Setting up webcam to record dogs (sound needed)

krlyr

I'm wanting to record what my dogs get up to during the day when we're out, as a neighbour has claimed they bark non-stop (not convinced myself). Trying to save money and not buy special equipment for the purpose, I have a PC and a webcam I can use.
I need it to
- record for at least a few hours (dogs seem fine when I leave as I check up on them through the window, so if it's happening it must start after a while)
- record sound (so I can hear if they're barking even if they're out of view)
- watching it live isn't essential, happy to playback on my return

Any recommendations on what software will meet these needs, please?

Mr_Toad

Does your webcam have a built in microphone? Most of the webcams I've seen do. If it does it should be fine for recording sound.

If not a mic to plug into your sound card can be picked up very cheaply.

As for software there are loads of free webcam programs out there, google is your friend.

krlyr

No microphone on the webcam but might have a seperate one somewhere.
I've found a few programs on Google but was hoping to get a personal recommendation.

Mr_Toad

krlyr wrote: »

No microphone on the webcam but might have a seperate one somewhere.
I've found a few programs on Google but was hoping to get a personal recommendation.

I use something called Coffeecup Webcam - It is, or was a shareware program that suited my needs. It can do all sorts of stuff but for me the important thing was the security aspect of the software.

I had it pointed up the drive and as soon as motion was detected it started recording. It also took three still pictures at 1 second intervals and emailed them to me at wotk so that I could see who was coming down the drive. I had an impressive collection of pictures of my postie!

The version I have is also capable of using a built in modem to dial any number and play a message. Not many PCs have modems these days! It can also send SMS messages to a mobile if you have access to a PC SMS service.

I don't know about any other programs, I tried loads and most were rubbish but it was a long time ago hence my not making a recommendation.

I'm sure someone else will be able to point you in the right direction.

Norman_Castle

A voice activated dictaphone may be easier. Second hand non digital ones can be very cheap.

krlyr

Norman_Castle wrote: »

A voice activated dictaphone may be easier. Second hand non digital ones can be very cheap.

Thanks, but I'd prefer to have the visual aspect too so I can find out why they're barking, rather than just if they're barking (e.g. to see if they're barking at a particular trigger/doorway - is it the postman causing them to bark, or a noise at the back of the house such as a neighbour in the garden?), but I'll keep that in mind.

googler

You need something voice activated, otherwise you'll be spending every evening fast-forwarding through 6 or 7 hours of video, surely...

krlyr

googler wrote: »

You need something voice activated, otherwise you'll be spending every evening fast-forwarding through 6 or 7 hours of video, surely...

It'll only be for about 4 hours or so. If it's recorded onto PC then it won't take long to fastforward/skip through the video, I could understand if we were still in the days of VHS and had to literally FF through it all! Only issue I can see is if it'll create absolutely giant files recording for that long (but 4 hours is only really 2 or 3 films).

I'd like to record the whole time because with dogs, it's not just the "what" that's important but the "why" - finding out whether they're barking or not is one of my aims but I also want to know why they're barking, so I can prevent it. If the video pre-barking gives me a clue then it could really help out

Mistral001

I once recorde my dog on my laptop. It was done just using the laptop's built in camera and microphone. Search the list of programs (bottom left of computer desktop) on the laptop and look for something that might look like a recording/video/movie programme.

Incidentally, I recorded him just out of curiosity and to see if he was one of those dogs that could sense when his owner was coming back. The recording I think lasted about two hours. He slept for most of the time and did not bark once.

Richie-from-the-Boro

krlyr wrote: »

I'm wanting to record what my dogs get up to during the day when we're out, as a neighbour has claimed they bark non-stop (not convinced myself). Trying to save money and not buy special equipment for the purpose, I have a PC and a webcam I can use.
I need it to
- record for at least a few hours (dogs seem fine when I leave as I check up on them through the window, so if it's happening it must start after a while)
- record sound (so I can hear if they're barking even if they're out of view)
- watching it live isn't essential, happy to playback on my return

Any recommendations on what software will meet these needs, please?

Totally O/T but assuming your neighbour is suffering, its a public forum and there is another side to this that you might want to consider :

- no owner is ever 'convinced' its their animal
- previously good neighbour turned malicious is always the assumption

Relentless barking like relentless base note is a truly debilitating noise, I suffered this once years ago and after 3 months of patiently telling / warning / reporting I arrived as an animal lover [ with a dog ] at the point where I wanted to despatch both the dog and its owners.

Alarm / territorial / excitement / fear and boredom including anxiety and frustration are all different barks, but when being left alone is unusual its almost always fear and or anxiety.

Its also the case, particularly that an older animal you have had for some years which is used to 'being alone' in its own territory develops an irreversible 'separation anxiety' sadly this can never be overcome without the equivalent of doggy drugs.

NOTE:

In the incident I suffered, I later found out that the neighbour had taken the dog from her mother, the mother had to get rid of it because after being reported many many times and after spending a fortune on the problem at the vets the local authority served an order.

My tip .. .. try getting a second dog for company.

Catherine_Johnson_2

krlyr wrote: »

I'm wanting to record what my dogs get up to during the day when we're out, as a neighbour has claimed they bark non-stop (not convinced myself). Trying to save money and not buy special equipment for the purpose, I have a PC and a webcam I can use.
I need it to
- record for at least a few hours (dogs seem fine when I leave as I check up on them through the window, so if it's happening it must start after a while)
- record sound (so I can hear if they're barking even if they're out of view)
- watching it live isn't essential, happy to playback on my return

Any recommendations on what software will meet these needs, please?

I'm wondering why you'd think your neighbour would be lying about your dogs barking?

Have you asked any other neighbours around the area?