I hope someone here can help me. I have a 13 month old Lab. While my wife and I are at work, my dog stays in a fenced in yard. I received a letter from the home owners association about my dog barking during the day. I am in need of some advise about how to handle this. How am I supposed to get her to stop barking when I am not there. I know there are no-bark collars available, but I am hesitant about using them because i don't know much about them. I have heard that the no-bark collars can hurt her after a long period of use. I don't think she barks "just because" - she never does that at home. I am 99% sure she is barking at the dogs that roam free around my neighborhood. I really dont know what to do. Any advise would be appreciated.

Can the dog be indoors?

She can be if she must. She has a tendency to get into things when left alone for a long time. Obviously I prefer to let her stay outside so she can run around and play instead of being in the house all day. My wife and I work to far from the house to go home for lunch to let her out.

How about crating the dog inside?
With proper exercise before work and after there is no reason a 13 month old pup couldn't be in a crate/kennel for 8ish hours.

Dogs don't really frolic in the yard, IME, when left alone. The fenced yard is not much less boring to them that the walls of a crate. (You do have a crate, right?)

But aside from that, I really don't trust humans when it comes to leaving my dog outside alone when I am not nearby. And when there's a noise problem, regardless of your view of it, then there are probably angry neighbors.

I wouldn't leave my dogs outside when I wasn't home, period... and if I knew that I had neighbors who were feeling that the dog was a disturbance, I'd be less inclined to do it.

I wish I didn't have reason to be so cynical, but I have heard and read far too many bad things.

The other side, too --- do you really know how much barking is going on? (BTW, I'd look into that "uncontained dogs roaming the neighborhood" thing. Not good.)

I'd ask. I'd probably want to know how much barking was really happening, but I'd also want to appear to be the concerned owner who does not want his dog disturbing the neighborhood that I'm sure you are.


P.S. Does he get a power-walk before you leave? Inside or outside, leaving a tired dog is a very good thing. Also, can you hire a walker for mid-day?

 Quote: Adam Dear

I know there are no-bark collars available, but I am hesitant about using them because i don't know much about them. I have heard that the no-bark collars can hurt her after a long period of use.

Where did you hear this? Ed uses no-bark collers on dogs that are in his kennels, and I trust his advise.

I would say crating the dog inside would be the best thing for it if you want to keep from using the no-bark collar. You can't expect your pup to know what is okay and what is not okay to get into. So, get a crate. Crates

Also, I would reccommend this article: Groundwork

But, I wouldn't be afraid of no-bark collars. Barking is self-reinforcing and the dog will just keep working itself up into a frenzy. When you stop it the dog will be able to get comfortable.

 Quote: jason bernard

How about crating the dog inside?
With proper exercise before work and after there is no reason a 13 month old pup couldn't be in a crate/kennel for 8ish hours.

I was typing while you were posting. Succinct and excellent advice!


"proper exercise before work and after" is the operative phrase.

I don't have a problem crating her. She is crate trained. We go for a walk/run in the mornings (if it isn't raining) for about 30 - 45 minutes. The only real problem with that is my wife and I usually have to be gone two or three nights a week for a couple of hours. If she is in the crate all day, then she is out for about an hour before we leave, and then is only out for another 1-2 hours before bed, isn't that too much time in the crate? Normally, if I can get the barking under control, I would get her when I got home around 6, she would have an hour to eat, and then would go in the crate around 7. We would be home around 9-9:30. She would stay out until about 10:30 or 11 and then it is time for bed.

It sounds like VERY little time for the daily training and playtime the dog needs.

Are the evening routines long-term?


BTW, alone-in-the-yard time is not particularly more beneficial than crate time, IMO.

Structured exercise and training time (as well as playtime with the owner) are paramount.

Can something be done to work this in?

IMO, the absolute LEAST thing she needs is someone to walk and play with her. It should be her owners, but if that's 100% out, then I would absolutely be searching for a good safe regular alternative.

Do you have a garage where she can be penned in and be safe from hazards and also not chew on things? Might be a good compromise. Larger than a crate, but more insulated from the outside so she wouldn't bark so much. But if she does, the neighbors might not hear her as much.

Barring that, you should work on training her not to bark by "leaving". Then when she barks, correct her. You may even have to take it as far as driving down the street, parking and running quietly back up to the house.