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Original poster

Neighbours dog woke me up - got told it's my fault for having my windows open??

133 replies

Sophiehoney · 02/07/2025 09:13

My neighbours are a retired couple with a very barky dog.
They walk it around our street several times a day, the last walk is around midnight, presumably before they go to bed.
It's very barky and barks all the time on walks, at what? God knows. But I hear it most nights.

Last night it took me ages to fall asleep due to the heat. At 12:15am, just as I was managing to drift off, right in that comfortable place between sleep and awake, it starts right outside my house - BARK BARK BARK BARK. So fucking loud!

I was hot, tired and really pissed off at being jerked awake and I got out of bed, stormed across the room and slammed the windows shut.

I was so annoyed and so hot that it took me until 2am to fall asleep again, and it was a terible sleep in this heat. I get up at 6am and have a full day of work ahead of me.

At 8:15 this morning, as I was leaving with the kids, neighbour comes out of his house with barky-arse dog, barking as usual and I asked him, as politely as I could if he could please do something about the noise at night because it's disturbing us.

He gave a little chuckle and said "well, keep your windows shut, then you won't have to slam them closed" and started to walk away.

I was gobsmacked for a second but then called after him "I shouldn't have to - it was 31° last night, you need to train your dog!" And he just waved a dismissive hand and walked off.

Did I have a right to complain?!

OP posts:
DriveMeCrazy1974 · 02/07/2025 11:28

Sophiehoney · 02/07/2025 09:20

No - retired couple. Pretty sure he naps most of the day because he is always awake around midnight and early in the morning.

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I agree with everything else you've complained about, but that's a ridiculous assumption. I'm often up until midnight and I get up at 5am. I rarely have naps in the day time. Don't assume unless you actually know!

QuickPeachPoet · 02/07/2025 11:25

This isn't fair. I have a dog and admittedly he doesn't bark, but if he did I would not be allowing him to bark at night outside someone's window. I would be training him!
My neighbour implied similar the other week - her brat was shouting Nannyyyyyyyyyyyyy at 6:15 on a work day, and I was furious. I am tempted to do the same right when I know it's bedtime but I would disturb the other nicer neighbours.

Hollyhobbi · 02/07/2025 11:18

I’ve had this on Sunday and Monday. Big dog put out in back garden barking non stop from about 11pm each night. Not really that warm here but it was humid. Gave up and shut the bedroom windows at 1.30am and 1am. Windows closed last night as it was ok with them shut!

Shesellsseashellsnotinmystreet · 02/07/2025 11:11

Slight detail... Hope you don't mind op. It may help some people..
So I reported ndn. He was sent a letter which included 2 A4 sheets about caring for your ddog and the management of it's behaviour.. ie barking.. Now the council sent me a copy.

Which I will be photocopying at my earliest convenience and sending it with stamp to the fucker down the street. Who's big huge barky fucker was at it from 6.30 until gone 11pm.. Throwing itself at the fence at passers by...
If they think a neighbour is onto them they may gag it /sell it /give it away. I don't care which option they choose tbh..
*obviously not gagged literally..
Must be something similar to download and print off online?

MeringueOutang · 02/07/2025 11:06

NuffSaidSam · 02/07/2025 10:45

You think that response was 'sharp'?!

Good grief.

If your witty comebacks are at this level I'd look into doing a course or something.

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Now that was witty. 🤣

Original poster
Sophiehoney · 02/07/2025 11:03

Fratolish · 02/07/2025 10:54

It's a shame really isn't it that he knew he might bump into you and that was his approach. I bet if he'd come over and apologised for his dog disturbing you and assured you he'd try and keep the dog quiet, you'd be happier to put up with some noise.

I wouldn't be happy but I'd be more tolerant and understanding. At least for a reasonable amount of time 😄

OP posts:
Fratolish · 02/07/2025 10:54

It's a shame really isn't it that he knew he might bump into you and that was his approach. I bet if he'd come over and apologised for his dog disturbing you and assured you he'd try and keep the dog quiet, you'd be happier to put up with some noise.

Trovindia · 02/07/2025 10:53

BoredZelda · 02/07/2025 09:28

If it’s been 31 degrees during the day, walking your dog late at night is recommended. I’ve walked my dog at midnight, if I’m about to go to bed and our garden isn’t where she wants to be for her late night pee. Nothing anti social about that.

Dogs barking constantly is a problem any time of the day.

@Sophiehoney I get it’s annoying but it sounds like all you have done is made sure he will be more likely to do it on purpose now. I have a similar situation with our neighbour who claims his dogs are just communicating. I tried asking him nicely but he never did anything about it. Unfortunately we just have to grin and bear it.

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Midnight is too late if it barks a lot. It's cool enough by 9pm at least.

Iwillclasptheeagain · 02/07/2025 10:53

My dog was a barking twat by default. She is ushered indoors at the first bark (which has reduced her barking a lot) but is still not allowed outside between 9pm and 7am because I can't trust her to be silent.

It's called having some fucking consideration for your fellow humans.

Original poster
Sophiehoney · 02/07/2025 10:51

NuffSaidSam · 02/07/2025 10:45

You think that response was 'sharp'?!

Good grief.

If your witty comebacks are at this level I'd look into doing a course or something.

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Yes, and he probably expected to bump into me as we often come out at the same time in the morning and he would have seen me getting the kids in the car before he left the house. So he even had time to ponder his quick-witted amazing retort. Move over, Lee Mack 🙄

OP posts:
Original poster
Sophiehoney · 02/07/2025 10:48

NeverDropYourMooncup · 02/07/2025 10:15

They do when it's 31C according to the OP.

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I didn't say they inly walk it during heatwaves though. Its nit a one off heatwave thing. They walk it around midnight every night, they also walk it several times throughout the day including early in the morning (6:30 in winter, can be as early as 5am in the summer) and it always barks. They have a long driveway and neighbour is not quick on his feet (not blaming him for that) and it takes them a while to open the gates the the end of the drive. The dog barks the entire length of the drive, the whole time he is fiddling with the gates, and then I hear it fade away up the street. Quite often, just as I am falling back to sleep I hear it fading back in again as they return home.

OP posts:
NuffSaidSam · 02/07/2025 10:45

Dangermoo · 02/07/2025 09:41

No, just sharp witted, like the neighbour.

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You think that response was 'sharp'?!

Good grief.

If your witty comebacks are at this level I'd look into doing a course or something.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 02/07/2025 10:44

springissprung2025 · 02/07/2025 10:12

Why on earth would a dog need a midnight walk? ( maybe a bit different currently due to heatwave but a dog can survive without a walk for a few days) Dogs need to sleep at night. My two are in bed at 8pm and we go into the garden at 7am. This chap sounds like he wants to walk at that time rather than barky dog needing a walk. I’d contact environmental health dept or noise control at your local council and make a complaint. I’ve also got barky terriers ( a leaf can set them off) but do everything in my power to mitigate the effect on neighbours. A barking dog at midnight is 100% anti social

I must admit that I sometimes walk my dog at midnight but in my case it's because I come back from a late shift then and she needs a walk. Strangely enough, she is a terrible barker, and barks when she sees the lead, but when it comes to the late night walks she's absolutely silent. Somehow she seems to know that a late walk is a quiet walk, or maybe it's just that it's dark and silent around the village then.

Dangermoo · 02/07/2025 10:29

NeverDropYourMooncup · 02/07/2025 10:15

They do when it's 31C according to the OP.

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😆 🤣

Duckyfondant · 02/07/2025 10:18

Yes, contact the council for a noise complaint. You've tried raising it politely and his response was inadequate

PlutoCat · 02/07/2025 10:16

TreatTreat · 02/07/2025 09:18

He's an ignorant pig. I wouldn't mind it it was early but it was very late.

Do your neighbours not have work they need to get up for?

Edited

It is in the very first sentence of the OP's post that they are retired!

NeverDropYourMooncup · 02/07/2025 10:15

FortyElephants · 02/07/2025 09:22

Nobody needs to walk their dog at midnight. It's extremely antisocial.

They do when it's 31C according to the OP.

springissprung2025 · 02/07/2025 10:12

Why on earth would a dog need a midnight walk? ( maybe a bit different currently due to heatwave but a dog can survive without a walk for a few days) Dogs need to sleep at night. My two are in bed at 8pm and we go into the garden at 7am. This chap sounds like he wants to walk at that time rather than barky dog needing a walk. I’d contact environmental health dept or noise control at your local council and make a complaint. I’ve also got barky terriers ( a leaf can set them off) but do everything in my power to mitigate the effect on neighbours. A barking dog at midnight is 100% anti social

chattyness · 02/07/2025 10:05

I'd be annoyed too and you hear a barking dog passing by when your Windows are shut anyway .

thismummydrinksgin · 02/07/2025 10:04

Oh god we have this but at 5am, you did the right thing saying something and what else did he expect at midnight!

ssd · 02/07/2025 10:02

Thanks @mimbleandlittlemy

Mymanyellow · 02/07/2025 10:01

My fil used to have an empty fairy bottle to squirt at noisy dogs and shitting cats.

Fratolish · 02/07/2025 09:56

Dangermoo · 02/07/2025 09:51

I love the way some MNers get so worked up about a different answer to their own 😆 🤣

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How am I worked up?

Neemie · 02/07/2025 09:52

Everyone knows that a barking dog at night is antisocial and annoying. He is being rude because he knows his dog is annoying but has no clue how to deal with it, so he is taking out his feelings of inadequacy on you.