to knock neighbour's door at 2am

[DecaffCoffeeAndRollupsPlease]

To ask them to stop their dog from barking?

It's a big American bulldog (I've been told) and it's bark is so loud.

It was going off on one from 11.30-11.50pm, which was just as my sleeping tablets were starting to work. They only make me drowsy once, so being kept awake in that window is frustrating.

Dog starts up again at 2. I put onsie on and knocked but... Seems like she can sleep through it.

Was it unreasonable to knock in those circs? I'd never normally knock on anyone's door after 9pm unless specifically invited to.

I dont live in the UK, but dont you have some sort of animal control unit attached to the council? Here if people complain about dogs barking they investigate and if not resolved, the dog is confiscated.

Bourdic, your comment is disgusting and I've reported it to MNHQ.

FFS - it is clearly a joke- which the OP's certainly isn't.

I hope MNHQ at the moment are using their time cogitating on far more serious issues

I did initially think it was a PitBull but have been corrected that it is an American Bulldog. The fear of aggression comes from finding out that it got through a hedge a pinned neighbours elderly collie until the collie owners could choke hold it by the collar off him. Poor collie now shakes with fear when being let out to pee, and has to have owners go into the garden with it for security.

Because I have been so annoyed by this dog, where I was having to steal myself before leaving my house (before they put an extra fence between the dog and the street), I can't tell what a reasonable amount of normal barking is. I notice it. It's barking now. It makes me flinch, but I guess that's my problem.

2am is definitely not my prejudice against this dog, it's unfair on light/normal sleepers.

Although, I never would have classified myself as a light sleeper. I think the red mist is making me unsure what's reasonable and what's not.

I do feel sorry for the owner too. I think her boyfriend just brought it round one day, possibly a fait acompli. They broke up a couple of weeks ago, after being overheard arguing about complaints. He's not been back but he's left the dog. So now she's a single parent, alone, no bf, had lots of complaints, tenancy not secure, dog she can't cope with and... I'm going to go and complain to her on top.

What can she do? I'd feel desperate and pressed upon in her situation. But, even with my sympathies, I don't want to be woken up at 2am by a barking dog...

I'm just guessing about why it's outside. The baby would be my reason.

I would go and say what your position is, that you don't want to complain because you know she's a young baby and it would put her in a bad situation, but that she needs to do something.

If she chooses to ignore you, and do nothing, then you complain. Gives her a chance to sort things out.

The RSPA have been out. She's since erected fencing and put a hut out there, so I assume those were the requirements.

Why not explain to her how unreasonable the barking is and that you have been woken up 11 nights in a row. Suggest that it would be in her and baby's and dog's interests if the dog was given to a rescue for rehoming. If you get nowhere, speak to council. You are not adding to her problems. You are being completely reasonable and fair and suggesting a solution. Even if dog was silent, it is no way for a dog to live.

Well if she doesn't want the dog, she can call the RSPCA herself and say her bf has abandoned it with her and she can't cope. Then the poor creature can be taken to a shelter and hopefully rehomed with an experienced owner who can train it and give it a decent life.

Bourdic, your sense of humour leaves a lot to be desired if you think that what you posted is in any way funny.

Op the best thing she could do for the Dog,herself and her neighbours is to have the Dog rehomed!

She can contact the Dogs Trust www.dogstrust.org.uk/?gclid=CPDpvdyGp80CFQoTGwodsnwD6g they're usually ten times better than the RSPCA and they can sort it all out for her.

I know it can be really hard being a single parent I was to 4DC and my 4th was a newborn and I was breastfeeding round the clock and doing everything on my own.
I love animals and we have 3 Dogs of our own but there is no way I would have kept a Dog in those circumstances and I'm really surprised the Dog wasn't taken away by the authorities when it attacked a neighbours Dog like that.

Have you tried playing a white noise app? We have one that sounds like a thunder storm that masks the neibour behind us's dog (if I knew witch house it lived in I would go round but I can't see it, just hear it).

As a breed Labradors are not aggressive Navy but the one down the road from me is terrifying and I wouldn't trust it as far as I could throw it. It is an Ex guard dog apparently and the aggression is probably why. No one wants an aggressive guard dog. Pitbull's are also not aggressive breeds while we are on the subject. The were never bred for human aggression, just dog aggression and high prey drive. Their handlers still had to be able to manage them after all.

Op FWIW I would report again. You can't be having noise like that all the time. She won't be made homeless, worse case scenario she will be forced to rehome the dog which might actually be better for it. She obviously isn't making any attempt to rehabilitate him or deal with his behaviour problems and to be completely honest, he is dangerous. I love my dogs, more than people and in cases of dogs biting kids I'm always the one thinking "Well you should have been watching your bloody kids!" but if I knew a dog of mine was that aggressive and couldn't be trained out of it, I would put to sleep. I couldn't take the risk it would seriously harm someone and it's no life being contained all the time, as you have observed. So reporting is probably the way to go. They will make her get rid of the dog if that is the cause of all the complaints and she doesn't seem like the type to put the dog first and move with it. She will rehome it and it will either end up with someone who will sort it out and deal with the issues or if it is really that vicious it will end up being put to sleep by a shelter.

Record it.

Starryillusion

in cases of dogs biting kids I'm always the one thinking "Well you should have been watching your bloody kids!"

I found our local dog warden really helpful and proactive he gave me the poison

Sorry - should have been. he gave me the poison

Do you live next door to me? We have neighbours with 2 dogs who are kept outside, never walked and bark at all hours, with hunger, fear (hear them scratching at the door in a thunderstorm), and boredom. The back garden is covered in, well, you can guess. Once a month or so they hose it all down the drain. And yes, one is a staffie and the other a doberman.

Starryillusion

You mean like these kids?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-36330540

It sounds like the dog needs to be rehomed. I would get on to the RSPCA even if they have already been round, and any other rescue centre in your area, and on to the council again. Your neighbour doesn't have to lose her home, she just has to lose her dog!