my dog barks

[ocky]

has my dog a rite to bark? cause i live in a cul-de-sac and a lady in the next row 0f houses keeps moaning about my westie barking late at nite this has only happened twice in the last six months is there anything this lady can do about my problem

[lajohn]

yes. she might be tempted to feed
your dog poisonous or tainted foods
which could cause your dog to become ill or die.
the next time she complains tell her to keep
the dog for a night or two and she'll know
how you feel when the dog is barking.

you could also tell her the dog only barks
whenever he senses a stranger or
bugler near her house and he's trying
to get her attention to alert her.

[Kleiber]

If it's a Westie, it yaps, not barks!! (Sorry, I was trying to be light-hearted!) Anyway, on a serious note, if your little dog has only done this twice in 6 months, I can't see what your neighbour has to complain about. It doesn't sound as though it's a constant yapper (that's enough to drive anyone mad!) but it obviously has a reason for doing this occasionally. Perhaps it's heard something outside, maybe a fox or some local yobs or a person coming back from the pub a bit the worse for wear. Your wee dog is only doing its job, alerting you to a potential threat. I don't think your neighbour has grounds for complaint under the Noise Abatement Act, as it's so seldom it's happened. Why don't you have a word with her and explain that your dog doesn't normally do this and because it is occasionally doing it, it's only warning you both? Maybe she'll come round. All dogs bark - it's only natural for them to do so. Mine sometimes go off in the middle of the night to let me know there's something (usually a fox) outside, but they don't do it all the time. Good luck. K.

[Robinia]

When you say the lady in the next row do you mean your dog is barking outside, do you let him out late at night? That could be as annoying as living next door to a yapper but twice isn't excessive & there's nothing she could do unless it happens regularly.
My little horror - a KC spaniel - often barks in the garden when it's dark, he seems to need to let the world know he's on his way! It's ok at the moment as it's light for long enough, but during the dark night season I always take him out for his last tiddle on the lead so I can get him in again as quickly as possible & it's rarely after 9.30pm. I don't like listening to him, so I don't expect other people do either.

[twinny-15]

The amount your dog barks is nothing to worry about my neighbour has two large crossbreeds that start at 7 am and bark at anything that moves till they go in in the evening.They dont even tell them to stop when they are present but after 2 years she has had no problems from anyone.