Unreasonable neighbor

[Jbear]

I have a neighbor who seems to have taken a disliking to my dog. I was recently visited by an officer who said that the police have recieved 10 complaints about my dog in the last month. My dog has been bark collered for the last month yet all of my surrounding neighbors have dogs that constantly bark. Is there anything that I can do, as I've taken steps necessary to stop the dog from barking?

 

[Michael Wechsler]

I have a neighbor who seems to have taken a disliking to my dog. I was recently visited by an officer who said that the police have recieved 10 complaints about my dog in the last month. My dog has been bark collered for the last month yet all of my surrounding neighbors have dogs that constantly bark. Is there anything that I can do, as I've taken steps necessary to stop the dog from barking?

Ironically there is someone here I know who had to do this in California. There are some states that have a certain court that is used as the "doggie court." Others go to small claims court and ask for damages for "nuisance." That right of not being bothered on your own property trumps your rights to owning a dog. It seems many dog owners are under the impression that if their dog yelps and barks all night because it's a dog, in spite of known methods of trying to quiet a dog, that it's their right to continue to own the dog. Trying to quiet the dog doesn't change the fact that the dog is a nuisance to everyone else and you have to find a way to quiet the dog or do something to alleviate the problem, e.g. keep the dog in a soundproofed room, move to the country, etc. The fact that you have almost a dozen complaints from all your neighbors is a virtual lock that you're going to lose in court. What are you going to say? It's my word against the town? Good luck to you but I can't see another way out.