Howling

Jax · Master

Howling

Teresa · Enlightened One

unfortunate neighbour eh? he has too much time on his hands !!

daisy did a lot of howling - mainly when were were at home tho and when she wanted attention. we managed to get her to stop by the jan fennel method - no eye contact at all and show him the open palm of your hand. it only took a few goes for it to work with daisy and she hasn't howled since. if you can create the howling situation with someone there to give it a go, do try it.

having read jan fennel's book, and listened to the opinions on the forum, i don't advocate a lot of her methods but this one certainly works.

good luck xx

Leolurcher · Master

I do hope that Teresa's advice works. I have a similar next door neighbour and I know how stressful it can be trying to settle noise problems with an adult dog plus the problem of a "Busy body aka waste of space" living next door.

Heaps of positive thoughts for your getting this sorted out asap.

Eleanorxxxxx

PS if anyone is in desperate straits due to a creepy neighbour that complains about dogs barking if anyone comes to the door when the dogs are left alone e mail me at leolurcher@aol.com and I will tell you what I did. It wasn't very nice for the next door neighbour....but it worked for the dogsMy neighbour ended up promising that he would never complain about the dogs barking again.

Isla · Enlightened One

Oh Eleanor - not fair - how can you do that to everyone!

I'm so curious!

emma · Guru

me too ???

JENNY · Big Cheese

Tell us please!!! I'm desperate to know.

Indiana · Guru

You must! My neighbours haven't yet complained about the dogs barking but it's only a matter of time - they complain about everything else! I unfortunately live in a flat, albeit a rather large one, and they will knock on the ceiling the moment there is any noise after 12. My husband is on call about once every eight days and when he is out the dogs bark when they hear footsteps in the close. Also, we dared to hold a small gathering of folk until 1am (shock horror) and they complained the very next day. We are not even allowed to pull our door shut in the daytime, I must use the key to turn the lock to avoid any noise. The woman doesn't work, has no children in the house anymore and as was said earlier in this topic - evidently has too much time on her hands. Our new neighbours below us think we're great - they hear nothing (except the excited pattering of paws in the kitchen at food time...) so I know I'm not a bad neighbour. Phew, rant over. So you must, must must tell us all your tricks for nasty neighbours!

Alexis, Indiana and Tigerlily x

JENNY · Big Cheese

I have a couple upstairs who are moaning minnies. One guy is the most grumpy guy I have ever met and the only conversations I have had with him are about complaints. His partner is all nicey nicey and diplomatic. Its like good cop bad cop.

The last time I spoke to grumpy was when he shouted at Vernon and told him to F off because he had run into the garden while he was cutting grass and did a wee against a rubbish bag. I was really upset and told the guy to F off and get a life. I haven't spoken to him since and avoid him at all cost. They came to the door and asked me not to let the dogs in the garden again. It is a communal garden so I have as much right as anyone to use it, and I am usually the only one who does apart from TITschmarch the grass cutter himself.

They also compalined about howling when I first got Vernon which was true as he had mild separation issues at first, but the guys opposite me above me and below me never complained once!!

I want a small house in the country in the middle of a field where the dogs can do as they like and we can all howl all day if we please!!

Isla · Enlightened One

Oh Jenny, I did love that Titsmarsh bit - it made me laugh like a drain! Where does that saying come from??

Anyway, I can just picture you in the middle of the field with your family (hairy and otherwise) howling!

Leolurcher · Master

LOL I had to be mysterious....

I used a poster stuck to my front door asking sales people etc not to disturb the dogs..and the notice very gently hinted that my dogs were beautiful saintly caring creatures and that my next door neighbour was neurotic.I can send it as an attachment to ordinary e mails but when I try to copy and paste it for the forum my computer crashes.

Creep next door put up with it for about nine months and then it finally got to him

Eleanorxxxx

Gail · Big Cheese

Fantastic Eleanor, will need to keep that one in mind when my new neighbours move in if they prove to be non-doggy people!!

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

On the subject of neighbours I had a horrible situation this week which has left me badly rattled. The landlord upstairs from me sanded down the floorboards above my livingroom some years ago and has been renting said room out for a year to a crazy American bloke. I've made numerous attempts, very politely, to address the noise because it is constant and driving me crazy but had no success.
On Wednesday night I banged on the ceiling (the first time I've ever done this) because someone was drumming on the floor. Minutes later the tenant turned up at my door shouting and yelling at me like a lunatic. He then claimed Mason howls for three hours every day. When I tried to get my next door neighbour who looks after Mason when I am at work the guy shoved me into my house and tried to barricade me in with his body to stop me getting help. I managed to get my neighbour but the guy ignored his pleas to calm down and kept shouting. Eventually I locked my door and called the police.
The police are expecting to charge the guy with breach of the peace but because there were no witnesses probably not assault unless he admits it.
I'm back at work today after a week off and am totally stressed that Mason will start barking and he will go nuts!!!
I know he barks and howls a couple of times a week but my neighbours assure me he is never allowed to make noise for more than 15 minutes without them going in to settle him down. I've had no complaints from neighbours on the other side or the crazy man until I banged on his ceiling, so I'm sure his claims are not true but I'm still shaken.
Now I'm worried he will make more noise when I am out as revenge and that will wind Mason up but I thought after he got physical with me I had no other alternative but to get the police in.
Phew! Rant over, please keep your fingers crossed everything settles down now!!
Marie

Isla · Enlightened One

Sounds like the guy is a total lunatic!!!

Hope everything settles down again once he's been charged.

We'll be thinking of you.

Leolurcher · Master

Marie,

Thinking of you.....fingers and toes crossed that everything settles down.

Flip I thought that I was the only one with an unreasonable neighbour.....obviously not.

Love to all

Eleanor, Tom, Leo and Flash xxxxxx

max · Enlightened One

What a horrific experience for you Marie. It may be wiser to talk to his landlord rather than the tennant himself and see if the landlord has had any complaints form the crazy bloke, ask if he could maybe talk to him or do something about the wooden flooring. I always thought that permission had to be granted by the council for any upstair house to have wooden flooring as it can constitute a noise pollution to lower floors. Might be worth finding out from the council if permission was granted. Good Luck and I think it would be wiser to stay away from tennant as he sounds unstable. Keep a record of noise and date it, also ask other neighbours if they find that Mason is howling and causing a problem.

Nora

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

max wrote:

What a horrific experience for you Marie. It may be wiser to talk to his landlord rather than the tennant himself and see if the landlord has had any complaints form the crazy bloke, ask if he could maybe talk to him or do something about the wooden flooring. I always thought that permission had to be granted by the council for any upstair house to have wooden flooring as it can constitute a noise pollution to lower floors. Might be worth finding out from the council if permission was granted. Good Luck and I think it would be wiser to stay away from tennant as he sounds unstable. Keep a record of noise and date it, also ask other neighbours if they find that Mason is howling and causing a problem. Nora

Thanks for your support everyone.

Nora, don't think I haven't tried all that. The landlord ignores the situation. I'm sure they think I'm some crazy spinster. Have to say since Wed night it has been much quieter so he obviously realisese he went OTT.
Still waiting to hear from cops. Thankfully my niehgbours through the wall are Mason's daytime carers, they take him out and have my spare key and are adamant he does not howl for hours, so those allegations should be nipped in bud.
I dream of a cottage with a garden, completely detached!!!
Marie

C_J · Master

Jax wrote:

Looking for some advice here, so we would appreciate any suggestions. Basically it's Dan, sometimes (not always) when we go out and leave him he howls at the top of his lungs. Not whining or crying, full wolf style howling. We've caught him a couple of times, he's not heard us come in due to the racket he's been making. We've tried leaving the tv on, leaving the radio on and last night we nipped out for an hour and left our son at home with the dogs but he still did it and Mike couldn't get him to stop. It wouldn't be a problem, he doesn't seem distressed at all when we are preparing to leave and usually just goes to bed, but one of our neighbours has commented on it a couple of times now. We are worried that the neighbour will complain if it continues, even though its rare for him to be left during the evening so it's usually just daytime howling.

Dan shows no other signs of separation anxiety, is not at all destructive, and generally sleeps most of the time. But we're worried about how our neighbour will react if the howling continues and we can't get it under control (he's a busy body community council type!).

Help!

Jax and Barrie

I am afraid I have no advice for this issue, but was just wondering if you had tried anything and how you were getting on?

Jane

Jax · Master

Well the neighbour who complained has been away, he's just back this week, so we'll see. But all the other neighbours said they've not heard anything other than the odd whine, so I don't think he's doing it all the time. If there are any more complaints I'm going to get either a voice activated dictaphone or some sort or recording device to try and pin down when he's doing it and how often. I do think that neighbour is just looking for something to moan about, but on the other hand if Dan's distressed when we're out we'll need to rethink.

After reading about Marie's experience though I'm counting my blessings for our neighbour just being an elderly busy body!

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

Aaargh, totally stressed today. Mason howled all day Tue, Wed, Thu, last week. I took him to vet Thu night to make sure there was nothing physically wrong (there wasn't) and bought a DAP. Those of you who have seen previous posts know I've already had problems with crazy neighbour upstairs and I'm worried he is now winding Mason up when I am out. Today I've told my nice neighbour Jenny, who lives next door and takes Mason out during the day that as soon as he starts howling she should go in, take him into the kitchen and shut him in before walking out.
I'm hopeful that if we do this consistently he will learn howling = kitchen, quiet = comfy sofa in livingroom.
At this stage don't know what else to do, I don't think its separation anxiety, I think he knows Jenny is through the wall and is trying it on but am seriously concerned the guy upstairs will make life difficult for me if we can't nip it in the bud.
Any other suggestions?

Marie

Dawn · Guru

It must be so upsetting for you to think that Mason isnt settled when you go to work.
I read the thread, but couldnt see if you had contacted Viv Silerstein. Hopefully just shutting him in the kitchen may work, but Viv is an expert in this type of thing, so she may be able to suggest something else.
You can get Viv's details under Training - One Day Workshop.
Its worth a try,
Good Luck
Dawn

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

Dawn wrote:

It must be so upsetting for you to think that Mason isnt settled when you go to work.
I read the thread, but couldnt see if you had contacted Viv Silerstein. Hopefully just shutting him in the kitchen may work, but Viv is an expert in this type of thing, so she may be able to suggest something else.
You can get Viv's details under Training - One Day Workshop.
Its worth a try,
Good Luck
Dawn

Thanks Dawn, I'm hoping to get on Viv's next one day workshop at the mo. This week Mason howled 20mins Mon before Jenny shut him in the kitchen. When she came back half an hour later she said he was still standing at the door (which is glass paneled) staring out into the hall but after being allowed out following his mid morning walk was quiet the rest of the day.
Yesterday he did it again and was put in kitchen and kept howling for an hour before settling down, but once let out settled again.
Today I've left him with a kong full of frozen meat paste and biscuits to see if it distracts him so we'll see.
I'm seriously considering a companion for him but worry it would just give him a partner in crime and I will end up with two howlers instead of one
Marie

Jax · Master

Sorry to hear that Mason's been howling. It's awful to think our dogs are distressed at all when we leave them. Dan's howling started out of the blue as well and like you we didn't think it was necessarily separation anxiety, he still did it when our son was at home with him. It seemed to be a pattern of behaviour, or habit, he developed more than anything else. He's stopped doing it now ( as far as we know!). We think the DAP helps but Dan is also on Vivatonin. Mason is probably to young for that to be considered, with Dan it was prescribed to help the oxygen flow to his brain to stop him being 'confused' and also help his limbs keep up.

It sounds like you're doing the right thing at the moment, as long as Mason doesn't get the idea that howling gets him attention, which could perpetuate it. As for getting another dog, I always think 2 are better than 1 but having Sally here didn't stop Dan's howling, in fact she was beginning to join in!

Sorry I can't offer any advice or help, Dan's howling was a mystery to us and we're still not entirely sure if it's the DAP and vivatonin that settled him or if he just stopped of his own accord. We're also hoping to go to Viv's one day workshop so hopefully will get some insight into what the howling is all about.

Abbys Dad · Master

Could something be triggering it like the telephone ringing?

I know that even when we are in the house and haven't answered the phone quick enough Dylan starts the full blown howling thing, quickly joined by Millie then Kiera. (Not yet had the chance to see if Prince will do it too but I'm sure he will.) It's quite comical to watch but very strange....

I'm sure they must do it when we are both out of the house too.

Christine Young · GAL Newsletter Editor

Just wondered if either Mason or Dan are entire dogs? The reason I'm asking is that we used to have a collie-cross who'd sit at the top of the stairs, lift his head to the sky and howl like a wolf! We used to say it was "spring in the air syndrome", where he sensed there was a bitch on heat somewhere near and he couldn't get out to do anything about it! He stopped gradually after he'd been snipped at the vet and probably because the two closest female dogs moved away with their families.

I really sympathise with both of you. I hope you get it solved soon. And Dawn is right that Viv may be able to pinpoint why your dogs are doing this and how to get them to stop it!

Christine

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

Christine Young wrote:

Just wondered if either Mason or Dan are entire dogs? The reason I'm asking is that we used to have a collie-cross who'd sit at the top of the stairs, lift his head to the sky and howl like a wolf! We used to say it was "spring in the air syndrome", where he sensed there was a bitch on heat somewhere near and he couldn't get out to do anything about it! He stopped gradually after he'd been snipped at the vet and probably because the two closest female dogs moved away with their families.

I really sympathise with both of you. I hope you get it solved soon. And Dawn is right that Viv may be able to pinpoint why your dogs are doing this and how to get them to stop it!

Christine

Mason has been 'done' but it hasn't stopped him trying his luck if he meets a female in season, a few weeks ago we met an 18-month-old Great Dane who was just coming out of season and he literally drooled all over her and her owner before some very ungentlemanly behaviour

I will email Viv, meantime I'm going back to basics with his diet and routine to see if that helps.

Steve · Master

Routine and much less fuss worked for us. We also used a partially covered crate for part of the day too with our first one as she was a bit anxious - helped settle her down. But we had someone coming in during the day at times to let out now and again.

That's what we did but I wouldn't follow that until you've spoken with Viv.

feldandjack · Guru

Sorry to hear about your problems. The more I see/hear about Mason, the more he reminds me of my last lurcher. My son got my last boy for my brother, but he couldn't keep him because his howling could be heard by the people living three floors above him. I brought Jack to stay with me til we could sort something out. I had an elderly mix bred bitch (been done) and he never howled when left with her. After the old dog died, I got another, pronto!, cause the howling started as soon as he was alone again. He had a great deal of 'baggage' which took years to sort out, but the howling was not a problem as long as he had (non howling) company. He only howled again towards the end of his days when dementia made him very stressed, or when a local dog was 'in the mood' the couple who live next door to me once said they had read a beautiful description of the magical music of wolves, but they never expected to hear that music so close to home. the couple next door are not at all 'doggy' and have no pets, but I thought this was nicest way of saying "what a bloody racket that dog makes all through the night" that I have ever heard. Jack was with me for 12years and although he had some major issues, he was loved by everyone who bothered to get to know him. (even the ones he bit, by accident ish)
So hang in there and I'm sure it will all work out.
Anne

Santas Little Helper · Master

Sorry to hear about Dan and Mason's howling. I've heard that sometimes leaving the radio (Classic FM in particular!) or t.v on can help - maybe worth a try.

Marie, I know he was only with us a very short time but Mason didn't howl (at least the neighbours didn't inform us if he did!) when he stayed with us and we have another dog. Does Mason have a canine friend who could come over and stay just while you went outside and listened?

Hopefully Viv will be able to help.

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

Santas Little Helper wrote:

Marie, I know he was only with us a very short time but Mason didn't howl (at least the neighbours didn't inform us if he did!) when he stayed with us and we have another dog. Does Mason have a canine friend who could come over and stay just while you went outside and listened?

Hopefully Viv will be able to help.

I am seriously thinking about trying a second dog for Mason. This week we're trying daycare but a companion may be the solution if this doesn't work. Edinburgh dog walkers however are not cheap, particularly for two!
Cheers Marie

max · Enlightened One

I take it you got on OK with the doggie daycare, sorry I did not get back to you about it but said friend is away on holiday so I have been unable to talk to her. I hope this works out for you and Mason.

Nora