Neighbour's dogs

[crappyday2018]

So I moved into my new house on Friday. Its been a struggle to buy my own place on my own so was very excited and happy.
Friday night, I heard dogs next door barking constantly for about an hour, then it all stopped and was quiet. It seemed they were barking because owner was out.
Saturday night, the dogs barked non-stop for over 4 hours while neighbours were obviously on a night out. They didn't stop until about 1130pm.
The same neighbours had put a lovely card through the door welcoming us. So, I knocked earlier to introduce myself and say thank you for the card (to suss them out). I met the dogs and the woman made a point of saying "oh they only bark when someone knocks"....
Anyway, now tonight they have been barking for the last 2 hours solid as she has obviously gone out and left them AGAIN.
So, I know I need to say something but do I do it now? Or should I hang fire a few days? My son won't be able to sleep tonight if this continues much longer.
I don't want to get off on the wrong foot and they may wonder why I didn't mention it earlier but I actually hoped last night was maybe a rare night out.
My son is about to go to bed and has school. Should I put a note through the door now and just say something like "Sorry to leave a note but I knocked and you were out. I'm afraid your dogs have been barking for over 2 hours and my oldest can't get to sleep so I came to check everything was ok. They did bark rather a lot last night too so I wonder if they get upset when they are left".
Or should I just knock tomorrow when they are in?
I hate that I have to say something when I've just moved in and she has lived there for 30 years.

[TheReluctantCountess]

I’m glad she was nice about it. Hopefully the barking will stop when visiting dog goes home,

[CockleburIck]

Oh that’s a good result... not too many good neighbours on MN threads! Hope you have the peace you need now, OP.

[WaggleWiggle]

You wrote a lovely note and hopefully it won’t happen again as she sounds really nice and keen to help.

[Dollymixture22]

Great news. Hope all is quiet now.

[crappyday2018]

Just an update. Neighbour knocked earlier. She was LOVELY about it and totally mortified. Turns out she's only looking after one of the dogs for a week for her son so it sounds like this dog is the one unsettled and setting her dog off. She has already been and bought a camera to install she can check on her phone.
Such a relief that she was nice about it.

[crappyday2018]

@Florence87 thank you. I did record them last night. I'm a mid-terrace house and they are on the end so no other neighbours to confirm the noise unfortunately.

[Florence87]

I have several dogs and it sounds to me like the poor dogs have separation anxiety. Evenings are when dogs naturally are more awake and alert than in the day. As difficult as it may be, I would speak to your neighbours to start with. Poor dogs. They probably want to go toilet, go for a walk, have some food, and some company! If the neighbours do get funny with you, then start making a diary with dates, times and duration of dogs barking plus record the barking at times, so you can report it as a noise problem. Maybe record the barking to let neighbours hear. Do they have neighbours on the other side of them, who can confirm the dogs are barking.

[Lolwhat]

I would want to know if it was my dog annoying the whole neighbourhood! Don’t do it via note though

[crappyday2018]

Thanks all. I don;t think its fireworks as there haven't been any the last 1 2 nights. Its definitely when they are left alone.

I also wonder if she is looking after her son's dog because he is away as she made a point of saying one of them was her sons so I'm hoping that dog isn't permanent and may be the cause of the noise.

Fingers crossed.

[Ayemama]

Hopefully they just don't know the dogs are making a lot of noise and they will figure out a way to fix it.
I agree with pp that it might well
Be fireworks causing it as my poor cat has been going crazy the last couple of weekends with them when I can hardly hear them and we live on a farm in the countryside so not near any displays.
Animals have much better hearing then us.

[WorldEndingFire]

I hope it doesn't, but in the event this escalates, you will find this app very useful: noisenuisance.org/noise-app/

[Junkmail]

I think that putting a note in was the right thing to do and I would hope my neighbours would do the same if my dogs were barking for hours on end because I would prefer to know as I wouldn’t like them to be distressed while I wasn’t there! If your neighbour is reasonable she won’t have an issue with this OP. I hope it can be resolved for everyone’s sake. I hate the sound of dogs barking—it’s so aggravating. And that’s coming from someone with four dogs!!

[TheMasterBaker]

We have 2 dogs and when we had our previous dog (still only 2 at once but sadly one passed away very young) our neighbours did 'complain' a couple of times. I say 'complained' as they did it very nicely just saying that he sounded upset and it was disturbing their kids. He had awful separation anxiety which we wouldn't have known about had they not told us as it obviously only happened when we were out.
Our 2 we have now have been very unsettled since the fireworks started and have been barking in the evening. Luckily as I'm always here, I can settle them but if they were alone, they'd probably carry on for a while. Even when we can't hear the fireworks at the time, we know they have far better hearing that us. Fingers crossed it turns out it's just unsettled dogs because of all the fireworks. We've had them going off here since Halloween so hopefully they're just about finished now!

[FreeBedForFlys]

Yeah that’s a good point ^

Go round and say “You’ve had HUNDREDS of people at your door today - your dogs haven’t stopped barking for 3 hours!”

[Puppymum2018]

I have a dog that usually only barks at the door bell...but this year we seemly have had fireworks constantly since the end of October nearly every evening- my dog in the past hasn't been bothered but the last few nights has been barking every time she hears a bang - I feel so bad for our neighbours :(

Hoping no more fireworks!!! Could this be the reason?

[MintyMabel]

When she said they only bark when someone knocks, why didn't you say they also bark when they are out? They are clearly unaware.

I'd let them know what's happening.

[crappyday2018]

@Magicmama92 I was going to speak to them but, to be honest, it was so bad last night I thought it best to do something while it was happening. I did say on the note I had knocked and that I would pop round today.

[crappyday2018]

@Wingedharpy thank you. Yes you're probably right. The barking lasted for 4 hours solid last night. Hopefully they will have seen my note so fingers crossed they are ok about it. Not even sure what the solution would be but I guess that's up to them to sort out.
I will update!

[Magicmama92]

I would have talked to them rather than a note. Hopefully they will be understanding and try help resolve the situation.

[Boristhecats]

I did this. As the three dogs next door barked all day. Poor things are left alone all day. Why bother having dogs if your going to leave them on their own for 12 hours a day.
They said sorry and they would sort it. Guess what.... they didn’t. So they just bark. They bark all day when people are in as well. How they can put up with the constant barking all day baffles me.

[LadyGuffers]

I expect the dogs shut up when they return. Dogs are pretty good at recognising signs their human is about to get back, such as their specific car sound. They hear this, shut up and the humans get out the car and they are quiet so they assume the dogs have always been quiet.

50% of dogs re upset at being left and 4/5 of their owners are unable to tell for one reason or another.

Telling them is the right thing to do.

[Wingedharpy]

@crappyday2018 Just to pick up on your point that you can't believe that neighbours don't hear the dogs from outside on their return, they probably do but think the dogs are excited because they've come home.
They are most likely to be oblivious to the fact that it's actually been like that for hours.
The card from them welcoming you to your new home would make me feel that they are essentially decent folk who want peace and harmony with their neighbours just as much as you do.
They will probably be mortified.
Good luck. You are totally doing the right thing.

[FreeBedForFlys]

Definitely say something. I’d want to know. I’m a dog owner/lover but have no
Patience with other people’s noisy dogs. It would drive me crackers.

[CrackersDontMatter]

What you said about their being a recent addition might be something. I had two dogs, one was a rescue and quite wary of noises outside and he would set the younger one off every time he heard anything and then the younger one barking would make him bark more himself. Nothing I tried worked to stop it but since our older dog died earlier this year, the younger one rarely barks at all. Not a flinch during the fireworks, rarely even if someone comes to the door. It's weird but they obviously had a certain dynamic and now our older dog is gone, so is that behaviour pattern.

Perhaps as you say the new dog has changed things and there hasn't been anyone to hear it so your are unaware?

[manicmij]

Read your note, very tactful.