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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to apologise after DH barked at the neighbour's dog?

345 replies

Greyblankie · 23/04/2026 13:48

Last year the neighbour behind us got a small dog. It yaps.

Anyway DH has been complaining to me about this irritating dog ever since she got it and admittedly it is very annoying but what can you do? It’s during the day and it’s not constant.

He’s been away with work for 3 days and has come back grumpy and tired - last night he went outside to check on his plants and the dog started yapping. DH went absolutely bonkers, started running up and down the fence barking and snarling like a dog until the woman came out and hastily took her dog back inside. Mortified!! I know he was tired but Jesus he was acting like a psychopath

Hes back at work today and she’s sat outside in the sun - do I pop my head over and apologise/explain or leave it and assume we’re no longer on good terms 😬

OP posts:
BreatheAndFocus · 23/04/2026 18:31

She is a CF to leave her dog yapping like that

She doesn’t leave her dog yapping. OP has said the neighbour calls the dog in when it’s barking.

IBlinkedAndBecameMiddleAged · 23/04/2026 18:27

Can your DH come and bark at our neighbours dog? 😂

I can understand why he snapped as yappy dogs are awful! Yes it was embarrassing, but your neighbour isn’t apologising for her dog yapping all the time is she - so I don’t think DH should. She is a CF to leave her dog yapping like that and hopefully now she has the message!

Dollymylove · 23/04/2026 18:22

Dont apologise. Tell her to keep her yappy dog under control

gottakeeponmoving · 23/04/2026 18:06

I’m team DH. Yappy dogs are very annoying.

ladyamy · 23/04/2026 18:04

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

ladymalfoy · 23/04/2026 17:50

He snapped and barkted.

Tableforjoan · 23/04/2026 17:40

ShiftySquirrel · 23/04/2026 17:37

My DH has barked back at next doors dog. He wasn't trying to make a point but was "talking" to it and it was answering, then he felt bad the dog got taken in...
He also talks to the same neighbour's cat (meowing)... Last week he was chasing a pheasant out of the garden like an absolute loon. They can get quite territorial... Both DHs and pheasants.

Apologies to my neighbour if she recognises us!

But does he talk to the squirrels 🐿️

😅

Soglad67sover · 23/04/2026 17:39

I haven't read the full thread but, no, don't apologise. Your DH did nothing wrong and hopefully now your neighbour might reflect on the impact her dogs barking has on the people around her.

ShiftySquirrel · 23/04/2026 17:37

My DH has barked back at next doors dog. He wasn't trying to make a point but was "talking" to it and it was answering, then he felt bad the dog got taken in...
He also talks to the same neighbour's cat (meowing)... Last week he was chasing a pheasant out of the garden like an absolute loon. They can get quite territorial... Both DHs and pheasants.

Apologies to my neighbour if she recognises us!

Cakedreams · 23/04/2026 17:31

God this reminds me of the time I wanted to annoy my brother who was on the phone to his friend so for some reason that made sense to my 8...ok maybe 10... year old brain I started barking. There was a pause and then my brother said 'no we don't have a dog. That's my sister.' That shut me up! 😂

Branster · 23/04/2026 17:30

Well done DH! I’m a dog lover and have had dogs since forever, but I can’t stand these yappy bastards. I know it’s the owners’ fault but it’s still unbelievably annoying.

Sunisgettinganewhaton · 23/04/2026 17:29

I salute your dh and intend to test out his theory at the first opportunity..

usedtobeaylis · 23/04/2026 17:29

I can understand him snapping, dogs barking is intolerable. Regular barking is intolerable. It the kind of noise that can really affect people mentally. He should apologise, not you but still. I get it 😂

mantez · 23/04/2026 17:27

elizabethdraper · 23/04/2026 14:10

I have done this 😂

Next doors dog barks like a loon everytime someone walks up our drive, I may have imbibed a few alcoholic beverages and barked back

Edited

😂😂😂😂😂

GreenCandleWax · 23/04/2026 17:27

Blueuggboots · 23/04/2026 13:49

I wouldn’t apologise. Yappy dogs drive me mad too.

Maybe she will have got the message! Just leave it.

ChrisTheBastard · 23/04/2026 17:25

BreatheAndFocus · 23/04/2026 16:00

But the OP hasn’t said this neighbour does anything like that?? She’s actually said the neighbour takes the dog back in if it barks - so nothing like your experience.

This thread has just brought out the bizarre number of dog-haters on Mumsnet whose beef seems to be with the very existence of dogs - or, like this DH, use dogs as an excuse to take out their pent up rage.

Show quote history

She takes it in if it barks... This sentence is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Takes it in 5 seconds later after 2 yaps - well done, good sensible owner.

What I suspect happens is that the fucking thing yaps incessantly at literally anything for about 25 minutes before it gets moved indoors. In that circumstances, I don't blame the poor guy for getting irritated

Shortbreadel · 23/04/2026 17:23

Haha 😆 depends on the neighbour. If it was me (although I wouldn't leave a yappy dog in the garden) i'd know everyone has a bad day when they loose it! And TBF maybe neighbour will take the hint her dog is annoying

TedDog · 23/04/2026 17:16

I think it’s hilarious! 😆

Frugalgal · 23/04/2026 17:14

Greyblankie · 23/04/2026 13:48

Last year the neighbour behind us got a small dog. It yaps.

Anyway DH has been complaining to me about this irritating dog ever since she got it and admittedly it is very annoying but what can you do? It’s during the day and it’s not constant.

He’s been away with work for 3 days and has come back grumpy and tired - last night he went outside to check on his plants and the dog started yapping. DH went absolutely bonkers, started running up and down the fence barking and snarling like a dog until the woman came out and hastily took her dog back inside. Mortified!! I know he was tired but Jesus he was acting like a psychopath

Hes back at work today and she’s sat outside in the sun - do I pop my head over and apologise/explain or leave it and assume we’re no longer on good terms 😬

That's hilarious but your DH has nothing to apologise for

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 23/04/2026 17:13

That is really weird behaviour and sounds unhinged

MurkyMo · 23/04/2026 17:11

Also team DH here. I think I love him !!!! 😂

Reevester · 23/04/2026 17:08

Wouldn’t even consider apologising and honestly you shouldn’t be asking him to.

TheDevilFindsWorkForIdleMums · 23/04/2026 17:08

I'm on your husbands side here !

Our lives were made a misery by some selfish bastards at the back of us who let their dog scream all day to the extent it had a huge impact on my sons mental health from being kept awake and constant noise if we so much as opened our back door.

Weeelokthen · 23/04/2026 17:04

StephensLass1977 · 23/04/2026 16:23

We have two dogs, and yet I hate my neighbour's dog with a passion. Yappy little fuck that it is. I bring mine in within seconds if mine bark in the garden. Only one of mine barks - their breed doesn't generally bark, but the younger one does, because of next door's dog winding him up when he was a puppy.

Our neighbour does nothing to stop her dog. She lets it yap all day long, it yaps every time she leaves the house (or her daughters leave), and it tries to bite my dogs through the shared fence and she does absolutely nothing to stop it.

I absolutely love dogs but I can see how your husband has reached the end of his tether. However I see nothing to suggest she's a bad owner? She sounds like me in the sense she won't allow it to bark repeatedly and deals with it swiftly.

Dog barks, bring it in, dog barks again, bring it in and so on, it will soon get the message. I had a wee staffy (who had a really embarrssing bark) he soon got the message, if he did it again I would call his name and he would stop.

Weeelokthen · 23/04/2026 16:58

beefthief · 23/04/2026 13:56

That's hilarious, Team DH all the way

A million % this. Team dp 😂

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