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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

....to be narked off with new neighbours bloody annoying git dogs....

21 replies

LadyOfTheFlowers · 14/09/2007 21:22

This is my first AIBU thread, never thought I would, but I need to know...

New neighbours have 3, yes 3 Collies. We have 2 labs and we are a bit squashed in this little house, still....

They let the dogs out usually before 7 in the morn and they just bark.

On Wednesday morn, it was at 5.30am.

They were out yapping at 6.40 this morning which woke us up. We all fell back asleep, hence Dh didn't get up till 8.10.
He is supposed to start work at 8.

Once they have left for work at 6.50am, the dogs bark till 8am.

They have just gone out now so the dogs will bark now probably till 10pm unless they come back before.

These houses are new builds so the walls are quite thin. It sounds as if they are somewhere in our house.

Do I drop them a note to let them know? Or should I accept getting woken up at 5.30?

Phew! Thanks.

OP posts:

Freckle · 14/09/2007 21:25

Are they oblivious to the barking? Do the dogs bark when they are there?

If it seems they are unaware, a note explaining that their dogs bark continually would be friendly. If they know about it, I would just contact environmental health and the RSPCA - anonymously.

MadLabOwner · 14/09/2007 21:26

How horrible for you. I would definitely say something, but would knock on their door and ask them if they know that their dogs bark all day, every day, and wake you up every morning.

I can see why you would like to leave a note but honestly think a face to face chat would be better and you would get far more information out of them, and know if they are going to be a problem or not

olsmum · 14/09/2007 21:29

i dont think you are being unreasonable to be annoyed but i dont think there is much you can do, do your dogs start barking when the collies do? do the owners seem reasonable people? are the dogs healthy/in good condition? (if not you could always phone rspa anonymously) have you spoken to any of your other neighbours? chances are if they are annoying you they will be annoying others too

worzsel · 14/09/2007 21:30

I had to complaing abut a neighbours dogs as their constant barking was driving me mental.

you are NOT being unreasoonable !

If they dont do anything if you complain to them, which is probably likely then i'd suggest getting in touch with the councils environmental healt department and they will ask you to keep detailed logs of the noise and then they will contact them. it made all the difference with use so it's worth a try.

Might be worth starting to keep records now.

I cant stand people with dogs they dont look after properly, shouldnt have pets atall imo..

Original poster

LadyOfTheFlowers · 14/09/2007 21:35

I didn't want to go face to face as idon't want to come across, i don't know, as if i am not giving them a chance or something.

I intended to leave my details on thenote so they knew who it was from etc.

Also, since they moved in about 3 weeks ago, we have pretty much stayed indoors as they sort of 'dominate' the gardens. We have fences up but as soon as the kids make a noise in the garden or our dogs go outside they start, so somethimes the more dominant of our two will bark back. the other runs indoors, scared.
my dogs will come back in as soon as they are called, they appear to have a job to get theirs in so it is just easier to get mine in to stop the noise!
Imagine 5 dogs spread over 2 tiny postage stamp size gardens barking at each other!

They do try to stop them when we are out, but its a bit half hearted most of the time.

Also, I dont allow my dogs to tear about in the house, especially not upstairs/on the stairs as its so noisy, plus they would knock the dcs flying, but they let theirs merrily carry on, bolting up and down.

if its not the yapping in the morning, its the running about. it sounds as if someone is trying to break in!

thing is, i dont know what they can do about it?

bugger, bugger, bugger!

OP posts:

ellehcim · 14/09/2007 21:40

Be careful with the note. Face to face in a friendly "hi new neighbours lovely to meet you, pop over for a coffee... by the way..." might be a better idea. If you ever move you have to say on the documents whether you've ever had a dispute with neighbours and a note could turn into an exchange of notes and before you know it you're "in dispute".

I think I'd get stroppy (albeit only ranting to DH) if someone sent me a note about something like that.

FranSanDisco · 14/09/2007 21:40

I would knock and say the morning barking is a bit off. My old neighbours would stick their dog out in the morning as they didn't want to walk it that early I would have a word before they think no-one cares. My new neighbours had a bad habit of drilling, hammering and sawing at 11.30 at night. I knocked one night in PJ's and bed hair (dh was too wimpy to go) and said it was not acceptable and thanks for stopping now. They apologised and that's the end of it. I'd have fire bombed their car if it hadn't

DeedeePickles · 14/09/2007 21:42

I think I'm right in saying that if you report noise to environmental health/local authorities it will be picked up by a solicitor during conveyancing.

Something to think about if you are planning to sell anytime soon.

tearinghairout · 14/09/2007 21:45

Agree totally with ellehcim. It's very hard to get back to friendly terms, once you've got someone's back up. The 'come in for coffee' approach is a good idea. you have my sympathy. Best to suss them out a bit before you decide waht to do - formal complaint etc. They might be able to sort it out, dogs can be trained not to bark, I think.

Original poster

LadyOfTheFlowers · 14/09/2007 21:45

we may want to move too. i certainly do now!
the bloke who lived there before used to play bloody saxophone and i thought that was bad!

im so pissed off.

my dogs are now used to the sound of them next door so they dont bark when twe hear them thru the wall anymore.
they used to as they were confused at the noise which always woke the dcs up.

both my babes have been ill the last week, ds2 still is, and it has really peeved me off to the point i could have hung out the window naked this morning and ranted as it woke the kids up.

ive had a snotty 1 year old and a snotty 2 year old allover me the past week and not been able to do ANYTHING but hold them so i could do with them staying asleep as long as poss, for my sanity if nothing else!

in the past, when dh was doing extra hours and starting work early, the kids got into a routine of waking up when he did . much to my disgust.
o knowifit goes on much longer, they will start waking mega early again.

(they are still barking now btw)

OP posts:

Original poster

LadyOfTheFlowers · 14/09/2007 21:47

mine dont bark, so i know it is possible.
if you train a dog to 'speak' on demand, it will also shut up on demand.

OP posts:

Original poster

LadyOfTheFlowers · 14/09/2007 21:47

or command, even?

OP posts:

marge2 · 14/09/2007 21:50

Collies?

I don't know very much about dogs but I know collie's are very smart and needs loads of exercise as they are meant to be working dogs rounding up sheep etc... If they don't get that they end up hyper and mad. (Or at least one I knew did!) Even one I knew that lived and worked on a sheep millk farm used to run round and round the house 'rounding it up' when it wasn't working.

Do they walk them or give them any other sotrt of exercise?

Also as I am not very knowledgable about dogs perhaps someone else could correct me. Could it be due to them settling in to a new home?. Could it be that they will settle down a bit when they have got used to the new place?

Original poster

LadyOfTheFlowers · 14/09/2007 22:02

i was thinking that about settling in too marge actually, after i'd posted! lol

now you say that, my mums friend had a collie that ended up chasing its own tail and its shadow due to lack of stimulation.

i haveonly seen one of the dogs taken out so far, by i assume, the womans dad, but tbh, i have not been keeping that close an eye so i cant say for sure if they are going out or not, but i dont think they are....

OP posts:

worzsel · 14/09/2007 22:03

if they were decent owners they wouldnt be leaving their dogs like that

micci25 · 14/09/2007 22:08

maybe try talking directly to them! i have a terrier and they are very annoying little dogs that bark constantly i know the first night i moved here she cried and barked all night long coz she was not used to the house!

i had the decency of letting the nighbours know before we moved in that this would happen and i moved on a weekend as they said they were off work at this time

she does still bark whenever she hears noises she is not used to and this is sometimes late in the night and carries on till the noise stops or some one goes to see what it is caused by! cant really complain coz this is what i bought her for! to alert me to anyone trying to get into the house!

i would be more than happy to discuss this with neighbours if they came to talk to me but i would be a bit annoyed if they just dropped a note through the door

marge2 · 14/09/2007 22:14

3 dogs alone all day til late. That can't be right can it?

Especially Collies. People who tend to have unsuitable pets and keep them in unsuitable conditions tend to be unreasonable people. Be careful!

Original poster

LadyOfTheFlowers · 14/09/2007 22:20

i know the note is a bad idea, i will talk to them i think, but i didn't want to sort of pounce on them iyswim as they are new?

dh has informed me they have 2 dogs, the older guy brings his dog, which is also a collie, then takes it home again, so i dont think they have been out for a walk yet.

my dogs bark if someone knocks on/tries/bangs the door and runs away like yours does which we are grateful for and i expect theirs to do the same its just the morning thing and the constant barking i cant be doing with.

when we first got our dogs, we both worked so i asked my mum if she would mind coming in to see my dogs throughout the day if we got some which she agreed to and i appreciate i was lucky she was able to do so, but if she hadnt been able to, we wouldnt have got any as i dont think a dog is a good pet if you work all day.

do you think maybe knocking at the weekend on my way out with ours and asking if they would like to join me so i could show them the local doggie places would be a good idea, the i could broach the subject to them?

or would i come across as some sort of wierdo as i dont know them?

OP posts:

Original poster

LadyOfTheFlowers · 14/09/2007 22:21

they go to work at 6.50 and the lady comes back around 3/4pm.

OP posts:

micci25 · 14/09/2007 22:31

i think thats a good idea i would have liked that if my nighbours did that! dont think they like me much! and dogs of that breed usually like to play but make sure yours / thiers are neutered! also if they are new to he area they might be happy for a friend

Doodledootoo · 14/09/2007 22:43

Message withdrawn

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