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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

What would you do? Neighbour's barking dog.

72 replies

ljn1650 · 16/11/2020 19:32

For over three years my neighbour's dog has been slowly and surely leading me to a nervous breakdown. They often leave it outside alone while they go back inside and shut the back door. This could be 5 minutes or 4 hours. The dog barks and howls until it is eventually let inside. There is no pattern to it, and because I'm expecting the noise all the time, I can't relax or work in my own home. I can't open my windows due to the noise in the morning and evening.

About a year ago, I visited them a few times over a few weeks to politely explain the situation and ask if the could do something. The man was reasonable, but his wife yelled I was crazy, slamming the door in my face. I left it, as I didn't want the confrontation and was scared of what they would do if I pursued it.

The problem is now I work from home every day and I have started to get regular migraines and have been in hospital for chest pains and stress related issues (due to a combination of things in my life). The barking is just not something I can live with anymore, but I feel utterly powerless. Complaining to the council is off the cards, as I don't own the house and it wouldn't be fair to create issues if they choose to sell in the future.

What would you do? Do you think I am being unreasonable? I'm beginning to think I am crazy.

OP posts:

MilkTwoSugarsThanks · 16/11/2020 19:35

Complaining to the council is off the cards, as I don't own the house and it wouldn't be fair to create issues if they choose to sell in the future.

🤷🏼‍♀️ There's nothing else you can do. Except move yourself.

pawsies · 16/11/2020 19:39

Offer to rehome the dog? Assuming you want another dog or know someone that does

SBTLove · 16/11/2020 19:42

RSPCA, it’s neglectful leaving the dog outside.

GrinchnotHinch · 16/11/2020 19:44

How awful for you, the only thing you can do is move I’m sorry

StoneofDestiny · 16/11/2020 19:44

Aren't other neighbours affected by this?

Lilac95 · 16/11/2020 19:47

I’d bugger thinking of whoever sells it on. Record and make a noise pollution complaint. The council will have to respond. I had similar issues with my neighbours but luckily if I turn the tv up you can’t hear it. Also they stopped running a business from their home and the barking for better. There’s research into the affect dogs barking has on people, it’s actually cause heart attacks, breakdowns and mental health issues due you being on constant alert when they bark. For your health report them to the council or for neglect.

paintfairy · 16/11/2020 19:47

I think your only options are:
Complain to the council
Try rspca (not in doubt they'll do anything)
Arrange for the dog to vanish (new home)
Move

The council should do something if it's as bad as that. It would do my head in and I couldn't cope with it either. Why they want to listen to it, I don't know? But I know people are ridiculous. I have a dog and no way would I shut mine out like that. But so many people aren't reasonable.

Dawnlassie · 16/11/2020 19:47

Three years! holy mother of crap! Sounds like its having amajor impact both physically and mentally.

What I certainly would not do is capture it when they are out then drive the thing 200miles and deliver it to a far flung council as a lost dog. That would be very wrong. So I would not do it.

lynsey91 · 16/11/2020 20:03

@SBTLove

RSPCA, it’s neglectful leaving the dog outside.

The RSPCA will not take any action as a dog being outside apparently is not neglect.

I contacted the RSPCA about my neighbour's dog and they were not the slightest bit interested.

My neighbours have a small lap dog breed. If they are home the dog is tied up in the back garden and it can be from 8am until 9pm or later. If they go out or the woman goes to work (she works part time and it can be as little as a couple of hours 2 days a week) the dog is inside.

So basically the dog is on it's own almost all the time. I think even when they take it in in the evening it is on it's own as I know they watch tv in the bedroom as I can hear it if I go into our bedroom or when I go to bed.

It does bark, or rather yap, a lot. Every time some walks by or a vehicle drives by. It also yaps and cries asking to go indoors. As annoying as that is I was more concerned about it's welfare.

Anyway, for the last 3 or so weeks he has only been in the garden for very short spells. Talking to her, it turns out someone has complained to the Council. So it is worthwhile complaining as long as the dog owner actually takes notice

Fluffybutter · 16/11/2020 20:14

You absolutely can contact the council.
I think you’re confused with the police as you do not need to tell anyone else about contacting the council unless it’s an ongoing dispute that leads to court action.
I have had this exact scenario, my awful neighbours have a young cockerpoo. It’s a nasty piece of work .
It barks CONSTANTLY.
During the summer we couldn’t even sit in the garden as if we even dared to talk or even move a glass or chair it would start barking and yapping and they never made a move to quieten it down.
Now it’s whenever I open the back door it’s straight out barking and snarling under their garden gate .
It often escapes and has chased delivery vans and actually nipped one of our other neighbours.
I have asked them nicely , I have posted polite notes and the final straw came after they let it bark on and off for a whole day which meant we had to close all windows and doors through the heatwave so I contacted the council and they sent a letter to them saying there had been a complaint by someone and that if they didn’t address it then the council could take it further as it’s noise nuisance .
It worked as even though the little fucker can still be heard ,it’s not as constant and if they hear me in my garden they make a half arsed effort to shut it up .
Do they know it was me ? Most definitely. Do I care ? A shit ton of nopes!

AlwaysCheddar · 16/11/2020 20:16

Just tell the cou vil

Daphnise · 16/11/2020 20:17

Don't bother with the RSPCA they do nothing and are worse than useless.

The Council will have to deal with it.

If you don't want to report it to them then you will have to continue to suffer, and not expect much sympathy.

TibetanTerrier · 16/11/2020 20:19

Personally I'd invite the dog in and leave it to them to come and get it if they can be bothered. It clearly suffers from separation anxiety and desperately doesn't want to be alone. If you invited it in you'd probably find it would settle down somewhere within sight of you and you could get on with your work.

Don't bother calling the RSPCA. They're a waste of time, space and money and it's about time they were held to account for all the animals they put down.

Fluffybutter · 16/11/2020 20:24

@TibetanTerrier

Don't bother calling the RSPCA. They're a waste of time, space and money and it's about time they were held to account for all the animals they put down.

What? The dog is shut in the owners garden .. you’d go and take it out of there into your own home? That’s fucking nuts to put it bluntly . Op don’t do that for Christ sake

Highfalutinlootin · 16/11/2020 20:26

I would either talk to all the other neighbors in the vicinity to see if they agree with you and you can all approach the dog house together for strength in numbers, or talk to the council. If I were looking to buy a house near this inconsiderate family I would definitely want to know about the dog issue, as it would be a deal breaker for me.

amicissimma · 16/11/2020 20:38

Call the Council.

The fact that a previous tenant had a disagreement with the neighbour will not have an effect on a future sale.

StoneofDestiny · 16/11/2020 20:43

Complain to the Council - you've suffered enough.

BefuddledPerson · 16/11/2020 20:57

I think you are extremely lucky not to own the house because this means you absolutely can complain - and you should feel free to do that.

Flaunch · 16/11/2020 21:01

I’d have complained to the council when the first polite request didn’t solve the problem.

Confrontayshunme · 16/11/2020 21:01

I would tell the home owner that you are going to register an official complaint (or go to court officially) if the dog barking doesn't stop. If they are concerned about the effect on sale or future tenants, THEY can sort it.

Jourdain11 · 16/11/2020 21:10

God, this reminds me of when our neighbour's had this horrible parrot in their garden. They obviously left it outside (it was summer) because it made such a horrific noise. For some reason, we had a fake bow and arrow in the house and I came home one day to discover DP (now DH) aiming the bow and arrow out of the window towards the parent's cage...

Obviously I'm not recommending you shoot your neighbour's dog with a bow and arrow...!

AWiseWomanOnceSaidFuckThisShit · 16/11/2020 21:23

You're not alone I have the same issue, you would barely know next door had a dog when they're home but when they're out at work ALL DAY the fucker barks and howls constantly. I don't bother working from home anymore, they pretended to give a shit at first but we no longer speak. I'm just "moaning" apparently. I own, they rent. I won't even bother trying to sell until they've fucked off. I've never really been a dog person anyway but it's put me off them for life.

Fluffybutter · 16/11/2020 21:52

@AWiseWomanOnceSaidFuckThisShit

Definitely. My neighbours have made me despise cockerpoo’s . Just the sight of them makes me grimace

MagentaRocks · 16/11/2020 22:00

After RSPCA won't do anything. Council can be hit and miss but keep a diary of the times and dates. The council will write to them first. If it carries on they may follow it up.

I have it when my dog barks as I really don't want to annoy the neighbours. He was great at not barking until the bloody fireworks which scared him over 3 nights. We had a week or so of him barking more than normal but even then wasn't that often or for that long. He has started to settle a bit now. The only time he barks in the garden is when the little yappy thing near me barks that is constantly outside. RSPCA and council useless when we reported that years ago.

Unsure33 · 16/11/2020 22:02

I would let your landlord know you are going to complain . And do it . It is horrible that the dog is going through this as well if it’s howling and barking it is distressed.

Make a few recordings and report .

Poor you and poor dog . I don’t know why people like that have animals.

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