The bark is worse than the bite

Help! I am exhausted. I spent the better part of the early morning trying to get my dogs to stop barking. In the end I left two outside after Zola was the only one to come when called after much effort. Some strays or dogs from a neighbor have been coming around in the early hours of the morning and once Ginger (usually the loudest and most aggressive) smells them she starts to bark so loudly it's deafening.

After just listening to a video, it seems I made a mistake by letting them outside. Once they were outside it just got worse and worse. I think the neighbours hate me. When I decided they had seen enough I tried calling them back inside. Ginger completely ignored me and barked and ran around the yard for hours. I can't run behind a dog that's going at 90 mph in the dark. I hardly got any sleep and I am sure the neighbours must have had the same experience. I watched some videos and will try the basic 'come' command and above all not let them outside if it happens again. Any more tips? I am exhausted and I feel terrible about the neighbours.

 

Shock collar!!! It will be so expensive to get since you have three dogs. My neighbor has to use the shock collar on their dog to stop the excessive barking and when the dog decided to take a run away on them. They put the shock collar on before letting their dog outside, and it works!

 

This guy does not agree with the dog collar. Have a look and see the information about the surgery about the vocal chords being removed. I did not even realise something like this would be even considered.

 

I'm so sorry to hear you had a bad night, wintery, I had a bad night too if that makes you feel better I could barely sleep, but that was because of the scorching heat over here. I think you did the right call, there was nothing you could do about Ginger... she is small, fast and was using the dark as a shield, lol. I feel for your neighbors too, but haven't they complained to you yet or something like that? Over here if a neighbor has a dog like that we have to stand it Same with loud parties late at night.

 

No, no way I would do that to a dog! That to me is so inhuman, and I am glad it is outlawed because it is a form of mutation. The massage though, I don't know how that is going work when they are barking, especially outside. The last tip is a neat one, give him a drop of calming thingy!

 

Well this morning around 3am Ginger started again and sure enough when I went outside the dogs were back there. I figured mine wanted to potty so I let them out to potty and this time I caught Ginger first and took her back inside with me. I kind of held her hostage in the bathroom. I was having some stomach issues so she watched me as though she felt sorry for me. Anyway, I got them all in the bathroom with me for a little bit with Ginger and Zola barking occasionally.

Then I could hear this clapping and it appears that the owner of the dogs that come out and start the trouble was trying to call his back. He's the same guy I spoke about who has about six that he allows to run wild. It's usually in the mid morning I have seen them but this early morning thing has me embarrassed to face the neighbors. At least last night was not too bad but I feel terrible about it. My closest neighbors won't call the police before telling me about it. Further I doubt the police would come truth be told.

IcyBc, the vocal chord removal seems criminal to me. That's like taking away a dog's 'voice' and we need that voice for them to speak to us.

 

That sounds a lot like it is in my mother country. I think the police would never get there for an issue like that, I mean sometimes they don't even show up when they are truly needed, lol. We have a terrible police force here. That is why I was so surprised when our car died on us last week, leaving us in the middle of the street. They saw us there, and when I least expected it we were surrounded by two police cars, the road police and even the criminal police.

I hope you are more lucky with your girls, your noisy girls I really don't get people like that guy... I'd not feel ok knowing my dogs are running free, bothering people and putting themselves at risk...

 

Rumour has it he has a few screw loose and I guess he does the same thing with the dogs. One time he would let them potty right on my lawn. Last night we all slept through. They ran a lot in the late evening so I knew they were going to be out cold. Besides that I don't think the dogs came out as my bigger dog was not heard barking. Let's hope it's only peaceful nights from here on in. I am thinking someone spoke to him but it wasn't me. Two mental patients should not meet unless they have to.

 

@Winterybella I agree with what you said here: "IcyBc, the vocal chord removal seems criminal to me. That's like taking away a dog's 'voice' and we need that voice for them to speak to us." How could anyone even think about doing it to a dog! I against this 200%!

 

I have to tell you it took me completely by surprise. There is the debate about cutting the tails and the shock collars and similar devices, but that surgery left me stunned. I looked at my little ones and it would kill me to take away their 'voice'. Ginger has the most irritating bark but I could never take that away. It's her 'voice'. Some humans have irritating voices and we don't take that away.

 

Sorry about your ordeal with the dogs, I understand how you feel. Your neighbors too, as theymust be wondering how to deal with that while all the while knowing it is none your fault. I really hope you find a way to deal with that in an agreeable manner. Good luck!

 

It's funny I should see this now as things had cooled down somewhat and only yesterday I heard them at it again. Thankfully it was not in the early morning to disturb the neighbors sleep. I meant to check in with Trellum or Claudine as I feel they told me Ginger's bark would lose it's irritating effect but it hasn't. She has the most high pitched bark that wakes up the house and probably the neigborhood. Still she is a darling in her own mischievous and noisy way.