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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think my neighbours are being a bit pathetic?

47 replies

PepperPigsPorkScratchings · 15/06/2012 12:05

My Neighbour (next door but one) has complained about my dog barking out the back garden. they're about 60/65 ish and their son is late 20's and living at home.

18 months ago we hadn't long moved in and had visitors. i put colin (the dog) out in the garden, as when he gets excited he tends ti widdle (sorry TMI) i thought i'd give him 5 mins whilst i make a cuppa for all of us. next thing my neighbour came up and complained that colin was barking and was "doing his sons head in" i apologised and explained i had just put him out because of the visitors and was about to get him in. He then said "i've been next door (the house in between us) and asked him if he could hear, but i dont know what windows he's got as he said couldnt!"
i personally thought it was a bit pathetic as Colin isn't allowed to be out the garden to bark and he hadnt be out there long.

anyways, fast forward to 2 months ago, we were having the electrics done. the whole house was being re-wired and all the doors were open for the bloke to be in and out of every room.
i put colin out the back garden, not for the electrition to fall over him, or for something to drop on him and get hurt. He started barking. it was a sunny day, i put his bed out there his bowls toys and new chewy treat thing.
The same neighbour (well his wife) came up to complain. DP said "we're having work done thats why he's out there" she went on to ask (abrubtly) "well what are you having done?" DP told her and her reply was "well i suppose i'll have to go out for the day?" and walked off. (If it had been me i must admit i would have told her "well F off then" but i had taken DC up to my mums. )

Last week, my parents came to visit. my dad wanted a cigarette so we stood by the back door; and i put colin out whilst we were stood there. he didnt bark as we were there with him. when my dad had finished, we all (us and colin) went back in. with in five mins the son of my neigbours came hammering on the door yelling at us to get the dog in. we explained if he could hear a dog barking then it isnt ours as he IS inside. the neighbour replied "no he isnt i just seen him out there" (he MUST have been watching us) he's threatend to phone the council etc on us (which i have no problem with, colin isnt out barking all the time and is cleaned up after because of the children, and is in a secure garden not wandering the streets) i told him to grow up, we have visitors and its not colin barking. when i went to close my front door, he put his foot in the way and wouldnt let me shut it, and started saying you dont want to start this, you really dont.

Im scared to let the dog out now. if he's complaining when colin isnt barking and he keeps walking past our house etc i'm scared of what he's going to do. in our little row of houses (6 houses) there is 5 dogs. AIBU to think they've picked on ours?

i'd never leave colin out to bark, never have. he goes out for the toilet, and other than that i take him to the woods opposite for walks and exercise.

sorry for the rant i've just never had problem neigbours before. :(

Sorry for spell errors etc i didnt proof read

OP posts:

PandaWatch · 15/06/2012 12:10

Colin - brilliant dog's name

I think the council are very unlikely to do anything unless he's barking all day or through the night. The guidance is generally "dogs bark, get over it" unless it's excessive.

Carry on as you are and if he bothers you again lodge a complaint with the police.

Sometimesiwonder · 15/06/2012 12:11

They sound deranged TBH.

One thought - are you sure Colin doesn't bark or whine when you go out and leave him?

AMAZINWOMAN · 15/06/2012 12:11

Does he complain to all the neighbours? If there are 5 dogs and he only complains to you then the dog may be barking excessively

Sometimesiwonder · 15/06/2012 12:12

I also think it's a terrific name for a dog

manicbmc · 15/06/2012 12:14

What Panda said. He is being intimidating.

My neighbour has a dog. It barks when it's out (quite often when it isn't pissing down) but I'd not complain unless it was being cruelly treated or out their morning and night.

Original poster

PepperPigsPorkScratchings · 15/06/2012 12:15

thanks pandawatch we also have two guinea pigs named thelma and louise

i didnt know i could complain as its been 3 complaints in 18months which isnt really harrasment. i'm just more annoyed that each time we have explained why he was out and we apologised. but to ask the guy living in between us, and to stop me closing my front door makes me angry. i wish i had jammed his ugly head in it now

deep breath......rant over

OP posts:

PandaWatch · 15/06/2012 12:17

He probably picks on you because you were so accommodating to start with and now he's taking advantage. I reckon the other dog owners have probably given him short shrift.

Maybe have a word with your neighbours to see if they have had any run-ins with him.

Original poster

PepperPigsPorkScratchings · 15/06/2012 12:18

hey guys thanks for replying. :)

no, he's not left out barking, its literally for a wee with the exeption of the work we had done and visitos which im talking 5 mins or so. if we go out for the day or a good few hours colin comes with us, so he's not barking in the house either.

so frustrated.

OP posts:

PandaWatch · 15/06/2012 12:19

His behaviour is very intimidating though. It's important to log these things with the police in case it escalates so they are already aware. They may even send someone round to have a word with him. Good luck!

imnotmymum · 15/06/2012 12:19

Dog barking does drive me mad. However if it was just for a bit infrequently then that is different and they should calm down.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 15/06/2012 12:20

Your neighbours are laughable. Don't change anything you do, you are doing nothing wrong.

These horrible people are just picking on you and Colin, and they don't deserve the time of day.

Is Colin the biggest dog in the row of houses? Maybe that's why they pick on him. Either way they are numptys, and dogs are allowed to let out a few barks in their own garden, especially in the middle of the day! Mine seems to have conversations with a neighbours dog when he hears him, but rarely barks otherwise.

theboutiquemummy · 15/06/2012 12:23

First things first don't panic

secondly check with the other neighbours about how they handle their dogs with the couple and their son and perhaps just to check to make sure Colin isn't more noisy then the other dogs

thirdly dogs do bark as long as he isn't excessive tough luck

and last but not least their threats and intimidation are unnecessary call the police next time they try and use bully boy tactics.

Good Luck I spent two years with extremely problematic neighbours left me traumatised beyond belief

ChickensHaveNoLips · 15/06/2012 12:24

Neighbour is an arsehat. If he comes round again being a nob jockey, tell him you'll be reporting his aggressive and intimidating behaviour to the police. Some people only feel big by trying to make others feel small.

Cluffyfunt · 15/06/2012 12:24

I too am loving Colin's name!

Your neighbours have nothing better to do than tit around, worrying about non problems.

My advise is to not engage at all.
If when they darken your door again, just get rid of them quickly (do try not to tell them where to go as it will just add fuel to their imaginary fire) and shrug them off as you close your door.

Hopefully they will get bord and move on to something else.

Don't worry about them conplaining to the council.
You and Colin (awwwww ) are doing nothing wrong and councils are over stretched with real problems to deal with.
You may get a letter stating that they have had a complaint but it's just standard stuff.

Original poster

PepperPigsPorkScratchings · 15/06/2012 12:24

no colin is a sausage dog cross with jack russell so he's short, long and little bit rounded :)

OP posts:

Original poster

PepperPigsPorkScratchings · 15/06/2012 12:28

thankyou all for being so kind and supportive. it really means a lot. its so upsetting as i have never had problems with my neigbours.

OP posts:

Tinklewinkle · 15/06/2012 12:30

If I were you, I'd contact your council and explain what's happening.

We ended up in an awful situation with our old neighbours in that they complained about noise constantly. It got to the point that I was scared to sneeze in case they complained.

They'd complain about my daughter's 20 minute piano practice if the patio doors were open in the summer, they complained about banging when we put 2 pictures up on an adjoining wall, constantly complaining about the dog barking (when he may yip once at the door to be let in, but no more) and like you, if we're out for any length of time we take him with us, or he goes to my Mum's . The final straw came when she screamed at me one evening that my "bloody dog had been barking all day", when he had actually been out with us.

So, I rang the council and spoke to them and they explained that unless our noise was anything excessive or late/early they wouldn't be interested and that neighbours have to get used to general day to day noise, it's tough luck

The one thing my neighbour didn't seem to get was that, if she could hear us, we could hear her, so we put up with their DIY, their dog occasionally barking, their music, etc, etc as it's just general every day living noise

PandaWatch · 15/06/2012 12:33

Colin sounds ace! Loving Thelma and Louise too. I trust you have bought guinea pig sized headscarfs and sunglasses for them and taken a photo of them with a polaroid?

Original poster

PepperPigsPorkScratchings · 15/06/2012 12:36

twinkle thats awful! my mum had neighbours like that 30 years ago! the bloke was seriosly deranged annd threw a breeze block at my dad because my brother (who was 2 at the time) was noisey playing out the garden! they moved pretty sharpish as the next time it could have been at my bro!

i think i may email the council now just to cover my own back! my dad said leave them to it, im not in the wrong and in his words "let them show their hand of cards first!" ahh a dad's wisdom lol

but i do think you're right that i should contact them! i ve never been in this situation before!

OP posts:

Original poster

PepperPigsPorkScratchings · 15/06/2012 12:40

haa pandawatch they are so funny. they get given broccili as a treat 3 time a week and because they didnt have it last night they squeeked themselves in to a right old tizz and ended up fighting!! (something they never do!) ended up giving them extra hay to try and settle them! im suprised the neighbours didnt complain colin is scared of them though! when its their turn to have a wander around the lounge etc he takes himself to bed! not an ounce of back bone poor lil thing! i swear he has a complex about his name and that the other dogs laugh at him!

OP posts:

AKE2012 · 15/06/2012 12:48

My neighbour does this. As soon as i put my music on (usually only for half an hour in afternoon when childs at school) someone comes around complaining. Yet its fine for them to bang up and down the stairs, bang on the wall and play their music after 9 or 10 at night when they know i have a small child who has school to go to.
Some people jus like to complain bout every little thing. Id jus carry on and do what you normally do and if it gets worse contact the police and the council. The dogs next door to me were left out all day (these were puppies). They were left to fend for themselves and were always getting out. Your dogs sounds like its a good dog.

MrsTrellisOfSouthWales · 15/06/2012 12:53

I think the fact he shoved his foot in the door and said "you don't want to start this, really you don't" is very threatening - is it worth speaking to the PCSO ?

hermionestranger · 15/06/2012 12:59

Do you live in my street OP? Next door neighbour came round to call me a bitch and a cow because our dogs bark and then she got environmental health involved. I spoke to them and they basically said to not worry as dogs do bark and also neighbour has "form". She also implied she was watching and monitoring our movements! She too went around the neighbours and we could see her pointing at our house!

As an aside she leaves her dogs out all the time and they bark ALL THE TIME! Some nights it's midnight before they shut the fuck up! She leaves them out in the garden even when she goes out for ages! Plus we have never made a peep about the noise from her constant work being done. (Months and months and months!)

I am trying to feel sorry for her, her husband (lovely guy) recently died but it's hard. Two days after he died she had brand new furniture delivered, then it's yet MORE work on the house, then it's tripping in and out from shopping! It's bizarre! (I'm not snooping btw, we are in a semi and it kind of tilts round so we can see her drive from our living room window). He's been dead a month!

So after hijacking your thread you are not alone and your neighbours are a nightmare by the sounds of it. Colin is a GREAT name for a dog. We used to have cats called Thelma and Louise.

NoraHelmer · 15/06/2012 13:07

Our neighbours have two Jack Russells and they leave them outside to bark most of the day. It's really getting to me right now - splitting headache. But I'm not the sort of person to complain to them or the Council - I hate confrontation :(

Pendeen · 15/06/2012 13:11

I must admit I really hate the sound of barking (don't like dogs and never understod the whole pets thing at all) but even to me your neighbours sound odd.

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