A dog owner received a hostile letter from her neighbors about her pet’s barking, but she doesn’t believe it is as bad as they claim.
The Adelaide woman received a typed letter from an unknown group of neighbors saying they had run out of patience with the rescue dog’s “repetitive, loud and obnoxious” barking.
But while neighbors claim her dog barks ‘constantly’ all day long, she says this seems ‘bizarre’ as she doesn’t leave him home alone for long.
“Given the size of your block and the layout of your buildings and sheds, you may not know how often or for how long your dog barks,” the letter said.
“We’ve been patient for months to give you a chance to address the problem, but it’s only getting worse. Please take steps to address this as soon as possible.”
A pet owner has asked for help after receiving a hostile letter from a neighbor complaining about her dog’s ‘repetitive, loud and obnoxious’ barking
The neighbors said they have notified the city of the issue and are keeping track of when and for how long the dog barks.
“We hope that prompt action on your part can lead to a speedy resolution of this matter as we do not wish to pursue it further,” the letter concluded.
The woman didn’t know how to tackle the problem. She has two dogs, one of which has almost stopped barking since she adopted him.
“The dog is a rescue and his barking has dropped significantly from when I got him, 85 percent better than he originally was,” the woman said on Facebook. after.
She said her dogs are not left home alone for more than five or six hours and that when she is home, they sleep quietly in a crate in her room.
The animal lover said her dogs are not left home alone for more than five to six hours and that when she is inside, they sleep quietly in a crate in her room.
‘It just seems bizarre when they say it’s constant, yet outside of work I’m usually home and they’re not barking at the moment. Plus, I don’t give times when it happens so I can do something about it,” the owner said.
The dog lover called the council, who told her no noise complaints had been made against her property.
“They think the letter is just a warning, so I will try to tackle the problem with a camera and a barking collar,” she said.
“I feel like I’m taking good care of my dogs, but maybe some more preventive measures to keep the peace.”
The dilemma divided people in the comments, with some suggesting the neighbor had targeted the wrong house, while others thought the woman didn’t know how much her dogs really barked.
“Is it possible that it’s someone else’s dog and he or she thinks it’s yours? It might be worth getting a camera or two to see if it’s your dog, they might be exaggerating when they say it’s constant,” one woman suggested.
“Maybe during those five or six hours straight, the dog is anxious and barks constantly. Our dog used to be like that too. As soon as we left her the barking started,” another explained.
But the woman said she did “tests” to see if her dog, who had separation anxiety, would bark when she wasn’t in the house.
“I’ve sat in my car around the corner and listened, I’ve walked around the other block and sat in the park. “I asked my neighbors on the other side to let me know if he barks, saying if he barks, please tell me,” she said.
“Nobody I’ve been in direct contact with has complained and he hasn’t made a sound, so it’s bizarre. He does bark, but he plays with my other dog and warns people when they are nearby.’
Head of Veterinary Policy and Advocacy at the Australian Veterinary Association Dr. Cristy Secombe told FEMAIL that while barking is a normal way for dogs to communicate with others, owners should actively try to get to the root of why their pets are barking. Then it can be solved.
“Dogs normally bark to get attention, during play, hunting, herding, territorial defense, threatening displays and anxious and fearful situations,” she said.
‘Understanding why your dog barks is essential to controlling barking, which is the most common complaint we hear from dog owners.
‘It is not uncommon for excessive barking to be accompanied by other behavioral or environmental problems. In these situations it is advisable to see your vet who can give you advice on how to deal with behavioral problems that may be contributing to this.’