ONLY 6 MINUTES PER HOUR .....

[Crocus]

Since Wednesday, this week, dogs in the Western Province are only allowed to bark or howl, and cry (in the case of a puppy) 6 minutes per hour. I kid you not! It's a new regulation. Also dogs who chase cars, birds, pigeons, chickens and of course people are not allowed to do so anymore.

What I want to know is who's going to sit somewhere with a watch and time barking dogs during the night? What if it's a dozen dogs, all starting to bark at different times - say a minute or so apart?


How will one prevent a dog to chase birds, pigeons or chickens, except for keeping a dog on a leash? There are thousands of dogs running wild all over so what will become of them I wonder.

Will the police go out to investigate and how will they know it's my dog who barked 6 and half minutes?

[Ivy]

This will kindle neighbourhood disputes! If my dog barks let say 30 minutes in one go and then not again what will happen because that's less than 6 minutes in 24 hours.

[Crocus]

Hi Ivy, exactly - I don't know how on earth they are going to "police" this. I'm definitely not going to phone the police if my neighbour's dog barks 7 minutes per hour! Who thinks out stuff like this?

[Ivy]

as if the police didn't have other worries than chasing up barking offenders! How about getting those people who tried to burgle H's flat instead?

[Gentian]

Has anyone told the dogs the new rules? We would be hounded out of town with Alistair (sorry about the pun!).

[Crocus]

Yes! Not a bad idea at all! If only we, or rather the police, could get hold of them ..!

[Crocus]

Hi Gen, sorry, I only noticed your posting now, yes I wonder if anyone alerted the dogs? Or whether they going to send off the dogs to a course or something how to tell the time?:rolleyes:

It's quite a laugh really - how on earth are they going to check which dog barked where for how long?:D

[Katelb]

It beggars belief doesn't it,what is with those in authority that they can dream up such a ridiculous ruling,whoever tries to police it will go barking mad???!! Sorry I couldn't resist it ,do you know why this has come about?xx

[Crocus]

Hi Kate, well they will go barking mad - I think those who put out these rules must be barking mad too. It really is ridiculous and the more I read about it in the paper the more hilarious it becomes. Our neighbour's dogs also bark during the night but it doesn't bother us much to be quite honest. They don't bark all night, just when "they think it's necessary". But it really is beggars belief. x

[souter girl]

So can dogs in the Western Province 1) count 2) tell the time 3) read the new regulations?? Madness - however annoying a barking dog might be, there is usually a reason and in any case I can think of a lot worse - "ghetto blasters" boom-booming out of cars for starters

[Crocus]

:DI suppose so SG, or rather the authorities think the dogs can! This is just such a laugh. x

[Katelb]

I think it is sometimes a good thing if a dog does bark whatever time of day or night,because more often than not it is to warn the household that there is an intruder lurking perhaps ,or some stranger invading their territory,and bless them how would they know if they had had their six minutes of barking for the day?!! Most dogs are much more intelligent than the people who made this rule aren't they.

[Crocus]

Some evenings Pinky would not wink an eye when dogs are barking outside, but then next minute she will just start to growl, run outside and bark like it's going out of fashion. To my human ear it's just barking but she gets a message and sends it along. It always reminds me of 101 Dalmations when the dogs sent a message through the neighbourhood about Cruella DeVille.....

[dragonfly]

I think 6mins per hour is a bit ridiculous but I think there should be a limit to how long a dog can bark at any one time for some people let them bark for hours, none stop, and I find that very annoying. People shouldn't be allowed to go out and leave dogs barking for long lengths of time. It is annoying for the neighbours and can't be good for the dog.

[Crocus]

We have quite a lot of dogs here, all around us actually, but well behaved, I must say. But I also know you find dogs who will bark for hours on end, just for the sake of barking - that is utterly irritating. I wonder who decided that 6 minutes is the time allowed and not 5 or 7 minutes .....

[cindy]

. Our neighbours dog which is only 6 months old is shut out in the garden all afternoon and it continually barks and whines. I find it quite upsetting and did suggest to DH that I should contact the RSPCA as it was so cruel. i was told I was over reacting, but it still upsets me to listen to it. One day I WILL speak to our neighbour about it:mad:

[Crocus]

Maybe you should Cindy, because it's not comfortable to either you or the dog. x

[Ivy]

We have quite a lot of dogs here, all around us actually, but well behaved, I must say. But I also know you find dogs who will bark for hours on end, just for the sake of barking - that is utterly irritating. I wonder who decided that 6 minutes is the time allowed and not 5 or 7 minutes .....


It's 1/10 hour so probably has something to do with the decimal system... stupid really but constantly barking dogs can be so annoying. We had a dog in our neighbourhood who used to come chasing up behind a huge wooden garden gate ,and would start barking at pedestrians, who could not see him. He gave my children terrible frights.

[Crocus]

Hi Ivy, probably yes. A lot has been written about this in the papers and it remains to be seen how it's going to work, if it's going to work.

[souter girl]

Maybe the same 6 minutes in any hour rule could be applied to 1) politicians 2) elfin safety experts 3) x factor pundits !! There might be peace at last :D

[Crocus]

:D Won't it be just marvellous!?