TWO SIDES OF THE FENCE
We all like to think that when we leave for work in the morning we leave our family pets in their ‘Happy’ place. Most of us, even though we are busy getting ourselves ready for the day ahead, take the time to walk, cuddle or at least feed our dogs before leaving them for the day.
When we arrive home, we are pleased when our dogs seem over the moon to see us; tail wagging, sometimes whole body wagging! sharing their toy, running round in circles, barking, whining .... The boss is back. Yay… IT MUST BE DINNER TIME! (at this point you may wonder who or what the wagging body is for) however... Whatever the doggy reason is, your dog is thrilled to see you home.
Now, what do we believe our dog does for the hours and hours that we are out slaving away to earn enough money to buy his dinner? We know what he’s doing when we come home to a new hole in the garden or the remote control looking more like a Lego set...but what if the garden is still intact and your belongings are still in the correct number of pieces? .... is there a chance he’s chosen barking or howling as a daytime preoccupation? Short of placing cameras around, we might never know this is his activity of choice.
But your neighbours probably do.
No-one likes to hear a dog in distress, and believe me, dogs do not bark and howl if they are happy. For the most part they are calling for their human, trying to make something change or trying to chase away things that are concerning them like passers-by, cats or the sound of neighbours moving around.
We like to think of our pets being content at home on their own and would surely do what we could to make this so, if only we knew they were not as happy as we thought.
So how can we animal lovers help, not just our own pets but others in the neighbourhood too?
It is vital that we understand first that no one wants their dog to be unhappy, then we must remember that no one wants to upset anyone if they feel they need to tell them that their pet is barking or howling when they are out. It is so sad that many neighbours dare not mention an obvious issue for fear of offending or worse, causing ill-feeling by bringing it to the owners’ attention. This fear of upsetting someone else prevents people from helping an animal that is simply crying out for help.
There are two sides to this fence and we, as animal lovers, need to place ourselves on both sides for this to work. Remember the dog is calling for help and ONLY the humans around it can provide it.
So please, if you own a dog and leave it at home on its own, be aware that it is entirely possible that your neighbours know what it gets up to better than you do. When you bump into them at the front gate, ask if they ever hear your dog. They will probably say no, some may be surprised you even have a dog…Go you! But, if neighbours feel their intervention will be taken in the spirit with which it is given, i.e. with the intention of helping the dog out, then they are more likely to share what they know and YOU can start to make the changes. As a result more dogs will be helped to stay at home happily and contentedly because together, humans listened, shared and acted and really made their home their HAPPY place.
A few hints on how to help a barking dog be more settled.
1) If your dog lives inside when you are home, leave it inside when you
are out.
2) Find out what time of the day the dog barks so you can try to work out
what is upsetting it.
3) Prevent your dog from accessing the front of the property or looking out at the street through a window. If it cannot see people, and other animals outside it is less likely to bark.
4) Make arrangements for your dog to be visited halfway through the day, just for 20 minutes or so, for a play and a cuddle and a quick walk and some lunch.