogs disturb neighbors.

Tip: This news story is open for comments. Follow the above link to add yours.

Barking Dogs May Lead to Woman's Deportation


Excerpt: [The dogs' owner] said she stepped out of her Bakersfield home on New Year’s Eve to buy ingredients for a dinner she was planning. She said she returned to her trailer to find six police cars and close to 10 police officers, two who she claims harassed her. The officers told [the owner] her two small dogs – a Chihuahua and a poodle – were disturbing the neighbors.

Tip: This news story is open for comments. Follow the above link to add yours.

From the TWBNR Advice Column Department, we have this question:

I live inside the city limits and have to listen to dogs bark all night. I'm completely sick of it, I really don't get how someone can let their mutt bark all f*cking night. What actions can be taken in order to get the owners to better control their dogs?

Tip: This discussion is open for comments. Follow the above link to add yours.

Creative Barking Dog Solutions

Enjoy this list of eight fun-filled solutions. Everything from greeting cards to video!

The Department of Shameless Self-Promotion. Want even more solutions? Check out the QuietBarkingDogs store. Clothing and bumper stickers that pack a quiet and powerful punch.

Friday, March 1, 2013

This Week's Barking News Roundup - 03/01/13

From the TWBNR Advice Column Department, we have this question:

Fortunately, I don't live next to any houses in which the owner just lets their dogs outside all day to bark. But believe me, there are some spots in this neighborhood where there is some serious dog barking going on and I feel sorry for the people who have to live next to that.

Tip: This discussion is open for comments. Follow the above link to add yours.

Although I don't usually cover the topic of dog training, I will this week. Why? Because it's easy to get the mistaken impression that the owners of barking dogs are allowing the racket to persist just so they can annoy the rest of us. They may be as fed up with the noise as we are, so they put the barking dog outside. Where it keeps on barking.

How to Get a Dog to Stop Barking Excessively

Excerpt: If you have a dog, you must be OK with the fact that it will bark. That said, excessive barking should be addressed, especially if it is a new and troublesome behavior.

The Department of Shameless Self-Promotion. When it comes to training dogs, the tee shirts and bumper stickers in the QuietBarkingDogs store aren't going to help very much. Training their owners? Different story. Those shirts and stickers will get your point across. Quietly.