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 had two dogs (only one now). She goes ballistic at our neighbour’s robot lawnmower. She lasts a minute before I have her indoors.
However I’m a carer for my DD so can (usually) not always get to her to stop her (lure her with treats/hosepipe - scolding doesn’t work on her) but if your neighbour is WFH they may not be as able to get to the dog.
On MN everyone seems to think that all dogs are trainable to the same degree. They aren’t m.
Often small yapping dogs were used as @guard” dogs hence I suppose the highly irritating sound.
Mine were hunting dogs, so not interested in guarding perimeters etc but if they found a hedgehog- they’d probably wake the village up baying at it.
I could never train my dogs to walk off lead - but I raise this stuff because training dogs isn’t as easy as it seems (I could make mine do all kinds of things but other things not).
I’d really suggest going round and asking if there’s a way to make it work for you both.
I’d actually think squirting water would piss off the neighbour and probably make the dog worse (some of them try to catch water)..
of course you can be in any part of the garden but do can their dog.
I’m very much a live and let live person but if it bothers you that much let them know- they might have absolutely no idea.
If someone asked me to do something about my dog, I’d try my best (though she’s really not a nuisance unlike my neighbour ms dog).

I think some people are misunderstanding what I'm complaining about. I don't expect a silent peaceful day in the garden. Just for dogs who bark continually at a family with a small baby (causing baby to cry) through the fence to be trained not to do so. That's all I'm asking.

Oh those small yappy dogs can be hell.

A tenant moved in next door with one of those Pomeranians that would bark to no end even if a leaf moved. It drove us all mad for 18 months and the owner's response was, 'it's a dog, it's suppose to bark' didn't help much.

Things had to get nasty before they moved but not before another neighbour had had enough and sold up and moved out.

I feel for you and loathe small untrained yappy dogs.

Cannot believe the amount of people who are defending a yappy dog! As the owner of two 'guard dogs' it is bloody annoying and owners should train their dogs out of it, not just leave them to it! I'd be mortified if I let my dog routinely bark at my neighbours with no telling off, baby or no baby involved. It's quite intimidating and not on.

Ah but OP you said it wakes your baby up when it's sleeping. And also that once you were so upset with it barking through the fence that you just went inside. I get it, yapping can be annoying but if the dog feels like you're in their garden it's going to bark I really do suggest speaking to the neighbour and becoming friends with the dog. It won't see you as a threat then. And also putting something up to block the gaps.

Double panel the fence using something you can remove easily such as bamboo screening. Or keep your baby inside for naps. Yappy dog aside you're being a bit unreasonable expecting quiet outside so your baby can sleep. What if next door had noisy kids, were cutting the grass, doing work on the garden, playing music, or just talking loudly to eachother? You want silence, you go inside. You cannot expect the neighbours to tip toe round you. Nor can you expect them to keep their dog inside all the time. However they could do more to train the dog, but you can't make them do that so you'll have to find alternative solutions.

Disclaimer: I have been the owner of a yappy reactive dog. Believe me that is no fun either. I used to keep him inside knowing it could sometimes annoy the neighbours, who's dogs would set ours off with a single bark at the fence. However it was unsustainable as the neighbours would be outside all day every day in the summer, so we basically couldn't let our dog out to go for a wee, nor could we sit in our garden as he would get upset seeing us out there while he was stuck inside. We pretty much only sat outside when we knew they were out. So we double panelled the fence while working on training. Still their dog will bark to get a reaction from ours, but ours is better behaved now and easier to get to stop barking. I don't feel guilty anymore as I can't actually see if they're in the garden, and neither can my dog so it's a lot more relaxed all round.

We don't own the property, it's privately rented
So what? You don't need to remove the existing fence, just put something up in front of it. Something non see through.
Why wouldn't you?

@ForeverSausages

Ah but OP you said it wakes your baby up when it's sleeping. And also that once you were so upset with it barking through the fence that you just went inside. I get it, yapping can be annoying but if the dog feels like you're in their garden it's going to bark I really do suggest speaking to the neighbour and becoming friends with the dog. It won't see you as a threat then. And also putting something up to block the gaps.

Yes there's been a few different occasions. She's been happily lying on her playmat next to me playing and it's barked suddenly, loudly, constantly at us through the fence (think small yappy thing just going and going .....), which has caused her to suddenly burst out crying from the shock. On the other occasions it has woken her from a sleep in her pram.

@ForeverSausages

The times when it has caused her to suddenly burst out crying in shock have really upset me, so I just went inside ...

By the way the water pistol thing works; I used it on my dog. But I would never do that to someone else's dog, that is really overstepping the mark. Suggest it to your neighbours if you want, but don't actually do it fgs

Why not pop by the neighbour with the adorable baby smiling in your arms (is she smiling?) and ask them the dog's name and get them to introduce you so you can make friends with it and encourage it to relax whenever you're in the garden?

Perhaps the neighbour might bring the dog down to the fence and chat to you and baby in a cheerful fashion for a minute or two so the dog sees you're not a threat?

That might work, and no reasonable person would object. If neighbour proves surly and unco-operative, proceed to squirty bottle. Oh, and have the hose handy for the neighbour! 😁

@GreyhoundG1rl

We don't own the property, it's privately rented So what? You don't need to remove the existing fence, just put something up in front of it. Something non see through. Why wouldn't you?

I think I said that originally in response to someone who suggested a new fence. Yes I agree I could try putting something up in front of it and you'll see from my previous comments that I'm considering that

@soirritating

I think some people are misunderstanding what I'm complaining about. I don't expect a silent peaceful day in the garden. Just for dogs who bark continually at a family with a small baby (causing baby to cry) through the fence to be trained not to do so. That's all I'm asking.

Sure, but you're expecting that without having a conversation with your neighbours, and complaining without actually doing anything about it.

You say that's all you're asking, but you haven't actually asked anything - you're just sitting in your garden fuming.

And predicting a 'neighbour war' is your own imagination keeping you trapped. Nothing's happened - unless there's more to the story about your neighbours that you haven't told us yet?

Pop by, be friendly, explain the situation and ask if you can come up with a collective solution.

Just because they're not dealing with it the way you'd like doesn't mean they're going to kick off.

You can't train their dog but you can train their owners. You need to make it their problem. Whether the dog is outside, jog up and down the garden, or otherwise keep moving, so the dog barks and the neighbours have to deal with it. They will either keep the dog inside or train it not to bark.

@NewlyGranny

Why not pop by the neighbour with the adorable baby smiling in your arms (is she smiling?) and ask them the dog's name and get them to introduce you so you can make friends with it and encourage it to relax whenever you're in the garden?

Perhaps the neighbour might bring the dog down to the fence and chat to you and baby in a cheerful fashion for a minute or two so the dog sees you're not a threat?

That might work, and no reasonable person would object. If neighbour proves surly and unco-operative, proceed to squirty bottle. Oh, and have the hose handy for the neighbour! 😁

😂

Get a hosepipe with a jet setting and go to town on the little yapper! A few warning bursts every now and then would do the trick.

I can’t believe folks are suggesting you need to make friends With the dog so it won’t bark at you. You being serious? We should all be able to use our garden space without a dog barking at every movement from another garden. It’s for the owners to sort it out not the neighbours

@penguinwithasuitcase

I haven't rules out a conversation with them, either. As you'll see from my previous comments. I wanted to come here first to gauge if my expectations are reasonable before I approach it with a problem solving head on.

most of these comments are ridiculous lol ! I sympathise with you , we've lived next door to a small dog for years and literally can't use our garden at all because the damn thing barks at Amy Little thing ! it's fucking annoying! can't even open the back door without setting the little shit off !

The advice you are receiving is sound. Befriend the dog. Put a screen up to block out any holes or gaps in the fence. Talk with your neighbour about what might help to reduce her dog’s agitation by focusing on what you can do to help.

*ruled out - breastfeeding and typing with one hand! 😬

Op isn’t demanding that her garden is silent like some kind of sound proofed meditation chamber. The neighbours untrained dog is coming right up to the fence and barking at her while she’s trying to chill out in the garden. That’s not just “normal dog noise” it’s the neighbour being fucking lazy and letting it be a nuisance.

You have a right to be in the garden with your baby. The neighbour has a right to be in their garden with their dog. Your baby crying might annoy them, their dog yapping annoys you. This is just life with near neighbours.

I have a chihuahua x Pomeranian and he yaps. I've tried training (I've got 2 dogs like a said) but also he's pretty useful when someone tried to break in once. However, he would be anyone's friend for food. When one side neighbours moved in she actually apologised that every time she went into the garden he barked (she definitely didn't need to apologise!). We upgraded the fence (double panels) and I bought them treats to feed him (still do now 4 years later 😂) and he never barks at them. Also, if it makes you feel any better, my 6 year old can sleep through the barking now 😉.

And predicting a 'neighbour war' is your own imagination keeping you trapped. Nothing's happened - unless there's more to the story about your neighbours that you haven't told us yet?

No, nothing has happened. I've just picked up on a few mannerisms and overheard a few conversations in the garden (inadvertently) that make me think they may not be the most approachable ... shall we say. 😬