My dog barks. A lot.
Inside I don't discourage him - I limit him but let him go for awhile. Everyone
says dogs deter intruders. I believe it so I let him alert me to every dog he
can see and most people passing by.
I talked to a woman who lives uptown and was walking her little ankle-biter at
night during a time there had been a number of assaults. She noticed a couple
of guys lurking and headed home when she heard one say to the other, "Not her,
she has a dog." That's solid confirmation to me.
Outside I stop him pretty quickly if he's yelling at neighbors walking down the
alley or the people next door thinking they can use their yard or little kids
running around acting like little kids or dogs walking by. No, I stop him
immediately. I can tell his barks.
He has a special bark for a friend driving by or even driving into or out of
her alley *in the next block*. (We're second house from the corner.) She hears
him barking when she drives by - even if he's inside the house - and often
comes to our driveway to say hi to him. (Or to reinforce the behavior, I
haven't decided.)
Sometimes he carries on conversations with other dogs in the neighborhood. Not
the little thing across the street, though. They scream trash at each other and
I make him stop. But the cockapoo across the alley, two dogs down the block, a
couple others. They definitely have conversations. Sometimes there are no other
dogs outside and he calls for them. A certain bark means, "Hey, is anyone out?"
When he's ready to come inside it's brief and quiet, a cross between a bark and
a huff and it's right by the door.
I don't think I've ever let him go a full five minutes barking outside with the
possible exception of the occasional conversation session.
I don't like to hear lonely dogs barking desperately for long periods. Or for
short periods, for that matter. Or for any minutes in the middle of the night -
if they're out then, take them in as soon as they bark. Don't leave dogs
outside overnight. Those are problem barking, they indicate a troubled dog.
Those dogs need complaints but only if it's continuous. Anyone can have a
problem from time to time. Those times should be tolerated by good neighbors.
I hear my neighbors' grandchildren's noise playing outside. There were years
and years of late-night parties which everyone around has mostly outgrown but
now there are late-night conversations, campfires, the occasional party or
argument and whatnot. People decide to cut the grass when I need to sleep,
jerks race loud cars down the street, It's a city. Everyone makes noise. Why
should dogs be the exception?