Patch Blog: Are Barking Dogs Driving You Crazy?

Are barking dogs driving you nuts? OK, maybe not right this minute, but from time to time?

If so, I really sympathize. In years past I, too, had been bothered by neighborhood dogs. One of them would go on for hours and hours, starting as early as 3 a.m. I circulated a flyer, put it into mailboxes, with pretty much the same info as here, and it seemed to help. It may be my imagination, but things got quieter.

A few days ago, another pooch started up and kept going like the Energizer Bunny, which reminded me that maybe other residents in Eagle Rock are also beset by the same problem. Climate change—my usual topic—is put aside for this blog.

I imagine that, in your own dear Eagle Rock, on an otherwise blissful Saturday or Sunday morning, a yapping pooch goes on and on for hours. Maybe it’s a squirrel or cat. Maybe it’s loneliness—or rage against the machine. Maybe it's another dog—who is also barking.

But, you worked hard all week. You're entitled to some simple quiet, no? You need a break—not a bark!

The dog's owner may be out, or perhaps simply doesn’t mind what, to you, is a loathsome noise. I'm sure the great majority of dog owners wish to be considerate toward others.

So, let them know how they can help.

How about a note to the owner, respectful in tone, describing the problem: When the barking started, when (and if) it ended, how it affects you, and then a simple request to try to solve the problem.

I was lucky in that I had exactly this problem some time ago with a neighbor's dog (he didn't get the memo). I even recorded the yapping. Then I wrote a letter to my neighbor, and—lo and behold—the problem was solved. Case closed.

If you don’t get a positive response and feel as though you've been barking up the wrong tree, you might like to know what the Los Angeles Municipal Code says:

It is against the law for a dog owner, or anyone in control or custody of a dog, to allow the dog to make excessive noise, after receiving a legal notice of the noise complaint and a request to make it stop. The term 'excessive noise' means noise which is unreasonably annoying, disturbing, offensive, or which unreasonably interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property of one or more persons occupying property in the community or neighborhood. This law does not apply to a commercial animal establishment with a legal permit. (LAMC 53.63).

Yes, the law is on your side. 

If your note falls flat, you can contact the Department of Animal Care. You may view the contact info by clicking this link.

Animal Care officials will talk with the owner. If the problem continues, they will consider further actions.

Their website has some valuable information for owners, such as why dogs bark and what the owner can do to improve things. It’s a good idea to include the Department of Animal Care website in your note.

Here’s some more information from their website:

“Part of responsible dog ownership is ensuring that your dog is not a nuisance to others. Barking is a natural dog behavior and most people want their dogs to bark to alert them to potential danger. However, owners who permit their dogs to bark excessively are permitting a public nuisance to occur and can be fined or issued citations.”

These actions might keep Eagle Rock blissful—for yourself and your neighbors.