Latest update November 21st, 2024 10:15 PM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Valuable tips for dog owners

Oct 03, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
A woman on the East Bank recently called me to ask what could be done about her neighbour’s barking dogs. They were driving her and her family crazy, but she didn’t want to become enemies with the neighbours.

Shortly thereafter, my doctor asked me how she could stop her dogs from barking stupidly. She said the only time they stopped was when the gardener showed up (probably because they wanted attention).

To their surprise, I told both ladies I have the same problem where I live, and with my own dogs, and I agreed that nothing is more annoying than living with neighbours who don’t seem to care about maintaining a peaceful environment.

When I started thinking about all the comments I had received from frustrated dog owners and neighbours, I decided to share them in your news paper.

Barking dogs have some very negative effects on people. Some of these include:-

sleepless and frustrated owners and neighbours; people making complaints to the police, GSPCA and others, who are not empowered to act; some aggressive persons taking matters into their own hands and poisoning barking dogs; and others beating or throwing boiling water, rocks and other missiles at barking dogs; some owners even stray their “uncontrollable” barking dogs; and some, once good neighbours, become lifelong enemies.

A dog’s barking can also make things worse for the dog itself: he/she may be locked up in a small pen in poor condition; it may die from poison, or suffer burns from hot water, or broken bones from being pelted with rocks or sticks, or it may lose the comfort of its home and be loosed on the street.
Before any problem can be solved, its cause has to be identified.

I am sure most dog owners would take action to correct their barking dogs if they knew the causes and some practical solutions.

In the following table, I have listed what I think are the main causes of dogs barking and some solutions that I have tried or learned from others (based upon my 10 years’ experience working with dogs in Georgetown).
Some causes of excessive dog barking are:

1. Too many stray dogs loose on the street

2. Dogs in heat & loose on the street

3. Irresponsible owners & over-breeding

4. Poor health, nutrition & lack of water

5. Stress from poor living conditions

6. Dogs locked/tied up for too long

7. Poor communication with dogs

8. Dogs bored

9. Poorly qualified dog trainers who miss-train

10. Children/others teasing/pelting animals

11. Firecrackers, sirens, thunder

12. Dogs that bark at anything
Some proven solutions are:

1. Organised dog catching & spay/neutering

2. Better control by owners & more dog catching

3. Improved laws to control over-breeding

4. Promote/train in responsible ownership

5. Train owners in appropriate dog care

6. Organise play time, walk (on a leash), exercise

7. Get involved in proper training of dog without beating it

8. Organise training programmes at schools, etc.

9. Put dog inside building with music

10. Spend more time with dog, and when it barks say no & spray with clean water from spray bottle; also provide treats for good behaviour.

Dog owners must not only take good care of their animals, they should also think of their neighbours and try to minimize their dog’s barking. Dogs need love, attention and praise.

The more you give them, the less they will bark out of stress, frustration, hunger and boredom.
Spay and neuter, educate and communicate – that is where it starts and ends!
Syeada Manbodh

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 20th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

 D-Up Basketball Academy Training camp brings Hoop Dreams to Life with Region 3 Jamboree

 D-Up Basketball Academy Training camp brings Hoop Dreams to Life...

Nov 21, 2024

Kaieteur Sports – The D-Up Basketball Academy is gearing up to wrap its first-of-its-kind, two-month youth basketball camp, which tipped off in September at the Tuschen Primary School (TPS)...
Read More
Campbell Eyes Eighth Men’s Physique Title in Final Amateur Outing

Campbell Eyes Eighth Men’s Physique Title in...

Nov 21, 2024

Alphonso, Fung-a-Fat, Munroe among top performers as Stena Drilling Junior Skill Level Tournament concludes

Alphonso, Fung-a-Fat, Munroe among top performers...

Nov 20, 2024

Guyana’s finest Physiques to battle for Glory at Mr. Guyana National Seniors Championship

Guyana’s finest Physiques to battle for Glory...

Nov 20, 2024

CWI names West Indies Test Squad for home series against Bangladesh

CWI names West Indies Test Squad for home series...

Nov 20, 2024

Georgetown romp to 292-run win over Select XI 

Georgetown romp to 292-run win over Select XI 

Nov 20, 2024

Features/Columnists

  • Bureaucracy gone bananas!

    …Peeping Tom kaieteur News- Every morning, the government wakes up, stretches its arms, and spends one billion dollars... more

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]