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?

My neighbour leaves her dogs outside unsupervised constantly, and us going into our garden with our own dogs - never left alone - they are always barking and jumping up against the fence. Incredibly annoying, then it upsets my dogs and sets them off, yes we are investing in an upgraded fence and planning the garden planting design around the issue - but I have to say OP, her kids are even more annoying than the dogs, and the kids from the neighbour the other side of her which we can hear as well - YABU to think you’re a completely innocent party in the neighbour noise league if you have 2 children!

So, yes your neighbour needs to supervise and train her dog better, for sure. But don’t fool yourself that no one ever hears your children and finds them annoying too.

@soirritating Hi OP. Congratulations on your baby!

We have a 5 month old baby and a 10 month old puppy. You might have tried it already but have you tried engaging with the dog? Speak to its owner and see if you can pop a treat through when he comes over?

Our pup absolutely loves our neighbour as he gets 2 treats a day from him. Our neighbour only gives him them when he sits there, quietly waiting though. If he whines, he doesnt get one. It didn't take him long to realise that he needs to quietly wait for one. Ours was never a loud, barking pup though. Could it be worth a try? He'd associate you with a good thing then!

@gardeninggirl68

You cannot seriously expect them to take the dog inside every time you are out there??

Not their fault you feel you can only sit next to the fence. Change your own habitat to suit you

This place is turning batshit again

Where exactly CAN dogs go that mumsnet approves of?

I have a dog and no way would I let it out in the garden to yap at neighbours like this. Idea either be out there training her not to yap…..or bring her in every time she started.

If you think

Not younger

Mumsnet is often quite unpleasant on posts about little babies.

Wow.

YABU - it’s a garden there’s always going to be unexpected noise eg birdsong, children in other gardens, people doing diy, cars, neighbours listening to music or chatting, barbecues or outdoor parties, plus dogs. it’s unrealistic to think your baby will be able to peacefully sleep out there regardless of next doors dog or not

@Pinkdelight3

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.

I don't use the garden as her bedroom.

I take her outside when it's a nice day for some fresh air, either in her pram or with her play mat. I plan to be outside for half an hour to an hour max. While I'm there I might pop my washing on the line. She may or may not fall asleep in her pram at these times. It's that sort of thing I'm talking about. I can't even enjoy my garden just once in a while for an hour at a time.

@rainbowfairylights

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.

Also can't possibly be being "PFB" (now I know what this means) since she is my second born not my first 😂

YABU to expect them to keep their dog in when you want to go out there with your baby.

Try some of the strategies mentioned by PP, change the fencing.

It's such a temporary problem - just a few weeks of summer left (if we're lucky) I wouldn't get too stressed over it. If you really are then I guess you will have to move.

i dont think a higher fence would help. The dogs are usually barking at the noise, not the visual. In fact if they could see you theyd probably do it less, but thats not the point.

Especially the pp who suggested it was fine because they must hear my baby crying? Wtf. As if that's remotely comparable. Agreed, it isn't. We have an emotional response to a baby crying, even if it's not our own, that isn't there to the same degree with a dog. A baby crying is much harder to ignore.

YABU to expect them to keep their dog in when you want to go out there with your baby.

I don't. I expect them to train it not to bark at us, and take it inside if they are unwilling or unable to do so.

Nah you should get a shotgun and shoot the dog. And the neighbour. And the postman. And the other neighbour that mows their lawn and power washes their patio. How very dare they disturb your baby sleeping IN THE GARDEN. Honestly. Their are gaps between the fence and the dog is protecting their territory. Make friends with the neighbour and the dog or put up something so the dog can't see you.

@ForeverSausages

Nah you should get a shotgun and shoot the dog. And the neighbour. And the postman. And the other neighbour that mows their lawn and power washes their patio. How very dare they disturb your baby sleeping IN THE GARDEN. Honestly. Their are gaps between the fence and the dog is protecting their territory. Make friends with the neighbour and the dog or put up something so the dog can't see you.

Ridiculous suggestion. I love my postman.

@ForeverSausages don’t forget the ice cream man for daring to play his tune!

@MereDintofPandiculation

Especially the pp who suggested it was fine because they must hear my baby crying? Wtf. As if that's remotely comparable. Agreed, it isn't. We have an emotional response to a baby crying, even if it's not our own, that isn't there to the same degree with a dog. A baby crying is much harder to ignore.

Good job they can't hear my baby crying then isn't it.

I've seen on a gardening Facebook group some people using shower curtains as screens. Some look a bit tacky but some look OK especially if there are plenty of plants in front. Just thought it's cheap, and not permanent and totally opaque so the dog might not realise you're there

Water pistol to the dog every time it barks? Feel like that might train it out of the habit…

@Catchthepigeons

I've seen on a gardening Facebook group some people using shower curtains as screens. Some look a bit tacky but some look OK especially if there are plenty of plants in front. Just thought it's cheap, and not permanent and totally opaque so the dog might not realise you're there

Oh I'm not too sure about this. I prefer the bamboo idea I think. Wonder if that would obscure the dog's view enough so it's not set off by motion in our garden ...

@soirritating But you said that they know your baby is asleep there as if they should factor that in. And I don't think they should have to because it's a garden, not a place for sleeping. If she falls asleep in the pram, it's no biggie to wheel her inside rather than into the shade by the fence. You're just making problems for yourself and blaming it on the dog. Address the barking issue by all means but don't make it about your baby's need to sleep out there.

catchthepigeons

This one

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Diy on a budget gardens

[quote Pinkdelight3]@soirritating But you said that they know your baby is asleep there as if they should factor that in. And I don't think they should have to because it's a garden, not a place for sleeping. If she falls asleep in the pram, it's no biggie to wheel her inside rather than into the shade by the fence. You're just making problems for yourself and blaming it on the dog. Address the barking issue by all means but don't make it about your baby's need to sleep out there.[/quote]

It's not about my baby's need to sleep out there. It's about my right to fresh air in my garden without being constantly barked at.

YABU. Dogs make a noise. Children playing make a noise. Babies crying make a noise. Adults talking make a noise. Lawnmowers make a noise. All can disrupt a peaceful day in the garden.

You say it has a “ movement “ sensor. So firstly even if rented I would try putting something , anything on your side to see if it is a visual through the fence setting the dog off .

You can’t train a dog not to bark when it thinks it is protecting its own territory .

I would call mine in but then the damage is done because it’s barking . ?

@TheNewBlack

YABU. Dogs make a noise. Children playing make a noise. Babies crying make a noise. Adults talking make a noise. Lawnmowers make a noise. All can disrupt a peaceful day in the garden.

And funnily enough the only one of these that does cause disruption (and make my baby cry) is the dog. Hence it's the only one I have an issue with