Noisy dog in neighbours flat

[veryconfuse]

I live in a block of flats where all pets are banned by the property management company (there are signs all over the building). My neighbours have a dog that is very noisy. It doesn't bark often but i can hear it running around the flat and a bouncing noise which i think is the kids throwing a ball for it. The children also often throw the ball for it up and down the corridor, sometimes very early in the morning before they take it for a walk.

The flat is next door but one to me but on the corner so our front doors are very close. I am sure it is this flat because i have listened outside their front door (bit strange i know but i wanted to make sure it was them before i said anything). Also when they take the dog for a walk all is quiet. I work from home 4 days a week and this noise is really distracting (I'm not sure why the kids are so often home in the middle of the day). They are also very loud in general, for example talking very loudly outside the door at 7am last Saturday before they took the dog for a walk.

I knocked on the door today and said i could hear a lot of noise from their flat and wondered if it was them. The mum was very defensive straight away. She said it couldn't possibly be them because they aren't directly next door to me. When i was waiting for her to answer the door i could hear the noise, then she opened it, the dog came out and the noise stopped. I explained this to her and she didn't respond.

I just said that i was trying to find out where the noise was coming from ans that i wasn't accusing her or dog specifically. Then i just said thanks and left because she was refusing to consider it could be her.

I then overheard her asking the lady who lives between us if she heard anything from her flat and the other lady said no. To be fair she was in a rush and on her way out so i don't know that she definitely can't hear.

I'm really unsure what to do now because they are still making a lot of noise. I think she got so defensive because she is worried i will report her for having a dog, however I don't want to do that. I think i was friendly and not confrontational when i spoke to her so I'm really unsure if there's anything else i can do. Any suggestions??

It's understandable that she was defensive and the fact she's asked the neighbour does suggest that she is taking it seriously, semi-seriously at least.

Perhaps you could pop round again when the noise starts up and ask her if she would like to pop round for a brew so that she could hear what it is like for you. I'd be hopeful that given the potential consequences of a complaint going to the management company that there's a good chance you can work something out between you.

Good luck with it, these situations are always really tricky but at least you do have the nuclear option if all else fails and they are completely unreasonable.

Thanks for your advice however I'm not sure that will help. As the lady who lives inbetween us has said she can't hear anything I'm sure the lady with the dog will just use that as evidence to say that I'm wrong.

I am tempted to speak to the lady who lives in the middle but i don't want to be sneaky or cause an argument.

It's happened again this afternoon, the family have taken the dog out for a walk and it's completely silent!

Not sure what else i can do rather than buy some ear plugs!

What sort of noise is it? I can’t imagine that a dog in itself would make more noise than a child running about? Or is the noise of paws trotting along wooden floors?

The thing is - this isn’t barking - so not necessarily going to cease by removal of the dog.

I think it may be the kids running around with the dog rather than the dog itself.. It's quite small so i wouldn't have expected it to make that much noise on it's own. Also i just realised it's half term here which would explain why it has been so noisy in particuar this week.

Like i said i have no intention of trying to get rid of the dog, i just want peace and quiet in the day when I'm working!

I think she's worried I'm going to report them which is why she got so defensive. Do you think i should go round again and explain?