To let my dog bark for an extra half hour even though the neighbour was already annoyed

[Candlestand]

I have 2 dogs, DH usually takes them to work so Mon-Fri they're never here during the day. Due to a bit of excess faffing yesterday morning he forgot them. Normally he puts them in the dog box in the car and sorts out DD and they all head off to nursery then work but somehow yesterday he just forgot he hadn't already put them in the car and I got a text from DH to tell me the dogs were still in the garden. Fine. I'm up in my office, WFH, the back door is open as it was such a nice day, they can mooch in and out as they please and we'll just walk them tonight instead.
I work for the local authority and we've had a nasty incident occur with a safeguarding issue for a child and I was part of back to back meetings so I never even went down for a cup of tea. I'm then in a meeting that I have been volunteered as minute taker for and there are over 20 people in this meeting and that's when my neighbour starts banging on my door. Initially I ignore him thinking it's a delivery and I can't leave this meeting but he is now practically pounding my door down so I race to the other room to open the window to ask them to go away whatever it is and he starts swearing that the dogs are barking and its really annoying. I shout down that I'm sorry but I'm in a meeting and I will sort them out as soon as I'm out of it. I can see he's furious and he storms off still swearing but the meeting is still going on without me and I have to be in it. I'm now vaguely aware that my younger dog is barking because it's been brought to my attention but honestly I just hadn't noticed before because it had been such a busy morning so I don't know how long they had been barking for. I didn't want to disrupt the meeting by asking for a break because there was a lot going on in it and we were, I hoped, almost finished but it turned out we were still going half an hour later before the meeting actually finished and because I'm now aware of it I can hear the dog still barking on and off for that time.
The thing is, we have a big garden and they don't come in when called straight away because it becomes a game to them so although me being out in the garden with them stopped the barking it takes me over 5 minutes to get them to come into the house (which I knew it would and why I didn't want to stop in the middle of a very large meeting to chase around my garden for ages). I appreciate it must have been annoying and I could see my neighbours over our fence so when I could go get them I apologised properly and tried to explain that I couldn't leave the meeting to come and get them and they were furious with me and said I was ruining their day. They are retired and are always in their garden. My dog was actually barking at their dog who was sat with them and my little dog could smell him, the older one wasn't actually barking. I tried to explain that he was just excited by their dog and if they had taken their dog in, he would have stopped barking but this just made them angrier (I meant it to try and break the tension as a discussion rather than a criticism of them, though clearly I misjudged how to say that) as they said why shouldn't their dog be allowed outside when he's being well behaved. I apologised again and just got back to chasing the dogs into the house and went back to work.

I appreciate it was annoying but I'm not sure they needed to be quite so angry. It was the middle of the day, this never normally happens at all because the dogs are not here during the week and at the weekend we're both able to be much more atuned to them if one of them starts barking at another dog or a squirrel or something and it has never been an issue before. We live rurally so other than the house on the other side of our neighbours theres no one else to be upset by the barking.
WIBU to put work before my neighbours enjoyment of their garden for half an hour?

Okay. I understand. I've told DH he needs to get rid of the dogs. I tried to see it my way but this many people can't be wrong. I'm obviously not fit to care for them.

Good Lord, what an over reaction from so many commenting.

One hour, out of one day does not a nuisance make. Not as a one off.

Obviously OP was stuck between a rock and a hard place but I think she made the right call. As a one off.

Dogs do bark, some more than others but the neighbours can’t be living with a next door nightmare every day if the dogs physically aren’t there every day.

OP, you’ve taken a hammering but posters should actually acknowledge the details, your dogs are usually with your husband. As a one off, they weren’t. Not a mistake of your making.

The neighbours have low tolerance and less understanding. At least you know now.

I was fully prepared to say YABU because, to me, there's not a lot worse than the sound of a dog barking.
However, it sounds like a one off incident on a very stressful day for you- and you tried to apologise as soon as you could so YANBU

It was one day and safeguarding a child is more important, 30 minutes didnt kill him.

People who let their dogs bark in the garden are so antisocial.

My dog would probably develop a barking habit if we let him mess around in there unsupervised. So he is only ever out when we are out. It's pretty simple and he gets his enrichment from our walks.

We have two neighbours who have barking dogs outside and it's incredibly annoying when trying to work.

I think your neighbours over reacted and were a bit shitty. Yanbu op

Suggesting they take their quiet well behaved dog who is with its owners so that your loud unattended dog will stop barking is ridiculous and not something to say to diffuse a situation when he is already angry.
Its was a one off. But your dog ultimately stopped them enjoying their garden when they wanted to. Therefore you are automatically unreasonable. I would have let it go if I was them because you apologised and it was exceptional circumstances and not a daily event but I can see why they were annoyed.

Crappy dog owning tbh, mine don’t get to bark in the garden. Any barking and it’s straight inside so now the only time she barks is to come in. Your neighbours are right to be pissed off and you owe them an apology

I don't know why you put the safeguarding work bit in its irrelevant to the story.

You let the dog bark when you should have been prepared better before the meeting.

Letting a dog bark for 30 mins is unreasonable.

Oh dear. You handled that really badly. You’ve got some making up to do. And then to kind of blame it on their dog?!?! Amazed how you can tone our repeated barking like that. No wonder they had enough and your weird/deflecting reaction sealed your fate. I think you need to go face to face with them and just say how sorry you are and do some major reassuring that if was a one off and you’ll be more vigilant in the future.. day from hell work etc. Cock up. And head to the shop to go and get their favourite topple. I reckon you’ll be ok.
Don’t agree with some of the harsh comments you’ve had though op But at least you’ve put your hands up for your mess up.
I have repeat barking on our road I’ve learnt to accept it. But it does send you fucking crackers though.

I can see why the neighbours were ticked off. But it sounds like it is an unusual occurrence and unlikely to happen again.

Pop round and apologise without reservation.

My dog is called in every time she takes offence at a bird/squirrel - I recommend getting in some sprats.

No, sorry, YABU. The minute my dogs start barking they get taken in straight away. They know that barking = going indoors. They now do not bark in the garden. Take the time to train your dogs properly and if they aren't trained yet, don't leave the door open!

A constantly barking dog is annoying but.....if you’re on an important work call it’s difficult to manage.
I sometimes have to excuse myself from a meeting to let the dog in / out. If my partner is not around I often work downstairs for dog related reasons.

I think your neighbours overreacted by so being angry.
Having said that, last summer I was fuming at our opposite neighbour who was trimming his hedge with an electric trimmer while I was trying to work.
It went on for about an hour (long, high hedges) while I was having difficult conversations with distressed people, but what could I do? 🤷‍♀️

@Candlestand

Okay. I understand. I've told DH he needs to get rid of the dogs. I tried to see it my way but this many people can't be wrong. I'm obviously not fit to care for them.

How ridiculously over dramatic

Just train the dogs and don’t leave them unsupervised out of earshot.

I'm a terrible person and I ruined my neighbours lives. Everything has been going wrong. I didn't think it was that big of a deal and I thought I could make it right by apologising but obviously not. I'm sorry

They definitely need to be trained.

@Candlestand

Okay. I understand. I've told DH he needs to get rid of the dogs. I tried to see it my way but this many people can't be wrong. I'm obviously not fit to care for them.

Stop being so dramatic and train your dogs.

You should have gone downstairs and let the dog in. No catastrophe would have unfolded in your 60 second absence from this. I assume it wasn’t the recent US/China summit you’re taking about? Then you wouldn’t have had to spend hours thinking about it. Alternatively, don’t let them in and accept you did something “a little bit selfish” but just accept the guilt rather than writing a long winded piece and trying to get validation from the internet!

My puppy is going through a barky stage and it’s bloody annoying. But as soon as he barks he’s redirected. You can work on this at weekends with your Dh and stop them barking so at least you can let them out knowing they’re not going to be bugging folk as it’s the most annoying thing hearing dogs barking continually. I’ve apologised to both sides and they are fine about it as they know we don’t leave him to bark and are actively training him. I don’t think you need to go dramatic re this just work on it with them and remind your husband to take them with him

I tried to train them but what can I do when working full time? This wasn't a usual occurance, it was a one off but I hadn't thought it would have such consequences

I hate to say it, but it sounds like you're missing the point with some of these replies. No one is querying why you couldn't go and deal with it - you had an important day at work and it was a one off. But, your neighbours are bound to be annoyed with this, and they will need some time to cool off, especially as you told them to bring their well behaved dog indoors. The bottom line is your busy day, circumstances and young barking dogs shouldn't be affecting other peoples day. It's not their problem, it is yours. I imagine the way you handled it upset them even more. I agree with the other posts, leave some wine and a note explaining that it was a one off, you responded badly because you were incredibly stressed and it won't happen again. If your neighbours are reasonable they will settle down and get over it. At this point there is little more you can do and don't worry it blow over.

The comments on here 😮 I didn't realise there were so many perfect people about.

Neighbours overreacted and were arsey - your dog barking as a one off occasion is no reason to come over pounding on your door. Why couldn't they have knocked and said "everything okay, your dog is barking a lot and we're worried something is wrong?" They acted very poorly.

You were also unreasonable, you shouldn't have deflected the blame onto them. But if you were stuck in a meeting, you were stuck in a meeting. End of. It's not an everyday occurrence so don't feel bad op. Like others have suggested, your dog might benefit from some training.

If you want to take them a bottle of wine to smooth things over, go for it. But I would only be doing so to make up for your 'you could've taken your dog inside' gaffe, not the barking in general. Shit happens.

@Candlestand

I'm a terrible person and I ruined my neighbours lives. Everything has been going wrong. I didn't think it was that big of a deal and I thought I could make it right by apologising but obviously not. I'm sorry

You're being a bit dramatic! Just train your dogs, don't martyr yourself. When we moved somewhere the dogs could go in the garden unattended, it took them a weekend of strict training to get them used to not barking.

And you need to train recall too. Start from the very start. On a long lead, and then gradually off the lead. Once that's sorted, start letting them in the garden alone again. When they bark, take them straight in, no fuss. If they try to run away and don't do recall, then they go back on the lead for the rest of the day. And practice your firm, 'No!' voice. They will learn, you just need to do it properly.

If my dogs bark, we say no, and if they haven't stopped immediately we take them in. No ifs or buts, that's just the way it is. The bottom line though is that it is unacceptable to let your dog bark in your garden for more than a minute, quite frankly.

While I don’t think that a dog should be left outside to bark, as usual any thread involving dogs is going to attract such completely OTT reactions that I’m inclined to the say the OP is not unreasonable.

So it was a one off. And now we have people saying that:

The dogs shouldn’t be trained to bark
That they were being neglected
That the neighbours are probably sick of the OP and this is the last straw
And that the dogs are running feral.

Seriously....

Firstly, dogs bark. It’s what they do. no, ideally a dog barking shouldn’t be ignored, but it is going to happen that a dog might bark at a time when the neighbours might not be appreciative.

Mine barks to go out first thing in the morning. I get up and let him out as soon as he does but I have no doubt the neighbours hear him for the two minutes it takes me to get out of bed and go downstairs.

My last dog would bark for about a minute when I left the house to go on the school run. My vile next door neighbour reported me to the RSPCA, environmental health, and guide dogs (he was a retired guide dog.) I recorded him so I know it was only a minute, but I have no doubt that if I’d posted about it on here people would probably have said that the neighbour had probably had enough and only just thought she could say something. Never mind the fact her dog barked constantly and was so aggressive it could only be walked muzzled after dark. Mine probably triggered her dog when he barked but the reaction was ott in the extreme. Said neighbour had already fallen out with the rest of the street so I was fresh bate so to speak.

This was a one off for the OP. It’s not as if the dogs are constantly left barking. Yes it would be irritating, and it’s actually possible, likely even that the neighbour banged on the door because he thought something was wrong for the dog to be barking constantly. And his back may have been put up when the OP appeared and stated she would deal later.

yes ideally the OP should have brought the dog in, and no she shouldn’t have said that they should have been the ones to take their dog inside.

But the reactions here are seriously deranged.

OP your being dramatic now about getting rid of the dogs. Take box chocolates round, apologise to neighbours. You were totally in the wrong. Suck it up