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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To shout at my neighbours dogs after two hours of barking non-stop in the garden?

28 replies

ASorcererIsAWizardSquared · 10/06/2015 19:05

She has two little dogs, i think one is a yorkie, the other is a shit-zu. They both bark constantly when they're outside, and they're nearly always in the garden in the good weather.

You really can't even sneeze or cough in the garden without them both starting barking. They bark when i'm out there hanging the washing out, when the kids are playing, when i'm just out there relaxing and watching the cat wandering around and playing chase-the-flies.

I dont really know her, but i know her ex-dil and her granddaughter is my kids friend, the girls often chatter through the fence when she's there, and i DO know through my friend that my neighbour doesn't know why they're barking so much since she moved there 2 years ago, they never used to be like it from what she's said.

I put up with it most of last year, but this year i have really just had enough. They've been barking non stop for the last 2hrs and i'm about to put the kids to bed, the oldest of whom has Sensory Processing disorder among other SN's and he's been complaining of the barking hurting his ears and keeping him awake.

I have asked friend to have a quiet word with her about it, and apparently she'd tried but they just won't stop, so me going around there and saying something face to face isn't going to have much luck either!

I just had enough and shouted over the fence "Will you shut those bloody dogs up!" and she did call them back in (for 10 minutes, they're now going at it again) and i have enough issues getting DS to sleep with his SN's as it is!

Now i know its not polite, but i've had enough.

How much of a nuisance do you have to put up with before you can complain to the council about them? I dont want to do that, but if she doesn't stop them, i dont know what else to do.

OP posts:
Coffeethrowtrampbitch · 10/06/2015 19:09

I'd go there, once you have calmed down because you must be fuming, and explain the impact her dogs' barking is having on your family, especially your ds with sn.

I'd ask her to take them inside every time they bark in an effort to discourage them and minimise the impact on you and your family.

If she refused I would definitely phone the council as you have been more than reasonable.

honeysucklejasmine · 10/06/2015 19:09

I feel your pain, my neighbour has three. If I so much as open the back door then they start.

My neighbour has sold her house so I am just keeping quiet until she moves, but if she wasn't I would be complaining to environmental health.

Give them a ring and ask what the process is. You might need to keep a diary or the like, so find out now.

FWIW I think next doors dogs are bored. They are home alone for hours on end in a relatively small house.

honeysucklejasmine · 10/06/2015 19:11

Oh, the other day she had a friend round who commented on the barking, along the lines of "oh, what a good guard dog!"

Except, you know, I fucking live here. Angry

LondonRocks · 10/06/2015 19:13

YANBU! That would drive me mad. Hate the sound of yapping dogs.

TendonQueen · 10/06/2015 19:17

Yes, go round and have a calm discussion and explain how it impacts on everyone but in particular your DS. Ask if there's a compromise to be reached about how long / at what times she has them outside. See if that helps any.

SnakeyMcBadass · 10/06/2015 19:18

YANBU. Dogs bark, but constant barking is a nuisance and a behavioural issue. Your neighbour should be trying to train them out of it.

ilovesprouts · 10/06/2015 19:22

they is a lady who lives three doors above me her bloody dogs yap most of the day

BabeRuthless · 10/06/2015 19:22

From the point of view of a dog owner, mine is terrible for barking at people passing/other dogs barking/ a gnat farting two miles away so I always bring her in when she barks. I'm very mindful of the fact that not all people like dogs and try and keep the noise to a minimum. It's impossible to stop her barking completely but two hours without a break is massively excessive and worth a knock on the door and a chat under any circumstances let alone when your son has sensory issues. Maybe go round and explain its way too much and if the situation doesn't improve you will be left with no choice but to go to environmental health. I bet you're not the only neighbour annoyed by them either.

takemetomars · 10/06/2015 19:28

complain to council. Now. Then tell her you have done so. Not a great fan of negotiating with neighbours, can you tell?

pettywitchinlondon · 10/06/2015 19:31

Yanbu.
My neighbours dog barks for hours. He leaves it in the house l day and rarely takes it out for a walk. It's a big one with lots of energy. Selfish and cruel

Original poster
ASorcererIsAWizardSquared · 10/06/2015 19:33

The council has a noise complaint on-line form to fill out, i might just do that.. i'm not really the kind of person that goes and knock on neighbours doors, that'd be DH's job!

I would report her immediately if the dogs were neglected or alone all day, but they're not, they're well cared for, walked daily...etc, they just bark constantly!

OP posts:
AliceInSandwichLand · 10/06/2015 19:48

I have four dogs. When I let them out, they often run down the garden to bark at the neighbour's dogs. I call them back in as soon as they do this. Because of the barking, I never leave them in the garden for more than five minutes unless I am with them and the neighbour's dogs (which seem to have free access to their garden) are not there for once. There is no way I would leave them to bark freely for ages as your neighbour is doing. YANBU.

Signlake · 10/06/2015 20:28

I have no idea why people do this. If my dog barks in the garden, I tell him to be quiet. If he won't settle, he goes back inside. I do this during the day too. Not just early morning/evenings

SaucyJack · 10/06/2015 20:37

YANBU.

And they're not that well-cared for if they're barking all day every day.

Pastaeater · 10/06/2015 20:44

God - that would drive me round the bloody bend.
I would go round and explain the situation (or leave a polite note if you really can't face the thought of going round), and then if no improvement go to the council.
The sound of dogs constantly barking is the most annoying sound EVER!!

MrsBarryAllen · 10/06/2015 20:47

That would drive me insane!

I'm noise sensitive so would probably cry if I had to listen for 2 hours.

I give my neighbours dog roughly 5 minutes before I shout, 'Shut up dog!'
What's so frustrating is that though they do shut up their dog straight away and keep him from barking again is that why don't they shut him up straight away themselves. They clearly can but don't unless I shout. So weird.

If I don't shout they let him go on and on and on. Confused. Surely even listening to your own dog constantly barking is annoying?

I tried having a polite chat with them about it, and a couple of polite notes through the door but only the yelling works. If that didn't id have no qualms about making a complaint to the council.

fiverabbits · 10/06/2015 20:49

The house at the end of my garden had a dog that barked for 13 years. It whined if they went out. The bit that got me the most was that the dog would bark whilst the people was standing talking to their friends and no-one told it to be quiet but if I called out Sandy shut up it did. The people also ignored their two children if they called Mum/Dad or screamed. I swear they got the dog so someone would take notice of the children. It's cruel to say but I was glad when the Dog died. They didn't have a doorbell so their visitors just called out or tooted their car horns to get attention. Some people don't worry how noise affects other people. When a new neighbour moved in with a dog after one week someone complained about the barking because basically the whole neighbour had had enough barking to last a lifetime after Sandy.

fiverabbits · 10/06/2015 20:51

Mrs BarryAllen

We were typing at the same time !

lastuseraccount123 · 10/06/2015 20:51

YANBU

i have a yappy dog. it's work. i have to be on him all the time when i'm home (for whatever reason he only barks a lot when i'm around). as soon as he starts i'm on him, putting him into his dog bed, until he gets the message.

Sallyingforth · 10/06/2015 20:51

Get one of those cheap electronic dog whistles and aim it at them whenever they start barking. You may be able to train them to shut up.

stonecircle · 10/06/2015 21:12

I feel your pain OP. There is a very big garden which sits at right angles to our much smaller one. Our bedroom window is just a couple of feet away from the boundary wall. The woman who lives there has two dogs which she lets out around 6am weekdays and weekends and then throughout the day and one of them barks incessantly.

I've spoken to her nicely over the fence and been round to complain. It's complicated though by the fact that I also have a barker. The difference is, we don't let him out before about 7 on a weekday and 9/10 on a weekend; we bring him in as soon as he barks; and he generally only barks in response to the neighbour's dog. If the neighbour's dog isn't out ours doesn't bark. If our dog isn't out the neighbour's dog still barks. Whenever I speak to her she just keeps saying, 'well your dog barks' and doesn't listen to my attempts to explain that her dog runs up and down the length of the boundary wall - underneath my bloody bedroom window at 6am barking while my dog is asleep beside me!

I have looked at the council noise complaint form and am thinking of filling it in. I hate having to do it but I am really at the end of my tether!

TheHappinessTrap · 10/06/2015 21:20

As a neighbour with dogs of this was me I'd be embarrassed. For the morning wee they are usually too tired and are therefore quiet. However thereafter they enter the garden ready to defend it and do an initial territory check which usually involves some barking. We are with them and contain it as quickly as possibe, it's not usually more than 30 seconds, but god forbid there's a squirrel or fox out there. At least my neighbours hear us working on it!

Original poster
ASorcererIsAWizardSquared · 10/06/2015 21:32

i understand dogs bark, my moms dog is bugger for it, but like most of you, she stops it immediately, i wouldn't mind that, its the complete non-effort that ends in me shouting over the fence about it that is getting tiring!

OP posts:
SurlyCue · 10/06/2015 21:39

I would actually gather up some names of local dog trainers before you go round to her. Bring them with you and say "look i know dogs bark but that is insane and requires training to fix, here are some names, please do sort it or i will be reporting your dogs to the noise team"

DontOpenDeadInside · 10/06/2015 21:50

I moved here in August to get away from noisy teenage neighbours. However nearly all the neighbours have yappy dogs.
3 next door -almost all day yappers,
other next door 2 howlers,
2 doors up a whiner/yapper,
over the back theres a cryer on an evening when owner must go out,
and an all night barker -30 seconds between barks.
Kinda wish id waited out the teenagers growing up! Can't complain as its loads of different neighbours.