Dog barking - causes, consequences and avoidance strategies

the essentials in brief

• Barking dogs are considered noise nuisance and must not last longer than 30 minutes. Barking is not allowed during certain rest periods. What is reasonable and how loud the barking may be depends on the individual case.
• In the event of a disturbance of the peace by the neighbor's dog, those affected can call in the public order office. Ads are possible if prompts are ignored. The police help in bad cases.
• Parenting collars are designed to stop inappropriate behavior, but not all models are suitable. Ultrasound devices prove to be ineffective. Educational measures to avoid constant barking are advisable.
• Dogs bark for various reasons of communication. It is hereditary and is reinforced or suppressed by human behavior. Some breeds are particularly fond of barking.

Dog barking from a legal point of view

There are no regulated and unambiguous laws that deal with the subject of dog barking. Courts base their convictions on previous judgments, even if they have no general legal validity. If dog owners show themselves unreasonable and do not care about changing the behavior of their four-legged friend, a fine can be imposed.

also read

• Avocado can be fatal to cats
• Guzmania flower turns brown - these are the consequences!
• How is the garden safe for dogs? - Tips for the dog-friendly garden

Barking is considered a noise immission

The sounds made by dogs can be seen as noise nuisance. As such, they represent an immission that is viewed as a health hazard on the environment. Decisive for the assessment of barking dogs is therefore paragraph 906 of the German Civil Code (BGB). An injunction is possible according to paragraph 1004 BGB.

How much dog barking is allowed?

Basically, the barking of dogs must not last longer than 30 minutes per day and ten minutes at a time. If the disturbance is considered to be local, for example in rural regions with farms, neighbors have to tolerate the disturbance. As a rule, this does not apply to urban residential areas. Courts condemn the vocalizations of the four-legged friends more mildly or not at all if they occur outside of the rest times.

Times when barking is not allowed:

• Midday rest : generally between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
• Night rest : after 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Rest days : Sundays and public holidays

What is reasonable?

Dog barking is normal to some extent. With the right upbringing, dog owners can influence their dog's behavior. Since barking is a typical characteristic, it cannot be completely prevented. The following table gives you an overview of the reasonableness and when dog owners have to fear judgments for disturbing the peace.

Duration	time	judgment	Reason
short bark	not defined	reasonable	cannot be influenced by the owner
regular barking for one to three hours	different times of the day	unreasonable	disturbs the peace of the house
regular and persistent barking	between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., on Sundays and public holidays	unreasonable	Disturbance during rest periods
continuous barking for at least 30 minutes	Every day	unreasonable	significant disturbance of the peace

How loud can dogs bark be?

The law has no clearly defined limit values ​​for the volume (in dB) above which dog barking is no longer reasonable. Therefore, the judgments are very different depending on the individual case. Because this is an immission, it can be compared with other sources of noise such as cars or construction sites. If there is clear noise pollution, you can contact the responsible public order office.

Noise pollution and past judgments:

• Saxony : Dog owners must limit dog barking to 60 minutes during the day
• Würzburg : Prohibition of keeping a Pyrenean Shepherd Dog due to disturbance of the peace at night
• Neustadt : Keeping huskies as sled dogs in residential areas is not permitted
• Düsseldorf : fine for caretaker, whose watchdog disturbed the night's sleep

background

Why you should make a noise report

If you live in a rented apartment and you are bothered by the barking of the neighboring dog, you should draw up a noise log. This is essential if you want to assert claims such as a rent reduction. According to § 535 BGB, a tenant must ensure that adequate living is possible for each of his landlords. If you can prove a noise nuisance with the noise log and with witnesses, a rent reduction is possible.

Who to turn to

If you are unsure whether the barking of the neighbor dog counts as disturbance of the peace and noise, you should inform the public order office. If the barking continues for an unreasonable period of time, you can also call the police. There are special cases of hardship in which dog owners cannot take responsibility for their animals, so the police have to inform the animal welfare.

Barking dogs - the public order office can issue an immediate order

If there are problems between neighbors, the public order office or the responsible regulatory authority can intervene. If there is a permanent and unreasonable disruption, a complaint about dog barking can be submitted. In the area of ​​tenancy and property law, the civil courts deal with cases in which barking dogs cause noise nuisance. Section 117 of the Administrative Offenses Act (OWiG), since barking dogs can be viewed as an administrative offense, is the basis for the discussion of orders.

From noise pollution to display

You don't have to put up with dog barking at night or at rest. Several steps are necessary before the dog barking complaint is reported. The dog owner must be given the opportunity to stop the noise pollution. Only when the situation does not change and the dog barking continues to be a disturbance of the peace should you take more drastic measures. Templates and templates for warnings or letters of complaint can be found on the Internet.

How to proceed:

1. Create a noise log: record the frequency, duration and intensity of the barking
2. Look for witnesses: Statements must support the noise pollution
3. Write a letter of complaint: use templates and fill out in detail
4. Inform the landlord: talk about the problem so that he can warn the dog owner
5. Observe the condition: if there is no improvement, a warning is issued
6. Inform the public order office: if neighbors cannot agree, a report is the last option

What to do about dog barking

Dog owners know that even the smartest dog will not understand why barking is only allowed at certain times. It is therefore important that you break your dog off the hook. However, there is no effective remedy against annoying dog barking. For the greatest possible success, it is important that you act quickly on the utterances and show presence.

Get rid of constant barking with barking collars

There are different forms of training collars that are supposed to make it easier for the master to break bad manners. It is important to understand the effects of such measures. Dogs should neither submit to the impulses nor develop into fearful individuals. The purpose of bark control collars is to divert attention. Therefore, not every product available on the market is suitable.

Models and their functions:

• Vibrating collar : vibrates as soon as the dog starts barking
• Spray collar : sprays water on the face when barking
• Electric collar : gives off electric shocks when uttered

Training collars in comparison

Electric collars are not only prohibited, they also lead to negative consequences. But even spray collars can annoy sensitive and frightened dogs so much that they develop fear of any type of collar. They don't understand that the jet of water doesn't harm them. It can be compared to a poison attack by an animal in the wild. The dog instinct tells the four-legged friend that there is danger.

	Vibrating collar	Spray collar	Power collar
effect	Four-legged friend is irritated by gentle impulses	Dog senses impending danger	uncomfortable torment
consequences	good learning effect	Barking can get worse	disturbed behavior, anxiety and panic attacks
allowed?	Yes	Yes	prohibited in Germany according to animal welfare
recommendation	Yes	No	No

Testimonials suggest that a vibration band is the best choice among all parenting collars. The learning effect is greatest with these variants, even if each dog achieves success at different speeds.

How does a vibrating collar work?

The electronics are processed in a small box that is attached to the dog's larynx. Sensors recognize when the dog is barking. The collar will then emit a warning tone first to get the dog's attention. If this does not stop, the collar begins to vibrate. Every dog ​​reacts differently to the impulses. Some are only irritated by the sound, while others only respond to the vibrations. Few dogs are unimpressed by these collars.

Tips

Good vibration bands don't stop until the dog has been quiet for a certain amount of time. The cheapest models are often not the best.

Ultrasound against dog barking?

There are various devices on the market that work with high frequency against dog barking. At the push of a button or triggered by a motion detector, ultrasonic waves are emitted at a frequency of 25,000 Hertz. These are imperceptible to the human ear, but are intended to drive the dog to be still. Although such devices startle the animal at first, after repeated use there is no longer any effect. Ultrasound machines are not recommended.

Train barking through educational measures

Gaping dogs want to communicate something to their owners. Hence, ignorance is the wrong measure. Instead, show your four-legged friend that you are present. Respond to the barking with an acoustic signal that animates the dog's attention. They convey to the dog that there is no longer any reason to bark any more. If your companion stops barking, praise him. Even an old dog, with a little patience and treats, can be taught to be quiet when called.

Tips

Avoid verbal abuse to stop a dog from barking. He does not understand the connection between his attention mesh and the annoyance of his master.

What you need to know about barking

The barking is typical for domestic dogs, which express themselves with a wide range of sounds. It is not only an adaptation to humans that the domestic dog has undergone in the course of domestication, but also a result of the changed anatomy compared to wild dogs.

The barking behavior of adult domestic dogs is similar to that of wolf pups.

In order for a dog to bark loudly, its larynx must be relatively large. In addition to barking, there are other utterances for different situations such as whining and whining or yowling and growling.

Why dogs bark

Wolves and other species of the dog genus bark in a few exceptional situations. However, this behavior is more common in their puppies. This allows the theory that the willingness to bark in domestic dogs was specifically promoted by humans. In the course of domestication, the characteristics typical of puppies were expanded over the entire lifespan of the dog. These traits have been inherited so that the puppies no longer have to learn to bark by dealing with people.

Function of barking:

• Excitement : Dogs show joy or nervousness
• Animation : four-legged friends require attention and want to be kept busy
• Fear : unfamiliar situations panic the dog
• Defense : aggressive barking of dogs drives away strangers and intruders
• Disappointment : something didn't go as expected

Digression

Barking dogs as a deterrent

Loud barking dogs are the ideal protection against break-ins. However, if the animal leads to arguments with the neighbors, a dummy is needed. A simulator with the sound of barking dogs provides the perfect alarm system for urban areas, as keeping dogs in rented apartments is difficult.

A loudspeaker installation that emits dog barks with the help of a motion detector is a cheap and effective method. The dog bark can be transferred to a memory card as an MP3 file. If that is too time-consuming for you, you can simply play Dog Barking from YouTube with your smartphone to drive away unwanted visitors.

Bell-happy races

Every dog ​​has its own personality. There are striking differences with regard to the joy of barking. The character of individual individuals of a breed can be very variable, so that some dogs bark more than others.

Youtube

Hunting or guard dogs tend to bark more. They were bred to make sounds in certain situations. Guard dogs are used to ward off intruders, while hunting dogs are used to communicate over long distances. Some dog breeds have strong territorial behavior. They tend to defend their territory by barking sharp dogs.

• Hunting dogs: dachshunds, terriers
• Guard dogs: German Shepherd, Spitz, Rottweiler
• Breeds with territorial behavior: Pug, Doberman
• calm breeds of dogs: golden retrievers, bassets, Irish wolfhounds, mastiffs

Prohibited: Debarking

There are some countries where constant dog barking should be dampened by removing certain parts of the vocal cords. Large parts of Europe and England have signed the "European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals", which prohibits this practice in the countries. In contrast, the method, which is also known as devocalization, is legal in many US states, for example. Massachusetts is excluded. There have been applications for a ban in California in the past.

frequently asked Questions

Can my landlord cancel the apartment?

In principle, it is possible that a landlord can terminate the apartment if the neighborhood continues to complain about disturbances due to noise pollution despite warnings. If it can be proven that you wean your four-legged friend from barking dogs and go to the dog school or take measures such as turning off the bell, you should prove this by means of certificates and witnesses. In this way, you can show that you take the situation seriously if a legal dispute is imminent.

Why is my dog ​​barking continuously?

Dogs use utterance as a means of communication. They draw attention to something by barking. Situation-related bells are normal and are part of the typical behavior of four-legged friends. Continuous barking is triggered by various factors. Often times, bored dogs have a tendency to develop this bad habit. They demand attention by drawing attention to themselves with sounds. But loneliness can also be a problem. Long walks or dog sports provide a remedy because they put the dog to full use.

How does territorial behavior arise?

One reason for constant barking can be a dog's territorial behavior. This trait is typical of some breeds such as the Doberman, Mastiff and German Shepherd. They are dominant and have a stronger instinct to defend their territory. The cause of high levels of aggressiveness can also be traced back to faulty parenting measures in childhood. If puppies are not properly socialized or raised inconsistently, the negative behaviors persist into old age.

What should I do if my dog ​​becomes aggressive?

Serious cases must be brought up with special obedience training. Professional supervision is advisable so that no mistakes are made. They teach your dog that you define the boundaries of the area and the potential danger from visitors or intruders. But there are also minor cases in which fewer educational measures are necessary. Dogs can be better utilized through more variety and employment measures. As a result, they are also more relaxed with regard to the boundaries of the territory.

Is continuous barking due to illness?

If the barking occurs suddenly and for no apparent reason, there may be an illness. Barking has various functions and is also used by dogs to express pain. Neurological problems can also be a cause. Even if there is no illness, you should train the barking as soon as possible. The constant strain on the vocal cords can lead to laryngitis. If you are unsure, you should go to the vet with your four-legged friend in order to rule out physical causes.

Are there any simple steps you can take to stop barking dogs?

As soon as the doorbell rings, many dogs run excitedly to the entrance gate and bark incessantly. In this case, send the dog back to its place with clear gestures. One big mistake many dog ​​owners make is with verbal instructions or looks. Often this also animates the dog, because he gets attention. Therefore, you should ignore the dog after being rejected and only praise it once it is quiet. This is how you teach your pet what behavior is right and wrong.