The neighbor's barking/howling dog

[Blue Plastic Straw]

The very nice couple who moved in downstairs from me last month have a very nice dog who seems to have separation anxiety issues. He barks and howls constantly while his owners are gone. At the moment it is 1:30 a.m. and he's been howling since I got home two hours ago. He barks and howls all day while they are at work, making it very difficult for me to study.

If they don't do something I'm going to lose my mind. I'm going to them first, because they may not even know what he's doing. Does anyone have recommendations on how to approach them and perhaps suggestions I can give them? I would prefer to approach it in a helpful manner, rather than confrontational.

P.S. I just heard one of the other neighbors yell "SHUT UP", so obviously I'm not the only one being bothered.

[DMZdogs]

Tell them. You can just leave a note on the door or tell them in person. I have two dogs and would be MORTIFIED to find out that they were barking and disturbing the neighborhood and VERY grateful to anyone who told me before someone took matters further (calling the police to report noise disturbance, calling an animal shelter, putting poison out to try to get my dogs, etc. etc.

They might not know about it. Once they know, they can start working on the problem. If they are not internet savvy, they might appreciate getting some print outs from websites that teach people what to do about excessive barking or that sell products to help curtail it.

If they know and don't care, well, I don't know what to suggest then.

[kpickell]

I agree with DMZ! I would leave a (friendly) note on the door rather than telling them in person though, as some neighbors can be asses when confronted about anything. In your note, in addition to telling why it's bothersome, you could recommend getting a Comfort Zone plug-in which can help calm stressed dogs, and perhaps leave the telephone number of a behaviorist, trainer or experienced vet in the area that they could call for advice on curing seperation anxiety.

If the note is ignored and the problem persists, then call animal control and file a complaint.