How can I stop my neighbor's dog from howling everytime a siren passes on the street?

Question

I live in a new neighborhood, and my neighbors seem to be nice people. However, they have a huge dog that they keep in the back yard that barks every time a car passes by or if I'm standing in my yard or if a car pulls up in my yard. That really does not bother me. The thing that kills me is the dog howls at all times during the night, and he is LOUD!! The dog sounds like he is dying out there. The only thing I can associate his howling with is police/ambulance sirens that I've heard in the distance when he begins to howl. I am a very quiet person who enjoys peace and quiet once I get home from work. This dog's howling kills me. I know it's instinctive, but is there any thing that can be done to stop (or lessen) his howling? I don't know, but I was thinking of some type of high-frequency whistle or signal that can be blown or activated everytime I hear him howl that would agitate him and condition him eventually not to howl. Any ideas are appreciated.

Looks like the dog is a golden lab.

Answer 1

As annoying as it can be, thats what dogs do. However, there are a couple suggestions. You might contact a pet store to see if the whistle you mention would work. If not, you will probably have to talk to your neighbor. Let them know the problem and see how cooperative they are. If it doesn't work, call the police. Please do not dial 911, just call the non-emergency number. A visit or a phone call in the middle of the night will ensure that your neighbors know you are not going to let this issue rest until you can. If after a couple phone calls to the police don't solve it, you can go to court. Take the police reports with you and keep track of every day and time the dog howls. You have a case and you will probably win.
What you have to look at is how will the affect the relationship you have with the neighbors. If they were there first, it could cause some strained relations. then again, if they were truly good neighbors, they wouldn't allow their dog to continue to howl knowing that it disturbs you.
Or, since it sounds like a hound, you may want to do some research so when you approach your neighbors, you could offer a suggestion on how to keep the dog quiet.
Good luck

Answer 2

They are howling because it is instinctive - it's a pack mentality thing. They probably bark when other dogs in the area bark, too. If there's already a siren going off, your peace and quiet has already been disrupted. As long as they stop when the siren is done, what is the harm? They're being dogs. If it's really bothering you and the siren sounds for a very long time, go outside and pet them or talk to them nicely over the fence. That will distract them. Don't throw treats over to them, unless that's okay with your neighbor.

Answer 3

We had a black lab that did the same thing when he heard a siren and that was about the only time you heard a sound out of him unless something was wrong. It really spooked our Greek neighbor. She was superstitious and felt that it meant bad luck. I really did not want to upset the neighbor but we could not predict when ambulances would go by nor could we keep the dog in the house all the time. So it happened from time to time.
It should never be allowed to happen between 9-P.M. and 9-A.M. the dog should be in during those times and only taken out for short times to do it's duty and back in again. You can not use a lawn mower during those hours. It should be the same for anything that makes noise even a pet.

Answer 4

I have a similar thing goes on where I live. About 3 dogs go off into a spine tingling howl everytime a police/ambulance/fire-truck siren sounds. Not much I can do about it, I sort of zone out for the time the dogs are going off. I guess you could try the whistle thing, but don't know if it'd work. Or talk to the owners maybe.

Answer 5

Ear plugs so he doesn't hear it!!!
Also contact the environmental services at your local council. most have a noise'hit squad' (the noise after 11pm doesn't apply in Scotland...We are lucky enough to for the rule to apply at anytime! )RSPCA are not really an option unless the dog is in pain or being mistreated. At a push the police may have a word with the owner but sometimes that can cause bad feelings so think hard about that one.As previously suggested i would have a polite word with the neighbour.
Try foam ear plugs as someone has already suggested...they are really good. i wear them all the time and don't hear a thing..make sure you get the soft rubber/foam one( usually orange coloured) they are sold in boots, superdrug, sainsbury etc


Good Luck

Answer 6

speak to the owners be friendly and polite explain that you would like them to control the dogs barking.
allow them some time to do this . i don't mean tell them do it within this set time i mean just ask and then wait to see
if the dog is still doing this at the same amount times. ask them again .
wait again
if you have to go there a 3rd time make sure you are not being
a @$$ about this then tell them you want them to teach the dog to bark howl less and that you will let them have one week to come up with something and suggest perhaps a electronic bark control collar . then let them know that after that you will just leave it in there hands and the animal control people.
understand now at that point you will have pretty much ended any chance you have of ever being friends with them ever and that they might respond in a way you really don't like . so be sure your not being a *&%% neibhour and over blowing this barking

Answer 7

There is nothing you can do. Dogs howl in response to ambulance sirens because the sirens sound like howling to them. This causes the dog to use his wolf instincts and reply to the "howl". If it is bothering that much you can complain to your neighbors but calling animal control won't do much if the animal is not kept in bad conditions. All you could do is kill the dog or shoot something at it, but you don't want to do that, do you?

Answer 8

Give me their address and I will park my ambulance outside.
When that dog howls I will hit him with all my sirens at once.
It probably won't cure his howling but it sure would be funny...

Answer 9

Ask your neighbours to do something about it. It's their dog so they must deal with it. I'm sure there's probably some noise pollution thing you can throw at them if they don't

Answer 10

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