ANIMALS that evolve in groups tend to have complex language systems and a bark can mean one of eight different messages, including greeting and defence.
To help reduce noise, owners should avoid leaving their dog unsupervised, either take them to work, leave a dog sitter with them or visit them during the day to
check on them. Keep the animals away from boundary fences and partition walls plus draw curtains to minimise distractions.
If owners know their dog is noisy when being fed or played with, these should not be done at anti-social times.
Daytime boarding may be the only option if nothing else proves successful.