Dog barking while we're not home

[xbbx]

My boyfriend and I live in a condo, dog friendly. We got a note from one our neighbors slipped under our door, no mention of who it was from so we can follow up and let them know we are working on a solution.
Problem is, he doesn't bark when we're home. He only barks when we're both at work. He works 12 hours a day, I work days and usually will be home by the evening. So he's home alone for about ~10 hours a day.
I used to live closer to work, but since I moved out of my parent's place my commute to work is longer now.

So how do you fix a problem when you're not around to fix it? I want him to be able to bark, when there is something to bark at, i.e. someone at our door, to alert us etc. We tried the egg that emits an ultrasound when he barks, it doesn't work him. We tried the thunder coat and calming spray, doesn't work.
We got a bark collar that sprays citronella. It works, however it sprays him in the face when he growls or whines. Those are things I want him to do.

I was suggested to take him for long walks to tire him out.
->This dog has the energy of an energizer bunny. I'd have to play with him ALL day and walk him ALL night before he tires out.
I was suggested to do a doggy buddy system. Where he walks with another dog and learn behaviors from another dog.
->I had another dog when I lived at my parent's place. He was MUCH calmer, and quieter. He didn't learn anything but to defend himself against other dogs.

Doggy day care is expensive and it doesn't fit our needs. BF does shift work, he has 3 weeks of nights and 2 weeks of days shifts. Most doggy day cares aren't an option. I leave for work at 7:30am, could work, but there are days where I work in the afternoon and into night. They charge extra to keep dogs past after hours. I don't want to keep dropping my dog off at my parent's place . My bf and I share a car, and sometimes its not worth dropping my dog off at my parents place if we're gone for 2 hours max.

We think it's because he's lonely and gone through 2 separations. He had a brother, that was adopted by another family. My other dog likes the space he has at my parents place, so I thought it was best to leave him with my parents. He comes over once awhile, just to see if he barks more or less with his old house mate around. He barks less...which is good.

what should I do?! I know this is long...but i thought I lay out the problem and facts in one post

[seylz_gurl]

If you can exercise your dog for at least an hour a day that will help. Can a dog walker take him out once a day?

[Shwa Girl]

If you can exercise your dog for at least an hour a day that will help. Can a dog walker take him out once a day?

agree
here's advice from Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer

By Cesar Millan
You come home from a long day at work to a spinning, jumping whirlwind of energy. Your dog follows you into your living room, where you find that he has chewed on your favorite pair of shoes. Your neighbor comes by to tell you that, once again, your dog has been driving the neighborhood crazy by howling and barking while you were away. Is this scenario familiar? Your dog may be suffering from dog separation anxiety.
In nature, dogs are almost never away from their pack. It is our job to help make this unnatural situation less stressful!
Related: Cesar’s dog training video: Dog separation anxiety
Here are five tips to help ease separation anxiety:
1. Before you leave the house, take your dog for a walk.

Start your day by taking your dog for a brisk walk. To make the walk even more rigorous, use a dog backpack with extra weight in it. Then reward your dog's calm-submissive energy with food and water. Some dogs may need to rest before eating, but all dogs can benefit from hydration. The idea is to leave your dog in quiet, resting mode while you are away.
2. No touch, no talk, no eye contact.

Don't make a big deal when you leave for the day or when you return. This way, you are communicating to your dog that the time apart is no big deal. It's just business as usual! Depending on the severity of the dog anxiety, you may need to practice the rule for five minutes or up to an hour before you leave and when you get back.
3. Say goodbye to your dog long before you leave.

Having trouble practicing "no touch, no talk, no eye contact"? Take a moment to share affection and tell your dog that you will miss him way before you actually leave. Keep in mind that this display is for you, not your dog! Your dog won't have his feelings hurt if you didn't say goodbye.
4. Stay calm and assertive!

When you are ready to go to work, leave those guilty, nervous, and concerned feelings behind. Instead, let your dog know that everything is going to be okay by projecting the confident energy of a pack leader. A calm and assertive leader can ease separation anxiety in dogs.
5. Start out small by leaving your dog alone for just five minutes.

Leave your dog alone for five minutes, then extend the time to twenty minutes, then an hour. Continue to increase the time you spend away until you can leave for a full eight hours without any more dog problems!

https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-behavi...ration-anxiety

[xbbx]

We do try to walk him before we go. He's SUPER high energy. I will look into getting a doggy back pack for him. We're working leaving him alone for short amount of times alone, with the bark collar. So far in the 5 mins - 20 mins my boyfriend left him alone he barked a few times. Which is improvement.

I'll talk to him about getting a dog walker. Not sure how it will work since we live in a condo. I dont feel comfortable leaving my keys + fob to a stranger

[avoncallingu]

I hate to say this, but maybe you have the wrong kind of dog for a condo when you are away for 10 hours at a time.
Would having another dog help to calm him? How about a friendly neighbour who would come around and spend some time with him during the day? (A senior maybe?)

In our condo association, they can give you a notice to evict within a month if your pet is a nuisance to other owners. I would check your association agreement. The other thing is that the person complaining is probably adjacent - either beside, or above, or below you. Perhaps you could seek these people out and explain that you are working on fixing the problem - before you get an official notice.

[Purdee]

we have a similar situation too: live in a condo with 2 dogs and our neighbour(s) also complained. We still don't know who complained. I can tell you that i thought getting another dog so the first one is not lonely and won't bark was NOT a good idea. Now we have two dogs that bark. One would bark at every little noise in the hallway and that gets the other one going. THey both go berserk when someone knocks at the door then they completely ignore commands. We work and work on them. We take turn to walk them 2-3 times a day. We have bark collars etc. Nothing seems to work.
Sorry I don't have any suggestion except DO NOT get another dog; it will be a lot more work and most likely the new one will pick up the current dog's behaviours.

[xbbx]

I hate to say this, but maybe you have the wrong kind of dog for a condo when you are away for 10 hours at a time.
Would having another dog help to calm him? How about a friendly neighbour who would come around and spend some time with him during the day? (A senior maybe?)

In our condo association, they can give you a notice to evict within a month if your pet is a nuisance to other owners. I would check your association agreement. The other thing is that the person complaining is probably adjacent - either beside, or above, or below you. Perhaps you could seek these people out and explain that you are working on fixing the problem - before you get an official notice.

I understand, I've had this dog for 7 years and he's grown super attached to me. The bark collar seems to be helping. He barks maybe like every 15-20 minutes when he hears something.
A lot of the people that live in this building are people who work during the day, or they tend to keep to themselves.

Well, my boyfriend bought the unit, so they can't evict us. Ive checked the agreement, and I think the wording was owners may be fined. The wording was vague.

We did talk about adopting another senior dog, but after Purdee's post I have to reconsider. At my parents place, there was another dog living with him. He was a silent type, didn't bark unless there was something to bark at. I hoped that was one of the behaviors he picked up.