# Letter from HOA, barking of dog is nuisance



## vita007 (May 30, 2007)

I live in Cypress Texas , living in this house for 5 years with my husb and son , my GSD came here since he was 6 months old, now he is almost 5 yrs old. I have a letter from the homeowners saying that he barks too much. Yes he is a barker but only when I take him out for his ditties or play or watch my son when he is outside playing(outside is back yard). He is that way , i live in a corner on a house. when some one walks by , sure he barks. He is not aggressive , is just protective. He lives inside the house. Now we have a letter : Article VI Section L: General Nuisances. Now my husb says that he is going to find a place for him because the next thing is that they will come and take him away. Is that possible? ... I don't want to loose him, my son is in tears. Please any advice? what should I do? Thank you


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

HOA, such a PITA!! Seriously, mine is great about keeping the grass cut and picking up the trash but some of the other things, Sheesh, they annoy me! Anyway, I don't know how to teach it but I'm sure some here can help you but there is a quiet command or a no- bark command. I wish my next door neighbors would teach their dogs that one.

Good luck, it would suck to have to lose your dog because of stupid rules.


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## missmychance (Jan 20, 2011)

I dont see what the problem is if he lives inside. I would contact hoa and find out any specifics. If his barking is only when your outside with him and not at night there shouldn't be any problem unless its someone who might have issues with gsd's that is making the complaint. Mine barks when neighbors walk by, thats what dogs do. If my neighbors ever complained to community center (military housing) we would move before we got rid of our dog.


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## vita007 (May 30, 2007)

He knows all commands , i stay at home with him. actually he cant help it. when he goes out he has to bark. my concern is how bad the hoa will get?, or can they do it?


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

vita007 said:


> I live in Cypress Texas , living in this house for 5 years with my husb and son , my GSD came here since he was 6 months old, now he is almost 5 yrs old. I have a letter from the homeowners saying that he barks too much. Yes he is a barker but only when I take him out for his ditties or play or watch my son when he is outside playing(outside is back yard). He is that way , i live in a corner on a house. when some one walks by , sure he barks. He is not aggressive , is just protective. He lives inside the house. Now we have a letter : Article VI Section L: General Nuisances. Now my husb says that he is going to find a place for him because the next thing is that they will come and take him away. Is that possible? ... I don't want to loose him, my son is in tears. Please any advice? what should I do? Thank you


I don't believe that an HOA can take away your dog. I do think that they can fine you, and continue to fine you. Be sure to actually read your CC&R's and see what they say. Some HOA's can't collect fines until you move, others will take you to court right away, so what happens if you don't pay the fine is another question.

It sounds like your dog is left in the yard unattended?


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

I would also check on what the noise laws are in your area. In my county dogs can bark from 7a until 11p after that they have to be quiet or inside or the owner can be fined. I don't think my HOA can trump the law. If you have a noise law and you are falling with in it then your HOA may not be able to say "boo" to you.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

This sounds a lot more like a question for a legal counsel than a GSD board if you as me.

THe DOG suggestion I have for you is perhaps to teach him to bark on command so you can stop the barking. Barking dogs can be very annoying to neighbors. I don't permit Elsa to bark when people are simply walking by our house or when she's in the yard. When someone rings the doorbell or knocks--yes.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

this is exactly why i dont want anything to do with HOA/covented communities. I dont need anyone else telling me how to live my life, decorate my yard and such. And i sure dont need to be paying ANYTHING else to some power happy dope/group. I hope you're able to figure this out. If your dog is barking during the day, all they can do is complain. Not much else can be done is the law in your area have "nuisance hours".


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## vita007 (May 30, 2007)

this barking is only when he goes out, No more than 30 mns outside, of course not barking always. where can i find my cc&r?
thanks


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

I hate HOA's! Check to see what your city ordinance is on it. A neighbor a few doors down from me called the city and complained about a rottie across the street from her barking (during the day). They ended up in court and the guy won because the barking was not during off hours (9pm to 9am). I loved it because she is a total Gladys Kravitz! 

I'm in Plano so check with your city.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

30 minutes straight of barking in the yard is a [email protected]!


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

DharmasMom said:


> I don't think my HOA can trump the law.


Yes, HOA's can trump local law if it's more stringent (eta: if the HOA rule is more stringent than local law). That's why places have HOA's. The question though is if they have anything set up to enforce that. Many HOA's don't.


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

My HOA is great, but they have a point. No they can't take him away, but they can ask you to move. Teach him the quiet command barking dogs are a pain however, most cities have noise ordinances which trump HOA guidelines. For instance in my town it is 11:00 pm, but check what your's is.

On a side note when we got my lab the first night home he howled and howled in the crate and howled outside when I took him to potty at 1 in the morning. My ex-neighbors who hated dogs called the police who showed up an hour later when we were all fast asleep. I woke up because I saw someone flashing a light in my window and freaked out thinking it was an intruder. So I wake hubby who grabs a baseball bat and goes out to be confronted by a cop- talk about funny. So we invite the cop in and show him the cute culprit,lol The guy laughed and then told us about his vindictive neighbors who called the cops on him when he got his lab for the same reason. Apparently noise after 11 at night has to be constant not a few wimpers in the night so we were not in any trouble.

If his barking is not constant, not in the middle of the night, or a constant disruption I'm sure your fine


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

vita007 said:


> this barking is only when he goes out, No more than 30 mns outside, of course not barking always. where can i find my cc&r?
> thanks


You should have received a copy of yoru CC&R's when you moved in. If you can't find them, your HOA may have them online, or you will have to call the office. Of course if you are renting, you might not have received them, although you are supposed to.

IF this is a first notice by the HOA, you can probably work with them in terms of the fine. Even if you can't, you need to do something about the barking. In particular, you absolutely have to teach him to not bark at folks walking by. That means supervising him when he is in the yard and training him to what is appropriate and not appropriate. In your neighborhood, you will have to teach him that barking at folks walking by is not appropriate. If you don't have a solid fence, it may or may not be more difficult.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Zoeys mom said:


> If his barking is not constant, not in the middle of the night, or a constant disruption I'm sure your fine


Why do people say things like this? The OP has already received a formal notice, clearly, it's not fine.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

vita007 said:


> He knows all commands , i stay at home with him. *actually he cant help it*. when he goes out *he has to bark*. my concern is how bad the hoa will get?, or can they do it?


Since both of the bolded statements just aren't true..... that's GREAT NEWS for you.

Barking when you are there is ONLY a training issue! You've trained him to keep barking because you haven't taught him to STOP. So now you just need him to learn to stop barking initially. And then learn that he doesn't have to bark at all when you are with him and calm (ie not being killed by a mass murderer).

I have GSD's, had them for years. I'm on my 3rd and NONE of them 'can't help barking'. And none of them 'have to bark'. They either bark cause it's fun. Bark cause they are afraid. Bark to alert me to something. Or just bark cause they haven't (yet) been taught to STOP it's not appropriate (rude?). 

Off hand, I'd see what your instructor recommends from your obedience classes. If you haven't been for awhile, just go back to the sessions for a brush up so your dog will again learn that you are the leader and you don't EXPECT him to have to bark at everyone cause you've got a handle on the situation.

Other great thing about going back to the classes is it shows your HOA that you realize the situation is a problem and your neighbors are right to be bothered, so are taking it seriously enough to do something about it! The weekly classes and steady improvement will give you the time to work through this and re-train your dog.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

(great post MRL  )


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

LisaT said:


> Why do people say things like this? The OP has already received a formal notice, clearly, it's not fine.


Because there are actual laws in place that prevent irritations from being legal infractions. Like in my case where yes our HOA has rules about noise, but the police made it clear whether or not a short period of puppy wimpering was annoying it was not illegal. 30 minutes is a long time to have to listen to someone's dog barking that is a different story, but a bark here and there is to be expected. The notice she got just stated the rule about noise because obviously someone complained- what she needs to do is find out what can be done about it on there end, and work on his noise on her end. But thinking your going to lose your dog is probably over the top


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Zoeys mom said:


> Because there are actual laws in place that prevent irritations from being legal infractions.


Right, but we are talking about an HOA rule violation, which can be as much as $100 or more per violation, which is very different than a legal infraction, and also has different standards of proof (i.e. possibly no proof required at all except heresay). You are talking apples and oranges.


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

And thats when you find out how much power your HOA has. In my case my county laws trump our HOA's so for me a legal infraction is all I have to worry about. I don't know what her case is, but finding out is a first step as well as working on this dog's noise. I'm not saying she should let her dog bark and bug an entire neighborhood- I have a neighbor like that I can't type what I wish upon her dog. I just don't think she should be so stressed about the situation, talk about getting rid of the dog, and getting her son sad and worked up over this. Get a hold of the barking, and find out specifically what the HOA can and can't do. Tell them your working on the situation and take it seriously, but be realistic and don't think the HOA can take your animal- I'm pretty sure they can't.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

HOA's can enact basically whatever "laws" they want to enact. While they are simply rules and not actual laws, the HOA trumps local law enforcement when it comes to this sort of thing. If you buy a house with an HOA, read every single line in the rules and regs because you've just signed away your rights to your own home IMHO.

They can not "take" the dog, but they can enact VERY steep fines on per occurance or per day, and no one in their right mind would be able to pay the fines. So either the dog gets trained or it'll be finding a new home quickly.

Hate to jump to it, but given the circumstances and being that time is of the essence, why not just buy a good bark collar or e-collar (remote trainer)?


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## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

I'm the president of our HOA and know first hand that there is very little that can be done (at least in Canada). Ultimately we can place a lien on the home but it's very expensive and not really a great use of HOA fees so we prefer to use that as a last resort. 
As for the barking, have you tried a bark collar?


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Jax's Mom said:


> I'm the president of our HOA and know first hand that there is very little that can be done (at least in Canada). Ultimately we can place a lien on the home but it's very expensive and not really a great use of HOA fees so we prefer to use that as a last resort.


Here, there are a variety of things that HOA's can do, depending on how they have things in place. On the flip side, some HOA's have no power to enforce any of their rules. But if you are in an HOA that is like what Rerun posted about, they can become your worst nightmare.


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## vita007 (May 30, 2007)

I have a good controll remote collar used and of course he dont bark . but it is not nice to been using all the time on him.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Ultimately, you don't want to have to use the collar. Personally, I wouldn't use the collar, I would use good solid supervision and training. Work with a trainer if you have to - *teach* him.


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

Then work on teaching him not to bark- it can be done most GSD's are vocal so all of us have had to teach our's when to be quiet. I used treats and when mine barked I said enough, called them to come, made them sit, and gave them a treat. Now when I say enough both come running and sit in front of me even without food so with time and consistency is does work


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## Betty (Aug 11, 2002)

HOA laws are different from Sate to State. The first thing to do is to check your documents, in Florida it is that law that you have to receive a set at closing.

If you do not have a set, your office or property manager should.

The power of your HOA can vary. Find out how much teeth they have, can they fine? Things like that. What actual rule are you violating? Is it a general one or a very specific one?

And ask for more specifics. Be concerned, "OMG, I don't want my dog to be a nuisance, can you be more specific? When is my dog barking that is disturbing people? Is it one bark, 5 barks,....." I think you get my drift. IF you get enough info you might be able to figure out who made the complaint.


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

I've have been part of the HOA and managed hundreds of properties. They can file legal suit but they can NOT force you to get rid of your dog. I had one client that was told her children could not park their cars in the street but she had five teens. The head of that HOA was an atty and I pointed out the fair housing act, he stopped bothering them.

I would write a letter to the president of your HOA stating your city ordinance for noise and where you follow the law accordingly. State in the letter, any further complaints should be addressed to your atty. Or you will consult an atty. . That should shut them up.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

krystyne73 said:


> I would write a letter to the president of your HOA stating your city ordinance for noise and where you follow the law accordingly. State in the letter, any further complaints should be addressed to your atty. Or you will consult an atty. . That should shut them up.


It certainly wouldn't shut up our HOA, since city ordinance is not at all relevant to the HOA rules.


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## Kris10 (Aug 26, 2010)

Betty said:


> And ask for more specifics. Be concerned, "OMG, I don't want my dog to be a nuisance, can you be more specific? When is my dog barking that is disturbing people? Is it one bark, 5 barks,....." I think you get my drift. IF you get enough info you might be able to figure out who made the complaint.


I think this is a good idea. One of your neighbors likely reported you, and knowing the details and also explaining your side may be helpful. The HOA may have been told "Their dog barks incessantly" and really hasn't verified that. You also may learn that what you consider acceptable times and duration of barking is more than others should have to deal with. 

So... I think getting more info is the first step. Second step is working on training your dog to be quiet on command, which is certainly doable with time and effort. If your neighbors are in fact having to deal with a lot of noise I think you should focus on the barking problem and not look at how much power the HOA has, etc, and how to get out of fines.


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## Larien (Sep 26, 2010)

You need to teach your dog to stop barking, period. He's annoying people, and that's not right, if your HOA doesn't permit it. I've been working with my 6 month old GSD a lot on "no-bark" and it's going great - he barks indoors at the windows when he sees deer outside, or geese flying, or the air ambulance helicopter - so whenever he starts barking, I get in front of him, tell him "no bark" and when he looks at me and is silent, I click and treat him and praise him, but not too much praise, or he'd just get excited again.

Anyway, we're working on it a lot, and it's going very well. But with the exception of one time when I snapped after having umpteen skiers practically in my yard all day, I do not allow my dogs to bark outside at all. If they bark, they come inside, end of story. It's very rude to let your dog bark incessantly for a half hour outside like that. My neighbors on one side AND my other neighbor across the street both let their multiple dogs bark constantly outside at 6 am and late at night all the time, and I suffer from chronic headaches, I can't take that barking outside my window. So try and put yourself in other's shoes, what doesn't bother you might bother someone else, and so you've got to be a courteous neighbor and train your dog.

I hope it all goes well, good luck.


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

Jax's Mom said:


> I'm the president of our HOA and know first hand that there is very little that can be done (at least in Canada). Ultimately we can place a lien on the home but it's very expensive and not really a great use of HOA fees so we prefer to use that as a last resort.
> As for the barking, have you tried a bark collar?


That's how it is here too. They are really more smoke than fire unless they are one of those " determined" groups lol I have lived in 3 HOA and had to go over endless rules, besides fines and law suits they don't / can't really do much. Another client I had refused to pay the special assessment fees ( accumulated over several years, all they could do was attach the lien, he is stuck in his house forever lol) 
But still, I would not like having a dog barking all day next to my house either. My dogs are quiet most of the time when outside.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

I don't think the focus should be about how much someone can be punished by their HOA if their dog is a barking annoyance.

I think the focus should be on the fact that there is yet ANOTHER GSD out there giving our breed a bad name when all this is about is a lack of training. 

If my dogs are bothering my neighbors, it's not up to me to think they aren't THAT annoying. If people have complained enough that a letter has gone out, or someone has come to me with their concerns... then I need to step it up to be a both a RESPONSIBLE dog owner and a good neighbor. I would like those people to be my neighbors so I should try to be the same.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> I don't think the focus should be about how much someone can be punished by their HOA if their dog is a barking annoyance.
> 
> I think the focus should be on the fact that there is yet ANOTHER GSD out there giving our breed a bad name when all this is about is a lack of training.
> 
> I agree. I'm surprised at everyone here focusing on the wrong thing...


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## Chowgal (Dec 21, 2009)

HOA can't take your dog away. Our's tried telling us that they were gonna take my lab mix away when he was a puppy because he cried LOUDLY when we left him in the house during the day(he suffers from separation anxiety).And our neighbors weren't the ones complaining. Our HOA send people out 2-3 times a week to drive the neighborhood and they heard him and sent out the letter... We contacted animal control and the police and explained the situation and they said they couldn't take him away. And animal control would only take him away if he did it after 11 pm. But I worked with him and now he won't bark at ALL when he's left alone.

But I agree with everyone who said you should work on teaching him to NOT bark (I've done this with all three of my dogs) because your HOA CAN and WILL fine you.

HOAs are a PITA. I HATE ours, they're power hungry jerks.


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## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

GSDElsa said:


> I think the focus should be on the fact that there is yet ANOTHER GSD out there giving our breed a bad name when all this is about is a lack of training.
> 
> I agree. I'm surprised at everyone here focusing on the wrong thing...


I agree... to a point. Is the person who is comlaining genuinely annoyed or are they a constant complainer? In our gated development I find most of the complainers are either single or elderly. The elderly ones usually have relevant complaints but the single ones (we have 2 in particular) have nothing better to do on Friday and Saturday nights than to walk around an note things that *might* annoy someone else... lighbulbs out, front doors dirty, steps not swept... my two favorites so far were that someone dropped a bunch of grapes in the park and there was a chocolate wrapper on someone's lawn... Too bad I can't complain to someone about the complainers. So I completely believe that the OP's dog might not be such a nuisance at all. 
If it is, then yes it should be taught not to be annoying to others.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Jax, the woman has admitted her dog barks up to thirty minutes at a time when outside and any time a neighbor walks by their house.....

I would say the neighbors have a justifiable complaint here. That is absolutely ridiculous.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

One of my dogs is a notorious barker. I don't have a problem with putting a bark collar on her. She learns quickly, knows when it is on and once in awhile tests it. 

I have had little success with training this particular dog to not bark if I am inside and she out. If she goes out without her bark collar - I give her no more than a minute of barking before she comes in. And if it is during human sleep hours, I stand at the door so she doesn't. Dog has to go out to potty but letting the dog loose in the yard to replace human interaction not the way to go. You CAN teach a dog to quiet while you are out there with it!

This is not a dog barking to come in, she is first out, last in......she just gets triggered by anything moving.

The other dog only barks when someone gets near his truck and I am not there. After many failed training attemps I would up with sucess by hiding, running up to the truck, and catching him being good and rewarding him lavishly. Same thing when someone walks by and he does not bark. Honestly it is only when someone is within 10 feet of the truck, not an everyone he sees. Of course if you don't continue to reward a behavior you want it will extinguish.

--------------------------

As to HOAs - they can be real jerks - in our case the dogs are not an issue but they try to apply the ordinances unevenly (If a vehicle is in the street in front of my house for a few hours we get a letter but the president can have one in front of his house for days).........they even cited me for a handicap van being a "commercial vehicle" (mom in wheelchair) and I said "bring it on". Fortunately at the last meeting, they wanted to impose a fine schedule and were overwhelmingly voted down by the community


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Since the OP stated about the barking


> ......actually he cant help it. when he goes out he has to bark.


I read that as not only that he's barking, she isn't able to stop it. And this isn't when the dog is just indoors but OUTSIDE when people are walking past.

One thing I know about owning a GSD, is just the look of one can make people a bit fearful. But having a GSD outside with me, that starts barking UNCONTROLLABLEY at everyone walking past, and the owner states she is UNABLE to stop it would concern me..... I like the breed!

Maybe I'm crazy but I don't think having neighbors be fearful or bothered by my dog is either a good or normal thing. I don't think owning any dog that I am unable to control to stop it's unnecessary barking is a good or normal thing. If I live in a location with neighbors, then it's my responsibility to be a good neighbor with all that entails. 

It's all well and good to say 'only barking at night is bad' but anyone with a young child that you are trying to give it's afternoon nap, or anyone staying home cause they are sick, probably don't think daytime barking is something they should have to put up with just because other people are at work and can't hear it.


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## BOHICA Bay (Jan 26, 2011)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> I don't think the focus should be about how much someone can be punished by their HOA if their dog is a barking annoyance.
> 
> I think the focus should be on the fact that there is yet ANOTHER GSD out there giving our breed a bad name when all this is about is a lack of training.
> 
> If my dogs are bothering my neighbors, it's not up to me to think they aren't THAT annoying. If people have complained enough that a letter has gone out, or someone has come to me with their concerns... then I need to step it up to be a both a RESPONSIBLE dog owner and a good neighbor. I would like those people to be my neighbors so I should try to be the same.


Bravo!
As to the collar, OP, that is not the point - the collar is not the same as real training. Collars such as the one you are using are more of a "gadget", imo, than actually addressing the issue. This is absolutely something that can, and frankly should, be addressed and corrected. 
Put yourselves in the shoes of someone who has to listen to the OP's dog bark, who can't enjoy their own neighborhood because they are barked at anytime they go past the OP's home, etc. It shouldn't take the involvement of an HOA to make it important to the OP to try to address the issue. Maybe it's just me, but I feel responsible as a dog owner not to inflict MY pets on others.....barking IS an annoyance, a disruption and is completely not just something that others should have to deal with/accept.


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

As someone who worked nights for 13 years, I can tell you daytime barking would have been a HUGE issue for me. Ginormous! Just because you sleep at night doesn't mean everyone else in the world does too.


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

Larien said:


> *If they bark, they come inside, end of story.* It's very rude to let your dog bark incessantly for a half hour outside like that.


That's the rule I use also. My neighbors, don't really seem to care if their dogs bark.


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

Jax's Mom said:


> I'm the president of our HOA and know first hand that there is very little that can be done (at least in Canada). Ultimately we can place a lien on the home but it's very expensive and not really a great use of HOA fees so we prefer to use that as a last resort.
> As for the barking, have you tried a bark collar?


You can place a lien on a home because of a barking dog?


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## Dr89 (Nov 18, 2010)

Caledon said:


> You can place a lien on a home because of a barking dog?


This is a lot of fluff for a simple solution: teach your dog not to bark. If you can't or don't know how then get a bark collar.

I play fetch with Rambo every night around 1am in a big yard that's about 30yrds from an entire row of probably 15 houses. He loves his ball like nothing else, so as a puppy he would always bark out of un-restrainable excitement. If I could get an uber-excited 6 month old to quit barking when doing his favorite activity in the whole world, then you should be fine 

We all do it.


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## Mac's Mom (Jun 7, 2010)

I'm so lucky I live in a neighborhood where if someone is doing something annoying they just walk up to the house with a beer to talk it over


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

if you're not going to train your dog not
to bark muzzle him when your in your yard with him.
if he's barking when in the house excessively
you and your husband have to teach him not to
bark.


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

doggiedad said:


> if you're not going to train your dog not
> to bark muzzle him when your in your yard with him.
> if he's barking when in the house excessively
> you and your husband have to teach him not to
> bark.


*removed by mod*


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

your dog doesn't have to bark because he's outside.
teach him not to bark. since you're at home with him
teaching him not to bark shouldn't be a problem
because you're there and you can correct the problem
instantly. why didn't you correct the barking sooner???



vita007 said:


> He knows all commands , i stay at home with him. actually he cant help it. when he goes out he has to bark. my concern is how bad the hoa will get?, or can they do it?


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

you can muzzle your snarky remarks. the OP doesn't
seem to know what to do about her barking dog. what do
you suggest???

* removed remark*


doggiedad said:


> if you're not going to train your dog not
> to bark muzzle him when your in your yard with him.
> if he's barking when in the house excessively
> you and your husband have to teach him not to
> bark.


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## angelas (Aug 23, 2003)

Another night shifter who thinks daytime barking is just as annoying as night time barking.

The only time my dogs ever barked at night was when they were warning people-trash away from the house. And we didn't leave them barking for 15 mins before grabbing a flashlight to go check it out.

My city has a nuisance barking law that is in effect 24 hrs a day. Have to love them for that.


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## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

Caledon said:


> You can place a lien on a home because of a barking dog?


It depends on the development's by-laws... In ours you couldn't, but anything that contravenes the by-laws could result in a lien. Some people take these idiot condo by-laws so seriously... In my last condo I bought some red curtains (mostly because I didn't think anyone would care but it violated the by-laws)... I got a warning, I told them I was moving and to leave me alone... The curtains had been there for 5 years and were $73 brand new... A few weeks later I moved out and thought it was the last I'd be hearing about the curtains... Apparently the new owner got a notice about my curtains again and was now suing me for "knowingly" selling a home that contravened by-laws... bla bla bla. Asking me for my lawyer's name (the dolt hired a lawyer for this). I responded that the lawyers won't be necessary, if he'd like, I'd reimburse him the full brand new price of my illegal curtains or he can come with me to pick out some new curtains at my expense or if he didn't want any curtains at all, I could walk over and throw them in the trash for him. I never heard from him again


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## Kris10 (Aug 26, 2010)

Here's an idea: when you move into a development with a HOA read the paperwork before signing it and follow the rules. If you feel they don't suit you, don't buy there:shocked:
The OP seems interested in fixing the barking problem. I would set up training ASAP if was unsure how to proceed. What worked for me was going out with my dog and redirecting or bringing him back inside if he started barking. I taught him to bark on command and " quiet ". He can now be out there with the neighbors dog barking at him and ignore it. Good luck! It is possible to do!


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

To Jax's Mom, ok so you are talking a Condominium.

You cannot lien for rule infractions. You can lien for outstanding maintenance fees, the cost of which falls to the unit owner,

For rule infractions, such as a barking dog which would fall under nuisance noise, the condo has to enforce the rules, but it is a long process. On top of documentation, you have to write letters to the owner, attend mediation and arbitrations and eventually court before the dog is ordered removed. Huge legal fees are involved in enforcing rules when a person defies them, however, the condominium has an obligation to enforce them and the cost is shared by all unit owners. In the case of a barking dog, if the court rules in favour of the condo, the judge may also award the legal fees. 

Don't know the details of a HOA, but I think they can levy a fine for rule infractions. 

The value of living in any regulated community is to ensure that the assets are maintained and rules are enforced. 

To the OP, I have no idea how to teach a dog to stop barking. I did observe a woman camping working with her dog on barking issues. She used a soft fabric muzzle and if the dog barked she would put the muzzle on. When the dog was quiet she praised and rewarded him and removed the muzzle. She said she was getting some results with this method. We were camping right beside them and I can say she had things under control. She was right on top of it though and said it was a lot of work.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Mac's Mom said:


> I'm so lucky I live in a neighborhood where if someone is doing something annoying they just walk up to the house with a beer to talk it over


This to me is a problem with HOAs and In three neighborhoods with HOAs this is our first where whiney butts turn you in for minor stuff.

When we had to park a car in the street for a few days I actually WENT to my neighbors and made sure it was all ok with them and gave them my phone if they had a problem and they were cool about it yet ONE of them turned me in......Cheeeeese........

When they started discussing the whole fine thing the HOA wanted to institute, they said they would rather have people calling the HOA than their neighbors to discuss problems. 

For someone who grew up in a neighborhood where every house had a mother who would correct you if you went wrong, it is a real paradigm shift...........I did tell some neighbors I was not comfortable with their kids shooting bows and arrows in their backyard (broadheads with hunting bows) because I know firsthand that bow accidents can and do occur.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

I'm another nocturnal person and hate how my neighbors let their freakin' dogs yap during the day when I'm sleeping. There is no excuse for it. Their barking is the owners problem, not the neighbors.

If you are unable to bring your dog in the house the second he opens his mouth, get a barking collar - and I'm talking about one with electricity - and put it on him religiously whenever he goes outside.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Caledon said:


> You can place a lien on a home because of a barking dog?


Yes, in many HOA's.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Train the dog to stop barking. I understand that sometimes people are not very good trainers or don't know enough about training to be able to do that, so if you've tried and it's not working, find a good trainer to help you.

If that doesn't work or you aren't capable of consistently applying the techniques the trainer gave you, then get a good bark collar like this one: Bark Limiter G3 - Tri-Tronics Bark Limiter G3, Electronic Dog Collar Training, Limit Barking


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## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

^this is what one of the trainers in or schutzhund club uses and it's amazing. Stops the barking instantly.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

i recommend a bark collar if you can't train him to keep his yapper shut

I have a senior aussie who is going deaf, and has gotten VERY barky since she's gotten older. Weird she does not bark after dark, but if she's outside she's a yapper and is barking at nothing

No amount of training is shutting her up, it's not constant but if it annoys me it must annoy my neighbors (since one did complain but that's another story)..So I got out the bark collar and it doesn't even have to be charged up,,it goes on and she is quiet as a church mouse problem solved.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

excessive barking is annoying no matter what time it is.



angelas said:


> Another night shifter who thinks daytime barking is just as annoying as night time barking.


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## Smithie86 (Jan 9, 2001)

We have a small church across the road from us. We ensure that we are done with the dogs prior to service on Wed PM and on Sun AM.

Respect thing....


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## CPH (Sep 8, 2010)

vita007 said:


> Yes he is a barker but only when I take him out for his ditties or play or watch my son when he is outside playing(outside is back yard). He is that way


Thats a lot of things he barks at. The second my dog barks while outside I tell him no, if he continues to bark he comes inside.


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## My2Furkids (Sep 21, 2010)

Maybe I am the one who misunderstood, but what I got from the OP was that her dog barks SOMETIMES when outside...


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## Ace952 (Aug 5, 2010)

jocoyn said:


> This to me is a problem with HOAs and In three neighborhoods with HOAs this is our first where whiney butts turn you in for minor stuff.
> 
> When we had to park a car in the street for a few days I actually WENT to my neighbors and made sure it was all ok with them and gave them my phone if they had a problem and they were cool about it yet ONE of them turned me in......Cheeeeese........
> 
> ...


I am right there with ya on all of this.


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## disgruntled neighbor (Mar 1, 2013)

I'm a dog owner/lover. I found this site while LOOKING for the appropriate way to report my neighbors dog. I have to go to bed early, and get up early. When I wake up at 10, 11, 12, and 1 am because of someone else's dog (mine is properly trained), I'm not going to take it lightly. I see many of you giving a million excuses on how to avoid issues with HOA's, etc.
Instead, why not give other's tips on how to SHUT THEIR ANNOYING DOG UP???? 
Do the right thing. Be a considerate neighbor, and responsible owner for once. Try championing that instead, instead of playing part time nuisance attorneys. Is that truly so difficult?


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

disgruntled neighbor said:


> I'm a dog owner/lover. I found this site while LOOKING for the appropriate way to report my neighbors dog. I have to go to bed early, and get up early. When I wake up at 10, 11, 12, and 1 am because of someone else's dog (mine is properly trained), I'm not going to take it lightly. I see many of you giving a million excuses on how to avoid issues with HOA's, etc.
> Instead, why not give other's tips on how to SHUT THEIR ANNOYING DOG UP????
> Do the right thing. Be a considerate neighbor, and responsible owner for once. Try championing that instead, instead of playing part time nuisance attorneys. Is that truly so difficult?


The OP's dog was not barking at night, it was barking at perfectly appropriate times. No one was giving advice for how to get away with having a dog that barks all night.


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## GSDolch (May 15, 2006)

Holy resurrection Batman....

Well, in response to the thread, this is something that really depends. Some people don't like dogs barking ever, some people let their dogs bark all the time.

This is a prime reason I wont deal with HOA's. If my dog is not barking all day constantly, I don't really care if someone is upset by it. If my dog did nothing but bark, sure, but if we are outside playing after lunch or something...well, deal with it.  But, like I said, if someone cannot control their dogs constant barking, then it is a problem.

And what a way to come to the board lol.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

KZoppa said:


> this is exactly why i dont want anything to do with HOA/covented communities. I dont need anyone else telling me how to live my life, decorate my yard and such. And i sure dont need to be paying ANYTHING else to some power happy dope/group. I hope you're able to figure this out. If your dog is barking during the day, all they can do is complain. Not much else can be done is the law in your area have "nuisance hours".


I second that. I can't say here what I would tell them to do with their HOA.

It's none of their damned business what I do with my yard, my house, or my animals.

"AND STAY OFF MY GRASS!"


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## Rallhaus (May 17, 2011)

Where I used to live, the HOA said I needed to paint my house! Well, the paint was fine. I asked them to provide a photo. The photo was of a different house....

Ask the HOA to give details of when you dog is barking - times and dates - and a photo of the house where the noise is coming from.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

This thread is 2 years old and the OP has not posted in those two years. Any advice to them is meaningless. For the person who is having trouble with a neighbor's dog why don't you start a new thread stating your problem and asking for help instead of coming on and criticizing people for advice given two years ago.


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