Out of control dog disturbing baby in garden - help?!

[soirritating]

I'll keep it as brief as possible. Basically I have a 3 month old baby and we are often out in the garden in the pram in the nice weather. Sometimes she falls asleep whilst out there (obviously I put her in the shade and stay with her just rocking her etc).

My issue is that next door have a small noisy dog which seems to have some sort of motion sensor on it. Literally every time there's any sort of movement, like me standing to rock her from sitting, the dog runs to the fence (I can see through the small slats) and starts yapping very loudly. And it's constant, continual yapping, until the neighbour eventually comes and retrieves it and what I would describe as half heartedly tells it off, eg. "stop it, come inside". Dog ignores her and continues. By this time my baby is wide awake and crying. This is every single time we are in the garden and make any sort of movement. Her "tellings off" are also few and far between - sometimes she just leaves the dog to yap at us through the fence.

As well as waking her sometimes when she's asleep it has also given her a shock and made her cry her on one occasion when we were out in the garden on her playmat - the best shaded area is right by my garden fence so that's where I was sitting with her lying on her mat. Next thing the dogs comes bounding over and is yapping inches from where we are. She startled and cried instantly. I was so upset on this occasion I just went back inside.

I know dogs bark. I get that. But i have owned a dog previously and if it was barking through the fence every single time a neighbour and her small baby were out there I'd be taking it inside. She doesn't seem to do that. So often we just end up back inside so baby isn't upset and can sleep, which I don't think is fair.

I don't expect silence in my garden by any means. But a dog constantly up at the fence, inches from where you know there's a small baby?? I just wouldn't let this continue. I'm starting to feel like I can't use my garden.

AIBU?

I have 2 dogs. 1 never barks. 1 yaps (chihuahua). I bring him in as soon as he starts barking but if I'm honest if my neighbour said it was disturbing their sleeping baby in the garden I'd be a bit . Thankfully my neighbours understand, and also make plenty of garden noise themselves. I spent this afternoon in the garden with the sounds of music, some sort of saw, lawn mower, children etc. It's life.

Is your fence a wooden one or a see through one ? If it’s not wooden can you upgrade to one as it might help. The dog thinks it’s protecting its territory from you so will bark. It’s not doing it for the baby. You have no right to spray it with anything but you need to do need to speak to them. They will be aware of the barking but you need to say something.

My dog would be a bit of a pain for this if we let her. She doesn't bark at people, just cats and other dogs (crap guard dog).

We don't let her do it freely though, she gets told 'IN' if she barks. We do sometimes have to pretend not to laugh when she obediently runs IN then about turns and runs straight back out like 'what did I miss??'

We've also lined pots etc around the perimeter to screen the view off, and that also helps. Maybe you could try that, for that specific area

My dog acts like this so it isn't allowed to use the garden only for the toilet. I've tried training, water spray, reward when he stops. He has jack Russel in him if that makes a difference. Any ideas anyone? And no he isn't allowed to act like it he only goes toilet with me and back inside. It's anti social. Even if he meets a neighbor gets fussed as soon as back in garden and hears same neighbor he would do it. Children playing noise is generally fine adults talking seems to trigger it or tool noises, grass cutting etc. He doesn't act like it in the house.

Water pistol

It’s not ok to put up with yapping dog regardless if op has baby.

Op you can buy screens that are temporary, if you on Facebook join DIY on budget gardens, people there enjoy their gardens and the tranquil peace you will get some helpful advice

I think your neighbour must have found this thread, that’s the only way to explain some of these responses!

Nobody should think this is acceptable. An occasional bark is one thing - your dog left alone in the garden, glued to the fence and barking like mad whenever they see movement isn’t okay or necessary if you weren’t too lazy to train your dog.

Sadly I doubt you’ll get anywhere with your neighbour. I get it, we only have one tiny patch of shade in our garden too and it’s a nightmare. We haven’t been able to find a way to add shade elsewhere because of the layout, but if you can add a gazebo type thing I would

@CharlotteRose90

Is your fence a wooden one or a see through one ? If it’s not wooden can you upgrade to one as it might help. The dog thinks it’s protecting its territory from you so will bark. It’s not doing it for the baby. You have no right to spray it with anything but you need to do need to speak to them. They will be aware of the barking but you need to say something.

Wooden slats but slight gaps in between the slats. We privately rent so can't upgrade the fence etc as not our property.

@SinkGirl

I think your neighbour must have found this thread, that’s the only way to explain some of these responses!

Nobody should think this is acceptable. An occasional bark is one thing - your dog left alone in the garden, glued to the fence and barking like mad whenever they see movement isn’t okay or necessary if you weren’t too lazy to train your dog.

Sadly I doubt you’ll get anywhere with your neighbour. I get it, we only have one tiny patch of shade in our garden too and it’s a nightmare. We haven’t been able to find a way to add shade elsewhere because of the layout, but if you can add a gazebo type thing I would

I did think I'd entered a parallel universe with some of the responses. Especially the pp who suggested it was fine because they must hear my baby crying? Wtf. As if that's remotely comparable. (Also highly, highly unlikely given distance between properties!)

I feel like this thread needs a diagram

@soirritating ah so you can’t change it. What about bamboo screening? Yappy dogs are horrific. Mine gets told off now for one bark.

Get some plants there (in pots if you're not allowed to dig the garden), have the hose switched on nearby and if dog barks you could water the plants next to the fence? That way some of the water might 'accidentally' get on the dog and stop the barking, but you just look like you're tending the garden to any onlookers

Please don’t squirt the dog. The dog could be reacting for a number of reasons and if it’s fear / anxiety it could massively ramp up its behaviour and could present as more aggressive rather than just barking. It really needs proper desensitisation training, you need to speak to the owner first and foremost.

i think you have to ask the neighbours to not let the dog have free run of the garden as its barking at you every time youre out there.
My neighbours dogs do this. One starts and then the rest come running. I cant even put my washing out without them going nuts or sit and read a book out there some days.
Im a dog lover and have two of my own, but I think some owners should be a bit more sensitive to stuff like this, as it can feel quite intimidating.

[quote CharlotteRose90]@soirritating ah so you can’t change it. What about bamboo screening? Yappy dogs are horrific. Mine gets told off now for one bark.[/quote]

Bamboo screening isn't a bad idea, I shall look into it!

This is why I will never own a dog. I like them too much to half-arse their training like this.

YANBU, this is the auditory equivalent of kids hanging over the fence staring into your yard.

I really would have a friendly word with the neighbours just to let them know that the dog is massively stimulated by catching sight of you moving around your garden. See if they are amenable to blocking the dog's view or whatever option they prefer.

I'd also let them know about the water pistol idea, not as an ultimatum but so they don't feel blindsided if they see Fido get a faceful.

Good luck, poorly-trained dogs are miserable for everyone, including themselves.

Yappy dogs are very annoying. You're not unreasonable to be annoyed.

But the practical question is, what can you do? The chances of your neighbour training his yappy dog not to bark at a fence when someone is sitting six inches away from it are, to put it mildly, very low.

So instead of living in the ideal world, you can think of solutions on your end (that's what a PP meant by controlling your environment, I think). Putting up an umbrella and sitting in the shade of that, rather than the shade of the fence, sound like an easy, cheap, and reasonable solution to the problem. As does buying a sort of beach wind screen thing and turning it into a fence lining, so the dog can't see through. Or even playing some inoffensive music relatively low, as a kind of white noise for the dog.

Should you have to do it? Nope. Will it make your life more pleasant? Yes.

Dog threads on MN are fucking batshit 🙈

I’m a dog owner and I wouldn’t let my dog behave like this, your neighbour is at fault here.

I would invest in a high power hose

Mumsnet is often quite unpleasant on posts about little babies.

YANBU op.

Barking dogs are annoying but honestly put your baby inside to sleep. It's not especially normal to expect quiet because a baby is sleeping in a garden. Outside is full of random noises you can't control. It's not a bedroom.

Our neighbours have two absolutely horrid dogs that bark all day, they lock them outside for hours and they bark continuously. If the neighbours leave, the dogs bark.

The unexpected benefit of this is that my now one year old sleeps through anything. Realistically there is nothing you can do.

Hmmm no I disagree that you're being PFB. I have two quite barky dogs and the absolute MINUTE they start barking at neighbours, they are taken in and told off. No exceptions. If anything it helps to train them! Letting dogs bark at neighbours is unacceptable and teaches them that it's ok to do so.

Total PFB or PSB. I’m sure your children’s noise gets on the neighbours and the neighbours dogs nerves. That’s just the way it goes living near people

The dog needs training it sounds untrained and horrible to be honest there’s no need for it to be that reactive the owners clearly haven’t trained it

You have a right to peace in your garden

Can you put some board up if you can’t put a new fence up ? I really feel for you as it’s awful when you want your baby to sleep and something wakes them

You should I speak to your neighbours of younger they are approachable

@21Bee

Our neighbours have two absolutely horrid dogs that bark all day, they lock them outside for hours and they bark continuously. If the neighbours leave, the dogs bark.

The unexpected benefit of this is that my now one year old sleeps through anything. Realistically there is nothing you can do.

the dogs aren't horrid, your neighbours are