Should I keep dogs in because neighbour is WFH

[poodlelocks]

I have 2 dogs.

Bark when postie knocks, van pulls up etc When told to stop, they do.

If in garden they'll bark at cats, or if someone comes up back alleyway (no pun intended)

Again they shut up if told

Last week neighbour asked if we could keep dogs In before 12pm as she does nights and is sleeping - fair enough? Agreed to that.

Now today she's asked if we can keep them into 4pm as husband is WFH and barks disrupt him.

Any advise before I return my answer to them!?

I think you do as they request, or counter with a reasonable time they could be out eg. 12-1.
a non stop barking dog would drive me insane. Can’t they be trained?

Really depends how often they do bark. If something triggers them every few minutes, then yes, keep them in. If they bark 2 or 3 times an hour, then no.

No that's ridiculous. You were generous to keep them in for her sleeping.

Do you tell them to be quiet every time they start barking. Tbh they do sound a nightmare if they bark at every little sound they hear. I have dogs too but wouldn’t tolerate them behaving like that.

I wouldn't keep them in entirely but let them out say from 12-1 then from 4 onwards perhaps?

Honestly - I am currently trying to wfm (on lunch) with dogs barking constantly and it is doing my head in. I don't see why my neighbours cannot control their dogs. I bet if I was beeping my car horn constantly people would get annoyed very quickly.

I am having to record lessons (I am a teacher) and unfortunately I cannot do this throughout the day due to my next doors dogs constantly barking through them so I am having to start these multiple times throughout the day and often working late into the night when they have gone to bed.

How often do you think your dog is barking in a day? Maybe count it.

One day I counted and when it reached 500 (by 11am) I went round - they had no idea how many times their dogs had actually barked.

How many dogs do you have?

My neighbour's two dogs disturb me a bit while I'm wfh as they bark for a few minutes when they first go outside every so often but I'm assuming that's what dogs do. Unless it's possible to train them not to?

You need to work on the dogs not barking at every little thing. It's really antisocial. We trained ours not to from puppyhood, not sure how to do it with adult dogs but there's bound to be a way!

Until then, agree to keep them in except for a specific time when you are exercising them / playing with them in the garden, ie 1-2pm.

If it's waking her and you can work a solution before midday, then yes, I'd keep them in. Sleep is not to be messed with and shift work is hard going sometimes.

But I would not keep them in until 4 because an occassional woof disturbs his working. He needs to suck it up.

So they bark whether they're indoors or in the garden? Despite the fact they stop when told, they're disturbing your neighbours by barking in the first place. I would be very apologetic and work on training them not to be so reactive.

I don’t keep mine in. I have a puppy who has yet to learn to ssh. I bring her in if she’s barking or distract her. It’s anti social noise. A one off if we have an especially exciting delivery of something (her food?!) I wouldn’t complain. But not on and off all day.

4pm is much too late to keep your dogs indoors, until. Be more vigilant about keeping them quiet but don't agree to keep them in until 4pm, no way.

I can understand the night shift and sleeping thing but not until 4. A lot of people are working from home. Dogs bark. If it’s excessive then yes keep them in but if it’s just short periods of barking I wouldn’t worry imo.

I have a jack Russell. She barks at the door, she barks at cats And when she sees or hears other dogs in the neighbourhood. It’s not excessive and she never barks for long periods or early mornings or at night so I don’t worry about it too much. If she barks loudly I just call her in but she’ll sit in the sun for hours at the minute without a peep. She’s quite quiet for a terrier 🤣 Thankfully there’s no dogs that bark constantly where I live 🤣

Growing up there was a dog who barked 24-7 behind us. Nightmare.

If you're causing a noise nuisance to your neighbours, then you stop it.

With more people WFH then what might not previously have been a nuisance becomes one.

Occasional barking would probably not have led to this request. So I think you do need to take steps to reduce the noise.

Is it a problem for the dogs to be indoors or longer, and let out for toileting and when you are there to play with them (and shut them up immediately?)

It's very good of you to keep them in until 12.
How about you keep them in til 12, let them out 12-2, back in 2-4, then out from 4pm?
Its a bit faffy, but presuming your neighbour is doing essential work at night time and her partner is WFH out of necessity not choice.

YABU and very selfish. Train your dogs not to be a noise nuisance and then you can offload them outside.

You did enough keeping them in while she slept. Her DH should get some earplugs, given that you're not leaving them out to bark for hours on end. You have to expect a bit of noise from your neighbours whether it's kids playing out or dogs barking.

You wouldn't keep your kids in all day because the neighbours husband thought they were noisy.

It's not excessive. As described, it door knocks, or someone walks past back gate. (Very rare)

Admittedly they have been slightly more reactive with all the extra goings on, people about on gardens but always stop when told.

I've counted once this morning

I wouldn’t agree to keep my dogs in til 4pm. My dogs bark if they hear other dogs or see a neighbours cat etc. I just let them out for 30 minutes at a time but bring them in if they do bark.

'Once this morning' obviously isn't the norm though or your neighbour wouldn't be asking you to keep them in.

I have two dogs and one (still a puppy) is a barker, which I am training him out of.

If he keeps getting triggered, I go out there with him so I can immediately tell him to stop and then I take him inside with me, until he needs to go out again.

They sound a bit intolerant and no matter what you do it won’t be enough. They need to accept they have neighbours and that comes with a certain amount of noise.

My dog barks at people if she sees them outside the house. Unfortunately she barks at the neighbours if they come out into their garden, she can see them through the fence, it’s their fence IYSWIM and I’m going to get screens/extra fencing when I can afford to as it’s unfair for them to be barked at if they are in their garden. She’s only doing her job as you would want her to bark at strangers around your property.

There is nothing worse than those dogs who are left outside for hours and bark non stop. Occasion barking isn’t really a problem as much.

I think it's fair when the neighbour is sleeping, but wfh, fuck that.
Your dogs would never be out.
I'm not a pet owner, but the dog a few doors down barks.
I think it's good and alerts you to who is about, especially if they bark at people down alleyways, or hanging round your property.
Just recommend he wears earphones if she complains again.

I'd go outside with the dogs if you let them out and police them, pull them in if they're being noisy and won't behave
Definitely support your neighbours sleeping, perhaps walk them first thjng if they need exercise and toilet

So your neighbours need total silence to work and sleep? When do they suggest your dogs go out?
I suppose you could ask what time he finishes work and then let the dog out but I think you've already been generous. If they need it that quiet tell them to buy some eat plugs