Any Good Android Recorders to Prove a Barking Dog?

Geekomatic on 21/04/2018 - 17:23
Last edited 21/04/2018 - 19:37 by 2 other users

Hi all,

HELP! (TLDR below)

Not sure if this should be in computing or pets, so I'll start here & move the post if required. Here's the (long) background:

Basically, we've had this issue now for over 10 months. Immediately after moving in, the owner behind us came to my door to intro himself & to say if his dog barks, to just say, "shut up" and it would stop. He said to let him know if there was any problem. Well, for three months- we did that "shut up", then dropped a letter in their postbox, last Sept., to let them know it was a problem and that the dog should be brought in when they leave. No response. The barking is worse when no one is home, but it also barks when they are home as we hear their children yelling at the dog to shut up. I should add that the property manager asked him, before we moved in, to try to quiet his dog as it was barking non-stop during the viewings (I chalked it up to the number of people suddenly walking around & talking, didn't think it was going to continue). The dog owner told me, "that guy was a jerk" (I assume for complaining about the dog).

The owner of our place has been here to do some fixing & he said we should call the city- as the dog was barking then. Our previous next-door neighbours complained (either to him, the rangers, or both) & they said he showed up to pound on their door and was aggressive. They were very unassuming people, so I guess they gave up. They just sold their home— to people with two dogs. Sigh. So far, these have only barked for six, solid hours when their owners abandoned them on Easter Sunday. Nice, eh?

Back to the guy behind us. My son was recently hired as a software developer. He's now able to work from home 3-4 days a week. His bedroom backs up to the rear garden, hence why we've had to do something about the dog now. Yes, maybe we should have forced the issue then, but we tried to yell at dog/ignore it to avoid exactly what's happened now. So, my son finally rang the rangers on a Friday night. The next morning, just as I get under the water for a shower, I hear a loud pounding. I wasn't going to try to answer, but thought one of the kids might be locked out. Just as I manage to reach the front area, I hear, "we'll be back— we're discussing this!"> yelled into the window. I then realized who it was. I rang the rangers to report this behaviour as threatening and that I wanted it noted in the report about this person. I also told them all of the other people who either have heard or complained about this dog— including the guy himself instructing me on how to yell at his dog. I then emailed the above to the council so I know they are aware (email received that they got it).

A day or so later, there's a two page letter in the postbox denying that their dog barks (at all), that the guy has issues with: the pencil pine trees in the rear yard, our indoor cat (?), and stated that my home business calls were too loud and generally taken in the rear garden (?)— they're not, as my office in in the very front. Anyway, I'm feeling like he might actually be somewhat mental now…I sent their weird letter + the original one I'd sent to them last Sept., along to the council (email received that they got it).

I know it seems overkill, but I also know that irrefutable proof is needed when dealing with difficult people such as this guy. The only interactions we've had with this guy are: him coming here to tell us to tell his dog to shut up, him, looking over the shared limestone wall (it's 2.5 meter high on our side but their side is built up so they can just look over it) to tell me it's "his right" to cut the over-hanging branches, and then the recent door-pounding episode. Our back garden is basically nothing— the pines killed the grass so the only time we're ever out there is to use the BBQ on the uncovered paver area. We're all nerds who stay on our PC's— no loud music, parties, drums, etc….

So, we're now doing a bark log. I don't want to have to sit and note every start/stop during the day as I'm working. It's hard enough to concentrate as it is.

TLDR:(for those who asked): Have had to report a terrible neighbour who knows his dog barks. Tried to contact him first- no good. Now want evidence to support our ranger report.

I'm looking for a sound recorder which provides a date/time stamp, auto-start/stop as sound is made, plus the ability to export all of these individual files out in one go (not one at a time) as mp3's, retaining the time/date stamp. "Automatic Audio Recorder", does almost this, but cannot export in this way (all at once) to mp3.

I'd be extremely greatful for any recommedations of Android apps you've successfully used for something like this sort of on/off sound recording.

Thanks everyone!

Computing

Comments

    • Geekomatic on 21/04/2018 - 17:31
      +36

      And if I owned the place?

      No one should be told to move because of irresponsible neighbours.

        • Geekomatic on 21/04/2018 - 19:51
          +11

          "So-called"? Trespassing, pounding doors, & yelling through windows is a lot more than "so-called".

          I'm hoping to have this person take responsibility for a pet he chose to have, that's what. Dogs are pack animals (with an emotional/mental capacity of a toddler)— his pack abandons & then returns to yell at the poor thing. Would you say it would be fine to do this to a 3 year old child, as well?

          It's cruel.

        • whooah1979 on 21/04/2018 - 19:59
          -2

          @Geekomatic:

          Wrong choice of word. I should've used alleged.

        • whooah1979 on 21/04/2018 - 20:46
          -1

          @Geekomatic:

          Would you say it would be fine to do this to a 3 year old child, as well?

          please don't compare the parental responsibility for a child to that of a property. they're incomparable.

        • [Deactivated] on 21/04/2018 - 23:25
          +3

          @whooah1979: A dog isn't property.

        • Geekomatic on 22/04/2018 - 00:43
          +6

          @whooah1979:

          A whole lot of pet owners will tell you otherwise. For many, their pet is their family and they rightly feel that attachment.

          And yes, I'm telling you that the responsibility is exactly the same— possibly even more-so. Many people have children "accidentally"/without thinking or trying— you must make a conscientious decision to have your pet. To then abuse that pet through abandonment is cruel.

          You're definitely in the minority in your view that a pet is "property".

        • whooah1979 on 22/04/2018 - 08:24

          @Geekomatic:

          You're definitely in the minority in your view that a pet is "property".

          it isn't a personal opinion.

          animals aren't a natural person. it don't have the same legal rights as a human being. dog owners emotional fondness for their animals doesn't change that animal's legal status as property. a person can purchase an animal (in this case a dog) from a pet store, take it home, shelter it, feed it, bathe it, play with it, etc. the owner may surrender it to an animal shelter the next day if they wanted to.

        • snook on 23/04/2018 - 13:59
          +1

          @Geekomatic: I agree with you. The dog should be inside with his family and if he's not happy, they should give him to someone else.

          I have 4 small yapping shitters and even though they trash the house, i let them run around in there when i'm not home because otherwise they will bark more and piss off the neighbours.

          It's not the neighbour's job to shut up my dogs. It's mine.

        • BartholemewH on 23/04/2018 - 19:55
          +1

          @snook:
          I agree. Our dogs Stinkpup Senior and Stinkpup Junior (*not their real names) are kept inside while we're at work too.

      • [Deactivated] on 22/04/2018 - 20:56

        You are right that no one should have to move because of irresponsible neighbors, but if someone wants to be a dick, moving may well be the best option.

        One of the advantages of renting is that you can move more easily and cheapily than an owner.

        We had a (profanity) neighbor and were considering selling and moving (other neighbors we spoke to were also) but in the end he sold.

    • mnc on 22/04/2018 - 23:04

      Isn’t a child/infant suppose to cry?
      Yes, but if they do that “all the time” or excessively than there is something wrong which needs to be looked and fixed.

      • boomramada on 22/04/2018 - 23:44
        -6

        Child/infant always cry, that is the only way they communicate; if they in pain, or poo change or hungry.
        Its more of a continuous cry, you fix one issue, little later they cry again. Same apply to dogs.

        They do bark and they could be hungry, lonely, afraid of the annoying neighbours.

        Issue here is the owner not the dog. Its like you telling your partner to stop snoring at night, and he or she would say, I don't snore.

        But there are some solutions, https://www.google.com.au/search?q=why+is+the+dog+barking but just like snoring, they not always 100% effective.

        My solution for OP, get a dog or double glazed windows or have a party every day at 2am.

    • The Gent on 24/04/2018 - 10:51
      +1

      Kind of depends on breed/situation.

      From what OP is describing where the dog barks constantly when the owner is out of the house, it sounds like textbook separation anxiety - this is where the dog is distraught because his owner isn't with him and might not be returning, so the dog gets all worried and releases this nervous/frightened energy through barking.

      This is obviously horrible for the dog and as soon as the owner gets home, the dog gets shouted at for barking as well rather than dealing with the problem. It's easy to say "Oh it's just a dog" and disregard emotional well-being, but it's still valid to say that a dog in distress is bad for all parties concerned.

      For one, anxious dogs are more likely to lash out which would be terrible with kids in the house especially! They are also known to have other related health problems like propensity for strokes and such.

      At the end of the day, it's a conscious, living, feeling being and the empathy muscle should take over when one hears that they're in distress.

      When the kids are playing indoors, it could be boredom - imagine yourself being stuck in the back garden all day while you're hearing fun stuff like kids playing inside.

  • qwerty on 21/04/2018 - 18:13

    You can buy ultrasonic automatic dog whistles off ebay

    • JIMB0 on 21/04/2018 - 18:44
      +8

      I have one and dogs pay no attention to it.

      • Slippery Fish on 22/04/2018 - 09:10

        Lol how would you know if it works?

        • H E B on 22/04/2018 - 10:45
          +4

          The ones Ive come across have been more annoying to people as they've all sounded like a whistle, just high frequency that most people will be able to hear within range.

        • JIMB0 on 22/04/2018 - 11:06

          Mine is just a normal dog whistle (not automatic). My dog pays no attention to it and neither does any other dog.

      • knk on 22/04/2018 - 14:07
        +3

        My dog barks directly at the one I got him lol

  • Godric on 21/04/2018 - 18:24
    +2

    cliff notes pls

    • abb on 23/04/2018 - 09:08

      (profanity) neighbour's dog barks, OP wants an app to automatically record it.

  • burtie on 21/04/2018 - 18:33

    That poor dog! I was just trying to find my dog trainer’s recommendations for a recorder but realised that they’re all iOS anyway. You’ve been so reasonable trying to contact him first. Most people would have just gone directly to the council.

    Could you talk to his owner about tossing over a big bone or something for him to chew on? The poor thing sounds bored and without any enrichment. I would be horrified to find out my dog was being such a problem!

    • Geekomatic on 21/04/2018 - 19:42
      +13

      Poor dog, is right.

      It barks and cries out of loneliness/fear, most likely. Then, we yell at it & then when this family finally returns, they yell at it, too.

      I'll never understand why people get a dog only to abandon it for most of the day—- then to yell at it when they get back? Why do they even have them?

      :(

      • Speckled Jim on 22/04/2018 - 14:13

        D!ckhead next door to guard his McCastle. Paranoid tosser shouldn't flaunt his toys if he fears theft so much. But 2 metre solid gate, cameras, lights and still needs his barky, whiny dog. Left for whole weekends, this one included.
        We just pump up the volume, problem solved.

    • rompastompa on 22/04/2018 - 09:43
      +1

      Could you talk to his owner about tossing over a big bone or something for him to chew on?

      Highlighting this for OP. It'll cost $8/2KG (16?) of kangaroo tails. How's 50c per silent period sound? Keep the bones frozen for a longer silent period.

      Make sure you speak to the owner first. If someone randomly threw meat over a fence that previously had a negative experience/complaints, the owner might think you're baiting their dog.

  • phila63 on 21/04/2018 - 18:37
    +10

    In the past I have used a voice recorder and left it in permanent record for a few hours.

    Then I load the audio file onto Audacity and look for close amplitude peaks which represent barking and manually note the time period onto the log.

    I couldn't find a suitable recorder and this worked well enough for Council to confirm dog barking was in excess of 3min per hour in the evening (Brisbane City council) and then issued notice to owner. Dog owner changed the fence from wire to paling and took dog to training. Problem went away. No bad blood. Owner later admitted he hoped no one would complain.

    • zambuck on 22/04/2018 - 11:16

      This. Plus if you play around a bit with audacity you can get it to auto-tag the barks, providing a time-stamped record, from the start of the file. So as long as you note the start date/time of the recording you can then report offsets from that time. https://www.jaycar.com.au/2gb-digital-voice-recorder/p/XC038… is the type of device I'd use, though there's a lot cheaper ones out there. Just leave it under cover outside recording for whatever periods you want and download the audio files from it. Don't do more than a few hours at a time or it's just too big a file to easily deal with.

      Then you can upload the files to a free soundcloud.com account and provide the share links to council. Don't do anything to modify the audio. If it ever came to it you can swear in court how your recordings were made and that they are unmodified.

      Just note that I'm not sure what happens if/when a human wanders into range of your recorder, in legal terms. My assumption is that as your intent is to record dog barks in your yard then if you incidentally recorded a neighbour's conversation "covertly" over the fence you wouldn't be breaking the law, but I'm not a lawyer. If that happens, just don't upload that recording. :)

  • PAOK11 on 21/04/2018 - 18:43
    +5

    TLDR all day

    • Godric on 21/04/2018 - 19:03

      No cliff notes

    • fantombloo on 21/04/2018 - 20:04
      +5

      Even the tldr is tl.

      Need (tldr)tldr.

      • Geekomatic on 21/04/2018 - 21:28
        +7

        Four sentences is too long for you?

        Honestly— why can't people comment with what's asked for instead of useless snark?

        • fantombloo on 21/04/2018 - 21:58
          +1

          IMO too long for a tldr. But that's just me.

          I don't mean to be snarky, just playing along. I hope you get good responses; I don't have any, so just adding a little hyperbole keeping the conversation flowing.

        • Slippery Fish on 22/04/2018 - 09:14

          Microphone linked to PC set to record when noise detected. Could likely put a raspberry pi in a decor container if you wanted to be techy.

        • cornholyio on 23/04/2018 - 10:04

          Some of us don't know how to help.
          Sometimes we support and other times we have the popcorn too.

    • o53djz7qTPY4der on 21/04/2018 - 19:49
      +22

      You, on the other hand, always have something useful to contribute.

      • D C on 21/04/2018 - 21:21
        +12

        You get a cake at 10,000 comments.

        Having achieved that tuzii is heading for 25,000 where you get a watch or something. Expect many many more 'useful' posts to come!

        • Speckled Jim on 22/04/2018 - 14:16
          +1

          a watch or something

          Xiaomi smart tampon?

  • Diji1 on 21/04/2018 - 19:52

    Contact council.

    There's really no point in recording it unless you want to make a written log as evidence by listening to it afterwards. No one is going to listen to hours of annoying, nuisance animal noise you recorded.

    • Geekomatic on 21/04/2018 - 20:00
      +1

      We did. That launched this Neanderthal to come pound our door. I then had to report that.

      Written log is required. I'm also audio recording because this guy claims the dog never barks, at all. Using one recording app, I have over 400 intervals of barking within a 4 hour time span. That's a lot.

      I just think it's a good idea to catch him in a bold-faced lie to support our claim. A written log is a bit stupid, anyway (to me). I could simply make it up.

      As I said to the council when I rang- no one reports silence.

      I really dislike being put into this position &, quite honestly, we've been very patient.

      So, does anyone have any Android recorders they've used that work well?

      Ta

      • Quantumcat on 21/04/2018 - 20:24

        Do what phila63 said. Unless you can train an app as to what dog barks sound like you would be unlikely to find something automatic

        • Geekomatic on 21/04/2018 - 20:32
          +2

          There are actually a LOT of them. That's why I'm asking for experience with a good one from someone who knows of a specific one.

          Problem isn't "training" (you don't need to), it's getting one that start/stops for silence, time-stamps, stores to mSD, & exports to mp3.

          Unfortunately, each description lacks & you end up having to install uninstall— over & over.

          So, does anyone have a tried & true recorder they can recommend?

        • Quantumcat on 21/04/2018 - 20:35

          @Geekomatic: you're going to get it recording people driving past, lawn mowers, etc. You'll have to go through each recording and check it anyway, so you'd be unlikely to save any time.

        • Geekomatic on 21/04/2018 - 21:23

          @Quantumcat:

          As I said, I've already successfully recorded fine. It's, again, a back garden- no other noise at all.

          What I can't do is export the files as a lot, out to mp3, w/timestamp.

          I'm sure there must be one—- anybody found a good one that does it all?

        • The Gent on 24/04/2018 - 11:04

          @Geekomatic: your son might be able to help you with a nice cheap Raspberry pi project from OzB ;)

          It will likely require a bit of coding knowledge, but you can customize it how you nee it, rather than relying on a 3rd party app.

          Here's one that sends text every time it detects a bark: http://www.instructables.com/id/Dog-Bark-Sensor/

          I'm sure with some digging, you can find a project more similar to what you're asking for, but that one would help for the log.

  • holdenmg on 21/04/2018 - 20:11
    +5

    Bikies.

  • Kangal on 21/04/2018 - 22:20
    +2

    How do you know its a dog, and not a freak in a cage?

    • [Deactivated] on 18/09/2019 - 20:37

      OP doesn't live in brisbane.

  • sam-1966 on 22/04/2018 - 08:27
    +3

    If our council receive repeated noise complaints, they provide a barking collar for the animal - not one of those ones that sprays, but one that records the barking. The dog must wear it for a certain period, then it is returned to council for verification. Maybe see if your council has those.

    • Quantumcat on 22/04/2018 - 08:47

      Wouldn't the owner just take it off?

      • sam-1966 on 22/04/2018 - 08:58
        +1

        Can only be removed once, so very obvious when council comes back.

        • whooah1979 on 22/04/2018 - 09:14
          -1

          The dog must wear it for a certain period, then it is returned to council for verification.

          that's interesting. under what legislation may brisbane council use to force the owners to attach a monitor?

        • sam-1966 on 22/04/2018 - 09:26

          @whooah1979: Not sure about Brisbane, this is in Moreton Bay. We had a complaint about our dog, and the ranger said if the complainant didn't agree with me about the fact that the dog had stopped barking, the next step was one of these collars. A friend also had to have her dogs wear them.

      • whooah1979 on 22/04/2018 - 09:04

        https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/laws-permits/laws-permits-re…
        In some cases where the issue cannot be resolved Council may give the owner a notice to remedy, and offer help to stop the nuisance.

        is that their way of saying they can euthanase it?

      • [Deactivated] on 22/04/2018 - 09:17
        +3

        The dog wears it, not the owner.

  • [Deactivated] on 22/04/2018 - 09:18
    +2

    An audio recorder may not do the job. He may say it's not his dog barking.
    A couple of minutes of video to prove it's the same bark may be needed.

    • Geekomatic on 23/04/2018 - 01:44
      +1

      Have many.

      Ta

  • hahrone on 22/04/2018 - 09:36
    +1

    If you still need an android app that auto records on any sound/noise. Look for 'Do I Snore or Grind' or keywords about snore, grind etc… good luck.

    • Flying Ace on 23/04/2018 - 07:29
      +3

      So now it’s the OP’s problem to fix? I honestly don’t understand some of the comments on here.

      Having had a neighbour move in with a puppy that whined all day when they were out I understand the OP’s frustration. Luckily our neighbour’s dog has grown up and no longer barks or whines.

  • H E B on 22/04/2018 - 10:50

    The time it takes to collate the evidence. Dependng on how much you get paid you could consider just going halves on some anti barking device or a few sessions of dog training to ease the problem.

    The dog needs work. Not your problem I guess but you'll just pass on the buck effectively.

    The continual annoyance, stress, paranoia, threats and dealing with council is a consuming process for some.

  • champstarr on 22/04/2018 - 11:02
    +2

    The ranger should of told you that you should be contacting a environmental health officer. They will come out and leave a noise recorder on a tripod inside your house for about 5 days. After they take it back they check the decibels of the dog barks. If they are too high they will fine them.

  • chichi on 22/04/2018 - 11:23
    +3

    Good luck OP. We are having noise problems with our neighbours - though it is them making the noise (and their dog when they leave it alone for weeks on end while they go on holiday) and it seriously does your head in - especially when the neighbour is aggressive.

  • elrotundo on 22/04/2018 - 11:33

    I have used an app called "Voice Recorder" to dictate notes. It works for my needs and is easy to use - its free from the Google Play store and currently has a 4.8 rating and a large number of downloads. The App has a blue and white microphone icon in the store. I have only used it to dictate notes but I think it would work for your purpose.

  • jm48 on 22/04/2018 - 12:35
    +3

    Sounds like the previous tenant at your house left because of the barking and that's why the dog owner came around as soon as you moved in.
    Good luck, I feel the anxiety this has caused you and your family.

  • HeWhoKnows on 22/04/2018 - 13:00

    You need to get the dog on video with your phone to prove the barking is the said dog. Nothing special required. Also video where it is and email the video to your local council as a complaint

  • djmm on 22/04/2018 - 13:37
    -4

    The problem started because they had the decency to come and told you in person and yet you used the drop a letter in mailbox method.

  • fozzie on 22/04/2018 - 14:05
    +2

    I feel so sorry for you. We lived in a house in the Uk where we had constant problem neighbours (rented house next door) When we moved to Australia we made sure to get a good neighbourhood and a house (as we had a duplex) We have been extremely lucky. I agree with you that you shouldn’t need to move, but on the bright side you are only renting so if needed you can move. Good luck with it all, I hope the relationship with your Current neighbour can be fixed and the dog stops barking

  • timetoquit on 22/04/2018 - 16:34

    I have the same problem, but the barking isn't a huge deal for me. I've come here to suggest getting the Arlo Q plus. It will do all you need. Fixed camera, motion and sound detection (can adjust sensitivity). My camera would record sound for hours on end with our neighbour's dog barking. I've since switched off the sound detection and now record only motion.

  • Geekomatic on 22/04/2018 - 17:07
    +9

    Update:

    Late last night, not sure the time but near/after midnight, my front motion light flicked on. I sometimes wear earplugs to sleep, especially if it's going on Sunday, so didn't hear anything.

    I wasn't going to even get up, but that light doesn't go off for much except something big.

    I look out the front window and my little business kerb sign is smashed in the middle of the road. Not only the sign, but the 4-6 pavers holding it were smashed so hard there were chunks across to the other side of the road.

    I've alerted the council, rangers, & now the police. This guy must be mental if he goes out, in the dark, to vandalize.

    I've had no interaction with this family since they came here, to tell me to yell at their dog, last June.

    • StarvingOat on 22/04/2018 - 21:46
      +3

      You may need cameras around your house immediately, also get a baseball bat to put where you sit.

      You can't have a baseball bat for the purpose of self defense only, but you can have one with a ball for the intention of playing together with your family. And if an intruder happens to come, it can be used to protect yourself as something within reach.

    • Nickels n Dimes on 22/04/2018 - 21:51
      +4

      In light of the new information,
      It seems you have two options now:
      A. just back down and ignore the dog / agressive neighbour issues
      B. persist with the council / ranger / police and risk further escalating the issue to worse vandalism of your property or possible violence (police unlikely to resond until something goes south).

      Either way, I would be visiting my local computer/hardware/electronics store tomorrow, and purchasing something like this entry level outdoor unit: https://www.swann.com/au/swads-466cam-1654
      A small price to pay, dones't need a special recording box, saves to the cloud for easy access. It may act as a deterrent against this rogue neighbour, or at least provide legal evidence if things continue to get worse.

      • Geekomatic on 23/04/2018 - 12:53

        It looks like a good item, but I have no way of mounting/powering such a thing.

        Ta

        • DemocracyManifest on 23/04/2018 - 14:07

          Nek minute they will discover this thread and they will go batshit and will try to allege you are gonna get bikies on them. Just document it, don't talk to them. Been there, done that, but long term cameras are basically essential it seems.

        • Speckled Jim on 24/04/2018 - 09:45

          Cameras are good, but nothing a $2 can of enamel can't defeat for a determined nutter.
          Seen it done in movies but I'm sure it's easy if mounted too low.

          Edit. Just saw your location Geekomatic, I used to live near there. Tip: move to Secret Harbour.

        • kiitos on 24/04/2018 - 15:59

          Not even inside the house on a window sill?

        • Speckled Jim on 24/04/2018 - 16:18

          Interior, close-up of glass looking out:
          The disembodied hand applies sticker to window, rendering the camera useless…

          Outside, after midnight:
          The hooded figure proceeds to leave their own unique message.

          I know it's unlikely. If the guy's a fruitcake, anything's possible.

        • Geekomatic on 24/04/2018 - 17:42

          @Speckled Jim:

          I was thinking more that there would be a "ghosting" or glare trying to record through the glass once the outdoor motion light activates?

          One reviewer commented about access to an SD card— can this store files locally?

          Is there a light on it to show it's active, & if so, can this be blocked to not alert the intruder? Maybe hide the unit inside of a sill-top planter?

          Ta!

        • Speckled Jim on 24/04/2018 - 18:09

          Someone else would have to address those questions, as I don't have experience with this model.

          Generally, the IR LEDs will be invisible to human eyes and should not be covered. If there's another LED, covering is ok.

        • Geekomatic on 25/04/2018 - 02:00

          @Speckled Jim:

          I'm actually not there anymore— and our new area has excellent stats, according to https://www.perthcrimemap.com (slowest website in recent history).

          No, this issue is a one-off, bully-buffoon who has gotten used to misbehaving and intimidating others. I don't like that & I don't like to see animals mistreated. He simply picked the wrong person this time around. The owner of this place has jumped in to "council-the-council", to get something done. Fingers-crossed the guy comes to his senses & pulls his head in. We'll see.

          PS: Secret Harbour is just too far from my work & the train.

        • Speckled Jim on 25/04/2018 - 04:49

          Right, I saw Mandurah and guessed you might be a Naval contractor…fertile imagination!

    • BertieBrown on 23/04/2018 - 20:26

      Is there a possibility that it wasn't the neighbours who smashed the sign? Seems unlikely I know but sometimes things do just turn out to be a coincidence.

      • Geekomatic on 25/04/2018 - 11:59

        Well, considering the extreme violence of how it was destroyed (sign smashed along with the pavers)…and the fact it sits a meter or more from the kerb, that it's been there for over ten months, and that it just happened to occur a day or so after the ranger's visit/door pounding episode?

        What would you guess?

        • BertieBrown on 25/04/2018 - 12:22

          Ah. I missed that it was a day after the ranger visited the neighbour.

          I guess still, even though you’re obviously shaken up, it’s important to try and keep an open mind and not always assume the worst, but yeah I’d agree it was probably the neighbour. Is this in like a strata or something? Do you know if the neighbour is renting?

        • Geekomatic on 26/04/2018 - 01:22

          @Jawanzar:

          I'm only shaken up as I now have to buy an other biz sign. This (profanity)? He'll get a fine. & another. & another.

          Make no mistake: I hug & cuddle my pets, but I cannot do so for others. Their dog is being abandoned & it's wrong.

          I think the dullard owns, not sure.

          No strata, but better area so worse.

          Ta

  • MrBear on 22/04/2018 - 17:36

    Once recorded, play back a full volume at night over the fence for hours and see if they complain.

    • Geekomatic on 22/04/2018 - 18:40
      +2

      I want the owner to take care of his dog or give it to someone who will love it and care for it properly.

      Current video, with non-stop barking, going on for 45 mins….Audio recording since 2pm.

      In no way do I want to escalate this, but I am protecting myself with evidence.

      • ahara on 23/04/2018 - 01:09
        +1

        If you really do care about the dog (good on you), please do take the effort to report to RSPCA.

        Like already recognized by others and noted by yourself it’s more likely the dog is barking as he’s bored and possibly even abused. You will help yourself and the dog if you get someone to take the dog off this lunatic.

        And hopefully he’s never allowed to have another one.

        • Geekomatic on 23/04/2018 - 01:35
          +1

          It's pretty bad. It's been cold, windy, pelting rain off & on all day. I can't believe that any dog, with access to be in the warmth, would stay outdoors barking. I almost wonder if they left and left him stuck out there? We didn't hear any human noise all day until late tonight, long after dark. There were some lights on and that's when the barking stopped.

          As dreadful as that is, I doubt the RSPCA would jump in. I know how these nut-jobs work— I've been around enough of them. Their pet, so anxious and so wanting their attention that they never get, will be so excited when the owner finally picks it up and cuddles it for the performance in front of whoever comes out to check. Once they leave, it's booted back out. They really are sociopaths.

          Thanks for the idea though. :)

        • chichi on 23/04/2018 - 09:12

          I agree with at least contacting the RSPCA to see what they say. You never know - the guy might decide to give up the dog if he thinks he is going to be fined.

  • Vancomycin 1000mg on 22/04/2018 - 20:29

    I dont know if this has been mentioned because I did not read so many comments but,

    I used to use an app that was designed to record me when I talk to myself. Its called sleep talk recorder or something.

    Its starts recording as soon as it notices some sounds. So this maybe useful to try.

    • Geekomatic on 23/04/2018 - 00:43

      As I said, I'm looking for a sound recorder which provides:

      a date/time stamp, auto-start/stop as sound is made, plus the ability to export all of these individual files out in one go (not one at a time) as separate mp3's, retaining the time/date stamp.

      You'd think this would be commonplace to do for an app like this?

      Ta

      • [Deactivated] on 23/04/2018 - 11:10

        Yeah most sleep apps should do this
        I used "sleep as android", it clips them and uploads them into google drive when it detects something above a certain decibel threshold,
        though do ask around on their forums first for confirmation

  • Murdrum on 22/04/2018 - 22:49

    I was in your situation once, thought that making an app like this would solve my problem. Instead other noises led me to learn to sleep with earplugs in 😴

    Thinking about it now though, I'd probably set up a phone with a long usb cable, huge SD card, then record all day. Use Audacity to look for repeating spikes and manually log barking sessions.

    • Geekomatic on 23/04/2018 - 00:40

      I was using a spare phone and of course it decided not to export properly. Not detected on plugging into the PC (though can listen via the phone & see the timestamps). I'm familiar with Audacity, it's the export issue that's got me pegged. I need some data off of the mobile or I'd factory reset the bugger!

      So, I've been using various items to record. Mainly as backup proof for the dog that "never barks". Have video/audio (pointing towards their fence to show the location), as well, & man is it annoying to have to sit & listen to it knowing fully well that the guy is a total, lying douche-bag— to all involved, including the dog.

      RE: earplugs- I do use them time to time. The issue with this guy is that me and my son both work from home— and we ought to be able to do so without this racket all day long. The dog didn't stop fully until nearly 7PM tonight from around 10:30AM.

      Thanks for the suggestion!

      • Umcookies on 23/04/2018 - 19:42

        Its a bit of a hassle but install something like ES file explorer, connect to your home wifi and then navigate to your phone through your computer. Should be able to pull a fair amount off of your phone.

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