We are having an issue with our neighbor's dog incessant barking at 4am and 6am. This morning it started at 6am and my wife said he was still barking around 8am. The dog is not barking all the time, mind you, but about every five minutes, we get a good solid minute or two of barking. I know there are noise ordinances in place for this and I don't want it to come to this, but I have talked to them several times about it and they just don't hear it. I have offered to split the cost of a bark collar with them for the dog. They said thanks but it's their dog and they need to take care of it. This conversation happened about a week and a half ago. Has anyone else had this issue and what they done to remedy it? What are the penalization from the city if I call and complain about it?

I had this issue twice back when I lived in Edmond the first time so I don't know how OKC (if that's where you live) handles it. Sounds like you already did but I would avoid talking to neighbor like I did the first time. Some people are psychos about their pets and it really didn't go over well. So I filled out an online form for a neusance dog and I kid you not they were out there within a few hours with a warning on the door and I never heard the dog bark again.

if you live in Edmond or anyone else does and has this problems here is link, it is under Animal Welfare>Stray Animal/Barking Dog at the top http://edmondok.com/requesttracker.aspx

I had this issue twice back when I lived in Edmond the first time so I don't know how OKC (if that's where you live) handles it. Sounds like you already did but I would avoid talking to neighbor like I did the first time. Some people are psychos about their pets and it really didn't go over well. So I filled out an online form for a neusance dog and I kid you not they were out there within a few hours with a warning on the door and I never heard the dog bark again.

if you live in Edmond or anyone else does and has this problems here is link, it is under Animal Welfare>Stray Animal/Barking Dog at the top Edmond, OK - Official Website (http://edmondok.com/requesttracker.aspx)

Thanks for the information. I live in OKC, around NW 21st and May if that makes any difference. What I would like to know is what is the process for complaining about the dog barking? They issue a warning and I assume no fine is issued with it? Then what? I know if there are too many complaints, the dog can be taken from the owners. Honestly, that is the last thing I want to happen. These people give these dogs a good home and treat them well. Also, they are my neighbors so if there is ever a person who is not supposed to be in the back yard (mine or theirs) they (the dogs) will notify me of it. I just want it to shut up at night.

It might have to take a few times after the first warning ticket for actions to be taken. And if you notice it Im sure the whole neighborhood notices it. I would call animal welfare and just ask what the procedures and consequenses are.

Here is the OKC one, under animal welfare as well. City of Oklahoma City | Online Service Request (http://www.okc.gov/action/OnlineServiceRequest/Forms/EnterRequest.aspx)

i had to deal with a similar issue where i used to live... after talking with the neighbors a couple times, i started reporting the behavior to the city action center (http://www.okc.gov/action/). they'll send someone by to check on the merit of the complaint and send a warning to the homeowner if needed. after that happened a couple times with me, the city requested that i go by the animal shelter (near se 29th and bryant) and fill out some paperwork so that the homeowner would be ticketed. since i was just a couple months from selling my home, i opted not to go that far. -M

oh... and i may or may not have bought a watergun for the sole purpose of squirting the poor dog when he wouldn't shut up at four in the morning. : ) -M

Oopsie...The gate got left open somehow

"Sonic Egg" from Sunbeam. Less than $50 at PetSmart. Works real good on larger dogs, not so great on annoying little, shrill yappers.

A face full of mace like the postman carries works really good also.

Throw some bricks of Spam over the wall.

Throw some bricks of Spam over the wall.

can't believe you left out the part about the rat poison...

Had the same issue a few years ago. I went over and knocked on their door in the wee hours while the dog was at it. Told the guy that I have to get up for work just like he did and if I can't sleep because of his dog, then neither can he. He went and got his dog and brought it inside. Never heard it much after that.

I would report them, having a dog out at 4am, I think it was around 25 degrees is cruel punishment on the dogs.

I have dogs that sometimes tend to bark, but I make sure they aren't outside before 7:30 and not any later than 10pm. Common courtesy I guess is gone these days.

Get a bark stopper device, do not tell the neighbors.

Thd dogs are Rottweilers if I remember correctly and are quite big and thick so they can stand the colder weather. I don't have a problem with them having their dog outside (especially when they have a covered porch area in case it is raining) I just have a problem wiht the barking. I thought about getting a bark stopper device, the problem is what if there is someone in our or their back yard? I want them to be able to let us know. I just don't want them barking at 4am when they saw a SQUIRREL in the bushes...

Throw a roll of a few hundred firecrackers on their roof. Just make sure nobody sees where it comes from. Will likely scare the dog and be a good f you to the owners. This is a short term solution that likely wont result in any positive outcomes.

I have an aunt that will come kidnap them for you. She thinks all of them should be inside except when going to the bathroom. She see outdoor dogs as animal abuse.

She cray cray. But she useful too :D

This is why I always root for my neighbors to be cat owners or just be allergic to all animals

can't believe you left out the part about the rat poison...

Are you serious?

The poor animal may having an identity crisis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP3gzee1cps

We had this happen a couple of times in OKC. One neighbor was great. We simply told them about the problem and they took care of it. Another neighbor had a pack of little yelpers. She'd let them out when she had company and they'd bark like crazy outside. I'd goto href house each time and tell her to keep them quiet or I was reporting it. Took three trips, but then I never heard them again for longer than 30-seconds. Unfortunately another neighbor moved in and their dogs would bark at all hours. Went to the house once at 4am when they were barking. He was pretty hostile about it. The next time I simply recorded the barking for a bit and then called 911. The officer was pretty friendly about it and asked if he could just let the guy know that if called again he was getting a ticket. Worked for about 6 days then the barking started again. Called, asked for the same officer to call me back. He showed up and gave the guy a ticket. He started keeping his dogs in the garage at night. You could only here them when outside (which I wasn't at 4am). They were section 8 and kicked out not long after for having too many people living in the house.

I never had much luck with City Action. They'd come buy, but the dog was never barking then. They said all they could do was give warnings unless they heard it and had already given several warnings. They suggested I call 911 because the ticket could be treated as 'citizens arrest' and I'd sign as the complaining party.

If it feels cold outside to you, it feels cold outside to an animal.

If it feels cold outside to you, it feels cold outside to an animal.

Also depends heavily on the breed of dog and whether or not you have them groomed.

Husky can do just fine overnight in temps that would kill you or I if we were not insulated as well as they are. Other breeds can perish pretty quickly in hot or cold weather.

Had a friend whose bulldog died when the electricity in the house went out one summer day. By the time they returned from work he was dead from heat stroke - even though the temperature inside the house was not that bad.

If it feels cold outside to you, it feels cold outside to an animal.

Really have they told you that? Geez

This is why I always root for my neighbors to be cat owners or just be allergic to all animals

No. My next door neighbors are cat owners. Their cats are constantly in my yard, or on my cars. I don't want their cats in my yard or on my cars. They will go out of town for up to a week and leave their cats outside. I firmly believe your right to own a pet stops at your property line.

I got pissed at my neighbor's barking dog and threw some ice cubes at it. It wasn't very effective because he thought I was throwing treats at him.

These people have their dog on a steel chain thats anchored into their yard somehow. The poor dog has wore off all the grass so gets to wallow in hard dirt/mud.

What a life...

If it feels cold outside to you, it feels cold outside to an animal.You're a moron; have you ever heard of Musk Ox? I understand you weren't referring to that, but jeeze.

Love this new world we live in, can't spank your kids and can't even leave a dog outside like 99% used to be lol

yeah... let's make our point without calling people "morons." -M

From the other side of the fence(heh), as far as I know with OKC there's no warning system. You file a complaint, they get a ticket.

At least that's what happened to me. No contact attempt by the neighbors, no warning notice, just a ticket. There's also no time window the dog noise ordinance. The citation I got was for 11 AM. It was fairly hefty, too. Like $175 or $200.

From the other side of the fence(heh), as far as I know with OKC there's no warning system. You file a complaint, they get a ticket.

At least that's what happened to me. No contact attempt by the neighbors, no warning notice, just a ticket. There's also no time window the dog noise ordinance. The citation I got was for 11 AM. It was fairly hefty, too. Like $175 or $200.

Just curious about your side of the fence. Were you not aware of your dog being a disturbance to your neighbors before you got a ticket?

Just curious about your side of the fence. Were you not aware of your dog being a disturbance to your neighbors before you got a ticket?

I genuinely wasn't. We would leave them out during the day while we were at work(When the weather was nice enough, anyway). Our previous neighbors never had any issue with it, but at the time we didn't live adjacent to any other dogs. There are some yappers across the storm drain from us that seem to get our dogs going.

I've had problems with nuisance dogs at other places I've lived, so I certainly understand where my neighbor was coming from(Well, sort of. He mentioned he'd put in complaints about all the surrounding dogs, none of which bother me or bark excessively in my opinion). But I did feel that I was in an unfair spot, as it was entirely his word against mine(Per the animal control guy) and pretty slighted that he didn't try to talk to my wife or myself about it. I did talk to him after the ticket, he agreed to not show up to court but I ended up being unable to take time off work and just paid the ticket.

From the other side of the fence(heh), as far as I know with OKC there's no warning system. You file a complaint, they get a ticket.

At least that's what happened to me. No contact attempt by the neighbors, no warning notice, just a ticket. There's also no time window the dog noise ordinance. The citation I got was for 11 AM. It was fairly hefty, too. Like $175 or $200.

What city and what agency issued the ticket (police, City Action, nuisance abatement, etc.)?

Like I said before, we went through this with City Action and they never issued an actual ticket. When we went through OCPD they would. I've even seen people arrested over a barking dog complaint if the owner got too lippy.

I've seen a few small claims actions in OKC over barking dogs too.

I've seen a few small claims actions in OKC over barking dogs too.

What was the basis for asking for a monetary award? Was it "mental duress"? And how much were they seeking? I've got the big "tundra dog" to the north trained not to bark (all I have to do is show it the Sonic Egg and it shuts up and slinks off) but the yapper the other side of the yard next door to the south seems to be deaf to it. (Much as the dog's owner seems to be deaf to its occasional, incessant barking.)

Can you tell that this audio trespassing on my personal space is one of my pet peeves?

What was the basis for asking for a monetary award? Was it "mental duress"? And how much were they seeking? I've got the big "tundra dog" to the north trained not to bark (all I have to do is show it the Sonic Egg and it shuts up and slinks off) but the yapper the other side of the yard next door to the south seems to be deaf to it. (Much as the dog's owner seems to be deaf to its occasional, incessant barking.)

Can you tell that this audio trespassing on my personal space is one of my pet peeves?

I get a DVD with all court cases filed each week for several counties and I've seen civil actions for dogs maybe half a dozen times. If I recall, the amount sought was always just a couple hundred dollars (just enough to get the owner's attention I assume).

I never pulled the cases up to see the final disposition. But if i get I chance I'll see if I can locate a DVD with one of the cases on it and look it up.

I thought you could go to small claims court for things other than monetary awards, restraining orders, that sort of thing. Maybe rulings about a barking dog?
C. T.

What was the basis for asking for a monetary award? Was it "mental duress"? And how much were they seeking? I've got the big "tundra dog" to the north trained not to bark (all I have to do is show it the Sonic Egg and it shuts up and slinks off) but the yapper the other side of the yard next door to the south seems to be deaf to it. (Much as the dog's owner seems to be deaf to its occasional, incessant barking.)

Can you tell that this audio trespassing on my personal space is one of my pet peeves?

What did you charge your neighbor to train his dog to shut up?

http://www.okctalk.com/ask-anything-about-okc/33368-need-some-information-about-disturbing-peace-citation-related-dogs.html

What did you charge your neighbor to train his dog to shut up?

I didn't charge him anything.
I went out, voluntarily, after a bit of internet research on alternatives to chocolate-coated chicken bones (silent, but deadly, to barking dogs with the threat of malicious mischief lurking in the background) and bought one of those Sunbeam Sonic Eggs at PetSmart.

It worked exactly--actually, even better--than it was advertised. On the Tundra Dog.
For the mini-yapper yet to be stilled, I'm considering buying an eagle or a hawk to spirit it away.
Is it still legal to own an owl? Or to train it for nefarious porpoises?

I guess I was guilty of vigilantism.
(mea culpa)

Edited to Add: In case you missed it on the first "go 'round":

Another Reason I Don't Keep a Gun in the House
by Billy Collins, former Poet Laureate of the United States

The neighbors' dog will not stop barking.
He is barking the same high, rhythmic bark
that he barks every time they leave the house.
They must switch him on on their way out.

The neighbors' dog will not stop barking.
I close all the windows in the house
and put on a Beethoven symphony full blast
but I can still hear him muffled under the music,

barking, barking, barking,

and now I can see him sitting in the orchestra,
his head raised confidently as if Beethoven
had included a part for barking dog.

When the record finally ends he is still barking,
sitting there in the oboe section barking,
his eyes fixed on the conductor who is
entreating him with his baton
while the other musicians listen in respectful
silence to the famous barking dog solo,
that endless coda that first established
Beethoven as an innovative genius.

(apologies to the author for reparagraphization of the message, intended =)i

Thanks for the information. I live in OKC, around NW 21st and May if that makes any difference. What I would like to know is what is the process for complaining about the dog barking? They issue a warning and I assume no fine is issued with it? Then what? I know if there are too many complaints, the dog can be taken from the owners. Honestly, that is the last thing I want to happen. These people give these dogs a good home and treat them well. Also, they are my neighbors so if there is ever a person who is not supposed to be in the back yard (mine or theirs) they (the dogs) will notify me of it. I just want it to shut up at night.

Warren, I'd recommend filing a complaint with the city action center. Do you live in Crestwood by chance?

Warren, I'd recommend filing a complaint with the city action center. Do you live in Crestwood by chance?

Yes I do. We emailed them and got a notice that the city was sending them a notice. After I typed all of this up, I went over to talk to the neighbor and I told them I had contacted the city action center about it. We are not trying to be rude or bad neighbors, we just want to sleep. The adult daughter told me the mother looked for a specific bark collar the previous day but couldn't find it at a particular Petsmart. She said she was going to call her and tell her I talked to her and what I said so they can get it taken care of. The issue we are having now is the other dog that we never heard is barking again since the other one stopped. I think I am going to end up going out and getting one of those eggs to try to keep them quiet. I am not trying to be a d!$k, I just want to be able to sleep and when I am a little awake in the middle of the night, if the dog is not barking, I am worried it will start barking and keep me awake. And that doesn't help me sleep either.

You, Warren, are approaching the situation like a mature adult. Apparently your neighbors are also trying to be reasonable. I honestly hope that the Sonic Egg works as well for you as it did for me. I still don't understand why incessantly barking dogs don't bother their owners as much as they bother other people. Is it like living next to Tinker Field (the jets landing) or next to a railroad track?

Anyway . . . I hope this problem is resolved soon.

Please let me know if my product suggestion worked for you.

You, Warren, are approaching the situation like a mature adult. Apparently your neighbors are also trying to be reasonable. I honestly hope that the Sonic Egg works as well for you as it did for me. I still don't understand why incessantly barking dogs don't bother their owners as much as they bother other people. Is it like living next to Tinker Field (the jets landing) or next to a railroad track?

Anyway . . . I hope this problem is resolved soon.

Please let me know if my product suggestion worked for you.

Thanks for the compliment, I like to think I am being mature about this. If it was up to my wife, she would have gone over and knocked on their door in the middle of the night to wake them up since the dog was waking us up.

I have actually asked them if they hear it and they say no. The couple that lives there are heavy sleepers and their bedroom is on the front of the house. The adult daughter is a bartender so when she gets home at 2:30 or 3:00am and the dog is barking at 6:00am, she is fast asleep and doesn't hear it. My wife and I are very light sleepers and our bedroom is on the back of the house. So, if the dog is barking for more than a few minutes, it will wake us up and keep us awake. We have a fan on in the room and that drowns out a little of the noise but not enough to make a difference. I have heard about the egg thing prior to posting this here and it seems like it gets great reviews. I will let you know how it goes.

Might want to look at this.

https://www.grc.com/tqc/TheQuietCanine.htm

Warren, I also live in Crestwood and have dogs. I bought a citronella bark collar for my dog, and it works well on her. But I never leave her outside, so it hasn't gotten used in about 2 years. I would be willing to give it to a fellow Crestwood neighbor. Send me a PM if you are interested in it and giving it to your neighbor...

Oopsie...The gate got left open somehow

Oh, don't do that A loose dog is going to be scared, perhaps hurt - and it isn't the dog's fault. My dogs being loose is my worst nightmare.

can't believe you left out the part about the rat poison...

horrible.

Had the same issue a few years ago. I went over and knocked on their door in the wee hours while the dog was at it. Told the guy that I have to get up for work just like he did and if I can't sleep because of his dog, then neither can he. He went and got his dog and brought it inside. Never heard it much after that.

Seems fair.

I have an aunt that will come kidnap them for you. She thinks all of them should be inside except when going to the bathroom. She see outdoor dogs as animal abuse.

She cray cray. But she useful too :D
I know someone up in Grand Rapids who is part of a pit bull rescue group. They steal dogs from negligent owners and it includes a whole network of like minded individuals. People come in from out of town (harder to trace and they take the dog from the area). It is like a swat team. These are law abiding citizens, typically, engaging in what they see as worthy of civil disobedience.

I know someone up in Grand Rapids who is part of a pit bull rescue group. They steal dogs from negligent owners and it includes a whole network of like minded individuals. People come in from out of town (harder to trace and they take the dog from the area). It is like a swat team. These are law abiding citizens, typically, engaging in what they see as worthy of civil disobedience.

So . . . It's like an Underground Railroad for dogs? Was it Bob Dylan who once said, "Dogs Run Free, Why Can't We?"

So . . . It's like an Underground Railroad for dogs? Was it Bob Dylan who once said, "Dogs Run Free, Why Can't We?"

Yes, it's like that. I never even knew that sort of thing happened until my friend, who has samoyeds like I do, showed up with a pretty pit and explained how he ended up with her.

I'm in Crestwood too - on 19th. I have a yapper behind me - if you try something that works, let me know!

Funny thing is about a year ago my neighbors dog was barking a LOT like way past 3 AM. I chose to ignore it I start getting calls from Animal control telling me that I need to keep my dog quiet. I told them that i don't have a dog. I got a ticket for it like a week later. I didn't have to pay it after calling them again and saying I don't have a dog. I just felt like it was weird though because the dog was never in my back yard.

What city and what agency issued the ticket (police, City Action, nuisance abatement, etc.)?

Like I said before, we went through this with City Action and they never issued an actual ticket. When we went through OCPD they would. I've even seen people arrested over a barking dog complaint if the owner got too lippy.

I've seen a few small claims actions in OKC over barking dogs too.

Sorry for being so late to answer. It was OKC and Animal Control was the agency. The citation form was the same as you'd get from OCPD for a traffic ticket or whatever. There was never any threat to do more than the citation, but I'm not the sort to get rude with officers. My main beef was that there was no warning and my neighbor didn't try to talk it over with me. I'd lived here for over a year at that point, and while we're not best buds or anything, we've talked and are friendly enough. He has a chronic disease and I can only figure he was having a really ****ty day and the dogs barking just got to him.

It was pretty different from when I lived in the village. Some people in the house behind me chained their dog(A scotty or some sort of terrier) in the back yard 24/7. It would bark and howl and whatnot all night long and kept me up on more than one occasion. Nothing was ever done about it, despite a few calls. The thing just disappeared one day and was replaced by a pit mix with violent tendencies. The pit didn't bark all night, at least.

Well, I will give you all an update on what has happened since I last posted. After I talked to the neighbors and told them we had contacted the action center, they got a bark collar and that dog stopped barking. Now, the other dog has started barking at about the same strength and frequency as the first one did. It wasn't as loud or as long as the first dog early on but over the last week, it has gotten progressively worse. My wife is going to call the action center today to tell them that we were woken up at 3:15am and ended up going into the spare bedroom at the front of the house so it wouldn't be as loud. I was still hearing it bark around 4:00 am this morning and then I finally drifted off to sleep. I think I am going to buy the egg thing and just hang it in our yard, facing theirs and see if it works. If not, they will end up getting a fine and at this point in time, I really don't care.

Let us know how the egg thing works - very curious about that.

Sorry about the lost sleep. I had a dog, years ago, that was the most wonderful girl ever whelped. But OMG, her bark would shatter glass. I tried my best to keep her from barking and she was such a sweet thing the neighbors loved her, too. But when she died, although they were all hugely sympathetic, I couldn't help but suspect some of them were secretly relieved.

The good news is that we kept her inside at night and in the evening so she didn't disturb anyone's sleep (except ours). If she was barking outside, she was brought right back in. My own ears nearly exploded, regularly (indoors). I never had a complaint that she was barking during the day and on the weekends and evenings when we were home, she usually didn't. But when she DID bark, good lord. It wasn't the frequency, it was the intensity.

I finally got her a citronella collar and she hated it but it worked. You aren't supposed to leave it on them unless they are supervised so we didn't. All I had to do was ask her if she wanted the collar and she would dip her head and hush. Poor thing.

The other dog would go stand next to her and bark to make it go off. She thought that was hysterical and my poor girl wearing the collar would just be miserable. We would, of course, put a stop to that but the other dog showed no remorse. The other dog is the only dog to ever go to hell.

The other dog would go stand next to her and bark to make it go off. She thought that was hysterical and my poor girl wearing the collar would just be miserable. We would, of course, put a stop to that but the other dog showed no remorse. The other dog is the only dog to ever go to hell.

As frustrating as this whole process has been, this made me laugh out loud. I am not sure if you meant it to, but that was the effect.

My wife called the action center this morning and they transferred her to animal welfare. She explained the situation and the person said the next step is to come downtown (somewhere), sign a sitation and they will issue a fine. I think it is $175. This is fuel for our conversation with them after I get off work. I will tell them if they don't fix it, I will go down and sign the sitation. It's not something I want to do, but I will do it if it will get them to get the dog to stop barking.

As frustrating as this whole process has been, this made me laugh out loud. I am not sure if you meant it to, but that was the effect.

My wife called the action center this morning and they transferred her to animal welfare. She explained the situation and the person said the next step is to come downtown (somewhere), sign a sitation and they will issue a fine. I think it is $175. This is fuel for our conversation with them after I get off work. I will tell them if they don't fix it, I will go down and sign the sitation. It's not something I want to do, but I will do it if it will get them to get the dog to stop barking.

Glad you got a laugh - miserable dog neighbor situations are no laughing matter for the most part. Let me just say that I lived in fear that someone would complain about my dog and I'd have sold my house at a loss and moved if it meant having to get rid of her. Which, of course, is why she wasn't allowed to bark her head off so that probably was an attitude that slanted in the neighbors' favor. I think you are being more than reasonable in the way you are handling this. Perhaps the neighbors might be willing to buy the sonic egg and give it a try as one more attempt before you file. Let us know how it goes.

Glad you got a laugh - miserable dog neighbor situations are no laughing matter for the most part. Let me just say that I lived in fear that someone would complain about my dog and I'd have sold my house at a loss and moved if it meant having to get rid of her. Which, of course, is why she wasn't allowed to bark her head off so that probably was an attitude that slanted in the neighbors' favor. I think you are being more than reasonable in the way you are handling this. Perhaps the neighbors might be willing to buy the sonic egg and give it a try as one more attempt before you file. Let us know how it goes.

I will bring it up. I am not sure how open they are to the idea though. From what I get from them, they don't hear the sound, so it is not their problem and that is what frustrates me the most. The funniest part about this whole thing I think is trying to follow their logic. Several months ago, I went over for the first time and told them the dog had been barking. They said their bedroom is at the front of the house and they don't hear it. A few weeks ago, I told them about it again and offered the idea of a bark collar or something of that affect. He said he wants them to be able to bark in case someone jumps the fence and is trying to break in the house or something. Let me know if you see the irony in that...

Yeah, they don't hear them bark all night but want them in case they actually DO bark. I don't know that trying to get into their head and follow their logic is a safe path. It sounds full of twists, turns and dark alleys. Carry a flashlight.

Are these dogs outside or inside? I "get" that they want to be warned about intruders but to be honest, I don't think a dog with a collar or the egg (assuming it works) would stand idly by if someone tried to get in the yard. Who knows, they might change from a watch dog to a guard dog. IMO, they should just bring the dogs inside at night, even if it means locking them in the kitchen. It won't kill them to wait until morning to go outside and do their thing.

Yeah, they don't hear them bark all night but want them in case they actually DO bark. I don't know that trying to get into their head and follow their logic is a safe path. It sounds full of twists, turns and dark alleys. Carry a flashlight.

Are these dogs outside or inside? I "get" that they want to be warned about intruders but to be honest, I don't think a dog with a collar or the egg (assuming it works) would stand idly by if someone tried to get in the yard. Who knows, they might change from a watch dog to a guard dog. IMO, they should just bring the dogs inside at night, even if it means locking them in the kitchen. It won't kill them to wait until morning to go outside and do their thing.

They have two german shephards, one Alaskan malamute and two weenie dogs. All but the weenie dogs are outside and they are always outside. Even when the weather got down into the single digits they were outside barking. I can only imagine the translation of the barking was, "HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY! WE'RE COLD OUT HERE! HOW'S ABOUT LETTING US IN?!? HEY! HELLO? HEY!....." I appreciate people who get dogs from the pound before they are put down and everything but when you leave your dogs out in the cold all the time and really never play with them (we hardly ever see anyone back in the back yard with them or taking them on walks), I kind of think they would be better off with someone else as their owner. The dog that was the start of the problem was being taken to the pound by the lady who lives next door's sister and she said bring her to us instead.

Another update: I went over to tell the neighbor on Monday after work that I heard her barking again Sunday night around 2am. He immediately got defensive and told us they have spent about $300 on different bark collars and noise boxes and they don't work on her. He doesn't know what else to do. I have not seen any of these items but he said either she gets used to the barking or she just barks through it. He said when I went over to tell them what actions we were taking, he felt threatened about me saying that the city could take the dog away. He said he would open up the gate and tell them good luck... He was a complete @$$ about the situation when I was just trying to be as patient as possible.

Well, Monday night, we didn't hear anything, so we thought they had figure it out. Tuesday night it barked for a little while around 5am. This morning around 5:30am it was barking constantly for about 15 minutes. We moved into the other bedroom just to sleep but I could still hear it around 6:15am when my other neighbor left for work (he always leaves at 6:15am). My wife went down and filed a formal complaint where they will be issued a citation and a fine. She said it is much like a traffic ticket where they can either pay it or we have to show up for a court date. At any rate, I have basically logged on this forum what the problem has been and what I have done to try to fix it. I also have e-mails with my wife where we talked about the issue. She has e-mails between her and the city action center filing a formal complaint. We are going to log all these together in case we are called to court for this. They did say it would take a few days for the ticket to be issued and then we will have the information where we can see if they have paid the fine or if they are fighting. From here, we can file another complaint and they can be issued another ticket if necessary. Not sure how many times it takes before they eventually just take the dog away from them. At this point, I think that would be the best option since they obviously don't care enough the permanently fix the problem.