Dog barking/yelping when we go out (mine)

[howmanyusernames]

My 13 year old dog passed away 3 weeks ago, and since then our other dog (who was a rescue but lived with deceased dog for 8 years) has been yelping/screeching/barking whenever we go out. The neighbour is complaining.

We are usually at home in the day and evening but occasionally go out, like today, and I came home to another note through the door.

The first time was the day my dog died, it said the other dog had been yelping ‘all day’. I know that was a lie as I was in all day as I was so upset about my dog dying, except for 45 mins when I went and picked my son up.

Today we have been out for 4 hours, and another note has been put through the door saying they’re going to report me to the council.

I have lived here for 13 years and own my home, and next door is an HMO and the person has lived there for 6 months. I’m only mentioning this as we can’t move, they can, and the dog has been here for 8 years.

After the first note I spoke to the landlord, he was very sympathetic and said he’d speak to the person who wrote the note.

When we go out we leave the TV on, leave treats, and my husband has been walking the dog for an hour each day.
I don’t know what else to do.....

The dog is about 9-11 years old we think (rescue so not sure).
We know she is pining for the other dog, is probably scared she is being left, worried we might not come back, and hasn’t been alone for 8 years, but is there anything else we can do?
We can’t be at home all day every day, although we are 95% of the time as we have a 1 year old.
And if we do go out it’s during the day, usually on a weekend, and will always be home by 5pm, so the dog isn’t yelping at night etc.
I don’t want to be a bad neighbour, but I don’t know what else I can do?!

[howmanyusernames]

Also, no one has ever spoken to me or knocked the door when I’m in to chat about it. If they’re putting a note through the door the dog WILL bark, as she does when the postman comes, it’s a territorial thing.

[adaline]

You can't leave a dog to bark all day while you're out - it doesn't matter if it's just at the weekend or not after 5pm, it's not fair on your neighbours. Not everyone works Monday-Friday 9-5 - people want to sleep in at weekends or might work shifts too.

If your dog is really upset alone (understandable if it's never been left) then you need to find someone to sit with it - a neighbour or family member perhaps, or is doggy day care an option occasionally? If it's barking and crying it's telling you it's upset and distressed - you could try leaving the radio on, or a frozen kong or long-lasting treat perhaps?

[howmanyusernames]

Its not all day, it was for 4 hours on a Saturday, which was the first time in 3 weeks. The dog is used to being left alone, but now is obviously missing her companion.
We’ve left the TV on, treats out, done everything the vet has suggested. We have even got my Mum to sit with her some of the time when we do go out, but I’m asking what else we can do as we can’t never go out?!

[GeorgeTheHippo]

Maybe you now have to treat the dog like another child - either he comes with you or you get a sitter? And try to build up his tolerance to being left very gradually.

[howmanyusernames]

That’s what we’re trying to do. I think because they lied before and said she’d been barking ‘all day’, and I was in all day, bar 45 mins, it makes me wonder how bad it really is.
I’ve spoken to two of the other tenants (there’s 5 in total) and they said they never hear the dog bark/yelp. The landlord, who goes to the property every couple of weeks (for maybe 2-6 hours each time) has said he’s never heard any dog noise. And our neighbours the other side will always text us to let us know if the noise is continuous, which has only been maybe twice in the 3 years they’ve lived there, AND when the other dog was alive. On those occasions I’ve asked my Mum to go round as she’s only 2 mins round the corner.

We don’t go out very often, but we will go out on the odd occasion so don’t want to annoy poeople, but also don’t know if the neighbour complaining is just a dick.

Oh, and they don’t work, none of them do...

[Lichtie]

We have a puppy cam to watch ours when we are out. They are cheap but work well. Puts our mind at rest that she's not upset or barking. Get one and watch to see what your dog really does when you're out.

[howmanyusernames]

Oh, and recently I was in the kitchen and noticed the fence was on fire, as in huge flames! Someone in that property had flicked a lit cigarette end against it (when it was really hot and dry) and it was alight, as in 6ft flames! While my husband was trying to put it out, I rushed next door to tell them/ask for help, and ‘complaining neighbour’ said they didn’t start it so it was nothing to do with them. I was like ‘The fence is on fire, we didn’t start it someone here did, but can you please help my husband’ and she kept saying they hadn’t started it so not their problem.
I rushed back to try and help my husband (1year old in my arms), and could see this women and her partner through the huge hole in the 6ft fence, standing and watching him, and then when he’d finished they pointed at a bit and said he’d not put it out properly!

[agirlhasnonameX]

Your neighbours sound lovely :/
We've got a pup and he is extremely loud at night. I'm thinking of talking to my neighbours before they even get round to complaining :s
Is it too soon/inconvenient for another dog to keep him company? Sounds like he is really missing his friend.
Sorry for your loss and hope you find a solution.

[howmanyusernames]

Thank you for your message.
I wouldn’t want to get another dog at the moment as it would be too soon, for me too, but the remaining dog was rescued from overseas, so we don’t know how old she is or what she’s been through, so wouldn’t want to bring a puppy in and her teach it bad habits!
I bought a puppy cam today, which arrives tomorrow, so I’ll be able to watch her and check is she is doing what they say, and I can also speak into it if she is, which might calm her.
I also get a new work office next week, where I can take her, so if I know she’ll be on her own in the week I can take her in.
We are out on Friday night, just for 2-3 hours, so I guess it’s then she might bark again....