I have a neighbor two doors down from us who has a dog. I've met them once, the owners are a little kooky, but otherwise relatively normal. The dog is a mixed breed, maybe a year old or so, so still kind of a puppy.
They leave their dog outside for hours on end, and he barks. Constantly. Not a playful bark either, or an assertive one, but an urgent high pitched stressful sounding bark.
When I met them they even mentioned something about his constant barking, blew it off, and said something about him being in the back yard all day.
It wakes us up in the morning, I've woken up from it late at night too. Today I heard him barking at about 8am. It's 20 degrees outside, snowing, and there's a wind advisory. The poor dog was probably scared to death, it sounded like a tornado was coming this morning. I heard the owner open her door, scream at him to shut up, and close the door again with him outside.
That pretty much did it for me, I've decided that the woman is a giant azzwipe and I need to do something.
So, here's a poll:


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DH's family leaves their labrador outside at night in Colorado. Not my style, but his parents are old school. They keep him in the house when they're home (and his mom is older and ill so she's home all the time). His dad also hikes down to the end of the driveway to get the mail (~3 miles round trip?) with him every day. And there's a dog house with a heated floor in the yard. So I guess it's OK in this case?
The vet had given me Ace (tranquilizer pills) for storms for years, but they take so long to take effect, it's almost not worth it. Finally, he prescribed an every day med to calm Parker, and life is much better for all of us.
If these people have done nothing but shout at the dog so far, they're not likely to change just because you talk to them. I'd call and report them, personally. If you're the owner of a dog like that, it's your respomsibility to your pet to help take care of them.
Dresses may be easier to take in than let out, but guest lists are not. -- kate51485
I put steal the dog, jokingly (sort of). What I would really do is talk to the neighbor one more time and explain to her that this really needs to be resolved. If she still doesn't do anything, call the city. I hope you get some peace and quiet soon, and also that the dog ends up okay in all this. Poor thing.
Whatever you hatters be hattin. -Tay Prince
The dog being outside. It really depends on the dog. I use to have an Alaskan Malamute. She HATED being indoors . She happily lived outside.
In the winter time my Irish setter growing up would only last outside as long as it took to go to the bathroom.
I'm at work now, so I'm not sure if he's still out there. Part of me wants to go back home for lunch just to see... but just the driving would take about an hour round trip. I mainly wanted to see if I was overreacting, and I'm not hearing that from anyone. I think I'm going to give the city a call this afternoon about it. This isn't the first time he's been left outside in crappy weather. Those people shouldn't be allowed to have pets, I can't imagine leaving our dog outside in something like this.
My only concern about talking to her is creating animosity, if she doesn't do anything and then I end up calling the city, she'll know who did it. I'm probably being a wuss about that.
[QUOTE] My only concern about talking to her is creating animosity, if she doesn't do anything and then I end up calling the city, she'll know who did it. I'm probably being a wuss about that.
Posted by lpstl[/QUOTE]
The more I think about it, the more I agree with you on this point...I'd probably just call the city.
[QUOTE]My only concern about talking to her is creating animosity, if she doesn't do anything and then I end up calling the city, she'll know who did it. I'm probably being a wuss about that.
Posted by lpstl[/QUOTE]
That is why I said call the city.
Whatever you hatters be hattin. -Tay Prince
My GS was kept outside her ENTIRE life - blizzards, rain, thunderstorms - whatever. I adopted her when she was 6 and she is the best dog ever. People that live sort of near me keep their 2 dogs outside and they bark constantly. I honestly think it's boredom. They just sit in a cage all day.
[QUOTE]My only concern about talking to her is creating animosity, if she doesn't do anything and then I end up calling the city, she'll know who did it. I'm probably being a wuss about that.
Posted by lpstl[/QUOTE]
Yeah, this is a good point. Screw giving her a last chance, just call the city. I would start leaving her notes too, with pictures of a person stealing the dog. Don't draw the person 7 months pregnant though, or she'll know it's you.
Thank you everyone!
Growing up we always had outdoor-only farm dogs. We made sure they had plenty of shelter, including a heat lamp when it was super cold, and it was pretty rare that they would actually go IN the dog house. I think it would be cruel to send an indoor dog outside in super hot OR super cold weather, since they're used to A/C and the furnace, but a dog that has lived it's entire life outside in a climate that is comparable to the climate the breed is natively from should be well adapted.
Dresses may be easier to take in than let out, but guest lists are not. -- kate51485
Seriously though, there is a foundation for anti-chaining 24/7/365, obviously dogs need exercise and fresh air. Its called Dogs Deserve Better. I get emails from them, it can be sad though. The founder was arrested for stealing a dog which was dying in someones yard. She didn't want to give the dog back to them, even offered to pay them for the dog, but they refused to give the dog up. The dog's condition was so bad that it died a few months later, but in a nice warm, loving home, because the matter was still in the courts. The founder-lady was found guilty and had to do community service, and the dog owners were never even in trouble for animal cruelty.
It also sounds like your neighbor was my neighbor when I was a kid. Except our neighbor wouldn't keep the dog tied up, and he would chase the school bus. And then the neighbor's mother, who used to live in the same house, told us one time that when she lived there, they had FIVE dogs get hit in the road. WTF? Simple solution!
Why do people have pets if they don't want to do anything with them?
40/112
Chaining a dog outside so you don't have to deal with him /=/ responsible pet ownership.
Edit - just saw your last common about the fence. Still, if he sounds scared, that's really sad. :-(
40/112
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[QUOTE]Oh, I should mention he isn't chained up, everyone has a fenced in back yard in my neighborhood. I guess that's not as bad, it's just the tone of his barking that really concerns me, he doesn't sound happy at all, he sounds scared and desperate for help :(.
Posted by lpstl[/QUOTE]
Either way, a dog should not be outside all the time. Dogs who dont have regular human interaction (usually those on chains or fenced in) are more likely to bite people. Its not fair for the dog, I also don't understand why youd have a dog just to put it in the back yard and forget about it.