Neighbours dog outside barking at 6.30am! AIBU?

[Happyland8]

What are the unwritten rules on dogs barking in the morning? I'm getting woken up at 6.30 every morning by next doors dog. Granted he isn't absolutely barking his head off, maybe a bark every 30seconds and the odd barking fit that lasts maybe 5 seconds. I've been struggling to get to sleep in the evenings lately so the 6.30am starts are just ruining me.

I think I'm more bothered by this as, during the spell of hot weather we had, the dog was in the house with the windows open barking constantly the whole day. He does this every day but I normally don't have to listen to it, but we were out in the garden a lot for those few days and the barking was incessant.

My husband works away a lot so I am alone with my 4 & 1 year old most of the time. My kids thankfully sleep until 7.30am but I'm losing that last hour. I'm struggling to function in the day as I'm just so exhausted.

So what's the correct protocol when it comes to dogs barking so early? Are the owners in the wrong or do I just need to get on with it? Thanks.

Bump

Not sure there is much can be done, I wouldn’t find 6.30 that unsocial as I am up and getting sorted by then but can see how it would be annoying to be woken by it.

Incessant barking is considered a nuisance but not sure this falls into that category.

Have you spoken to your neighbours about it?

Being woken at that time every morning is not on - maybe speak to them or leave a note seeing if there’s anything they can do. Otherwise you can complain to the council who might not might not bother doing anything - keeping a dog isnpercectly reasonable of your neighbours but given the anti social hour at which the barking starts, it could be a noise nuisance

Dogs bark, they’re never going to be completely silent, and the odd woof when he’s out for his first morning wee is fair game IMO. I expect your neighbours have been disturbed your children on multiple occasions too, and will be in the future as well, it’s part and parcel of living near other people I’m afraid. Same as hearing bins being collected and delivery vans early in the morning.

However barking all day in the house is a concern, not just as a noise nuisance but for the dog’s welfare too. Are your neighbours aware that he is doing this?

And you’re struggling to get to sleep in the evenings - that should be where you are focusing on trying to improve your sleep then, but that is a different thread.

If the dog is barking when let out at that time they should be taking it out on a lead.
The dog was barking all day? Do they even know? Or are they at work and leaving the dog alone all day.
Try and talk to them and keep a record. It is a noise nuisance.

I'm not sure what you can do, are you on good terms with your neighbour? Maybe have a little chat and say something to them.

My neighbours dog barks continually when they go out during the day, although that isn't too much of a problem.

I would invest in some ear plugs too.

Is the dog g barking at 6.30 when it goes out for a wee then coming inside again, or barking from 6.30 am? If it’s the former then I think yabu. We are up and about from 6am most mornings so we make noise, starting the car, and our do g might bark too. The neighbours dog also barks. However this is nothing compared to the wood pigeons....

Is it constant or a couple of barks? Mine likes to announce her presence outside so I'm pretty conscious about it when I take her out in the morning. If I'm with her, she's mostly quiet and maybe 1 or 2 yaps.

My general rule is that she's never out by herself before 9am in the week and 10am in the weekend and always in before 10pm. My neighbours haven't complained (and they would if they had problems). I also make sure to try not to leave her outside barking. If she doesn't settle after a few minutes, I bring her back inside.

6.30am is too early. There's a reason why building work isn't allowed to start till 8am.

Dogs bark, they’re never going to be completely silent, and the odd woof when he’s out for his first morning wee is fair game IMO

No it absolutely is not ‘fair game’. I’ve just had six dogs out into the garden for their morning wee. The difference is, I stay with them and bring them back in, because I’m not a selfish prick. Sorry you have to put up with that selfish wanker OP. Are they approachable? Could you tell them that the ‘children’ are being woken by the dogs. They might be more sympathetic with that idea.

How do you get on with your neighbour? I have dogs and I’d be mortified if I thought they were waking people at that time in the morning. Can you not go round and simply say what you’ve said in your OP? I’d much rather someone did that and I’d try what I could to resolve the issue. Your only other alternative is to report it to environmental health via their website, you can do it anonymously, but that’s a bit harsh if you’ve not spoken to them beforehand. I’m also not sure if they’d intervene if it’s not that bad.

The dog shouldn't Be barking. If it is then the owners should be out with him supervising and quietening him when he pees not turfing him out to bark. It’s really inconsiderate.

Building work is hardly comparable to the odd dog yap. I also go out with my dog but she might still yap.

When my awful neighbour shoved her ddog out at 6am I put a note through asking could she wait til 7 and save me setting my alarm!!
She did !!
7 is the law, keep a diary and report to local council (specific home owner /rental dept).

I really don’t consider 6:30am particularly unsociable, although pushing it back to 7am would definitely be better.

6:30am is the beginning of normal daytime hours for me.

This could be me and I couldn't be any more sorry about it. My little dog is a barker (small man syndrome!) He could bark all day long whilst outside if i let him. He seems to just love a good bark!

Anyway, I shush him as soon as he starts but he may still bark with me standing there or not. If he won't stop after a minute or so I do take him back inside.

I'd approach the neighbours and just tell the truth. They will more than likely understand and be apologetic.

Speak to your neighbours, but I doubt they are up at that time unless they need to be. I leave the house at 7 so my dog goes out before then. She doesn't bark though

YANBU. I let my dogs out between 6.30 and 7, and if one of them does even one bark I bring them both in. Repeated barking at 6.30 not acceptable.

I've realised there is a different type of bark that can either distress me or not..for example my old neighbour had 2 huge dogs that barked Day and night, luckily I had to move and do not miss it one bit, my new neighbours have a small dog that I've only heard bark a few times but even late last night it didn't make me anxious Ike the others did.

Personally I'd say something, some people cope with it and wake early, some don't. Are they at home or left the house early do you know? They may be unaware.

I’m a massive dog lover & defender but I think this is unreasonable, I let mine out in the morning, if they started to bark, I’d get them straight back in. I would speak to your neighbour & tell them it’s disturbing you too early, they’re probably not aware & have become deaf to it.

If my neighbour came to tell me my dogs were bothering them, I’d take steps to ensure it didn’t happen again.

My dog goes out for her morning wee when we first wake up otherwise she likes to do it on the kitchen floor i apologise if its our dog your talking about we do try and stop her but shes a dog she barks. I know for a fact she sleeps all day though shes on dog cam on my work computer! (Makes customer service a little nicer ha)

There is a difference between the occasional, one off bark and a dog who barks more than a couple of times at 6.30 in the morning and who also barks through the day.

OP, I completely sympathise as we have had a nightmare with a neighbours dog who was left with access to their garden all day and barked at everything - they live next to a footpath so every time they took themselves into the garden it would start. It also started at 6.30 and went on until 11.30/midnight. I and another neighbour spoke to them and then put a letter through their door and while it got better for a day or two it soon started up again. I ended up speaking to the council (environmental health I think) who were very helpful, sent a letter to the owners of the dog letting them know there had been a complaint and that they were monitoring and it make go to court. They sent me a pack to keep a record of the noise - times, affect it had on me, etc. which could be used it court if it came to that. I was dreading it getting that far and had no interest in taking them to court but from the day they received the letter the barking stopped. The dog now barks occasionally which I have no issue with and the odd 6.30 bark is quickly shushed! They got another dog to keep this one company as they seem to leave it alone all day and it has made a huge difference - not only for my sanity but by the sounds of it the dog is less stressed out too

Not all dogs bark. It's no defence against disturbing neighbours if yours does. I agree with Vet. My dog doesn't bark when she goes out for her morning wee. Some days that's after 5 am. No way should she be disturbing people at that time. If she barked I would be taking her out on a lead. It's just being considerate.

Why do people think that because THEY start the day at that time, then it’s acceptable? Seriously! Your morning start should only impact on you, not everyone else because YOU think it’s a reasonable time. I used to work until midnight and it could be 1am before I got to bed, but you think because 6/6.30 is a reasonable time to get up, then that’s ok? There may be people with babies or ill relatives who have been up throughout the night and that is normal to them, would it be ok if they work you at 3/4/5 in the morning or 1am as they get in from work?

The thing is @PositivelyPERF a majority of people aren’t at work until midnight and don’t get up in the night. 6:30 is a very normal time to be up - I’m already off to work by then.