Is there anything I can do if there is a barking dog disturbing my neighborhood?

Have you ever had your blood curdled by what sounded like a human being in anguish, only to discover it was a dog wailing? There are few things as hard on the nerves and temper as listening to a dog howling, barking, whining or moaning for hours at a stretch. Yet this is exactly what some dog owners put their neighbors through. This disturbance of the peace is the quickest and most common way to become a bad dog neighbor.

The Salinas City Code states that it is illegal to allow an animal to create a noise which is so annoying, or which is so harsh or prolonged, as to be injurious to the health, peace or comfort of any reasonable person residing in the area (21A-2 SCC).

If you are unable to resolve the issue between yourself and your neighbor, depending on the circumstances, you may call the Salinas Animal Shelter or the Salinas Police Department for assistance. When deciding whether to call for assistance you must also decide whether the barking or howling is at a level that your peace is being disturbed. If it is, you next need to decide whether you would be willing to press formal charges in order to get the noise to stop. Most often, the mere fact that you are willing to press charges will help us to solve the problem so that no actual charges need be pressed.

Under normal circumstances you should call the Salinas Animal Shelter for assistance in barking dogs that are disturbing you peace. Members of the Animal Shelter are available to contact offending neighbors during the daytime and take action, if necessary, to quell the noise disturbance. You may call their office at 758-7285, anytime to report a barking dog. If they are not available at the time of your call, you can leave a message stating your name, address, phone number, the location of the dog, along with a brief description of what is occurring. An animal control officer will then attempt to contact the owner of the animal to warn them of the violation.

In situations that cannot wait for the next day and you are willing to press charges you may call the police department for assistance. If you decide to call the police, use the non-emergency number, 758-7321, and not 911. When you call the police you will be asked several things. In addition to getting your name, address and telephone number the person you talk to will also ask you if you are willing to press charges or if you are willing to speak with an officer directly.

We recommend that you provide the dispatcher with your name, address and telephone number even if you do not want to press charges or be contacted. This will help us if other calls are received about the same barking dog.

What if I do not want to give my name and address?

If you do not want to give your name and address you can still call the Animal Shelter and report the barking dog to them. They will still attempt to contact the owner and warn them. If the owner refuses to quiet the dog and the noise continues there is very little else the Animal Control Officers can do without having a person willing to press formal charges.

As a last resort, you can also call the police to report the barking dog. The officer who is assigned to the nearby area will be told that a person has called about the noise.

Depending on other calls for service, the officer may make an attempt to drive by the area and, if necessary, warn the owner that a complaint was received.

If the barking continues, or you decide that you are willing to press charges in order to quiet the dog, you may call back and tell the dispatcher that you are willing to do so.

What can I do to keep my dog from barking and disturbing my neighbors?

Dogs who behave while their owners are at home, but howl continuously when they are absent, have usually been badly spoiled. They are accustomed to constant companionship, and consequently feel injured when they find themselves left alone at home.

To cure this bad habit, you must accustom your dog to staying quietly alone in one room when you put him there. Start his training some weekend morning when someone will be on hand all day. After the dog has had his morning exercise, put him alone in a room and shut the door. If he howls, make him stop at once. Usually scolding is sufficient, or you may try balancing a flat piece of wood on the door to emphasize your command to "be quiet!" Occasionally, it may be necessary to punish him by slapping him lightly under the chin. After an hour or so, if he has been quiet, let him come out.

After the dog has had an hour of liberty, put him back into the room, release him again after another hour of good behavior. Repeat this all day, and by the evening, the dog will have learned that he must stay quietly in a room alone. If you live in a small apartment and do not have a spare room, try the same procedure by having your dog stay quietly in a box of kennel instead of a room.

Once your dog has learned this, it is a simple step to accustom him to remain quietly by himself while you are away. For a few times, you will have to return after leaving the house to find out if he is behaving. If he is barking, punish him. Soon your efforts will be rewarded and your dog will learn to be quiet during your absence. As a suggestion, always leave some of the dog's favorite toys in the room for him to play with.

Dogs that bark excessively even when his owner is home usually occurs when the dogs are kept too long in a fenced yard or wire run.

The solution is to walk your dog early in the morning and late at night, and to keep him in the house during the day. Put him in the fenced yard or wire run only when he needs to go there for relief and see to it that he keeps quiet when he is outside.

If he barks for no good reason while you are walking him or during the day, there are various ways to check him. Scolding is usually enough. Or if sterner treatment is called for, you may have to discipline him. Or turn the hose on him. He will soon learn that silence pleases you and earns him a reward.