Barking dog

We have the same problem with our border collie, at night. She usually starts at about 2am for an hour or so. We leave the door open so she can go out. She takes her main meal outside to eat.
She's done this since she was a pup, and had a companion dog for her first few years.I suppose it could be separation anxiety, but she won't come and sleep in our bedroom.
I also think she might be guarding the house and warning off wild animals - there are deer and wild boar here.
Luckily we don't have close neighbours.

PS I have the neighbours house keys on either side and they have mine. They've never abuse that trust and it's been very useful when one of us has locked ourselves out, or our animals need letting out or feeding. This sort of reciprocal behaviour makes for good neighbours.

That's so good to hear grannybing and I'm glad you got to meet the puppy. I think taking puppy for walks is the way forwards and great for both of you and perhaps you could introduce puppy to your cat while it's still young enough to make friends?

A great resolution and I suspect that puppy will be more inclined to settle down after a good walk.

I'm so grateful for the kind advice on here that I thought I'd let you know I plucked up all my courage and spoke to my neighbour - who was very apologetic, had no idea I was suffering in silence. She's given me her phone number and says I must call if any noise bothers me. I also met the dog who's a cute fluffy little 4 month old crossbreed. I even heard myself offering to take him for walks, which neighbour gratefully accepted. She offered to feed my cat when I'm away!
I don't think the barking will necessarily stop entirely because he's inevitably going to be left on his own sometimes but I feel much better knowing I'm dealing with a responsible owner and that the dog is actually lovely!
Thank you everyone for all your common sense and wisdom during my harrowing experience. I do realise now how uncontrolled barking can cause serious harm, wouldn't wish it on anyone.

GrannyBing . As I said upthread, it's only when you experience it that you know how absolutely dreadful it is so I can empathise. You said the neighbour is nice so maybe you can approach it in the first instance on a ' I thought you ought to know, dog must be upset' sort of basis rather than put the emphasis on how it affects you. Ask them what they think can be done about it. You say it's adopted so they could ring the organisation they adopted it from and ask for advice. Another tactic is to ask them to come round when they first come home ( without going into their house first) so they can hear the dog in action. If they are really nice, they will be horrified. But you are going to have to be brave and talk to them. You can't live like this. Your right to enjoy your house trumps the rights of any dog in any circumstance. If nothing comes of it and the problem continues, ring your la dog warden. Good luck

The puppy is bought and the situation exists. So that's what needs to be sorted. No amount of complaining will stop the puppy barking and escalating the complaints will upset everybody more, because what can the owners do except get rid?

Not all dogs create like this, so it's hard to anticipate which will and which won't. We always had two dogs when I worked and that did provide companionship.

I'm not advocating another dog, but companionship. How? I don't know, but if it was me I'd offer to bring the puppy to my house for an hour or two in an evening until it learns to settle. But then I'm used to housefuls of dogs - my own two, my two grand dogs and my neighbours dogs.

What a lovely story hopehope.

Have a chat with them, along the lines of what can we come up with to help the Puppy, and thereby us too. Years ago when I was in the sticks and working from home I saw an advert in the pet shop for a " Dog Sitter" I got in touch with the Lady, and she and her collie came to visit. Her intention had been to make a small payment, but as we got chatting it became apparant that she also had a horse.

I had ridden all my life but was without a horse to ride at that time. I said if I could go over and ride the horse out a few days a week that would be my payment, also good for the horse. This is what we did, sometimes she dropped the dog off to me in the morning, or if I was going over to ride I would fetch her back with me. I had a collie too, and the two dogs got on like a house on fire. The Lady also became a very good friend, so win win all the way.

GrannyBing - anti bark collars aren't the answer to a dog who is desperately lonely, having been adopted from goodness knows what background and is then abandoned for long periods on its own.
The dog is suffering from separation anxiety, that's why dogs howl and bark when left alone. Most dogs can be trained to tolerate periods alone, ideally not much more than 4 hours on a regular basis, though I accept that isn't always possible.

So, the honest, brief answer is No, anti bark collars won't work in the circumstances you describe. The other solution would be for the owner to pay for day care or at least,for someone to come in during the day and walk the dog for a couple of hours.

Sorry to be blunt. If your neighbours are prepared to do a bit of work, they can help their dog to learn to be alone for short periods initially. Leave the radio on, leave the dogs food in toys that mean the dog has to work to get them out. Leave a kong, stuffed with some of the dogs food, some carrots/cheese etc and freeze it so it takes the dog half an hour to eat the jollies. All these things tire dogs out, thinking is much more tiring than running about for 10 minutes.
Sorry to not come up with easy solutions, there aren't any.

I'm having a similar problem to Pamela and wondered if there's an update to this thread? My perfectly nice neighbour has adopted a dog which is left alone all day and sometimes evenings or weekends. It barks all the time which obviously upsets me greatly. I've read about anti-bark collars but haven't broached the idea with neighbour. Does anyone know if they work? Or any other solutions? I hate confrontation and really don't know what to do to keep my sanity!

That's ok Iam64 rant away. We don't have a dog now because we go away to Aus to visit our daughter for long periods. I don't understand why so many pet owners don't seem to think of all the responsibilities an animal brings with it.

PamelaJ1, I'm a great one for helping people out when they're in need. This young couple are not 'in need' of anything other than proper advice about how to care for their puppy.
I could scream at breeders who irresponsibly sell to folk who work full time yet think that fits with the needs of a puppy. How can this puppy learn to be house trained, learn to socialise with people and other dogs. I do try to avoid ranting but I'm struggling here.
It isn't the job of PamelaJ1's friend to puppy sit. It's the job of the poor puppy's owners to organise their lives to accommodate a tiny puppy. I know that Guide Dogs say don't leave a pup over 4 hours but they don't mean an 8 week old pup, but one who is old enough to hold its bladder for more than 4 hours. I crate trained my last two pups, having previously seen such training as little more than Guantanamo Bay training. How wrong I was. It's a wonderful thing to successfully train a puppy to feel happy and secure in its crate. Puppies will not toilet where they live. It's in their DNA, they learn it from their mum, who cleans up after them so that "home" is always clean. This is such a small part of being a good puppy owner but an essential part.
Sorry Pamela, I'm not helping now, I'm ranting.
Puppies are not things to be bought at whim, often because in truth, people want a baby. They somehow think they can leave a baby dog for 8 hours where they somehow know, they could not leave a human baby alone for so long. I don't humanise my own dogs to this extent, they're dogs and live as such within our family. I try to avoid my adult dogs being left for long periods. I always leave the radio on (radio 3, it's soothing)
I think you're right Pamela, record the noise to help the owners recognise how distressed their puppy is. The recording may be useful with the dog warden.

My friend isn't all that keen on dogs but I will put dog sitting to her as a solution? I think I can imagine her reply!
The neighbours didn't really respond to the comments that both my friend and the other neighbour made. I don't suppose they have a clue what dogs need, just thought it would be nice to have a dog.
I told her to record the noise, perhaps if they heard it they would realise the little things distress.

Why on earth should the OPs friend offer a solution? Flipping 'eck Nora - dog sit every time they are out? Maybe friend wants to have friends round, listen to music, read a book - you know just enjoy reasonable peace and quiet in her own house. Friend has every right to complain without offering any solutions

Agree with Badenkate if it is possible for you to puppy sit. At least offer to let it out occasionally.
It's quite irresponsible of people to get a puppy when they are out such a lot I think. If you talk to them about the barking then at least you are offering a possible solution not just complaining.

This sort of selfish behaviour really irritates me - it's selfish re the dog but much much much worse, it's incredibly selfish and thoughtless towards the neighbours. There's absolutely no guarantee that the puppy will grow out of it. We have a very good dog warden here - I used him one summer when every day and evening in the garden was ruined by constant dog yapping from a house in the road behind us ( so not a neighbour really). For some reason, the dog was put out in the garden and kept yapping to go in. I was beyond angry - how dare anyone think this sort of behaviour is ever acceptable. Anyway, I kept records of times and duration of noise and then rang DW who went round - goodness knows what he said but it stopped and never restarted. However of course my problem had an easy solution - just let the dog in. Your friend's problem doesn't. Does she know what breed it is by the way? And before I'm accused of being a dog hater, unless you've experienced it you have absolutely no idea what constant yapping and barking does to you - I would feel deranged after even a non stop hour of it

Might it help if the owners left lamps and radio or television on? When I puppy walked for Guide Dogs it was strongly recommended that no pup was left alone for more than 4 hours during waking hours. Apart from that a puppy usually needs to toilet every couple of hours during the daytime and evening. Hope your friend finds a solution.

If this is a new puppy it's beviour is about normal. Of course they shouldn't be leaving a new puppy for extended periods and you might feel you could offer to let it out occasionally (?) as a friendly way of highlighting the problem.
Poor dog it is so unfair on him.

Yes!! Dog sitting Service brilliant idea.

I meant to have the dog in her home not theirs

Does your friend like dogs? If so, maybe she could offer to dog sit. All the enjoyment of a dog and none of the responsibility

If mentioning nicely has not worked, then a frank conversation between all three parties is a way to make sure the owners understand the distress and disturbance the noise is causing for neighbours, and they can be asked to find solutions. If they do not want to respond or solve the problem, then that is a different situation.

It is very unfair to leave ayoung dog shut in for long periods and if they are responsible owners they should make arrangements to give the puppy the company and stimulation it needs.

Poor little dog is my first thought. The next thought is that this won't stop. The dog is practicing howling and barking as a means of expressing its misery. It has separation anxiety, which if not 'treated', is likely to become a life long behaviour when this dog is left. It won't grow out of it.
As neighbours on both sides have spoken nicely to the owners, what was their response? Dogs are pack animals but I hope the neighbours don't get another puppy as a companion because that won't help. Dogs need their people. It's unlikely this young couple are earning enough to pay for doggy day care, which would be one way of helping. Another option could be to employ a dog walker to come in mid day and take the dog for a couple of hours.
I don't know if phoning the dog warden would be any use. This is a common situation unfortunately. Look at any of the dog charity sites, they're full of puppies and young dogs who have separation anxiety in circumstances just like these.