Enough Ruff Ruff: Barking Dog Fines Expected Soon

Residents on both sides of the proverbial picket fence are going to have questions about the recent LA City Council’s motion to amend current laws and impose fines on owners of barking dogs in Los Angeles: $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second and $1,000 for the third  if the Department of Animal Services finds that dog barks too much. Of course the definition of what is “too much” will depend on if you’re the owner of the dog or the resident next door who can’t stand the non-stop yapping. So far the definition is you’ll be breaking the law if your dog continues on straight for 10 minutes, or 30 minutes over a three hour period. You can read up on the current LA Animals Services site what they say about nuisance barking (but it’s not much up to date), or the LA Times story reporting the Council’s unanimous vote, which will have to be signed by Mayor Villagragosa to take effect.

But fear not – there are some solutions if you own the barking (or in my Smokey Joe’s case: howling and baying) dog. The Urban Pet on Beverly Blvd suggests using a citronella collar on your problematic pooch. A lightweight collar with small aerosol sprayer attached, the sprayer gives the dog a swift spray up the nose/mouth when it barks. Urban Pet’s Manager Nick Koontz says he used the Spray Sense Anti Bark Collar on his dog and it was completely effective in curing her of her bad barking habits (and yes, she does still bark when she should.) The collars ($64.95) are so popular they’re on back-order and currently sold out, but more are coming in soon. Another company, PetSmart, also offers the Little Dog Deluxe Spray Bark Collar. 

Another less expensive solution is to train the dog yourself spraying a shot of Bitter Apple, a taste deterrent, into the dog’s mouth when it barks. But this may not work much if you’re away all day and the dog is home alone.  To see some real-life videos the the collars in use, check out You Tube (of course…!)