Barking dogs Mackay: We’re entitled to enjoy our piece of paradise
We live in paradise, and the incessant barking from untrained or ignored dogs should not ruin that, writes editor Rae Wilson.
Opinion
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Curled up beside me as my living winter water bottle, my now six-month-old puppy was having a wonderful dream if his cute murmurings were anything to go by.
Until my neighbour began some kind of construction work next door.
The sound of something metal crashing to the ground over and over again as he piled items in his yard set off the yapper over the back fence.
Which in turn set off my baby and half the dogs in the neighbourhood. It was 8am.
It’s become a regular merry-go-round whenever there’s a noise, usually beginning with this one dog.
So when I saw the response to Erakala resident Darren Purdy standing up in council to fight for a bark-free home, I could relate, of late.
“Every time you go out into the yard, every time a car drives past, a blade of grass moves, these dogs are barking,” he told the council meeting.
“It’s not just me exaggerating.”
We posted the story to Facebook and we got almost 150 comments, 519 likes and nine shares.
So it’s an issue many of us care about.
I have been seeing dog trainer Sandy, from Skillz for Dogs, the past four weeks to learn how to better teach Scoop recall, reduce jumping and reduce pull on the lead when walking.
The improvement this week with a loose lead has been amazing as has his recall (venison and mackerel treats for the latter in case you’re wondering how).
I’ve still a ways to go on the jumping side of things.
Sandy also coached me in the barking after I asked how I nip it in the bud early.
Scoop has been more of a whiner than a barker until recent weeks.
He used to get scared of loud noises or other dogs barking.
He would crawl up on my shoulder and tuck into my neck but the past few weeks, he’s grown much braver.
I guess he figures he’s a big boy now he’s hit six months.
Once it was a whopper of a cane toad he was alerting me to. Danger. Danger.
Sometimes it’s the postie or the pool man.
And my robo vac is his arch enemy.
But nine times out of 10, it’s because another dog barks.
The dog over my fence barked an entire weekend a few weeks back – not sure if he was left alone or something particularly bothered him.
But I’ve never heard anyone tell that dog to be quiet or call it in when it’s barking – where are the owners?
There are at least six dogs in my immediate vicinity, goodness knows how many in my street, and I rarely hear a peep from them until this other dog barks.
A guy who rang our newsroom this week said he had two yappers that had been barking for 18 months – we could hear them in the background of the call.
I have two neighbours who use electronic collars on their dogs. I have taken Sandy’s advice – I say quiet once and if Scoop shuts his trap, he gets a treat.
Unless something is really bothering him, in which case I have to go and inspect at his urging, then he gets distracted and stops.
My neighbours say they barely hear Scoop during the day when I’m not home but I’m going to check with them again when I next see them since I’ve noticed an uptake when I’m home.
By law, all dogs over the age of 12 weeks should be registered with Mackay Regional Council.
The council also allows just one cat and one dog on a 600sq m allotment and two cats and two dogs on an allotments bigger than 600sq m.
A permit is required to have three or more animals on a 600sq m or bigger allotment.
The council considers excessive barking an offence under Mackay local laws and can help with mediation.
But irresponsible owners who fail to comply with council recommendations can face significant penalties including infringement fines.
I think we’re all entitled to enjoy our piece of paradise here in Mackay without constant, or even intermittent, noise pollution.
Email your view as a letter to the editor to mackay@news.com.au
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