To put a note through their door anonymously?

[studychick81]

We live in quite a built up area and have houses around the side and back of us so I am used to noise and know it's to be expected when you choose to live in a semi detached house. I am not one for making complaints about things.

However, the neighbours at the back of us have obviously just got a puppy during lockdown or Christmas and I am becoming increasingly frustrated with what I consider to be very inconsiderate behaviour. I wondered if others would think this is inconsiderate?

Whenever they let their dog in the garden it barks and barks with no attempt from them to correct it/call the dog inside. This is mildly irritating during the day but not too much of a problem. It's when they let it out about 10pm that I find it very inconsiderate. I ve been really tired recently and try to go to bed early to get extra sleep, I am just drifting off around 10pm only to be woken up by the dog barking. I then find it hard to drift back off and can't for some time so there goes my early night! The same in the morning, I am trying to have a nice lie in and the dog starts barking about 7.15 most mornings. I think 10pm is far too late to let your dog out and allow it to bark for a period of time, fortunately it doesn't wake the dcs but bet it does some other peoples. I just want to be able to have an early night sometimes without listening to that.

I am not good with confrontation so was thinking I would just post a polite letter through their door. I know it's tricky to stop a dog barking but they don't seem to make any effort, I don't think they go out with the dog and make no effort to call it back for try to calm it down.

An anonymous note is cowardly and hugely antisocial- probably more so than the barking dog. Behave like a grown up and talk to them openly or keep quiet and invest in some ear plugs

May I just give you a bit of advice- I have actually seen what happens when an anonymous letter about dog behaviour is posted through someone's door.
The recipient went up and down the street showing the letter, and asking who wrote it- all sorts of suggestions were made, and the search went on- with the recipient growing more angry.
A frequent response to the question was "Well, I don't have a problem with it, but so and so over there has said to me your dog keeps barking...."
There was more......

Just don't do it!

If it were a baby the comments would be totally different, so please remember that that's what a puppy is. It's only young and learning.

If you want to be a coward post an anonymous note, and it says more about you than them, irrespective of your tone. Grow up and go speak to them!

You say you don't like 'confrontation' but are happy to deliver an anonymous note?

It isn't nice.

Knock on the door and say "Hiya, I am your neighbour from over the back - love your new puppy, but the barking is getting a bit much in the evening and morning - is there a plan for a training programme? " " he just seems to bark for quite a while while he is outside, not sure whether you can call him on sooner or something?"

It doesn't have to be confrontational. You have a right to make your point in a polite way.

They are hugely rude, selfish and inconsiderate.

Lots of my neighbours have dogs and we do not have this bullshit.

Thank God as it would piss me off no end.

Thinking of THEIR feelings about receiving an anonymous note through their door asking them to cop on, would not be high on my list of priorities.

OP,
Sticky an arsey not through their door if you wish and it makes it easier on you.

If you don't want arsey notes, don't be inconsiderate of your neighbours.

Years ago on a Green very near me I used to see a dog going to take a dump.
Happen a few times.
Children regularly played there.
Major bugbear of mine.

One day I wasn't in a rush, so I photographed the dog and waited for it walk to 30 metres home.
I photographed it going in, made a note of the address.
Didn't hesitate to report it.

Utterly disgusting selfish behaviour.
Those people would have known bloody well that about 10 children ran around that lovely Green every day.

You’re going to have a hard day when you realise the world doesn’t revolve around you, OP.

An anonymous note would wind me up. Luckily I have a ring doorbell so I’d be able to see the ‘anonymous’ (cowardly) author. I might trouble myself to go over to your house to discuss your note.

Even if they did see me on the camera they wouldn't be able to identify me as I ve said they aren't neighbours on our road. They back into us. They have probably never seen me in their life.

Yes it's very much up to personal opinion about noise boundaries. Just because it's not within the official anti social hours it matter. It's about being considerate to your neighbours though. I certainly don't expect things to be silent living in the suburbs of a large city. Next door but one complain about absolutely everything, noise, traffic, the council cutting the grass, people parking outside their house, I often think they would be better off moving to somewhere more rural then.

But- I don't think it's too much to ask to be considerate to others when in close proximity. I should be able to have an early night without needing ear plugs and without being disturbed. It's common courtesy. My ds has a keyboard in his room he wants to play it at 7am or just before bed. I say no as I don't think it's fair on the retired couple next door. When you live close to people you need to consider others.

@AlohaLola

You’re going to have a hard day when you realise the world doesn’t revolve around you, OP.

In what way have I given that impression? I have said that I don't expect silence and I have given a couple of examples of how I try to be considerate of our immediate neighbours. I just expect it to be a two way thing.

Anyway no barking at all tonight so maybe it's sorted.

I’d call around. They are being inconsiderate but they may not realise that they are. Anyone that lets their dogs bark when they let them in the garden early in the morning or late at night are selfish idiots. The odd bark is ok but letting your dog bark simply because you are too bone idle to go out with the dog is a dick move.

Yes put a note through. If you knock on the door you can never be sure how it will end.

Dogs are a bloody nuisance when they bark and bark. It’s always the owner’s fault. And yes, I have a dog.

A note is just Passive aggressive and likely to p people off rather than get a decent reply to IMO. just go round and have a polite word, they might not even realise how it is affecting you... dogs bark I understand that, but perhaps they would make an effort to be more considerate if they knew it bothered you.

Going to bed at 10 (even if you're not sleeping straight away) and awake at seven? That's close to 9 hours a night! Wish I was that lucky.

On a more serious note. I have two spaniels. At 7am every day we let them out for a morning run and sniff - have done every day for the last 6 years. They have a game every morning and bark and yap and enjoy their lives. You know...like dogs do? None of my neighbours have complained (and I even checked with them as I KNOW 7am is early for some people).

If it's really that colossus of an issue (you could invest in ear plugs for the weekend - they're not expensive) then talk to them like an adult instead of posting notes through the door like children do in school lockers.

colossal* not colossus!

Just sign the note.

I’m with others here - an anonymous note is worse and without tone could easily be interpreted as rude or even threatening even if not intended that way.

You are more likely to get a satisfactory outcome by speaking to them in person.

I used to go out with mine but she didn’t bark. She often got the blame for next door though. One look inside at her upside down and snoring spared her those guilty verdicts...

''It is considerate of you to let your untrained barking puppy outside at 10pm when I am trying to sleep. Could you arrange an earlier time for this at least. They are keeping me awake at night. I'm sure I'm not the only one in the area being effected by it and I never see you try to train them out of the behaviour.''

I don't know why you'd want to tell them anonymously.
Alternatively, you could use noise cancelling headphones or something like that.

I'm following this as I have the same issue OP! My new neighbours have 2 massive dogs and the poor things are out at 10pm every night for ages..it's probably around 30 minutes but the poor things must be freezing and my baby keeps waking up. I just can't understand how they can think it's acceptable. I'm already dreading the Summer..

I bought one of those silent dog whistles on amazon a few days ago but haven't used it yet as I think it wouldn't address the dogs being left in the freezing weather....

If they only got puppy at Christmas...give it a few weeks to settle in it’s new home. 10pm and 7pm are reasonable times for a puppy to be outdoors while training

7am

Dogs are a bloody nuisance when they bark and bark. It’s always the owner’s fault. And yes, I have a dog

The voice of reason at last

Just have some balls and actually knock on their door, don’t hide behind a note.

@Otellie it's absolutely nothing like letting your children out , unless they pee in the garden.

It sound as if you and your neighbour have done a lot of talking about this. Hab you tried talking to them?

A note is fine. Anonymously is not.

We have had this same issue in a built up area 3 times and it was waking up kids. Twice we (other neighbours too) couldn’t work out where the barking was coming from so we posted in a residents group. Once it solved it. Once it didn’t and we involved the council. That did solve it.

The other time we established the property and one night when it was barking I went round and dropped a note saying the dog was barking and disturbing neighbours. I signed my name and number but made it clear it wasn’t just me. They apologised the next day and explained training a puppy and made efforts to improve which made us less annoyed and it was eventually solved. Small things like taking dog for an evening walk and the toilet make a huge difference.

Anyway short answer, note fine but sign your name or you come across as passive aggressive and can expect to be ignored.

I think you should say something, nicely. I am the owner of a naturally barky dog, and it's not an easy problem to deal with. The neighbours who've spoken to me nicely about it have been very effective, while the one who threatened to report my just made me furious and led to a huge falling out. When it's your dog, it's hard to judge how annoying the barking is to others, so I'm guessing your neighbours aren't really aware of the effect it's having and need a gentle nudge to take control.