Barking: immediately destroys cuteness
Misophonia Rating: 10/10
This is an odd one…
I’m not even 100% sure it counts as misophonia, so I’d be really interested to get your feedback.
We have a dog at work. A beautiful little thing, who greets us with leaps and bounds and tail wags in the morning and then lies on a rug serenely for the rest of the day. She’s perfectly behaved and really is a calming influence on everyone.
However… every now and then she’ll start barking. It’s normally because a post man has rung the buzzer or someone unfamiliar has walked by so this is a totally normal dog reaction, but it sends me into an absolute flying panic. Barking really gets my heart racing and I don’t know what to do with myself.
My immediate reaction is to glance at the owner (who I work with) with a furious, accusatory look in my eyes that says: “WHY THE HELL AREN’T YOU DOING ANYTHING?!!”
I then start rationalising with myself, as you so often have to do with misophonia, that actually neither him or the dog are doing anything wrong. The problem is I still can’t cope so 9 times out of 10 I’ll get up and pick her up and cuddle her to try and calm her down. She then stops barking and my heart stops racing…
But this is one of those weird ones where I think: “doesn’t everyone else find the sound of a dog barking annoying?” And if so, to what degree?
I guess the simple distinction here might be that as well as finding it irritating, I/we have a strong physical response to this particular sound (heart racing, mind racing etc) where as others just find it a bit annoying.
I don’t think that it’s an odd one! Unfortunately I have it too. I ‘ve aquired it not long ago. It’s been 20 days but it’s very intense. It seems that my neighbourhood is full of dogs that keep on barking, that I haven’t noticed before. I try to rationalize, thinking that if it didn’t bother me before it shouldn’t be bothering me now, but it doesn’t help. I keep suffering! What to do? Are there any coping strategies about this? I have very violent thoughts about dogs and dog’s owners and I hate it. I still love to have contact with dogs when they are not barking and I used to like them very much. Please help!!!
This. The sun goes down and the neighbors dogs start barking. I’m in the country. No disturbing the peace laws exist. Now the other neighbor has decided he needs a dog that barks all night too. So they have bark battles until the sun comes up. Needless to say I haven’t slept much since November. I’ve talked to them. I’ve offered help. The response was “I don’t hear them as much, they are fine.” It’s because they are barking towards my house!! I get so angry I could lose my temper. Tonight it had me in tears and that’s why I’m still awake at 3:24 am
Country resident here with a similar problem. Flood lights work wonders. They live out there to enjoy the peace and lack of city lights. Give them lights. They’ll fix the dog barking.
Another country person here with the same problem of sleepless nights from the neighbors barking dog. Same response from the neighbors of “it doesn’t bother me”. So, after 5 years of h€ll, I decided to give them a taste of their own medicine. I hooked up a guitar amplifier with a Bluetooth receiver (camouflaged in a weather/water proof box) pointed at their house. Now, with a couple taps on my phone, they can now hear the neverending barking in the middle of the night that I have endured. After about a month of it, their dog doesn’t go out at night anymore!
Crushed castor beans mixed with xylitol and peanut butter…set out to dry into little balls. Barking stops.
Dog barking is a painful thing but killing dogs because of it is just plain evil. If you’re doing this I hope your ass gets caught one day.
A few tylenol/ibuprofen stuffed in a hot dog did the trick for me one time. Don’t like it? Then don’t let your dog be a barking nuisance for your neighbors. Not that hard to figure out.
It is driving me nuts! It didnt use to bother me but I live in an apartment complex with dogs and i find myself with a racing heart and feeling faint when I hear dogs bark.
I feel your frustration. I avoid walking on a very pretty quiet street in my neighborhood because of drugs barking. There are 2 medium sized (not large) drugs that suddenly begin barking when u walk by. The sound hits me like a bolt of lightning and jokts me out of serve daydream walk into an absolute panic. Not because I’m afraid of the dogs… But because of that sound. If I have to walk that way now I cover my ears BEFORE I get to the yard so that I can’t be startled. I adore animals but have bad thoughts about the owner and wish there was a way to make this incessant rocking stop. And I feel angry that the owner doesn’t do anything about it. Obviously it doesn’t bother her but I feel such anger.
don’t walk down that road if u don’t live on it simple solution
That’s ridiculous. There’s dogs everywhere. Where is a person to walk? I hate dog owners that are rude. Just keep them inside and teach them to stop barking at everyone.
Thanks for the comment Panos. It’s so difficult. For me it’s the hair-raising panic. It really makes my heart jump (as if someone’s fired a gunshot). After that it settles into the usual ragey misophonia (as in WHY IS NO-ONE DOING ANYTHING TO STOP THIS NOISE).
I think what you are currently doing is the best coping strategy and it works for me. While the barking is going on, I immediately start trying to rationalise it in my head. Things like… “the dog and/or owner isn’t intentionally trying to upset me”… “it didn’t bother be before, why should it now”… “this is an issue with my misophonia, no-one else, so don’t let it upset me”. The deeper and more focused you get into the internal analysis and the rationalising, the more it distracts you from the noise itself and your feelings associated with it.
Oh, I can sympathise with you on this one. It’s another sound that gets right through to me. I really can’t stand the repetitive sound of a dog’s bark. A previous neighbour had 2 dogs, one would bark then the other, so there was no break in the sound and they would drive me mad. It has meant that I’ve had to spend so much money on extra glazing wherever I’ve lived just to try to keep out the sound of dogs barking outside. It had always amazed me that other people seemed immune to barking and, yes, like you, I’ve had to understand that it’s the misphonia that’s the problem and other people just don’t understand.
As I am typing this right now, there are two little annoying yappers that are letting out and it’s 9PM. Ever since a few weeks ago, my reaction towards barking dogs has gotten worse. There are two households that are the driving force of this problem. The two yappers I’ve just mentioned, live a block a away adjacent to our house and the other is just on the other side of the street facing our house, which has a beagle-sized dog that barks not so incessantly, but loud. It’s from this one dog that I have developed my hatred towards barking dogs and possibly dogs in general. Every time the dogs bark, I close the windows and turn up the volume of the background noise (Brown noise) I listen to the computer to suppress the noise of the barking. It is very tough to live in a neighborhood that allows noisy dogs. I often have thoughts of ending the lives of the dogs by any means or moving, but both of them are out of the question and the only way that can solve this problem is through legal means if it’s going to work. If not, then…
My issue is when I hear a barking dog,can be next to me or half block away. My left ear canal shakes. Do I have Misophonia?
16 year old here with Misophonia. Yes, dogs barking makes my hair stand up and it’s not odd at all. But, it’s not just barking. I also can’t stand a lot of other noises dogs make. Eating, drinking water (more specifically in the bigger breeds of dog because their mouths are bigger and produce more sound) And ESPECIALLY licking and smacking lips. It drives me absolutely insane to the point where I’m so frustrated that I don’t know how to react and I just cry in exhaustion. I’ve always had such emotional bonds and a deep love for animals all my life, but because my triggers have become so much worse I can’t stand them anymore and it hurts. I want to love and be loved by a dog, I’ve wanted to become a Vet since I was little, but because of Misophonia my dreams are completley smothered and I can’t be around dogs anymore. I guess that’s what life does huh? Just destroys you until you can’t take it anymore.
I had never even heard of this until a couple days ago when i started googling “Why do i hate every noise my dog makes?” and it kept leading me to this, but i kept thinking “that can’t be right…” but then i started reading all these comments and yours is exactly how i feel. I love the dog, he’s one of my favorite breeds and he’s so sweet and cute and loving, but I feel like someone is rubbing two cheese graters together every time he makes ANY sound at all. drinking from his bowl, chewing his food, licking something, breathing, huffing, whining, yipping, howling “woowoo”ing (slight difference), anything. It all drives me insane. i have tried to hard to remind myself he’s literally just existing, there’s no reason for me to be angry, but it’s exhausting being around him, and nobody else in the house gets it. they think i hate the dog, and i don’t! i love him, he’s a great dog (seriously not a violent bone in his body, he loves EVERYONE) and he tries so hard to be a good doggy all the time, but i can tell he knows i get very frustrated with him all the time and i feel so bad, but even when i’m actively trying to ignore the feeling, it’s there, front and center.
What you wrote hit hard. That is what life does destroys you until you cant take it anymore. I didn’t know thats what the name of what I have was it was Misophonia, Im glad I found this.
I do not suffer from misophonia, but I generally dislike noise. And to me, the absolute worse noise is dog barking, I hate it. I have always had dogs myself, but I have made the effort to control/manage/educate them so they do not bark or annoy anyone. Nothing worse than people that keep dogs and allow them to bark, bark, bark. It’s inconsiderate to neighbours and, besides, it generally means they are lousy dog owners: they do not exercise them enough, do not provide them with enough stimulation, company, can’t manage them, etc. How to act: send a nice anonimous letter asking to stop the barking, if no results, send a 2nd letter and threat with action(s), if no results, make a plan and ACT!
I can tell you my experience in VA. I tried the anonymous letter to the owners of 3 incredibly loud annoying dogs behind us. Their barking has been going on for years and I had complained to the police a few times before that, supposedly anonymously. So imagine my surprise when they dropped an anonymous letter in my mailbox thanking me for my anonymous letter and saying that if I don’t stop wasting theirs and police time they will take legal action against me. How did they know it was me? Of course it was upsetting. I called the police to ask them about it and they just laughed and said if the owners wanted to waste their money they could try suing. A few weeks later the dogs were really getting on my nerves again to the point where I called the police and they put me through to animal control. He said would I like him to visit the owners. I asked if he could come to me first so I could talk to him. He could not have been nicer. I showed him the nasty letter from the owners and he again just shook his head and said that I was the one being inconvenienced by their dogs so they had no legal leg to stand on. He also made it very clear to me that It was my absolute right to call the police and complain about this. He offered to go round right there and then and talk to them. I was sorely tempted but I also knew that unless I was prepared for all out battle with them and much unpleasantness I would rather not at this time. I have put up with it but wanted to scream at them uncontrollably. I don’t like what it makes me feel and how I become. I am mad at them rather than the stupid mutt who knows no different. If they would just show a modicum of respect to my neighbors and I by telling them to be quiet, I could handle it but letting them go on and on is unacceptable. Strangely, or maybe not, it has become much better during COVID. They are home probably and realize how noisy their dogs are or maybe because the dogs have human interaction they don’t bark as much. It has started up again this week though.
Yeah
Wow. I totally agree.
Screw barking dogs and their negligent/ignorant owners. It’s worse than fingernails on a chalkboard for me although I think I’ve learned to accept/control it to some level.
For the most part it seems to boil down to some kind of control issue. Possibly exasperating an anger issue as well (at least in my experience)
I have even fantasized about building an ultrasonic cannon that I could use to combat the issue but then I think that would probably be cruel to the animal. Perhaps just torture the owners instead?? Jk..
Well there’s my little rant for the day. Thanks for listening ;D
My sensitivity to this issue happened when I brought my baby daughter home from the hospital. I was in a heightened state of stress and had never spent so much time at home before! This problem has had a significant detrimental effect on my life. I can’t even enjoy the sunshine on my balcony and I have to brace myself every time I leave the house. I have to leave all the windows shut. I have found that putting the rangehood fan on is good white noise and tends to mask the sound. It definitely has a moral component, like a lot of misophonia. Why can’t the owners manage the issue?! When I approached my neighbours about it, they were nasty. Local councils where I live in Melbourne, Australia seem powerless to do anything about it – or uninterested. Dog owners are a significant part of their constituency, it’s true. Bon courage to all. It’s nice at least to not be alone with this.
I have a few trigger sounds, but there is no sound that sends me as quickly over the edge like a barking dog. The neighborhood in which I live is full of them. Sometimes one of them barks and it gets the rest of them going. People who know how much this bothers me think that I hate dogs, but I really like dogs. I don’t have one because I don’t want to have to deal with all of the work to care for them (more of a cat person myself), but I’ve always loved them. Yet that doesn’t help when I hear one barking away and it sends me into a rage. Honestly, it makes me feel like a crazy person because nobody else seems to be bothered by it at all. And of course, any person that has a dog that barks without being stopped is automatically useless to me. People always joke around with me that I should just get a house in the middle of nowhere, where there is nobody else to bother me. The punchline of the joke is, that would be like heaven for me.
This sound like I wrote it word for word. You are not alone!
I bought a house in the middle of nowhere to escape dog barking, but unfortunately sound travels further in the country and a neighbour a couple of fields away has started a dog daycare business, so I am still driven mad by the noise-seems there is no escape.as a boy I loved dogs, but I hate them now!
Exactly my case brother. It’s like I wrote it.
Right now living in the country side where someone with 3 dogs moved right next to me…
Looking for a place in the middle of nowhere to find some peace away from stupidity.
My neighborhood has about nine, constantly, barking dogs. The worse part is that both adjacent neighbors have loud dogs and I’ve probably called the local police department on one of them approximately 10 times within 2018 to now. It helped a bit cause these selfish wastes of mass were letting their dog bark for, no exaggeration, hours nonstop while left alone in the house. I don’t know if they got fined or anything but they’ve became pretty rude towards us. Honestly, I rather have enemies than having to play friendly neighbor with some selfish jerk. I know this neighborhood will continue to have barking and perhaps my patience will drift to the point of everyone getting taken to court, lol. Seriously, there is a line being crossed when these noises invade your home from outside to inside. If you’re being bothered then call your local animal control or police department, tell them the address of the person with the dog(s) and that the dog has been barking for -estimated length that it’s been happening- then they’ll usually send a officer over that gives them a warning. And your report is kept anonymous. My heart goes out to all of you that, too, are suffering from this, whether it be from having misophonia or not. Isn’t it ridiculous that towns won’t allow chickens (which are more USEFUL) but allow these dogs that destroy our peace and cause much more noise? Sorry for the rant, I’m just letting off some steam. Maybe jail is more quiet? (Joke)
Totally Agree!
You touched a sensitive subject. I can’t stand dog barking and for some reason I am filled with uncontrolled rage and want to kill both the dogs and owners.
I tried talking to them but they said they can’t do anything and if I have a problem I should wear ear plugs. What an answer!
Then, on the same night they started barking again so I jumped out the house in the middle of the night and started screaming and swearing at them the most insulting things you can imagine.
The neighbours started being afraid of me and somehow the barking was heavily reduced. The dogs still bark but it’s far better now. I would say it has been reduced from 10 to 2. Still annoying but the beast within me doesn’t awake.
Now, you have to realize that people who have barking dogs are people who have actually abandoned their dogs in their own houses just like they have abandoned their lives.
Unfortunately, these people are dead in the head and don’t understand logic. Sad but true…
I am a migraine sufferer and dog barking is like a knife to the head. I asked myself what can I do? I am a musician too so that multiplies the anger.
The only thing you can do is scare the owners. Really, this is the only way you can treat someone who is dead in the head: Fear. That is the only language they understand. Scare them off so that they are afraid of their own shadow.
How? Use your imagination, have fun and guess what! GET RID OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE NO ONE IS GOING TO DO IT FOR YOU!
I hope I helped you my friend 🙂
It’s common to hate the noise of barking dogs, even amongst people without misophonia. It’s why councils are inundated with barking complaints, why friction between neighbours is rife, and why it’s not uncommon for people to resort to cruel acts to make the noise stop.
I know this is an old comment, but I did the same thing lol, yelled at 4am at the neighbors to shut their F’in dog up!!! I like your post.
So it’s not just me then. I’m the woman in her nightgown telling the many dogs on my street to ‘shut the f*** up’ and ‘I’m going to KILL you.’ God forbid any of them actually does die; I’ll be the prime suspect. I hate dogs and I hate bad dog owners. I live in a high crime area so everyone has dogs that they encourage to bark and car alarms that they don’t shut off. Do what I did. Get on Amazon and buy the dog training thingee. It emits those high frequency sounds that only dogs can hear. Now I just open my front door, say SHUT UP, and the dog runs away. First few times you have to get really close to the dog but it seems to work. After that, just point it at the dog and RESULT.
What is the thingy please, Julie? I’m desperate to do something – my scratty neighbours consider kicking their dogs into their postage-stamp sized garden to be their ‘exercise’
I know exactly how everyone is feeling with regards to dog barking.
I live in a family friendly estate and for the majority of the time people are considerate and it’s quiet enough considering every household has kids and a dog. However, all last Summer I had to SUFFER because an owner in my street thought it’d be ok to let his Collie bark constantly all day everyday in the garden – WHILE HE WAS AT HOME. I put up with this issue from April right through to September. I thought about sending a letter but I was just too nervous. So I contacted my local council and they sent out a warning letter to his address. NOTHING CHANGED! But during the Winter months he keeps the dog inside so it’s been ok for a few months.
End of March recently, the barking started again. I was beginning to get severe panic attacks and anxiety all over again. So what did I do?! Go over to his house at 2am and sent a letter through his letterbox. Basically saying enough is enough and this will NOT be tolerated any longer. In other words – SORT YOUR DOG OUT. That was almost 4 weeks ago, heard the dog bark TWICE since.
I’m extremely grateful he actually listened and despite other dogs in the neighbourhood barking on occasion, it’s within its boundaries and it doesn’t affect me.
Saying that, my other neighbour just bought a trampoline for her kids and they tease their Collie puppy and wind him up, so he barks incessantly for hours at the kids! 🙂 Owner doesn’t care either.
I honestly just think people don’t know how much of an affect it can have on others and so, if it doesn’t affect them; it’s ok!
You hit the nail on the head. People think if it doesn’t affect them, then no one else should be affected either, and that is just plain wrong!
Something like a BarxBuddy, to name one brand. There are many of these available. I got one with the sound and the light. They HATE it and I LOVE it.
This is me 100% barking dogs making me feel like death. I am physically hurting and crippled when I hear them. I need a solution?
Im so glad im not the only one who stresses over dogs barking. I thought maybe i was insane. At least the cops think im insane cause i call about my neighbors dog and i dont care. I pay taxes and should have a right to peace and quiet. Ive even had thoughts og poisoning the dog. I just cant do it. Its not dogs fault , its the negligent lazy owners.
I am so glad I found this site. People look at me and shake their heads if I complain about barking dogs. Just try to put a FB post up about it and all the dog owners come out of hiding to defend themselves and their barking dogs. I am so glad to know I am not the only one that suffers from this. As a kid it never bothered me either, but now….I just don’t think anyone else’s sound should be loud enough to penetrate anyone else’s walls. I often think about when my sons were teenagers. They were never allowed to blast their radios/stereos. You can bet that the dog owners of the world would be the first to complain and call the police for the sound bothering their dogs. I know this sounds mean, but I chuckle to myself whenever they complain about fireworks sending their dogs into a tizzy. That is how I feel when a dog’s constant barking is heard through closed doors and windows. There is no way to shut the sound off but to drown it out with white noise. I do this, especially when I go to sleep (or I would never get any), but it bothers me if there were ever an emergency, would I be able to hear the first responders trying to call out to me? It is a shame, we have to to put up sound blocks instead of dog owners being held accountable. I once told a neighbor who let his 6 dogs out to pee at 5am that my sleep schedule should not revolve around his dogs’ pee schedule. I would wake up and not be able to fall back asleep. I finally changed bedrooms to the other side of the house. Shame, I had to be the one to accomodate. I’m done, rant over. It felt good to get that out to people who truly understand!
So glad I found this as well!! I’ve always been more sensitive to sounds to others, but it wasn’t until I met my Fiance that I realized how much of an issue I had with dogs. The weird thing is that I’ve always loved dogs! But I’ve never actually LIVED with one. We have a German Shepherd and OMG I can not stand it! It has taken a huge toll on our relationship and I feel horrible sometimes because I didn’t know I would have this reaction because I’ve never been in this situation. I actually have been to see a few therapists to see what could be done. For me, I would re-home the dog. I feel the dog would be so much happier in a home where all parties truly want it to be there. But my Fiance is too attached. So the next best thing was building a fence outside and now the dog is an outside dog. But I still can’t stand it! Now the dog barks at everything from the mailman to a squirrel in the yard. And anytime we have company the dog freaks out. It has actually become a visual trigger as well. Like as soon as I see the dog, that feeling comes in my stomach and chest and I just can’t stand it! Never thought this would happen but here we are…..
That’s how i feel. i always loved huskies and now that i live with my fiance who has one, i absolutely can’t stand any sound he makes, but i love him, he’s so cute and sweet… he’s a good dog and i KNOW that, but i can’t seem to stop hating all the sounds he makes, and just seeing him i get anxious every time he comes near or looks like he’s about to make a noise of any kind. i feel so bad, but i can’t make it stop 🙁
During quarantine I’ve counted 7 different dogs I can hear from my house, and they all have a schedule. At 8 I get woken up to a little yipper who barks until about 10. After that there’s this other dog that barks from 10:30 to 1 or 2 pm. 2 to 4 are the quietest hours. Some of the dogs don’t follow a schedule, so they’ll just bark randomly throughout the day. Then the evening barking crew barks from 5 to sundown. The loudest dog consistently barks in this time slot. My house is under constant siege, and I have to make the choice of going brain dead and deaf, or paranoid and hearing. I love dogs and have one myself, although lately I’ve come to see the barking ones more as hellhounds. I know I can’t do anything physical to the dogs, but this realization to the miso side of my brain locks my body into some sort of paralysis. This whole situation is crazy I’ve never been bothered by dogs barking before. I have no idea what to do. I’ve already asked the neighbors to keep the dogs quiet, but really nothing has helped
I purchased my house in a residential neighborhood about 12 years ago. The barking didn’t bother me then. Now, it almost hurts my soul when I hear barking (if that makes any sense). It goes right to my spine. Every bark startles me somehow (even though I know the barking is coming). It makes me angry and gives me a panic attack feeling. I’m happy that I’m not the only one with this issue. My next house will be in the country with lots of land. I enjoy music (loud) and there’s no issues, so I don’t understand why dog barking gets to me.
Thank you all for your comments. I thought that I was totally alone but I realize now that I am not. My parents and I had a dog that I loved. I adored her. Her barking bothered me but it didn’t affect my mental health nearly as much. My parents and I now have a Belgian Shepherd who barks at everything that moves. Literally. She barks at people who are on the street walking by, people who come into the house, and at children. She barks so much and it drives me nuts. It really hurts my ears. My dad feels the same way but he seems to ignore it, and my mom isn’t bothered by it at all. Whenever I hear my dog bark, I get so angry. I get angry at the dog in my head and I’ve screamed at the dog. I’ve had thoughts that would scare you all, like I would rather die than hear this dog bark again or a thought like I want to kill this dog. Of course I never act on any of these but my thoughts make me feel like an insane person. I don’t know what to do. I’m working from home now too due to COVID and I’m on the phone all day so I can’t have background noise but my dog keeps barking away even though my parents try to stop her. I don’t know what to do. I feel helpless. Please tell me what to do. I feel crazy.
HALLELUJAH!!! I am not alone. Dog noises drives me absolutely nuts!!! Licking,chewing,drinking and the the Oh my gosh so horrible barking! I can’t stand it. Go make your dog shut up…I can hear it..you can too!! 2 an and I’m on the porch yelling shut up!!!
Use an air horn – my friend swears by this. Dogs don’t like it, neither do the owners but if you’re being inconvenienced why aren’t they. Barking dogs are usually left alone by owners who shouldn’t own dogs.
My neighbour verbally abused me for making a polite complaint. Then her husband made derogatory comments in a shop. I suspect he followed me. He than advised me has cameras pointed at our property and pool. When I advised him a restraining order was on the way and I’d report them both to Police for invasion of privacy and that I’d be advising friends they must not bring their children to use then pool as the pedo neighbour may be watching it all stopped, including the barking dogs. These people were absolute bullies and went on the warpath, made slanderous comments to neighbours about my family after one polite complaint. They got a shock when I let them know a misconduct restraining order was on the way! They clearly didn’t consider slander, harassment, stalking etc and the consequences of that.
I can relate to this so much! In my case I have an intense hatred for the barking dog at the moment it barks which is followed by panic and sometimes tears that I cannot stop. I avoid dogs religiously and to this day I have not been able to change my response to them. I would never be able to pick up a barking dog, I would instead run away.
Jeez. Yeah. My new neighbor has a dog that he leaves in his house. The dog is really cool and very friendly. It gets lonely though, so it starts yipping at me through the shared wall. This is the almost annoying sound I have ever heard next to the chalkboard. I feel like the best solution would be for the dog to cease living through a humane euthanization. The neighbor thinks in his head that he is a great dog owner and trainer. He might be good at that stuff, but perhaps he should realize this dog is too crazy for him. He never has to hear the dog yipping. The dog yips because it is lonely and want to say hi to me when the neighbor is not there. But for me, I just want the dog to shut up. I like petting the dog every once in a while though and not treating it harshly. My other next door neighbor has two beastly dogs that are also very friendly to me personally, but they bark like maniacs at people they don’t know. After I got my windows replaced, this cut down on the noise transmission a bit to make it manageable. Then I realized my neighbor two doors down has maniacal dogs as well. I’m basically surrounded by crazy dogs. The newest dog with his “friendly” yipping is the worst. He is actually trying to get my attention and the frequency of that sound must be bred in him to work perfectly for humans. Because of this new dog, all my other neighbors’ crazy idiot dogs just sound even worse than they have in the past. Why do people feel the need to own dogs? What is wrong with cats? Cats are amazing.
In this dog crazy society in which we live, this isn’t a popular opinion, but I absolutely detest dogs. It hasn’t always been this way. I used to like dogs. It’s the barking that’s gotten to me. I live in a neighborhood where everyone seems to have at least one dog and they are owned by a bunch of inconsiderate morons. The newest one is a yappy thing across the street. It runs up and down the fence all day and barks at anything it sees. The woman who owns it has a dog door (one of the worst inventions known to mankind) and it just goes in and out all day and night. It comes out whenever it hears something, and then barks and barks. Today it was barking at the next door neighbor because he was out back doing some yard work. The owner is inconsiderate. Hell, anyone with a dog door is inconsiderate. She has another dog and that one spends a lot of time out in the yard but it rarely barks. I don’t know why she felt the need to get a new dog but I hate the thing. And yes, I know that it’s not the dog’s fault and yes, I know that it’s just doing what dogs do. I don’t easily separate the nuisance from the thing making the noise.
Over time it’s gotten to the point where one bark makes me go ballistic. I get irrationally angry and even start to feel that fight or flight response. It makes me hate the area where I live and I no longer want to live here. I’d love to move somewhere else but it seems like an overreaction to move because of dogs and short of owning 100 acres of land in the middle of nowhere, there’s just no way to know that it wouldn’t be worse somewhere else.
I don’t know if it’s Misophonia but I feel like an absolute lunatic sometimes.
Hi Jeff
I completely understand your feelings. For years I was never particularly bothered by the sound of the neighbours barking dogs but when a new neighbour moved in with four dogs that barked constantly close to my bedroom window it literally drove me mad. As a firefighter doing shift work i found it very difficult to sleep and became more and more angry at the neighbours not making any attempts to keep the dogs quiet.One day I
totally lost it and started to swear at him and threaten to shoot the dogs, which resulted in him calling the police, which is somewhat ironic after he had tormented me with constant dog noise for three years. In the end I did sell my house and move to a rural area and although the problem is much improved, I now have a massive intolerance to any dog barking which is still very common in the countryside, where sounds also travel a long way.I think it is time dog free communities were started up.Good luck with your problem Mike
Absolutely my words.
A lot of comments about how people hate that barking noise and how mad it makes them. Sure, we all hate that, but how deep this can go?
I live next to a walkway where approximately 100people walk daily with their dogs, and my neighbour bought a dog. That thing just barks at every single dog walking that walkway with their owner. Daily. Every day. I had a polite discussion with my owner and they understood and promised to “raise the dog better”. However, nothing has changed.
I feel that I start to have severe depression because of that neighbour dog barking constantly. It may sound like an overreaction, but the way I think about this , is that it does not matter what I choose to do in my life, in the end, I need to go everyday back to my house, back to that noise and back to that anxiety. Its does not matter if I try to feel good by going jogging or doing any fun stuff out at yard, buying stuff or having summer vacation or even relaxing at home in livingroom – that dog is always there and barking when I get home. Even now I can hear it barking.
I try to stay positive and still believe I can get cured by this somehow, I fight every day with this thing, trying to force myself to hear this barking, in hopes I would get used to it. So far no luck, I only get angry and anxious. Every day I wake up to new day of suffering. Also I am strong believer in law&order, thats why it makes me so angry that people do not treat their dogs and do not care about neighbourhood – its all about their own wellbeing, completely disregarding others.
I dont want to make this just another lamentation post, so I ask you, have anyone ever “cured” of this? If so, how ?
I’ve recently moved into this apartment complex and the past 2 months the neighbor’s two little dogs above me won’t stop barking. I work late night shift so I have to sleep in the early morning into the afternoon. I’m pretty sure when the neighbors leave for work these dogs probably get lonely and when 1 starts barking the other starts and this goes on until no joke they get home from work at like 5pm. I have always loved dogs and never dealt with barking being annoying until recently when these 2 just don’t shut up. I think what makes it worse is the yippy like barks. it cuts through my core and it drives me nuts. especially because i’m trying to sleep. I’m a deep sleeper but once i hear it and it wakes me up i can’t stop thinking about it and i can’t go back to sleep. I’ll trying put headphones on and blasting music but i still hear them through it and it just makes me furious. i’m losing sleep over these things and get thoughts about physically hurting them but I would NEVER hurt animals i just get these thoughts and it makes it 10x worse. My roommate has 2 dogs and they don’t do this thank god because they are well trained. I don’t know what to do about this because I hate being confrontational but man this is making me go crazy.
I’m so glad I found this site. I felt guilty feeling that a dog barking is a huge trigger of mine. I’m surrounded by dogs who bark at nothing, all hours of the day and night. I can’t even go outside of my house anymore without all three sides of dogs barking at me, also acting aggressively where on one side the dog is body slamming against the fence. The family and I have been very respectful and have reached out to the neighbors multiple times but were just met with rude answers. One even saying, “She won’t listen to us, we can’t control her. What do you want me to do?” Which one point, isn’t it bad you don’t have control of your dog who is slamming against our fence. We also have our own dogs who are trained hunting dogs and are very well behaved. The other dogs have become so bad that it’s influenced our dogs to act out the same way. I can’t stand even our own dogs barking anymore and it makes my heart break because I love them so much but it’s been ruined by irresponsible owners. I have purchased one of those dog barking box things and am hoping that it helps minimize the barking. I just want my peace back.
This is me! Every comment!
I get palpitations at the sound of a couple of neighbours’ dogs in particular, it’s so good to read that I’m not alone with these feelings!
I feel the same way about dogs barking and even the noise when they are licking themselves, they drive me insane!
But, there has only been validation in these posts, no concrete way to deal with these issues. Has anyone overcome the triggers and if you have, what methodology/technique did you use?
I have read all the comments on the site and most of the people seem the have the same problem about barking. It’s not that they inherently cannot stand barking, but at one point the barking(and howling) became so incessant that it literally drives them crazy. And yes, the aversion to barking can manifest really quickly.
This October the dogs in our area went to heat, almost every other neighbor has a dog and it’s like a cramped suburb over here separated by the street, so there’s this constant barking and howling of dogs that literally drove me crazy. My heart begins to race, my face turns hot, my mind feels cramped and stressed. I’ve never felt so homicidal in my life, and boy I’ve had my share of bad days but this just hits different.
I try to remember last year, before I had this absolute aversion to barking and howling that I didn’t have before, because it wasn’t as incessant before and none of my neighbors had a dog, so it’s just some occasional stray dog barking sometime. I can’t concentrate, I’m always anticipating the next bark or howl now. And I’ll take matter into my hands if it gets worse. They put their dogs on a leash and leave, don’t feed them properly and think they deserve to own dogs.
Also, I’ve had dogs for 6 years from 2011 to 2016, at one point I had 3 dogs and they were mostly disciplined because my dad is very stern with dogs and doesn’t take their bullshit.
No one should need to take measures to avoid barking sounds: the owners should be held accountable. I have been to a lawyer, had a letter written, and will be mailing it to neighbors AFTER I have first requested, in writing, (I will NOT hide my identity because I feel I have a right to not be assaulted by a barking dog) that they quiet their dog /s … always … not a bark, as one bark sets me off, literally, for two hours.
Our city has an ordinance that barking can’t take place after 9pm and for no longer than 20 minutes at any time. I called the police last night and they are coming over today so I can sign a complaint against the next door neighbors. I have recorded hours of continuous barking on my phone as well as videos on my phone of their dogs barking at me while I pruned my trees. I will use it in court if I need to.
I also highly recommend to idea mentioned above on building a sound cannon. You can fine the parts online.The smaller, hand held devices only seem to have a temporary effect.
Dogs barking drive me up the wall. I can hear the neighbor’s dog bark all day long and the reverberation of the bark echoes throughout the house. Out here in the desert, houses are made with stucco over wood, the barking goes right through them. I am a combat veteran with PTSD, I have tried to reason with the neighbors only to get the same response of, “What’s your problem? It doesn’t bother me.” Some days I want to put a few hundred rounds into their back yard at 3 am, just so they “experience” what their dog puts me through on a daily basis. I never commit and never ever will as I will end up in jail and the dog will go on barking.
My problem is fly into a rage and my sympathetic nervous system goes into overdrive. Believe it or not, I was/am calmer in a fire fight than when the dog goes off. I hate that I get this blown out of control.
I have found that an ultrasonic device in the 21kHz range doesn’t disturb the neighbors, but the dog hears it and shuts up. I searched all over the internet for many months before finding this device. A little over $100 and the dog is being slowly trained that when it barks, it gets the ultrasonic blast. The neighbors are oblivious, bonus is it keeps teenagers from gathering in the neighborhood.
When I was in Texas, I had a huge problem with the dog behind us. It barking constantly whether I was inside, outside or even in front of my house. I talked to the neighbors, they blew me off with lip service. I talked to Animal Control 4 separate times before they even came out to speak with the neighbor. I pulled some strings and got an animal control supervisor lit up before action was taken. Long story short, I compiled 14 months of audio and video of the neighbors dog going bath*t crazy barking all day and filed a formal complaint. That finally did the trick, they went to court, paid a hefty fine and the dog was never seen outside again.
I am trying self distraction. When the dog goes off, I count backward from 100 by 3s, if the rage starts up, I go for a walk. The barking, while annoying, is easier to handle because of the lack of reverberation outdoors. The walk really calm me down. Looking into hypnotherapy at the VA as I understand it works wonders.
Thanks for reading this as it is really cathartic to write this all down instead of internalizing it and getting bent out of shape.
Just wanted to say that I honestly feel so much better after finding this page today and reading every single comment. I’ve felt like an absolute crazy person for the last few years fighting this same issue. In my neighborhood, there are at least a dozen dogs I can hear from inside my house, 12-16 hours a day. Every house that borders our yard has at least one. There’s no room in my home I can go to avoid the sound, even with all the doors and windows closed. And it seems like I’m the only person that has any issue with it.
Advice to me is always “have a polite conversation with the neighbors” but as many of you have pointed out, it’s often met with rude or even threatening responses. One neighbor with a dog that barks and growls through the fence a few feet from my living room window said I was “bullying” her by complaining, and I should move someplace dogs weren’t allowed (if only such a place existed!) I get so unreasonably angry and distracted, racing pulse, shaking. I even stop and realize my reaction seems over the top but I can’t control it.
Anyway, next time the rage and overwhelming panic start to take over, I’m going to try and remember all of you here. I know it’s not a “cure” – but seriously just knowing I’m not alone really is helpful.
Oh boy am I glad to find so many others being driven crazy by dogs barking and barking ad infinitum. The neighbors that live across the alley have a dog that barks for hours and hours and will not shut up. It barks if I’m in my backyard, it barks if I am in the house, at all hours. It’s a pit bull mix I think, and they do nothing with this dog. I have never seen it out of the back yard. It needs to be walked, to get some stimulation, and that would perhaps lessen this boredom nuisance barking. I get so angry, shouting curses out loud, have shot pellets from my pellet rifle a few times, tried a air horn (did nothing) and have recorded it barking for numerous hours. I can hardly work in my backyard, yesterday the barking was so out of hand, I had to abandon my project and take a long walk to get away from the barking and the very intense anger. The owners are terrible pet parents, leaving this dog in the back yard 24/7/365. Other neighbors have a dog, it barks at times, like a normal dog, they throw the ball for dog to chase, take him to dog parks and have a lot of interaction with the dog. This damn dog behind me can bark non-stop for 4-6 hours at a time. Sending complaint to city did nothing, cops said to call them (cops have nothing better to do than deal with barking dog???). I am a cat person, never had dogs, but this constant barking is making me really hate dogs. The non-stop barking just sends me into a rage after having to listen to it. And I can hear the barking in every room of my house, even with windows closed. I got the foam ear plugs and the ear muffs for blocking sound, but can still hear the barking through those. It is driving me insane. I did some research on who is most affected by sounds such as the continuous barking, introverts are supposedly more affected (I’m definitely an introvert). Realizing I am not alone in dealing with this extreme anger does help, and I am so glad I went surfing for misophonia.
There is no excuse for barking dogs! They can wear a muzzle – or be kept indoors.
It’s infuriating that my neighborhood, which is next to a state park, is inundated with barking dogs. People move in and comment on how nice and quiet it is here, and then put their dog out in the yard. If you say anything about the noise, you are branded a crab.
We loved puttering in our quiet garden – but our enjoyment has been destroyed. It sure wasn’t this way when we moved here.
Oh my god, it feels so validating to read this all. My partner has a little dog that will bark and make noise when playing or even in his sleep, chasing squirrels in the yard, all the usual neurotic little dog noises, plus the neighborhood dogs, and it drives me up a wall. I can’t stand dog barking and she raised him to be a ‘guard dog’, so he barks at people on the street, anyone coming up the stairs, the neighbor’s door opening and shutting, etc. It’s crazy-making. I’m a cat person, and while I don’t *love* my cat’s yowling, it isn’t the same sharp, loud noise dog barking is. And the mouth noises! The wet shlecking of dog mouths is SO GROSS. It makes my skin crawl, and barking incites me to instant anger. Can’t even help it. I would never be abusive, but I can’t help but loathe dogs. The more I have to be around them, the more angry I get about them… probably just because it’s a boundary violated. I’m really glad I looked this up, because it explains the otherwise irrational rage.
I am so glad I found this web page. I was feeling nobody understands me the last 3-4 years. I sympathize with almost every single comment here.
P.S: A thread on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogfree/comments/w7z14l/barking_obsession/
I am totally with you on this!!! OMG the physical pain & mental frustration.
I am totally with you on this!!! OMG the physical pain & mental frustration.
I am pregnant with my second child. Told myself I wouldn’t have another baby in this house knowing how insane the neighbors dogs make me. Yet here I am doing what I said I wouldn’t do. Currently in my bed headphones on full blast tears streaming after a full morning of going outside multiple times yelling at the dogs using my bark deterrent that obviously doesn’t work. I’m losing my mind and I’m afraid of myself and what I could do to those dogs when I get this way. I wish more than anything that they would shut the fuck up forever.