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Article
AU, Adelaide, Barking dogs get collared
| Post at: |
13/aug/2006 |
| Post by: |
David Nankervis |
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| Contact information: |
| Web site: |
http://news.com.au/adelaidenow |
BARKING dogs are the target of a hi-tech scheme to give annoyed neighbours some peace and quiet.
Local councils are introducing new technology – the Bark Counting Collar – which has been hailed a canine controversy peacemaker.
The matchbox-sized gadget has a microchip which counts how many times a dog barks – hour by hour – over 10 days.
It can prove once and for all which dogs in the neighbourhood are barking and for how long.
The counter, valued around $500, is being trialled by several councils, which place the collars on dogs at the centre of barking complaints. The collar has the backing of the state''s Dog And Cat Management Board.
"Barking dog disputes can take a lot of time to resolve – sometimes owners don''t know or don''t care their dog is barking, or people make false claims against their neighbour''s dog because of other issues of conflict," Dog and Cat Management Board Executive Officer Deb Kelly said.
"Instead of having council inspectors sitting outside homes listening for barking dogs, they can place this device on the dog in dispute and find the answers to a lot of questions."
Dr Kelly said collar trials so far had proved "extremely positive" and the device had the potential to be used by all SA councils.
The world-first bark counters were designed by Anthony Beard at Animal Management Systems in Melbourne.
He said the soon-to-be-released new models would be smaller, more slimlined and tamper-proof.
"The device has a tiny circuit board which records the bark and can be downloaded onto a computer with the information presented in a spreadsheet," he said.
"For example, if the dog was recorded barking between 3pm and 4pm on weekdays it may mean it was being provoked by school children which would help towards solving the problem."
The new tamper-proof models would stop owners removing the 3-volt battery but Mr Beard said, without elaborating, there were other ways particularly "shifty" owners could alter the data.
Onkaparinga Council in the outer southern suburbs has been trialling four devices and plans to buy two of the new models, due for release in the next month.
Council health and safety manager Chris Button said a system had been designed with the help of an acoustic engineer to determine how many barks a day – or night – constituted a nuisance under the Noise Control Act Standards.
"We believe if a dog barks more than 240 times a day we could go to court and have it ruled a nuisance in court under existing standards," Mr Button said.
"The limit for night-time – between 9pm and 7am – is tougher, with just 30 barks."
Mr Butler hoped mediation and canine behavioural management would ensure owners were not taken to court over their barking dogs. The device would also deter bogus complaints, he said.
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