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?

This is so unreasonable I doubt its true

This can't be real. YOU are seriously misinterpreting the meaning of nuisance. If it is so life impacting then ask next time. You own one flat, not the block and you are not entitled to control whether your neighbours own a dog or any other animal.

to be fair labradors are on the upper end of aggressive with the breeds that would be considered placid (if you know what I mean in context). But in this scenario OP you'd either have to move or think a way around it.

The dog merely existing is a nuisance to you. It would seem OP that you're either making this up, or you are the nuisance!

Poor thing is not a Nuisance in any way
This is a you problem not a dog problem

I think if I ever buy a flat in a communal building I will definitely ask if there are any passive aggressive, unreasonable, dog hating, busybody mumsnetters living there first. I think that would be a big problem for me!

If you have such a severe allergy to dogs, did you not think to read through the property deeds/ leasehold agreement regarding this matter when purchasing your flat? I think your only option is to sell or just cope with situation as it is.

Also what do you expect the owner to do when she sees you're not happy? Grovel for your forgiveness that you are allergic and sneezing? Stop being so precious.

Did you ask if there was a dog in the building? If so, you may have recourse to complain, but it won't resolve the presence of the dog.

Did you ask for a guarantee there would never be a dog in the building? If not, why did you buy the flat?

Why are you hoping the neighbour 'gets the picture you're not happy'? What difference should that make? They own a dog and are walking it. You are the one who has to deal with it.

This post is bullsh** cannot be real.
One - The dog is walking through a hallway - do you live in the hallway? Is your bed on the floor and the dog is rolling around on it? No it isn't, you have a flat behind a closed door so how can you possibly be suffering so bad?
Second - How many hours a day do you spend loitering the hallway? You must be hanging around there like a bad smell to notice how many times the dog is being taken out and to be affected by your allergies so bad.
Third - The owner will not care if you are happy or not, the dog is their priority and it sounds like a good dog. Be grateful it isnt shitting and barking in the hallway.
Fourth - Why is it up to anyone to tell you that there is a dog there, that is down to you to ask that question if you know you have awful allergies.
Fifth - Stop being an idiot, put your big girl pants on, and just wear a mask when you are passing through for goodness sake.

absolutely huge dog

I don't know what breed I was expecting from this comment, but it certainly wasn't a lab😅

I have a cat. I live in a block of flats. I haven't told new leaseholders or tenants of her existence. Why should I?

Why would anyone be told there are animals in the building?

Sounds like your neighbour's dog is a very good boy. Therefore, there's nothing you can do. I'd moan if he was a barker, or violent, but the dog merely existing is not your neighbour's problem, it's yours. You have to manage it.

I envisioned an great big Irish Wolf Hound! Not a dopey cute lab!

This dog is a nuisance I am sorry but the dog is not a nuisance. Your allergy does not = the dog is a nuisance.

I totally get how disappointed you must feel because you have just bought this home but I think you need to accept the dog is there with permission and so the owner is doing nothing wrong.

I was picturing a Great Dane, definitely not a lab 😂

OP YABU. Maybe the building occupants would prefer the dog there over you 🤷🏻‍♀️

Absolutely huge dog = St Bernard in my head

Use a nose spray, or eye drops, or take a non drowsy antihistamine.

I'm allergic to cats, most dogs, birds, grass, trees and really the world doesn't owe me a notification that I might run into them. Its up to me to deal with. You knew pets were allowed - if you're ana then you would have checked the lease properly and gone for pet free. The dog existing doesn't make it a nuisance.

The dog is not a nuisance AT ALL from what you've said. You have an allergy, that's not the dogs fault or the neighbours fault.
There are many antihistamines on the market that are none drowsy.

I can't quite believe you want them to revoke your neighbours right to a pet because you're allergic.

I have sympathy that you have allergies, they're not pleasant but it's like saying you want flowers removed because you have hay fever.

Maybe (and it's a maybe) you were owed a heads up that she had a dog but, to be honest, even that's debatable. Turn it around, if you have allergies, why didn't you ask? And come to think of it, even if no one had a dog at the time, one of your neighbours could seek permission at any point, surely.

No one needs to inform you about other tenants pets. You should have asked if this is a big issue for you. There are non drowsy anti histamines available.

Oh come on, you do get some pretty overweight labs!!

The only nuisance in this scenario is you and your entitled behaviour. You allegedly have such a horrible allergy yet you didn’t take the responsibility of making sure there wouldn’t be a dog living near you 🤦🏻‍♀️

Your allergy=your responsibility.

My DH is allergic to lots of animals and used to have a job whereby he had to go into customers homes and didn't know if they had animals etc. He has taken a daily antihistimane for his allergies for the last 15 years and doesn't suffer drowsiness etc. The onus is on you to manage your allergy, not your neighbour and there is medication that can do that for you so why are you unwilling to try it?

Er what can you do? You can get a fucking grip for a start.

Take an antihistamine if the dog walking through the communal hall for 60 seconds really sets off your allergies (but I'm calling bullshit on that and I'm extremely allergic to some things). Then proceed to winding your neck in and living there with good neighbourly relations.

It sounds like an idea for a new tv show. A disparate group of tenants in an apartment block - let’s make it in NY to look classy - get together and put out a pod cast when they learn of an allergic tenant in the same building. After a series of misadventures and a casual introduction to famous people who also live in the building they discover that the allergy is to a Labrador. Then another tenant discloses an allergy, the plot thickens….

I am going to call it Only Labradors in the Building.

The dog is not a nuisance. Walking a dog 3 times a day is not something some one 'insists on doing', it's being a resonable dog owner for certain dogs! We've recently bought and glad we found a house (albiet tiny!) in the end, we looked at flats and was scared some one like you would cause unnecessary problems about our much loved 16 year old small dog for something as simple as walking through the hallway. I'm sorry you have allergies but if you cannot be anywhere near somewhere a dog has been through you should have checked, they don't need to tell you.