Neighbours Dog

[Rustpail]

I'v name changed for this. But am at the end of my tether and need advice. I recently bought a flat, its lovely and I'm really happy with it, but my neighbour has an absolutely huge dog and I'm allergic. She insists on taking it out for a walk three times a day through the communal hallway and I find it quite intimidating and it is making me sneeze.

I wasnt told about the dog when I bought the flat, and it doesnt make any noise. Apparently she has permission for it and permission can only be removed if it is making a noise or fouling - but not for any other nuisance. What can I do?

There is some advice here, but I would just add from a practical standpoint that a) you have to live next to this person so you don’t need to be best mates, but it helps if you get on, b) you have to declare any disputes when you sell and c) if you start trying to get her dog evicted for no reason then I think you could be seen as harassing her.

You need to understand that you either have to learn to cope with this or move.

Omg I have such a similar issue - my neighbours insist on letting their children leave the flat through the communal hallway several times a day. I feel intimidated just at the thought and have tried self medicating with wine but it just makes me drunk

what are you planning to do? Draw a upside down smiley on the mask like sad joker?

That actually made me LOL!

Just reading some more replies I think OP won't be happy until the dog is no longer allowed to live there :(

Well said. The utter whiny entitlement oozing from the OP's posts is astounding.

Well, this dog and owner might move but the next owner might have a dog… or two

This thread just gets better.

OP, you clearly hate dogs, hence all the excuses. You’re not responding to any suggestions of non drowsy antihistamines.

Labs are definitely not considers ‘huge’ dogs.

You realise 27% of adults own a dog, there’s an enormous possibility of someone in your flats owning a dog now or in the future,

When we stayed in a flat for a week, I was taking my lab out hourly for a wee. Do you only wee once a day?

Totally unreasonable

I keep thinking about the people that work with the leasing agent when they receive the complaint email. They are going to get their laughs in for the day.

OP, if the dog owner only walked their dog once a day you would have an entirely different set of problems.

In all your posts you've used the words upset, miserable, intimidated, not happy, anxious but only sneezing once. I mean this in the kindest possible way but I suspect this is more of a MH issue rather than physical as if you that allergic to dogs what happens if you walk past one in the street?
But of course you can cross over to avoid if you feel anxious. In the hallway you may feel trapped and even inside your flat as you are scared the dog might be about to come in or out. You are projecting your fears onto a dog and responsible owner. Please speak to your GP about your anxiety.
Physical symptoms of your allergy can be helped with non drowsy meds, mask, air purifier etc but you need to get your anxiety under control.

Didn't you wonder why you sneezed in the hallway when you looked at the flat? Or did you not start sneezing until after you knew there was a dog?

Are you scared of dogs?
you sound very allergic, a face mask/don’t touch things in communal space and I would have thought you’d be ok but I wonder if you are actually more anxious than allergic?

Right, but what if they'd moved in after you? Would you still expect to be told? What do you think you could do, appeal??

Dogs need to go out several times a day. Do you wee once a day? It's not noisy, it's not doing anything to bother you apart from exist.

You want practical advice -
Take non drowsy antihistamines and stop being so ridiculous. That's the only advice you need.

Ahh I see…. Start leaving your flat via a window… get a big ladder if it’s not ground floor.

Leave the dog alone, of course it needs to go for more then one bloody walk a day.

it just makes me so anxious about meeting it always trekking back in and out.

You're not trekking in and out of your apartment...back and forth, so many times...all day, right? But since you're so on top of your neighbours comings and goings, surely you already know when you can "safely" leave your apartment?!

Otherwise, if you're an owner you're probably on the management board - get the hallway carpets cleaned and get an air purifier installed. And next time you buy an apartment make sure it suits your needs and don't expect your neighbours to change their lifestyle to accommodate you.

There are lots of non drowsy antihistamines on the market eg Fexafenadine. I take a Piriton at night and a Cetrazine in the morning for my allergy.

Anyone else getting the impression the OP's problem is less that she is allergic and more that she is scared of dogs and so doesn't like meeting one in the hallway? Talking about being "intimidated" and describing a labrador as "absolutely huge" suggest nervousness to me. I suspect OP you are leaning into the allergies thing because you recognise the fact you are nervous is even more of a you problem. You sound very very unreasonable and like you are intent on making things difficult for this perfectly reasonable and responsible dog owner. If you're worried by the dog, just give it a wide berth. There's no way the dog owner can avoid taking it out regularly, partly for exercise but if she is in a flat with presumably no garden, the dog is going to need to go out to the toilet on a regular basis. Any problem you have with that is yours.

Christ you sound entitled, the dog isn't being a nuisance, you're going to be a popular neighbour! 🤦‍♀️

But even if the management had informed you, what difference does that make?

Dogs are permitted. You could have complained all you like and it would not alter your neighbour being allowed to have a dog.

I get the allergy thing - DH is hugely allergic to cats, dogs, horses and a gazillion pollens. There are lots of options for non-drowsy anti-histamines. You could also try a course of desensitising injections?

It comes across that you just don't like dogs... in which case, you need to buy a house not a flat.

It makes me sneeze... she says 🤣🤣🤣

The onus was on you to ask.

Wear a facemark in the communal hallway. And as suggested, there are lots of non-drowsy antihistamines available.

She insists on taking it out for a walk three times a day through the communal hallway

Well, what else do you expect her to do? Climb out through the window? Dogs need to be walked.

Could you maybe stay in your flat for the foreseeable and write to your local MP, asking for the cull of all local dogs? After all you are allergic. Failing that, buy a property that better suits your needs.

What exactly do you want her to do??

OP
Are you sure this is really about an allergy or is it anxiety related to dogs? If it's allergies, then you can easily take a daily anti-hist (plenty of non drowsy ones available) and if it's anxiety, talk to your GP as they may be able to help you with tools to manage it.

This is 100% going to end up in DM. 'Woman sparks outrage by insisting neighbour rehomes dog...'. Op, are you a journo? 😂

I’m allergic to furry animals myself, but this post takes the biscuit for ridiculous entitlement.

This.