How to Get Neighbors Dog to Stop Barking

It’s bad enough if it’s your dog that barks incessantly, but it’s even worse when it is your neighbor’s dog because you have no control over it – or do you? We’ll get to that question in a bit. Having a dog comes with insurmountable joy, but there are some annoying behaviors that will take time to curb. So what do you do if it’s not your dog that’s causing the problems for the neighborhood but in fact, it’s your neighbor’s dog?

Understanding Why Dogs Bark

The first step to making your neighbor’s dog stop barking is to know why it’s doing it.

Perhaps the dog is overreactive, meaning it responds aggressively to small triggers such as someone walking by or a dog barking in the park. When you know what’s causing it, you can better treat the problem.

If your neighbor’s dog is barking at you, it could be something you’re doing. Try stopping whatever is setting the dog off and see if anything changes.

How to Keep Your Neighbor’s Dog from Barking

You don’t have full control of what goes on next door, but we have a few tricks up our sleeves that can help the dog to stop barking, and restore your peaceful evenings.

1. Negotiate and Communicate

The first step you should take is communication. Perhaps your neighbor is suffering just as much as you are from the non-stop barking.

Dog owners should support each other and offer advice. Perhaps they are a first-time dog parent and have no idea how to stop their dog from barking. Communication will help you identify the problem and find a solution.

Remember to always approach the situation with a respectful attitude. Remember that you have no idea what’s going on behind closed doors, so try to give them the benefit of the doubt.

It’s very possible that he or she is doing their best to handle the situation. We also recommend doing it face to face with a smile. It’s very easy to send a text, call or leave a note, but it’s more personal and usually more effective in person.

2. Figure Out Why

The next and perhaps the most important step to getting your neighbor’s dog to stop barking is to identify the problem. There are tons of reasons dogs bark, and figuring out the cause will restore peace and quiet the quickest.

Dogs can be very responsive animals and they bark as a way to communicate. The cause of the bark can range from territorial tendencies to them voicing their excitement and happiness.

The sound of the bark will vary so you can have a better idea of how the dog feels. If the dog barks every time a friend approaches in a higher pitch, then most likely he’s just overly excited to see a visitor.

If the dog barks in a low guttural growl in a lower tone, then he’s none too please and could be issuing a warning. The training method for different causes will also vary.

We would never suggest filing a noise complaint if you can help it because dog barking is just a natural occurrence that comes with owning a canine. Once you have deciphered the reason for the problem, you and your neighbor can take matters into your own hands.

When you know why the dog is barking, then it’s easier to take action. It could take a lot of cooperation from both you and your neighbor to stop the barking dog, but the end result is well worth it.

3. Desensitizing and Removing the Trigger

Like we mentioned, a dog can bark at a person for two reasons: he sees you as a threat, or he’s overly excited and can’t wait to say hello. The barking can happen when your neighbor’s dog either sees or hears you. You need to desensitize the dog to noise so he doesn’t react to every sound he hears. If it happens when a person comes into the dog’s view, then limiting his line of sight is the approach to take.

A good way to curb any type of detection barking, in general, is to make friends with the dog. Your neighbor should make an effort to have his dog get to know people that frequent their home. When the dog is used to your presence or the presence of others, the barking may subside. A good way to get into the good graces of the dog is with treats. Make sure you ask your neighbor if you can feed their dog first.

If the dog is sensitive to sound and people outside, subject him to more contact and heavy traffic areas so he is desensitized to the presence of other people on the property.

If your neighbor’s dog is sensitive not to sound but to sight, then obstructing the dog’s view is the way to go. You can suggest planting hedges, erecting a fence or screen, or drawing the curtains during the day to your neighbor. Simply removing the trigger from sight could be enough to stop your neighbor’s dog from barking.

4. Using a Training Device

In order to try this, you need to have your neighbors’ consent. Do not try to implement these measures without acquiring their permission first. You can either opt for a dog whistle or a training collar.

These methods will only be successful if your efforts are consistent with your next door neighbor’s. Remember that it takes patience to correct any behavior.

A dog whistle will emit a sound that only dogs can hear. Don’t worry about disrupting your other neighbors as the sound is inaudible to humans. When the dog is barking, blow on the whistle.

This will catch him off guard and distract him. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt them, but we can promise they won’t like it very much.

At first, you might think the whistle is failing but all it takes is persistence. Because this new sound might catch him off guard, your neighbor’s dog could bark even more loudly. But with time, you will notice a decrease in dog barking. However, we will caution that since all dogs are different, there is a slight chance that he will get used to the sound, but you never know until you try.

You can also opt for a training collar, which can possess more than one function. A training collar will have different modes, so there is more of a chance for success.

The most common training modes the collars come with is vibrate, ultrasonic sound, and shock. Remember, make sure your neighbor is on the same page before forcing a training collar on the dogs.

If one way doesn’t work, then try another mode. The shock portion may seem cruel to some, but there are collars that are human and only provide a very mild shock that is more surprising than painful for the barking dogs. You can easily choose to opt-out of that choice if you feel that it’s a cruel form of reprimand.

You activate a training collar when the dog starts to bark. It should be remote controlled but there are also ones that operate on sensors.

The vibration and sound also serve to deter your dog by surprising them and have it grow to become an annoyance. Again, it takes consistency and patience but over time, hopefully, one of these training modes will work for the dog’s barking. If a training collar doesn’t work, there is one more type you can try.

A spray collar, one that contains a scent that the majority of dogs don’t like might work. Citronella is a scent not a lot of dogs take to, so spraying them with this yucky substance could stop the dog from barking.

However, we must again preface this by saying some dogs don’t mind the smell and taste and the collar will have no effect.

5. Seek Professional Help

After you have tried everything or if you simply want to take the easy way out, you can convince your neighbors to invest in a dog trainer. The role of these trainers is to help seek out the problem and tailor a specific method to help your barking dogs. Whether it’s separation anxiety or overexcitement, a dog trainer can help.

We suggest all dog owners be present when the training session is going on for safety reasons and so you can learn the steps on your own. This way, you can implement the trainer’s method and be consistent with the training for guaranteed results. We also suggest going through some sort of training program when owners get a dog to help with not only barking but other behavioral problems as well.

6. If Renting Loop in your landlord

In rare cases where the neighbor is not receptive to your friendly advice or gentle complaints, involving your landlord is a good idea, though we would suggest it to be a last resort.

In general, apartment complexes should have stipulations in the leasing agreements about pets. Some do not allow pets at all, while others have sections outlining noisy pets.

If you are renting, you may have to alert your landlord of the situation. If you own the property, then talk to the building manager or strata about the problem. You should gather evidence to back up your case such as audio recordings.

The building management team or landlord will then step in on your behalf. Again, we suggest this only to be one of the last methods you try as it could permanently sour the relationship between you and your neighbor.

7. File a Noise Complaint

If the barking gets out of hand and your neighbor is uncooperative from the start, then it’s time to look into a more formal avenue to resolve the issue. Look into the right organizations in which to file the complaint such as the HOA (Homeowners’ Association) or even the police.

It is unfortunate if it has to come to this, but hopefully, when your non-compliant neighbors receive multiple noise complaints, they will understand the gravity of the issue and take action.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do if my neighbor’s dog won’t stop barking?

You can try to talk to your neighbor first. Try to figure out why the dog is barking and see if something is being done about it. If not, you can kindly suggest some effective methods that may have worked for your dog or someone you know.

You can even suggest a local animal behaviorist or trainer in case your neighbor requires professional aid.

Do dog whistles work to stop barking?

Yes, dog whistles work to stop barking with some dogs. There is still a chance that the dog in question is resistant to the noise or genuinely doesn’t mind it.

Does are fickle, and they each have their own personalities. What works with one dog may not work on the next, but it never hurts to try.

Conclusion

There are many ways to fix a barking problem, but many of them require the cooperation of your neighbor.

Only go with the nuclear option if you are left with no choice. The first thing you should do is communicate your concerns with your neighbor and make friends with the dog.

Identify the reason for the nonstop barking and treat the problem accordingly. There are a lot of training tools that can help you and you can always consult a dog trainer for extra help.