Awful Situation!

This has remained a very frustrating situation. I received a text from my wife that our neighbor came to our door to tell us to stop reporting them for the dogs barking. When my wife defended our position, he advised her to one: deal with it, since dogs bark! Two: Buy window treatments. Three: Stop reporting them. Four: To Move! This was all done towards my wife, with my little two year old just hanging out.

Of course, you can imagine, I was, and still am pretty upset. A grown man, comes to confront my wife, while I'm not home, all while he is angry and confrontational. I never felt so helpless. I was not be able to stand up for my family.

Here's the reality; We have been working through problems with our neighbors nuisance dog, for a long time now. It all started with myself going over to my neighbors house to discuss the problem. That encounter ended with the owner of the house acknowledging the problem, but letting me know "Dogs Bark!" Unfortunately, I'm not on board with this reasoning. And when a dog barks for more than 15 minutes straight, to over 1 hour or more of continuous barking, there is a problem. And from that day on, we made it a point to document all barking dog activity.

After much documenting, we were able to file complaints to Animal Control. We actually had two formal complaints that ended in violations tickets issued. The last violation seemed to have remedied the situation.

Fast forward to warmer weather, and the neighbors have reverted back to leaving the dog out all day with no attention. The other day, I came home, and my wife was in tears. The dog had been barking on and off all day. Whenever she would go outside to let our son play in our backyard, the dog would bark directly at her and my son. Also, we found the neighbors fence is falling over, and the dog is able to put is face through openings in the fence. Needless to say, I'm not a fan of a dog that has access to my son.

So comes my frustration, the neighbors adult son, made a trip to confront my wife. This was prompted because of Animal Controls prompt response to an email I sent to them the night before. My frustration had boiled over, and my only recourse was to let Animal Services know of the dog problem starting back up. I also asked if anything could be done about the fence, and their yard (the neighbors yard is littered with junk).

Any direct confrontation to discuss the matter is now a moot point. By the simple fact that the neighbors son would advise us to move, lets me know the type of person I have as a neighbor.

I am very upset, that we still have not completely been able to enjoy our beautiful home and yard. I pray for my patience and sanity, to maintain a calm disposition towards my neighbor if I see him. I pray that no confrontation comes of our neighbors seeing us anymore. I pray for just an enjoyable day, with considerate neighbors.

As a result of the neighbor coming over, we did call the police. My wife did feel threatened, and the neighbor did not come peacefully or with any good intentions. The police did come, and went over the their house, but no one answered. The police have advised my wife to call if any other altercation occurs, and report it immediately. I just hope this all blows over, and we can enjoy our summer.

What do you think? What would you do? (talking to neighbor is no longer an option)

Wish I could enjoy the warm weather!

Just want to enjoy the warm weather like everyone else. Unfortunately, when warm weather comes, that also means it's time to for neighbors to leave the dogs outside. And that means more barking. I wish it were easy to just pick up and move. The reality is, most people aren't able to afford moves. Especially when it involves a purchased home. I can be thankful for the winter. We were fortunate enough to not have a barking problem. But we also didn't spend anytime in our backyard. My wife and I actually were very hesitant of spending any time in our backyard, figuring why push our luck.

Well this afternoon, I took my son outside to enjoy the warmer weather. All seemed well, until he ran near the back of our yard. That's all it took. Our neighbors dog started barking at us immediately. I walked over to see where the dog was, and the dog was near the fence, and just barking directly at us. Not only was the dog barking a problem, but I noticed the fence was loose. Now I have a barking dog, with the potential of getting into our yard. Not a combination that I'm at all happy about. Thankfully, after my inspection of the fence, and a quick yell at the dog to stop, the neighbors came out and took the dog in.

I'm still frazzled that I'm still dealing with this issue. Animal Control has been great throughout all of my reporting, and has definitely had a huge impact on the barking problem. I'm just upset that, now I'm so programmed from the frustration of the barking that did occur, that my tolerance for a dog bark is very low. Had the owner addressed the barking sooner, I might have a higher tolerance for moderate barking.

Ideally, I'm hoping I can earn more in my career soon, and make a move that puts us in a better neighborhood, with more space between us and our neighbors hopefully. It's been over a year now since we've moved into our home. The barking problem has definitely made it very stressful for us living here. Even now that the barking is much less, it still has had a lasting impact on how we are able to enjoy our own home. It's not easy to forget the discomfort caused by the nuisance barking, and my wife and I are very wary of any activity in our backyard.

I hope the incident that we had today, is not the norm. We still plan on using our backyard, and letting our son enjoy running around and playing with all his toys. But we also plan on staying vigilante in our reporting of any dog barking nuisance.

It's still polution!

In a day that being "green" has become hip, and environmentalism has become popular. It's scary to think that one pollution is looked at as not being at all important. One that affects millions of people everyday, some without any knowledge of the ill affects it has on them. A pollution so blatantly obvious, but so easily dismissed.

I'm speaking of noise pollution. Of course noise pollution comes in so many forms, including, vehicles, people, excessively loud music (especially bass), and my least favorite, nuisance barking dogs. As detrimental to a persons health, as noise pollution is, it is not taken as seriously as other forms of pollution. But if it were to be taken more seriously, I believe it could have an amazing impact on society. People naturally are less stressful in more peaceful surroundings. With reduced, or no noise pollution, people are able to think more clearly, and be more creative. There is just more enjoyment in life, one that comes only with some silence.

Unfortunately for myself, I don't live in that world. I have just came inside from listening to my neighborhoods dogs, barking at nothing. No robbers, no trespassers, no noises, aside from other dogs barking. Also, no owners around to get their dogs to stop barking.

Thankfully for now, our close proximity barking dog nuisance has been lessened. But the neighborhood is still full of nuisance dogs. As I listened in horror to the dogs, I thought; am I the only one that cares, do any of the other neighbors go crazy from hearing the dogs bark non-stop. I hope not.

I just pray to have a more quiet peaceful home in the near future. One without so many inconsiderate neighbors. Probably one without neighbors would be better. I guess I can just hope and pray.

Thankfully I'm not alone

I'm sorely glad, that I have found other people with the same problems my family has faced with nuisance neighbors barking dog. Lately I have been scouring the internet of stories, of nuisance neighbors and their dogs or other activities. My stories seem to pale in comparison to so many, but the end result remains the same. We live in what we would hope to be a quiet and peaceful place, and a thoughtless neighbor takes away our peace by allowing their dog to bark with no consequence. It's actually a terrifying examination of human nature, learning about these neighbors and the horror stories of how the neighbors react, to otherwise polite attempts to resolve the situation. I am glad though to find, I am not alone, and that their is some civility out there. I truly wish everyone to enjoy the fruits of their labor, and that includes ones own home, and the peace and quiet we should all expect to experience there.

Today I was thinking about what goes into licensing a pet. And I believe it is merely a formality by local government to keep track of animals and their dwellings. But then I thought, what a great opportunity to qualify an owner, to be a competent dog/pet owner. Wouldn't that just make sense. Not that I want to take away from dog ownership, but improperly raised dogs cause problems for the owners and the public. Unfortunately, I believe many people own dogs merely as a novelty. They like the company of the dog when it is convenient to them. But dogs require constant interaction and attention. With proper caring and training a dog is definitely a great companion to have. But without that caring and training, a dog is left to be a nuisance to the owner and others. Also, as a dog/pet owner, additional requirements might include, specific verbiage by local government holding the owners responsible for keeping their dogs from nuisance barking or nuisance behavior. Stipulations like this, might deter a person from owning a dog and truly consider all the ramifications of owning a pet.

I'm hoping to stay consistent now with what I started with my site, BarkFreeZone.com . It all started as a way to vent, but now I see it can be used to reach out and unite people looking for some relief from what is already a hectic world we're all part of.

Never ending

My biggest concern with complaining about nuisance dogs, is the reaction the people might have when you say you have a barking problem. I believe, most people don't think barking dogs are much of a problem. The other day, I was at my dads house, and I couldn't help but notice every dog that barked in the neighborhood. He seemed oblivious to the dogs. But ever since our problem began, I became more and more sensitive to dogs barking. The affects that the noise of a constantly barking dog, makes a person cringe, blood pressure raise, and just hampers any sanity you might have. Pavlov's law has worked number on my wife and I, and now just a single bark instantly raises our blood pressure. As for why my Dad doesn't seem affected, I'm not sure. Maybe it's all the years he had worked on Jet Engines. Or maybe his life is less stressful, so he's less inclined to notice. Whatever it is that makes some people less affected by a nuisance dog, and some more, I'm not sure. What I do know, is it does affect me. So I'll keep my blog alive, and maybe one day someone will notice me on here and want to help with the cause.

Was it a Full Moon?!

I started this blog primarily because I was, and still am frustrated with nuisance dogs. As I was outside this weekend, I was uspet to hear many dogs in the neighborhood that were barking non-stop. The only saving grace was most the dogs were far enough from our house, that when my wife and I went inside it wasn't so bothersome. But it made me think. Are other neighbors annoyed? Are they reporting these dogs? Are they doing anything? But I actually stumbled on something that made me realize, I must not be the only one. I always keep track of the visits to the blog, even though I haven't had any comments, I am getting traffic. Normally I have 10-15 unique visitors. That means people are searching for solutions to nuisance dogs. I sure don't have the end all solution, but I'm hoping to help people come up with some. This weekend I noticed a spike in searches for "silencing dogs" or nuisance dogs. Surprisingly this coincided with an increase in dog barking in my neighborhood. Coincidence or not, it made me realize people are suffering from peoples inability to take care of their novelty pets. I love dogs and animals just as much as the next, but if a person isn't able to keep their dog quiet, they shouldn't be allowed to have one.

If you are on the fence about reporting a nuisance dog to Animal Control or the appropriate authorities, I urge you to follow thru and report. It is important to report incidences of nuisance dogs to animal control. Part of their responsibilty is to educate people of properly handling a dog. That also includes educating pet owners of the real reason a dog barks.

Coming soon, I will start posting the contact information of your local Animal Control. If you know your local Animal control contact information, please let me know. I would like to compile a complete list of Animal Controls across the US and the proper procedures for reporting.

Letter to Animal Control for assistance:

My heart rate is up again, it's 9:30 pm, and my wife is trying to get baby down. Unfortunately, our neighbors dog is wide awake and left with no answer to it's plead for attention. We have already submitted our formal letter of complaint to Animal Services, but since it has only been a week, we're not sure if they have taken any formal action. I'm kind of upset...it is very frustrating. So to see if Animal Services can assist me in any way, here is my email/letter to them pleading for some help:


Hello Animal Services,

My wife and I recently filed our formal complaint with regards to address: Anywhere USA. We documented 3 months of activity. We continue to document. Is there any other steps we should follow moving forward. The yard is not very "tidy" either and for such a large dog, there really is no activity for it in there backyard. It is very frustrating especially in the evening. We have made it a point to leave our house most days after work, so not to be bothered. My wife and I are very upset that we live in such a great neighborhood yet we are not able to completely enjoy our own home.

Thank you for past assistance with regards to my original inquiry last year. The dog at the address you originally assisted with has not been a problem since. We grately appreciate the efforts of the Animal Services for that event.

Thank you again for any help you can be.

Frustrated Homeowner

I have received my Dog Silencer Pro back repaired. But I have not put it back up since we contacted Animal Services. I am waiting a week before putting it back up to see if Animal Services is able to remedy the problem. 

I plead to people, please own dogs responsibly. They are a huge responsibility and should not be taken in just because they are cute. They require much attention and care. And are full of energy that needs to be utilized. If not you end up with a dog with no way of expressing itself healthily, aside from damaging property or barking instantly 

Nuisance dog stays consistent

As a neighbor your only desire is to have other neighbors that share your same wants for the neighborhood. Pride in ownership can help a neighborhood increase in value, and it would only seem like a shared responsibility of a neighborhood to value their own property enough as an example to other neighbors that they want the same. For the most part, I am happy with my neighbors, I love waiving to them and walking out on an afternoon to have small talk with my neighbors about our lawns and how beautiful the day turned out.

But all it takes is one neighbor to ruin a neighborhood. I started this blog primarily because of my neighbors barking dog. The dog is a bonnified nuisance, and we have the documentation to prove it. My wife and I have logged as many times as we are home for times that the neighbors dog has been barking non-stop, or for durations. Sometimes for over an hour with only brief pauses. We can look over into our neighbors yard and see that the dog is begging to go in. Their sliding glass door is covered in dog prints from the Lab trying to get anyones attention. The poor dog aimlessly paces with no one giving the dog any attention. I'm not even sure if the dog gets properly walked.

For the most part, my wife and I had a great afternoon after I came home from work. I love to see my family, and when my wife is happy, I'm happy. But about 845pm tonight the neighbors dog started barking. While I type, the dog is still barking every minute to 5 minutes.

Our log of the nuisance barking is from beginning of May to mid August. We are without our Dog Silencer Pro. Our replacement has shipped, and we are hoping to get it any day now. Even if the device doesn't work, we like to know that something is "yelling" back at the dog. We have made up to 3 calls to animal control and myself 2 emails. These are informal complaints, but they do tell us that they send someone out whenever a complaint is made, formal or informal. They also remind us the proper channels to filing a complaint, which we have been putting off for a very long time, in hopes that the dog would either stop, the owners would come to their senses, or the dog leaves (the owner advised me the dog is there only temporarily....hasn't been so temporary though). I love my wife very much, and It PAINS me to see her so upset. I'm just as upset, but I try to hide my emotions to try and calm my wife down. Even though inside I just want to yell at the dog to just "Shut Up!!!". We have a 17 month old, and with the dog barking tonight we had a difficult time getting him to go to sleep.

So back to Animal Control. We have finally decided to submit the proper paperwork to Animal Control for our formal complaint. Though we struggled with the decision to formally complain, we felt for our own sanity, it was the only legal option. My wife and I are curious of what will actually happen. The owners back yard is a wreck. It is filled with abandoned "things" and some of the trash is spilling under the fence into our yard. I hope that Animal Control sees that this is no place for a LARGE Golden Lab to be living. There is no room for the dog to run, only plenty of stuff in its way.

I hope for a amicable solution, where the owner realizes that the dog has caused a problem. If their yard is addressed also, that would just be a bonus.

Anyone reading this know, you are not alone if you are dealing with a problem neighbor and nuisance dog or noise. Of course you probably already know that from googling all the horror stories. What I hope to accomplish one day, is make it easier and more effective to report and handle nuisance dogs. Some people should not legally be aloud to have a dog. They are a big responsibility, and to often than not, most people do not have the time or energy to put into keeping or raising a dog.

Letting a dog bark with no attention is cruelity to an animal!

My wife has broken down in tears twice this week over the sound of our neighbors nuisance dog. As a husband, I can't bear to see my wife our son hurt. Yet I feel helpless in dealing with the problem. I have been trying out a couple "Dog Silencing Products" have called Animal Control, and before trying any of the previous, I even talked to my neighbor about the problem (which is not easy). The first attempt at curbing or stopping the dog abuse, by talking to the neighbor didn't really accomplish anything. Animal control had been effective in the past with a different dog, but this time, we haven't seen relief. Lastly, we had tried the "dog silencing products", but I still have to tweak a few things on how I'm placing the devices before I can truly say they don't work.

The next step of course is to file a formal complaint with Animal Services. To this point I have only resorted to calls to Animal Services. But after 3 months of documenting barking times, it's about time I submit the appropriate paperwork.

It is truly upsetting, to not be able to enjoy your own home. I found an article that really speaks my feelings and concerns. The reality is, nuisance dogs are the result of owners being abusive by not taking proper care of their animals. This link is a great article that does a great job explaining the cruelty that owners of nuisance dogs are truly putting on the dog and other people:

http://www.democraticwings.com/democraticwings/archives/civil_liberties/3085.php

The more of us that band together to fight for our rights to a peaceful neighborhood, the more likely we can help people that are facing these problems....that could include yourself one day.

Dog not so bad today....fingers crossed!

Today was beautiful, and with beautiful days comes people out, kids playing, birds chirping, and bakring dogs. The latter not so welcome, especially when the dog doesn't know when to stop. So today I needed to get a lot of yard work done. My wife washed the car, I did all the yard work, and baby slept. That was pretty nice, if you have kids you know what I mean. I did all the yard work with my Ipod on. My new headsets block out almost all the noise, so even if the dog was barking I wouldn't have heard it. But I know my wife would have, so I kept waiting to see her come in the back yard to let me know. But surprisingly I got done with my entire yard without the dog getting started. Usually when I make it to the back fence the dog lets loose. So to push our luck further, after the yard was done, my wife was done, and the baby was up, we all jumped in the pool. That I thought of course would set off the dog. But he stayed pretty behaved the entire time we were out today. If only I can count on days like this again, I could finally start enjoying my beautiful backyard again.

Now there is a variable that changed that I must note. We have been testing the Dog Silencer Pro for the past 3-4 weeks. As I have mentioned in previous posts, we haven't had much of a chance to see if the Dog Silencer Pro has been doing it's job because of the rain. Well my wife went to check on it the other day (because the dog had been barking) and found that it had gotten wet. Per the instructions, we took it inside and laid it on its face to let it drain and dry. But that meant today we didn't have it out with us. Surprisingly it also meant, we had a quiet dog. Part of me was wondering if the Dog Silencer Pro had been going off inadvertently because of surrounding noises. This may have been alerting the dog, or annoying it. Whichever, a day without the Dog Silencer Pro and we had a pretty well behaved canine. As for giving credit to the Dog Silencer Pro. I'm not ready to give that verdict. Plus I have some gripes about the product I need to express in my review. I am happy however to have been able to enjoy an entire day with my family without the stress that comes with a nuisance barking dog.

Good luck to you out there with a barking dog problem. I only hope you find relief somehow. Soon I will start updating my website (still in the works) to have links to local Animal Controls and procedures on reporting dogs. For now, just cross your fingers, and pray that the dog just shuts up!

(any products promoted are strictly advertisements and are not endorsed or have they been reviewed by BarkFreeZone.com)

Nice Weather, Bad Dog!

Well in my previous post I commented on how our neighbors nuisance dog had been pretty subdued because of the weather. Well beautiful weather is back, and as we went out to clean up the pool, true to form our neighbors dog decided to greet us with an onslaught of continuous barking. As for the Dog Silencer Pro, review will be coming soon, and I have a lot to say about what you get for the money. As for my plan to set up a hedge is still in the planning stages. I truly wish we could afford full size plants to create an immediate border, but our budget prevails and we'll have to wait for mother nature to fill in the gap once we decide to plant it.

I could use some suggestions on the hedge. I've seen what I want, and it is a year round hedge that right now in most places lots of its leaves have red tips to it. It's normally used as a low hedge, but if left to grow tall can reach over 15 feet. I've added a picture of what it looks like in my Dad's backyard for anyone to let me know what it is. I also like it because it only grows in about a 2 and a half feet deep area, letting use keep most of our yard.

Dogs don't bark much when it's raining

It's a catch 22 with the weather we have been having in West Texas. At least for my household. When the weather is nice our neighbors dog is mainly left outside, and of course has been the main reason for me starting this blog and website. But when it's raining, there is not much activity outside, including dogs barking. So as for my review of the Dog Silencer Pro, it really has lost about a weeks worth of real testing because of the inconsistencies in the dogs patterns. However it may be, we have realized a significant decrease in the dogs barking. The other day though when the weather broke, my wife had to leave the house for a good part of the day because, once the weather was nice, the dog was out and barking.

We'll see, I still would like to maintain and help people by giving them the resources to report and stop nuisance barking dogs. I have spent countless nights reading posts by other horror stories, and also studies on the effect of this type of nuisance on a persons health. Eventually I would like to have as much information that could help with people suffering at the hands of inconsiderate neighbors, with handling them. Ideally our neighbors would realize the problem on their own and address it. Problem is most people maintain that if it bothers you so much move attitude. If only that option were so easy.

My wife and I would like more land eventually, but for now we plan on planting some hedges to help create a privacy and sound barrier. Limited as that might be, it might help if the dog can't always see us.

Certain days it's hard for dogs not to bark....

My wife has been really bummed this entire week because of the weather. When the sun isn't shining it really affects her mood. However that may be, I have been okay with it because with the rain, comes less barking. Apparently owners of nuisance dogs don't like to leave them in the rain. Which thankfully isn't a bad thing, for the dog and myself. I've noticed a dramatic decrease in the dog barking, but not the non-stop silence I would hope for every day. Our log (we keep a log of the barking dog) is still riddled with times when the dog is less than acceptable. But for the most part, the rain means more silence everywhere. Which is okay by me, I'll take rain and a movie with no barking dog any day!

Alas, the reason for my blog tonight. I have been hearing all the neighborhood dogs barking a little extra tonight, but no fault of their own. It is the Fourth of July weekend, and that means all the home grown pyrotechnics are in full swing. I'm guilty of enjoying a good backyard fireworks display myself, and because of this I just chock up these days leading up to the Fourth of July as a freebie for the dogs. Thankfully, like I said before, it has been limited by the weather...the dogs, not the fireworks.

As for my reviewing of the Dog Silencer Pro, I'm unable to really gauge it this week. With all the rain, there really hasn't been any chances to see if the dogs are barking, or barking less, or not at all. Monday marks week three of it's operation. I plan on giving it the full week to see if there is any significant improvement, based on the products request. The company offers a one month guarantee, and I plan on holding them to that. I think I will wait until the fourth week to complete my total review of the Dog Silencer Pro product.

Until then, I hope everyone has a safe Fourth of July, and a BarkFreeZone so you can enjoy your neighborhood!

Thank you Cara!

I digress from my venting session to thank my Sister-in-Law Cara Joy Thornton. She is my first follower, and I'm pretty excited to have her following me. I can't say I know exactly what her major is(like most guys, I don't hear everything that's told to me), but I do know she has a strong foundation in writing, and to have her read even part of my blog is flattering. Of course she reads what I type by default only because I'm married to her sister, but none-the-less, I'm happy to have a follower.

So thank you Cara Joy, nothing beats logging onto my blog to see that someone clicked on the link to follow my blog. I'm just hoping that this blog isn't always about a problem I'm having with a barking dog. I'd rather be rallying other home owners to help me create a BarkFreeZone in all neighborhoods, so we can all enjoy what we all work so hard to obtain.

My next blog I go back to my venting :)

Dog won't stop barking!!!

It's upsetting to be part of a neighborhood sometimes. Especially when there is no consideration for each other. My family is pretty quiet. Actually we could be seen as kind of boring. But what we enjoy is just relaxation, and that comes with soothing noises. Not nuisance noises produced by a dog not properly trained. I don't have anything against pets, so much as I have a problem with their owners. Dogs bark for a reason, if the reason is not valid, the owner needs to remedy the problem. Otherwise a dog just becomes the source of much anxiety to the neighbors.

Today I went out to do some yard work. I had my Ipod on, and couldn't really hear much else, other than my music. But when I shut off the lawn mower to come in for a break, my wife was in tears. Our neighbors dog, had been barking non-stop the entire time I was out mowing the yard. Even the sound of the lawn mower wasn't enough to drown out the nuisance noise produced by the dog. The dog barked for over 45 min, enough to bring my poor wife to tears, of helplessness. I told her to take the baby for a drive, to unwind. The sad thing is I had to ask my wife to leave her own home for peace and quiet. There is something horribly wrong when you have to leave your own home to find peace.

I am currently designing a website, BarkFreeZone.com, I'm hoping to bring to everyone's attention the proven emotional effects nuisance noises have on people. There are ordinances in place to address these problems, but I feel they need to be taken more seriously. Most of the actions you can take are limited, or require legal intercession, with no guarantee of a resolution. Plus, you make yourself vulnerable to your neighbor and any retaliation. If there is a legitimate documented problem of a nuisance dog there should be action taken to eliminate the problem.

Please chime in if you too are suffering from a barking dog or dogs. I encourage everyone to support a Bark Free Zone in all neighborhoods!

Week and a Half with Dog Silencer

Well can't say any great news about the Dog Silencer yet. But according to Pavlov's Law, the dog has conditioned my family to not go into the backyard. Also whenever we do go back there we get tense just knowing our quiet afternoon could so easily be ruined by our neighbors dog.

I'm trying to maintain a positive attitude and hope that this device will stop the dogs barking. However, the "training period" is painful. Per the instructions, we are to give the device 2-3 weeks to be effective. Also during that time frame, it is said there can be an increase in barking, due to the dog barking at the noise from the Dog Silencer Pro. It is very hard to think that this thing will ever work. My wife and I were very agitated by about an hours worth of constant barking.

When we are outside we turn on the audible function, mainly to confirm the device is functioning properly. My wife says through out the day she turns the audible function on, and she states it is more effective that way.

I'm hoping by Monday we can start to see results. It would be great to enjoy our backyard again.

Day 5 with Dog Silencer Pro

Fortunately for me, I work all day. So any barking by the dog can't annoy me. Not so much for my wife, who is a stay at home mom. But today she reported that the dog did not bark all day. Woo hoo!!! But I'm not holding my breath. The weekend will be a much better indicator. The neighbors usually leave for the weekend and leave the dog outside the entire time. I also plan on working out in my back yard near the fence. This usually provokes the dog into a frenzy. I just really pray that this device will do what it says. The more I think about the problem of nuisance dogs, or noises, the more angry I get with my neighbors and how they can disrupt the one place that I want to enjoy most. I love just sitting in my backyard enjoying watching my kid play. But ever since this problem started, I am very turned off from even stepping foot in my backyard. My blood pressure actually rises when I turn the knob to go into the backyard. And that's just now fair.

In the next few weeks I hope to start work on my website. My goal is to get any and all information to help people report nuisance noises and dogs. If you have an area that you would like me to research, just drop me a comment.

So after 5 days, the verdict is really not out for any positive or negative feedback on the Dog Silencer Pro. Per their instructions though, I will give it 2 to 3 weeks before I give a complete review with my praise or not.

4 Days of the Dog Silencer Pro

I wanted to document every day of the Dog Silencer Pro. Unfortunately, I have not been able to keep up with all my responsibilities. So my blog is delayed. The first day we didn't put the Dog Silencer Pro out, because the weather was pretty bad. And I didn't want to risk damaging the product on the first day with no chance to see if the product even works at silencing the dog. Second day, we put the product out. Fortunately there wasn't much action from the dog. Wednesday, my wife was out with our baby, and my my sister-in-laws kids. She reported the dog was barking away. She wasn't sure how to work it, and kept switching it from audible to silent. She said the dog seemed less persistent when it was on silent. But he didn't actually stop. I reminded her that the product can actually make a dog bark more in the beginning stages.

For now the key is consistency. I have the product up on my pool deck. The rails are higher than the neighbors fence, so the Dog Silencer Pro shouldn't have anything blocking it.

I'm still apprehensive of the results, but look forward to a quiet backyard one day.

Dog Silencer Pro shipped!

My Dog Silencer Pro shipped today. Estimated delivery date is June 14, 2010. In the meantime, I went into my backyard to jump in the pool, and the dog of course decided to bark at me. I decided to blow the dog whistle, and it seemed to have lessened his duration of barking. I won't be happy however until the dog has been trained to not bark unless there is truly a danger present. I have observed the dog outside for the entire day. It seems that the homeowner leaves the dog out all day. It's upsetting to see that some dog owners don't really care for their dogs, rather they just leave them outside until they want their attention. Dogs require a lot of attention and training. If an owner isn't ready to take on that responsibility, they shouldn't own one.

Of course the norm is to have a dog when it's convenient.

In addition to the Dog Silencer, I am looking to add a hedge or some type of natural barrier for my back fence to help create some privacy in our backyard. This is more for our own privacy, since our house sits higher than our backyard neighbor. But there is the added benefit of some noise reduction from the neighbors.

If you find my post, please post your own horror stories of nuisance barking dogs in your neighborhood.