ugh ... the sherriff just came by our house

[jcsbama]

Check out http://www.howtotalkdog.com/home.htm. They are on a radio/tv show I listen to all the time and their techniques work great, even with older dogs.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

usually they are quiet at nite ... we did leave them inside all the time until ds was born. we put our no-bark machine outside tonite and that shut them right up.

i don't know who is complaining. they did say it was not from our street, it was the new neighborhood behind us. very perplexed ... not sure what to do, I surely can't take them to the pound! We have had one of them 6 yrs...

If they were inside dogs that were put out when a baby was born I'm betting that they don't want to be outside. What are you worried about with the dogs and the baby?

 

[chyam]

Have to agree with most other posters, keep them in most of the time, just put them out to do their business.........I have a neighbor who has five little yappers and I will tell you I would complain too if they were out for long periods of time! Regardless if you were the first house on the block, it is very annoying to hear dogs barking all the time. And I am an animal lover, I just don't think that because I have pets that they should have to ruin someone elses quality of life by being noisey...........but I also do not believe in just keeping animals in a yard all day and all night........in that case why even bother having them, they too need companionship and love.

 

[lovetheparks]

I have a problem barker and when she's outside and starts, all we have to say is INSIDE! and she's in. You bark, you have to come inside, that's the rules in our house. lol

Recently we bought training collars, I went this way becuase I wanted to avoid the "no-bark" collars since not all barking is bad, it's just they (especially Tink) need to learn when to stop.

So far, they've been really effective and the tone it emits makes the point so we've not had to use the shock feature at all.

Good Luck I hope you don't have to get rid of your dogs.

 

[luvwinnie]

Why did you put them out after the baby was born?

 

[Jennasis]

This really sticks in my craw. You say you've had these family members for 6 years and now you're just going to get rid of them because they bark too much and your neighbors are complaining??? I have friends who have worked with rescue groups (golden retriever and greyhound) and nothing ticks them (and me) off more than hearing about an owner who brings in a dog to the group because of reasons like these. This is something that can be fixed with some effort.

How about training them? Maybe calling a professional do help you out? To pricey? Go to the bookstore and get some books on behavior modification for dogs. If the dogs are barking outside there is a reason for it. Sorry to be so harsh, but getting rid of my dogs would NEVER have crossed my mind.

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

lololol! it is a small little thing that emits a wierd noise thay only dogs can hear... they shut up just when they see the thing, so maybe that will help out ?!?!?

I had one of these, unfortunately it never worked. The neighbors to my right have two huge shepherds that bark all the time. At least their owner knows this and yells at them to come inside. To the other side of my house there are two yappers that bark constantly. Their owners do nothing about it and I am happy they are moving. (There are other reasons too) We tried the no bark machine on both sides of the house and it did nothing. It just made an annoying high pitched noise and ate batteries.

Maybe you can try a citronella collar? My dog has one and it works most of the time because you can control it by a remote. So my dog has no idea what causes it to spray. And if you use it enough in a short period of time my dog becomes tired and just gives up.

I really hope you don't give up your doggies because they bark.

 

[noseybuddy]

This really sticks in my craw. You say you've had these family members for 6 years and now you're just going to get rid of them because they bark too much and your neighbors are complaining??? I have friends who have worked with rescue groups (golden retriever and greyhound) and nothing ticks them (and me) off more than hearing about an owner who brings in a dog to the group because of reasons like these. This is something that can be fixed with some effort.

How about training them? Maybe calling a professional do help you out? To pricey? Go to the bookstore and get some books on behavior modification for dogs. If the dogs are barking outside there is a reason for it. Sorry to be so harsh, but getting rid of my dogs would NEVER have crossed my mind.

I have to agree with you. When I get a pet it is a committment for life, good or bad. Getting rid of the dogs would never be an option. My two dogs are yappers. I let them out to do their business, even then there are times when I need to go out and get them because they are barking at other dogs. I NEVER leave them out there barking for a period of time. I don't like to hear it and I know the neighbors don't like it. You might not be able to solve the barking problem totally but I am sure you can work to make the situation better.

 

[Blondie]

If they were inside dogs that were put out when a baby was born I'm betting that they don't want to be outside. What are you worried about with the dogs and the baby?

I'm wondering that as well. Are your dogs too aggressive around the baby?

 

[Tiggeroo]

This really sticks in my craw. You say you've had these family members for 6 years and now you're just going to get rid of them because they bark too much and your neighbors are complaining??? I have friends who have worked with rescue groups (golden retriever and greyhound) and nothing ticks them (and me) off more than hearing about an owner who brings in a dog to the group because of reasons like these. This is something that can be fixed with some effort.

How about training them? Maybe calling a professional do help you out? To pricey? Go to the bookstore and get some books on behavior modification for dogs. If the dogs are barking outside there is a reason for it. Sorry to be so harsh, but getting rid of my dogs would NEVER have crossed my mind.
__________________

I agree. Your dogs were in the house til you had a baby. Of course they're unhappy. You should really try to solve the problem.

 

[Jackie824]

I try to refrain from these type of topics, but I cant help myself. Maybe because I love dogs, maybe because my dogs are always inside dogs. Ive had dogs all of my life, all my dogs are inside dogs. They go outside to run around and do their business, and if they start barking, I let them in. I certainly dont want anybody complaining about me. But, I always petsit in my house, so sometimes I have 5 or 6 or 7 dogs walking around.
Why in the world did you feel they need to be outside dogs because you had a baby? I can certainly understand, your trying to put the baby to sleep, and maybe leave them outside during that period. If these dogs are use to being inside dogs, no wonder why they bark their heads off out there. WHo wants to live outside with no human contact. But, I dont agree with outside dogs anyways, a whole dift topic.
Maybe for the best interest of the dogs, you should advertise you are getting rid of 2 nice dogs who would love to live in the house. Its sad, even if you get the barking under control, you will have 2 unhappy outside dogs.
I feel bad for your dogs.

Oops I wanted to edit this. I do have 3 kids, my oldest 12, I have a 6 yr old and 17 month yr old. So I do know what its like to have dogs around with babies. My kids have grown up with dogs, they dont know life without them.
My babies have been woken up by a dog bark on occasion, but not too often.
Sorry for this post, so Im expecting to be bashed for my opionions.It always happens.

 

[In a hurry]

Let's just make the OP feel worse as she struggles with a crappy situation. That will help.

 

[Nana Annie]

This is a hot button for me too. Why have dogs if you are just going to throw them outside? You just don't throw away an animal that you have had for six years without putting some serious effort into trying to rehabilitate them. And I am not even going to touch the "My house was built first" defense.

Bringing the dogs inside is the number one solution. Dogs can be trained to interact properly with babies and children. Of course, you should never, ever leave a dog alone with a child, but dogs can be trained and there are solutions. Yes, they may take a bit of work or supervision on your part, but in the end, it makes for a happy dog and a happy family.

Invest in a couple of crates. Crate train your dogs for the times when you are in the shower or cannot keep watch over the dog/child interactions. However, this is not an excuse to leave the dogs in the crates for long periods of time because it is more "convenient." It is a tool to use to help train the dogs. Do not use it to put the dogs "out of sight, out of mind."

That said, from your posts, I think it would be in the best interest of the dogs to find them a new home. Have you tried to contact the lab rescue group in your area? Or the Parson Russell rescue group? Try that first. Or do some research and see if there is a no-kill shelter in your area.

Good luck.

 

[noseybuddy]

This is a hot button for me too. Why have dogs if you are just going to throw them outside? You just don't throw away an animal that you have had for six years without putting some serious effort into trying to rehabilitate them. And I am not even going to touch the "My house was built first" defense.

Bringing the dogs inside is the number one solution. Dogs can be trained to interact properly with babies and children. Of course, you should never, ever leave a dog alone with a child, but dogs can be trained and there are solutions. Yes, they may take a bit of work or supervision on your part, but in the end, it makes for a happy dog and a happy family.



Good luck.

My friend who lives across the street and her husband had a dog before they had any children. The first child was born. In my opinion they got lazy with the dog. It was easier for them to throw the dog a treat or put the dog outside rather than deal with a dog and a baby/child. Then they had a second child. Same routine. As a result of their laziness the dog bit the one child twice and the other child once. The first time it was an accident, the little boy jumped on the bed in a dark room and the dog was on the bed and the boy scared the dog. The other to times I blame the parents because their lack of attention to the dog and the child lead to the situation. So of course their answer to the problem was to put the dog to sleep. I couldn't believe it! The dog did have some health issues but she wasn't on her death bed. Well, what her and her husband do with their pet is none of my business, i still couldn't get past it. Needless to say the friendship is over.

So I understand what you are saying. If the op is not willing to put serious effort in making the situation better or to try and solve the problem, then I hope the op seriously looks for a good home for the dogs.

 

[Jackie824]

Only speaking for myself. My intention wasnt to make the op feel worst. This is a hot topic like somebody else mentioned. IMHO, if you dont want the sheriff coming by, either A keep the dogs inside, or B.give the dogs to somebody who can properly take care of them. Its not rocket science, its just common sense.

 

[Dakota_Lynn]

This is a hot topic for me, too, for several reasons. Like many have already said, when you get a pet, that is a lifelong commitment. You can't just shove them outside when a new baby comes or because it is impractical to train them or whatever.

But as a person who does NOT own dogs, I absolutely can understand the perspective of the person who called the police. I would have called them, too. I work from home and don't need the distractions. There are people on my street who used to let their dogs out when they would head off to work and leave them there all day. Of course the dogs would yap non-stop all day long and I would get zero work done becuase it was so darned distracting. Fortunately for me, these people are very understanding and when I mentioned the problem, they remedied it immediately. Not everybody is so helpful though. If you know the dogs are barking, then it is your responsibility to bring them in the house. It shouldn't even get to the point where a neighbor has to complain. A lot of people in this day and age won't complain for fear of retaliation; they go straight to the police. The only reason I talked to my neighbors about the problem is because I know them to be nice people. Had it been somebody I didn't know well, I wouldn't have even considered talking to them.

And just because you lived in the nieghborhood first doesn't give you the right to break the law and/or ruin other people's happiness. You do know this, right?

 

[CheshireVal]

If the OP and her family are really this easily considering getting rid of two dogs/family members that they've had for 6 years... then maybe it would be best for the dogs to have a new home where they'd be loved. I mean, she didn't really sound very torn up about the decision in the original post.

 

[Jennasis]

Let's just make the OP feel worse as she struggles with a crappy situation. That will help.

Actually I didn't get the feeling from her posts that the OP felt all that badly. Her first conclusion was to get rid of the dogs, NOT to retrain them or try to solve the problem. In fact the title of her thread was "UGH...The sheriff just came by our house" NOT "UGH...I may have to get rid of my beloved dogs". The sheriff was a nuissance as was the complaint filed by her neighbors (though they were WELL within their rights and I may have done the same AFTER offering advice on how to solve the barking problem).

 

[clarabelle]

I have noticed on this board the general opinion is you can't get rid of a dog ever. It doesn't matter if you are having trouble with your neighbors or spouse or if it bites your children.
It doesn't matter if you are trying to find a good home for it.

Someone posted on here that they were thinking of putting their child in foster care- she was such a problem and they were overwhelmed.
She got much more support and no criticism that I saw.
But heaven forbid someone wants to give away a dog. People go bezerk.

 

[Jennasis]

apples and oranges IMHO. You make a decision to go out and get a dog (or in this case 2 dogs). Very often people don't make a decision to have children, it just happens, and they have to deal with it and they often can't. THAT's how children end up in foster care with their birth parents overwhelmed. Very close friends of DH and mine have 2 foster sons. The oldest still is in contact with his birth mom who is a total whack job. She made the decision to give him up into the foster care system (only good decision she ever made).

Giving up your dogs because they bark too much because you leave them outside all day and night is STUPID and selfish...there I said it. Go ahead and flame me. I'm a big old meanie. I'll be in my living room snuggling with my 3 dogs (all rescues...none live outside...heck even my horses get to come into the barn at night).