Hi mangyan,
Some towns or counties have noise ordinances and in some cases that involves the barking of a dog so go to you county court house and ask what is the allowable time a dog can bark for. In most counties it is fifteen minutes at a time.
Yes dogs do bark but if it is excessive then neighbors complain. So I need to ask a few questions.
Does the dog bark continuously thrught the day or are you finding that there is an expressed reason for it. You mentioned your dog barks when the neighbor dog barks, but does he bark at any other time and what is he barking at?
Where do you keep the dog, in a pen,on a chain or loose in the yard?
Do you have a fence between you and the neighbor that complains? If so what type of fence is it?
How close are you to the neighbor?
Aside from giving the dog a bone, (which is not very safe) what have you done to try and curtail the barking?
Thank you for that information. It does not sound like he is causing a nuisance by barking constantly, but that he is just being puppy like. I would still look into the dog laws where you live to see what constitutes a nuisance. Some places have no such laws on the books but it is best to be sure. Your local dog pound may also be able to answer that question.
If you have any type of video recorder where you can tape the dog barking and what is going on at the time that he is barking it may give you the proof you need to show the dog is not barking constantly as your neighbor claims.
It does not sound like the neighbor is being reasonable and if he does call the sheriff the sheriff will see he is not being reasonable, but it would be helpful to you to be able to prove this, that is why I suggest a recording. You may also want to have your other neighbors write a letter, if they are home all day , stating they do not hear the dog barking continuously which will also help your case. try to put together as much information from parties that have nothing to gain by speaking up for you and your pet. Unbiased opinions from others can be a big help.
Much is going to depend on the dog laws in your town so I would definitely call around and ask about that. Try your local court house, local dog pound, even your vet may know the answer to that .
Now just a note on bones to keep your dog safe. Bones can cause an obstruction of the bowel and they can also puncture the intestinal lining which causes poison to go through the body. Either case scenario is not good.Cooked bones are also much worse than raw bones as they splinter easier, however raw bones will also cause a problem. I would suggest getting safer chew toys such as a kong or Nylabone flavored bones.
Kong:
http://www.carealotpets.com/item-detail/?ItemID=000000000000317
nylabone http://www.petmountain.com/product/dog-chew-toys/105328/nylabone-durable-chew.html
dog training consultant
24 years training & behavior,pet first aide, Therapy dog eval., PA Animal Response Team