I need help with my barking dog...

Agility is a fun competitive sport where the dog jumps over obstacles, through tires, walks over teeter-totters, etc. It's a blast and a great way to bond with your dog and use some of her energy.

Freeze the kongs with peanut butter in it.  Lasts longer.  Give her mucho things to chew on if she likes to chew.  Hide them (kongs and toys) in the yard (or elsewhere) so she can spend time hunting for them.  It is good fun for a dog.

As for the baby gate...buy a bigger one....if need be.   I have seen them tall and strong for pretty large dogs.

No playmate...no no no no! Big mistake!  You have to learn to deal with one before getting another.

Also, you  must think "brain work".  In the evening take some treats and do a "find it". Hide the teats and the dog looks for it.  Great fun to a dog.

Sits and downs and circles and everything for a treat is also good fun for them. Brain work.

15 minutes here and there of your time,  for brainwork/play, will make for a much happier dog.

So here is the plan...for week days only.  You can make your own for the weekends..or non work days.

2-15 minutes of walk time with you. (at the very least)  Before and after work. Think powerwalk. Stay focused and move quickly.
2- 15 minutes of "brainwork" daily. Before and after work.
Dog walker daily while at work.  Pay for an hour.
Hidden kongs, toys and treats when you are at work.

Or...devise your own plan and stick with it.  Just a few minor adjustments and you will be fine.  Keep us updated.

ORIGINAL: Mom2Daisy

Thank you all so much for your advice.  I do apprecitate it.  Hopefully my husband will be home soon and I can start spending more time with Daisy again.  I agree that she is bored... I have gotten her toys galore and she eats right thru them... I got her a kong and the only way she will touch it is with peanut butter in it!  I will definately look into a dog walker, that is a wonderful idea that I did not think of.  We have actually tried baby gating her at night instead of crating her and she will jump it..  She is still a puppy for her breed, she is a lab/heeler/chow mix and she is a year and half old.  And to the last poster who suggested I find her a new home... that is not an option in my book.  I may not have made it sound like I was willing to work with her but I am.  I will just have to find the time.  Daisy is a part of my family, I love her and will do what is necessary.. Now that I have cooled off I do understand why my neighbor wrote a letter instead of stating it in person, although if she would have taken 5 minutes to talk to me in general she would have known that she could come to me.  And to state that it bothered all of my neighbors like she was speaking for everyone made me even angrier as I have had this conversation with a few of them.  Again.. I will definately take what ya'll said to heart and try to keep you updated on our progress.  Thanks again!

edited to ask...  as far as her boredom do you think a playmate would help with that or cause more problems?

Oh yeah, I missed that before....Don't get another dog until you can get the first squared away!

In my multi-dog experience, two dogs don't entertain each other as much as they just compete for attention. Also, I'm not such a fan of leaving two dogs, even friends, alone together for long periods. Sometimes playtime can go very wrong and if you aren't there step in, it can get ugly.

Having two dogs is three times as much work as having one dog. There's Dog #1's care and issues and training and stuff. There's Dog #2's care and issues and training and stuff. And then there's this mysterious 3rd entity known as Dog#1+Dog#2 which tends to have a mind of it's own and has it's own seperate care and issues and training and stuff. Having two or more dogs is nonstop entertainment, but a tremendous amount of work

Oooh 12 hrs is a long haul for a dog.  8-10hrs is OK IMO at a push if someone is there in the middle of that time to let them out or walk them or just play for a bit or what have you, but any longer and I'd seriously consider re-homing, but thats just me.

I'm not with you there houndlove - we got our 2nd dog partly as company for the 1st and it's worked out great.  I'd go so far as to say that 2 dogs are half the work of one, not three times, but then ours are very "packy" dogs - they really like having canine company, and providing that for them helps keep them happy.

Do be friendly with your neighbour and let them know what you're doing to try to stop the barking.  Actually ASK your neighbour to report to you what the noise is like when you are out so you will know if the measures you put in place are working - that should get her "on side" and give you time to sort things out with Daisy, plus you really do need to know whether what you try works or not.

-I imagine a dog walker would help enormously, or even a daycare place if there is one near you, even if it is just for part of the day. 
-DOes she have any interactive toys in the garden to play with and keep her stimulated? 
-Does she have access to safe tasty chews?  Chewing is great stress relief for dogs, its a natural activity, it relieves boredom and helps keep their teeth clean.
-Could you hide toys/smelly treats round the garden for her to find? 
-Give her a sand pit to dig in and hide stuff in there too? 
-Put a big box filled with scrunched up newspaper out there and put some of her daily food in there, some treats, maybe a couple of safe chews or toys, bits of cheese or ssg or liver or fruit, a few raisins (go easy, poisonous in large quantites).  Our dogs think rummaging in the box for the treats is great fun. 
-Please don't use an anti-bark collar!