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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour's Lockdown Dog

73 replies

kittykitty · 19/09/2021 13:53

Would really appreciate the help of Mumsnet's dog owners and non dog owners to know if IABU on this.
We live in a small block of flats - think around 20-25 people living here in total. A lot of my neighbours have pets, both cats and dogs. But it's my immediate neighbour's dog that's the issue , we both live on the same floor. I never hear the other dogs in the building.
The dog, a dachshund, arrived in the middle of lockdown around 7 months ago. At the time there was a lot of barking while it settled down. The neighbour apologised in advance and I figured it was just a settling down phase.
Now, seven months on, and the dog has started barking again. A LOT. It's not an exaggeration to say you can hear it from a street away, so it's really loud, and annoying, particularly as I WFH. They're home too, so it's not that it's on its own.
What seems to set it off is literally anyone coming into or out of the building or the building's gates. And that's a lot of people every day when you take into account all the comings and goings of residents, couriers, Deliveroo drives etc.
It is slowly driving me crazy.
So my question is, AIBU to expect the neighbour to train the dog not to bark every time. Or is this something dogs do and I'm going to have to suck it up? (the latter seems a little unfair but it would be good to know if I'm just expecting too much as I live in a flat and have to accept a certain level of noise from neighbours).

OP posts:
motherofcatsandbears · 19/09/2021 14:01

Have a quiet word with the neighbours first, explain you’re concerned and being bothered by the noise, especially with WFH (boss isn’t happy, affecting your work, phone calls are hard to have).
It might be that they’ve ‘gone deaf’ to the constant yapping and don’t realise how often it’s happening, or the dog is shut away in a room and desperate for some company.
If this doesn’t do anything, have a word with the flats management to see if they can do anything.

Wineisrequired · 19/09/2021 14:43

I feel your pain. I’ve started going back into the office as my neighbours dog barks all the time. I’ve never seen them walking the dog and he only has a cat flap to use the back garden . I think he barks all the time as he’s just starved of attention so if anyone walks past the house off he goes .

GoWalkabout · 19/09/2021 14:49

Is it adolescence? My neighbours dog had a barky phase before she was spayed. Neighbour warned me and was very apologetic.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 19/09/2021 14:53

Have a world, dachshunds are barky little buggers, neighbour should do something about it.

Elieza · 19/09/2021 15:02

There will be many people in the same position.

I had a barky little bastard next door to me for over a decade. Drove me nuts. Even strangers walking down the street would point at the neighbours windows from where the barking was coming from and say something and when they saw me putting the bins out or whatever they’d say how could I stand it etc.

Every holiday I had at home (no money for foreign holidays) for that time I had to listen to it. Started as soon as they left for work. Continued all day.

Defo bring it to their attention. Have a google and see if any local trainers you could mention to them. They need to take responsibility for their animal. If that fails inform the housing association or whomever owns the house. And the council noise police.

There will be loads of dogs which were bought without any thought more than how cute they are. No thought of training or kennels or vet fees or whatever. Many will share your pain. But defo do something ASAP. I wish I had knowing what the past decade has been like. Nightmare. Never again.

MyLandlordIsAWOL · 19/09/2021 15:05

Have a word, but dachshunds are barky wee gits with surprisingly loud barks, and silence is unlikely to be achievable

Original poster
kittykitty · 19/09/2021 15:05

Thanks all. Not sure if it’s adolescence. It’s not a year old I don’t think. Or is that a teen in dog years?
Glad I’m not being unreasonableness to have a word. I mean I don’t want to be a moany neighbour but I have limits.
Out of interest does anyone know exactly how you’d train the dog not to bark?

OP posts:
Original poster
kittykitty · 19/09/2021 15:07

@MyLandlordIsAWOL it’s so noisy for such a small dog! I’m not expecting silence, but I would settle for a reduction in barking for sure.

OP posts:
ChardonnaysPetDragon · 19/09/2021 15:08

It's not the age I don't think, it's a dachshund thing. Sorry, do have a word, they can consult a trainer, but as a PP said, it's not likely to shut up.

youvegottenminuteslynn · 19/09/2021 15:09

I adore dogs but the two dachshunds I know are right little shits even if they are ever so cute underneath the constant barking and yapping. Sending you good luck OP!

flippertyop · 19/09/2021 15:10

I have a yappy little shot. It's the breed. Nothing you can do

Original poster
kittykitty · 19/09/2021 15:17

So this is a dachshund only nightmare? God why would anyone living in such close proximity with other people get such a dog?!!

OP posts:
mynameisbrian · 19/09/2021 15:24

Sorry but I would be having a word with the neighbours. If you can hear it barking from the next street their is a issue. If they are in I am surprised they are not stopping it. I have a barky breed but I am in a house with a garden. If he got the chance he would spend his existence barking at anything that moved. I quickly bring him in if he barks in the garden, he gets taken into another room if he barks at the door. He isnt left to bark for longer than 30 secs. So being in a flat where barking would echo around the stair wells is a big nuisance. Its not a case of putting up with it as its a barky breed, the neighbours should deal with it. If they didnt i would record it and report them to the council. (if in the Uk)

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 19/09/2021 15:26

I know, I'm sorry for you.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 19/09/2021 15:27

I'm never getting a dachshund even if you'd paid me. I realise it's not helping, sorry.

Original poster
kittykitty · 19/09/2021 15:32

So, the question is, although I probably will raise the noise issue with the neighbour, is there anything realistically I could/should be asking her to do?

OP posts:
Original poster
kittykitty · 19/09/2021 15:33

Should also add, we're all owner occupiers, so there's no landlord or council to raise this with.

OP posts:
mummaelle · 19/09/2021 15:33

I have the most well behaved dog you could imagine but she still parks at delivery drivers and anyone knocking at the door, it's very normal for dogs to do this it's just that it's going to be a lot more people coming and going from communal flats. You're going to have to suck it up I'm afraid.

MLMbotsno · 19/09/2021 15:35

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

I'm never getting a dachshund even if you'd paid me. I realise it's not helping, sorry.
Yep yapping, barking dogs are a pain. Owners are worse
coachmylife · 19/09/2021 15:39

Well we have a lockdown pup and I am v conscious abt noise nuisance as I detest barking. It is def possible to desensitise dogs to noises - not perfectly, but substantially. Yr neighbours shd be working on this. Is an effort tho. (For eg, one goes out, one stays in. Bell rings and instantly click clicker and reward. So bell becomes associated w reward not noise. It is a thing to do, but I have to say it has worked faster than I expected w ours - far from perfect but LOTS better).

ok1more · 19/09/2021 15:40

I have a dachshund exactly like this. She's 18 months now and is just starting to get used to all the noises so doesn't do it at every little thing now but it does take time. It's annoying even as an owner so I can imagine she's trying her hardest to sort it out

vixeyann · 19/09/2021 15:41

You don't have to suck it up as a previous poster said. Have a chat and explain the impact and if it continues you after that, contact Environmental Health. Other people's choices should not impact on everyone around them when living in such close proximity.

2bazookas · 19/09/2021 15:50

Each breed of dog has different characteristics. (They were bred for centuries to promote some temperament or physical characteristic._

Dachshunds have some strong breed  characteristics  and barking a lot is one  of them.

www.ilovedachshunds.com/why-do-dachshunds-bark-all-the-time/

www.dachshundstation.com/why-dachshunds-bark-all-the-time/

You need to talk to the neighbour .

Original poster
kittykitty · 19/09/2021 15:51

Thanks everyone. Been very useful to hear different opinions.

It does sound like it's the breed, not the issue of being a dog in a flat with comings and goings. As I said we have two other dogs in the flat who never bark. I just have the bad luck to live next to the one who does!

I'm going to speak to her to she at least knows it's affecting me and we'll start from there.

OP posts:
trumpisagit · 19/09/2021 15:57

It's definitely trainable but will take some effort and commitment from the owner. I know someone with Dachshunds who uses a "no bark" command.
Basically there allowed a couple of barks to alert her. "No bark". Treat and game when they stop. They used to be really barky and are relatively quiet now.