Dear Editor,
A woman on the East Bank recently called me to ask what could be done about her neighbour’s barking dogs. They were driving her and her family crazy but she didn’t want to become enemies with the neighbours. Shortly thereafter my doctor asked me how she could stop her dogs from barking stupidly. She said the only time they stopped was when the gardener showed up (probably because they wanted attention). To their surprise I told both ladies I have the same problem where I live and with my own dogs, and I agreed that nothing is more annoying than living with neighbours who don’t seem to care about maintaining a peaceful environment. When I started thinking about all the comments I had received from frustrated dog owners and neighbours I decided to share them in your newspaper.
Barking dogs have some very negative effects on people. Some of these include sleepless and frustrated owners and neighbours; people making complaints to the police, GSPCA and others who are not empowered to act; some aggressive persons taking matters into their own hands and poisoning barking dogs; and others beating them or throwing boiling water, rocks and other missiles at them. Some owners even stray their ‘uncontrollable’ barking dogs, while some once good neighbours become lifelong enemies.
A dog’s barking can also make things worse for the dog itself; he/she may be locked up in a small pen in poor condition; it may die from poison or suffer burns from hot water or broken bones from being pelted with rocks or sticks, or it may lose the comfort of its home and be loosed on the street.
Before any problem can be solved its cause has to be identified. I am sure most dog owners would take action to correct their barking dogs if they knew the causes and some practical solutions. In the following table I have listed what I think are the main causes of barking dogs and some solutions that I have tried or learned from others (based upon my ten years’ experience working with dogs in Georgetown).
Dog owners must not only take good care of their animals they should also think of their neighbours and try to minimize their dog’s barking.
Dogs need love, attention and praise; the more you give them the less they will bark out of stress, frustration, hunger and boredom.
Spay and neuter, educate and communicate – that is where it starts and ends!
Yours faithfully,
Syeada Manbodh
