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 KitKat's suggestion is a good one.
Any chance of a bit of a walk in the middle of the day? That might break things up a bit and the stay indoors between 2-4pm might be more relaxing for the dogs if they've had a little walk.

I trained my dog not to bark in the garden, it can be done. I think it’s unreasonable of her to expect them to be in until 4pm though.

Usually they'd go out on 2/3 walks daily. But obviously now they're only allowed 1!

They're not usually freely roaming the garden so much, but when with lack of walks and lovely weather they're out in the garden whilst I work in the kitchen.

I call them in when they bark and they come.

May I ask those with non barking dogs how they achieved that?

Why do they need to be out all day? Why aren't you dealing with them inside? Sounds like you don't pay them any attention during the day so you just chuck them out and ignore them. I don't understand why people get dogs and leave them for long periods of time. Surely they are just desperate for attention? It's not like being in your garden is quality time for them. Having said that, I am not a dog person and don't get why so many people who are at work all day get dogs and get them walked by someone else. It's almost like they exist 22 hours a day so they can give you brief pleasure for the short time you can allocate them.

Just say no.

Dogs barking is part of living with neighbours.

Should add patio doors are open so they're just in and out as they plead

Omg,
I know i am biased but there is nothing worse that a constantly barking down. In the last estate we lived in, there was one giant Alsatian that barked constantly when anyone in the row was in their garden, We were next door and he used to rear at the fence if we stepped outside for one minute. They didn't want to know despite countless neighbours complaining.
On a horrible note, they told me that the dog had died suddenly and the vet suspected poision so they think someone threw something in to back garden,

Dogs bark, kids screech, people shout. Fair enough keep them in if she's sleeping but she can't expect you to keep them in all day. My dog barks occasionally but we're surrounded by kids shouting and screaming in the nice weather...which sets all the neighbourhood dogs off.

She’s being ridiculous, does her DH normally work in a silent bubble at his workplace?
I wouldn’t agree to it especially if you do sshh them.

Keep them indoors by default, especially if you know they tend to bark. Come on.

It doesn’t sound like the op ignores them at all bishy stop making things up.

OP - until 12 is reasonable and very generous of you, I’d say no to 4.

does her DH normally work in a silent bubble at his workplace? probably doesn’t work amongst barking dogs

If it was normal for them only to bark once, and very briefly, each morning, then she wouldn't have asked.

I have a friend who thinks her dog rarely barks. She's wrong. It drives me nuts, and I probably only visit her for a couple of hours.

I think while people are under stress you should help. One day you might need a favour from these neighbours. That said, they can't expect your dogs not to go out at all until four, so negotiate something if you can, or take them for a walk at lunchtime.

You train the dogs to STFU. If you don't do ask your neighbours very reasonably ask I imagine they'll report you to the council and you'll be made to. YABcompletely U.

I think you've been generous OP. The dogs don't sound that bad.
I am wfh and I find the neighbours constantly doing DIY and noisy garden work far more distracting than a couple of dogs barking every now and then

I have stopped using my garden now because of my neighbours dogs they bark every time someone goes out there. It has really affected my mental health since they got them. I know they try to keep them quiet. But the barking just goes straight through me.

It doesn’t seem to bother them. I have never owned dogs though.

I find it amazing how precious people are on mumsnet about noise. I wfh and have done since well before covid . In a trio of three houses we are the middle one and the only one with a silent dog (no seriously she is a rescue and doesnt ever ever bark bless her. Not at all. We even asked the neighbours if she did when we were out....nope not a peep , one side hadn't even realised we had a dog) . However the other two sides both have barking dogs.

One side more than the other but it's not uncommon for one sides dogs to set off the other side. However it's just part of living in a road.

Also shocker , all three of us were accidentally in our gardens at the same time and all talking...and guess what...noone minded !!

To be honest when you've worked at home for more than two seconds you realise it's not this massive important thing that everyone should facilitate. I am on zooms with learners all day, Last Friday was a really important one and needed to be recorded in a different way than usual and the dogs started barking and the other side started drilling. But it was daytime and it's their home so they have every right. I just found a way to work around it.

Its unbelievably entitled to expect quiet and silence when living near others . Reasonable noise is to be expected and its ridiculous to behave as if that phrase means you can demand others to adhere to your own rules of what reasonable is.

To be honest your dogs sound an absolute nightmare. I have been working from home pt so not working every day but the days i am working I work 9 to 5 and an annoying barking dog would drive me insane. Keep them in and take them for a walk or walks for your neighbours sanity.

Thanks shiny!

I was quite alarmed At how shot down I got then.

I have two dogs and I have three or four doors open to the back all day. The dogs wander in and out and on the odd occasion do bark, but it's not sustained as it's usually at a bird or my neighbours dog. Whether the dogs have had a two hour walk or no walk makes no difference. I think the many kids screaming for hours on end are far more annoying.
My neighbours have never complained but I think if so I would try and go out with my dogs to the garden forst thing to be sure they di t bark then but it's unreasonable to expect me to either keep my doors closed or confine my dogs for most if the day. If they have a problem and it truly is the case that your dogs only bark occasionally and for a short time, it is for them to find a solution like ear plugs.

I lost my cool with my neighbours the other week. We couldn’t enjoy our garden because their stupid dog was barking constantly everytime my children went into the garden and it would start growling at the fence.
Since I had words with them it’s improved massively. People who leave their dogs outside barking are just selfish and completely unreasonable.
Your dogs are obviously causing a nuisance so you need to be more considerate.

You are nice to keep them in until 12. But definitely dont keep them in until 4pm! Just say, "I cant do that, they need to be outside! Are you still happy with me keeping them in until 12?!"

As said, it's not continuous barking. Right now they've brought themselves in and have been snoozing on the sofa for 30 mins at least.

It seems people feelings are that no barking is allowed?

your dogs sound an absolute nightmare hardly.

If you get them back in every time they bark, you'll soon know whether it's a lot. We often tune it out because we're used to it.