To have gone round to neighbours about their dog?

Neighbours also shout at each other most days and dog. Both are ill, heart issues and cancer,

The situation you are in is awful, stressful, enraging.

But given what you know about your neighbours, there is absolutely no point going round to discuss. They are not in any state to listen, reflect, change - it isn't going to happen.

You need to minimise the impact rather than waste any more energy on asking why or wishing it would change.

Keep following the council process.

It absolutely is possible to train this dog but owners who are particularly thick, don’t grasp that training a dog has to be their way of life. It’s not a case of job done. The techniques need to be repeated and repeated.
My neighbours have a horrendous barking dog, they saw a trainer but completely believe the training didn’t work, but that’s because they didn’t do the work. So devastatingly thick, and the impact of living next door is truly awful.

Can I ask the dog people on this thread if it's possible to train a 5 year old cavalier king Charles not to bark? I know one who goes mad about cats and planes and people walking past and the owners say it's just how the breed is?

No need to be ageist . How does that help the OP.

OP be careful about using any loud noise as a retaliation. It’s not fair on other neighbours and weakens your position.

Some people should not have dogs! The poor dog needs walking every day, Throughout the day. It's not rocket science.
Can they not pay a dog walker to come in daily and walk him? That will stop the barking.

@Chefpig Hey OP, I am a dog owner and I am appalled by your neighbours behaviour. My dog only barks late at night

They clearly are not fit enough to be owning a dog & I think that is the real evidence you need to show. Along with the logs include whether the dog has been taken out that day along with pictures of the garden when the dog has 💩

Add to that if you have spoken to them that day about the dogs barking. Your mental health is being affected and you need to find out if any other neighbours are also affected by the barking.

The more evidence you can gather to show they are not fit to own a dog the better.

Everything @HappiestSleeping said. Ignoring demand barking, which is harddddddd.

Also Dogs Trust have a free behaviour line

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/get-help/behaviour-support-line-0

Might be worth a call to the RSPCA. They do pop into older folk not coping and if the husband wouldn’t mind rehoming it, they might convince the wife its the only way due to noise issues and the fact she’s already admitted to you she’s struggling due to illness.

Dogs are amazing! Getting ours has changed my life in such a good way. And it's almost never the dog that's the problem, it's ALWAYS crap owners (I'm discounting XLs here). They should bring back dog licences to prove the suitability of owners.

Maybe because they don’t want a cat?!

Far too many dogs. Why does everybody with a pulse have to own a bloody dog! What's wrong with a lovely chilled cat.

I would try the high pitched gadget.

If that didn’t work, load speaker against their bedroom wall and leave it on all night and stay in a hotel.

I just can’t believe how selfish some people are. The poor dog needs to go to good owners.

Have you thought about speaking to the RSPCA or Dogs' Trust for advice @Chefpig? The constant barking could be a sign of distress and coupled with what you recorded about their treatment of their old dog, they don't sound at all like fit owners. The RSPCA may take a view on it being left to bark all day.

My mum jas this gadget think that emits a high pitched noise the dog doesn't like when it barks too much. It quietens the dog instantly. Now she only has to pick ot up not actually press it and the dog is quiet.

If you take them to a small claims court, where it is expected that you represent yourself so there shouldn't really be any costs for the defendant, then no, you do not pay any costs if you lose.

However you'd have to prove they have cost you financially and thats not easy in this situation.

They could train the dog that every noise or movement it hears/sees = reward, classical counter conditioning, altering the emotional response, and when the emotional response changes, the barking goes away. (More to it than that but it does work).

This isn't hard but requires consistency in being in the same room/space with the dog at all times - having high value rewards on them at all times - ensuring that they can remove the dog from somewhere without yelling/chasing (ie a long line) at all times. Typically takes a few weeks to see decent results.

The issue with punishing barking is that barking is in itself, inherently rewarding - its enjoyable to bark - if there is a noise whilst the dog is barking (ie a human yelling SHUT THE FUCKING DOG UP) this may reinforce the barking either because the dog was seeking a response (bored, lonely) or because the dog thinks the person is joining in (you shout, i shout, we all shout, hurrah!).

So then you're letting the dog practice an inherently rewarding behaviour - same with the 'wait for the dog to shut up then reward them' - you're letting them practice, and hoping they will guess that they should shut up (they won't) or hoping that your timing in rewarding the second the pause for breath will be spot on (it almost always won't be).

And yes if you lists a court case you’d be liable for costs but I wonder if you’d be taking them to small claims or higher- then it may not cost so much. Given the man talks to you though I don’t know that anything heavy handed is the answer

Op the man sounds quite reasonable, what would he say if you asked would they consider rehoming?

Every time it barks go and hammer on the door and tell them to stop it!

I think we need much stricter laws on dog ownership in this country and that def includes older people who keep pets in captivity for company

Absolutely agree.

My mum is 75 and nearly entirely immobile. She can walk to the end of the drive and that's it and this has been the case for several years. She has a beagle...a beagle ffs. It never leaves the house or garden, ever, and it's heartbreaking. I've also warned her that when this one dies (which will be soon) that if she gets another dog or puppy I will physically remove it and rehome it even if it causes WW3 (and it would, my sisters are as daft as she is).