To buy my neighbours a voucher and put through letterbox?

[tertrisnblox]

My neighbours are attached to us. They are renting and moved in around 3 months ago. They are two males, I've spoken to one briefly who has introduced himself, the other guy is quieter.

I have two chihuahuas, who honest to god, are really well trained except the fucking barking. It's actually a nightmare, I feel constantly on tenterhooks. They are fine as long as no one else is in their garden, but if they are, so help the neighbourhood.

So full disclosure, I can't afford a trainer at the moment, so I have been trying to train them. I find this very difficult when I just want them to shut up quietly so not to upset the neighbours.

One of the men are really friendly and always smile at them and have mentioned coming over to say hello so they're not too scared of him.

I try and only let them out when no one else is in their garden. However, tonight I didn't see the quiet neighbour sitting in his garden. Let the dogs out and they went MENTAL. The neighbour looked visibly annoyed and quite right. Until he seen me then started smiling, I apologised and he smiled and said it's fine but he was on the phone and immediately went inside and slammed the door.

I feel absolutely awful and honestly don't know what to do. I know they may smile at the dogs but in their head they'll be thinking fuck off noisy dogs (and worse I'm sure).

I have tried the spray from pets at home, I have tried positive reinforcement, I have tried distraction tactics etc.

Would I be unreasonable posting a voucher and an apology letter to the guys? Or will they be thinking, fuck the apology, get it sorted.

I hate the thought of rehoming my dogs. I utterly adore them but I honestly hate the thought of upsetting my neighbours.

What if I went over and knocked their door and asked them how much this was upsetting them with a promise to do something about it? Like they could give them sausages when they see them to make them not scared?

I understand the sentiment behind the voucher but I’m sure your neighbours would prefer that you put the money towards paying a behaviourist,

if the dogs can’t go in the garden without yapping then they can’t go in the garden. You need to take them out for walks first thing, middle of the day, after they’ve eaten and last thing at night, so that they can do their business. Of course it will be annoying and time-consuming for you, but it’s not fair on your neighbours to do anything else.

In one house we lived in we left the big hole in the hedge open so the dog next door could come and say hello 😂😂

Agree with getting one of these to get them to stop barking! I have something similar which my dog HATES, its not used for barking but other annoying behaviour, i've only had to used it about 3 times so far and iys stopped the problem.

He used to bark a lot when he was a puppy and had an anti bark collar (the same thing really, let's off a high pitched noise when he barked) sorted the problem straight away!

Forget spray; try a full bucket of cold water.

Eurgh. Would drive me insane. No voucher would cut it. Quiet your dogs. So antisocial. Surely you knew you'd have to train them so should have factored that in to getting them. Don't let them out in your garden, and make sure they aren't near your adjoining wall indoors.

It's 10.40 here and a neighbour 's dog is going off. Every night around this time they must let it out to go toilet, and it's barking for ten minutes. Drives me absolutely bananas. How they live like that with it in their home, I don't know.

But the dogs aren't just barking at twitched curtains are they? OP has admitted herself how bad the situation is. It's persistent, repeated behavioir that she admits she cannot control. So I think people are entitled to shake their fists a little if they wish. I guess you love the sound of constant yapping from two dogs everytime you step foot into your garden, makes you feel relaxed and peaceful, like melodic windchimes lulling you into a lovely nap whilst laying on your lounger

as someone who lives next door to horrible constantly yappy little dogs I at least appreciate you giving a shit. But no matter how annoying you find the barking I guarantee your neighbours find it 100% more,.

I think it would be fair enough to go round with a bottle of something (a voucher is a bit random), apologise again, say you are trying to train them, say you won't let them out if you see them in their garden but unfortunately you didn't realise he was there, if the same thing happens again let him know to let you know and you'll take them straight back in. At least then the ice is broken and they know you're trying to do something about it.

It's not an electric shock collar ffs.. read

A voucher might help a relationship with them etc but I think if it was me I would rather you used the money for a privacy screen/fence so the dog didn't see me therefore didn't bark at my presence? My neighbour done this on their other side as their neighbours don't like kids and every time they went in the garden their kids were over..because we have kids it's fine lol

Yes animal abuse is definitely the way forward 🙄

Or even the things you dont read, apparently…🙄

No, a voucher won't cut it. The dogs shouldn't be out if they bark like that. I have a barky dog. The second he starts, he's in!

The only thing to fix this is to stop your dogs from barking.

Payment plan like klarna with a dog trainer? Would that work? So you get the dogs properly trained but pay at a pace you can afford?

Some owners think they don't need to train small dogs. But this is exactly why you do need to train them. They call it small dog syndrome.

Keep the dogs inside or rehome them.

Your poor neighbours.

Would they not just be more likely to bark in order to get fed sausages?! What do I know, I'm a cat person 🐈

I'm not a fan of dogs so definitely wouldn't like the suggestion of feeding them a sausage! I wouldn't accept the voucher either I'm afraid as that would feel to me as if I'm telling you it's all ok and it totally isn't.

Im sure they would prefer you to put the money towards dog training rather than a voucher.

I'd get some advice about the barking, that would be the best present!

Try the Absolute Dogs website. They do online courses and there is one to tackle barking. I think it’s £27. They’re good.

There is a group on Facebook called Sog Training Advice and Support which has guides you can read. There is a whole section on barking.

If the guides don't answer your question, or you need more specific advice you can post on the group and dog behaviourists and training will do their best to help.

I live next to a barky little dog , does my head in.

I would eat the bastard sausages myself and make the dog watch (and I've been vegetarian over 40 years)

I used to live next to two annoying little barky dogs and before them a house with four dogs (collies) who only barked when the man came home to take them out (and it was a "Yes Dads home . Park" not a yap yap yap.

If you were my NDN and your dogs were wrecking my head, I woul tell you that I didn't want the voucher and ask thst you spend it on sending them for training, removing or even time in the kennels to give me a break.

What are you even doing with dogs you can't handle? It's not fair on the dogs or the neighbours.

Well if the dogs are only barking because they fear strangers (and many dogs do have a fear of men) it could be a good opportunity to show them the neighbours are friendly and ready and waiting with treats.

If you can't do something to stop your dogs from ruining your neighbours quiet enjoyment of their own home, you shouldn't have dogs. Or you need to move somewhere with no neighbours. Utterly selfish dick move behaviour which unfortunately is so common from dog owning types. It's a good thing for both of us that you're not my neighbour.

Nope - voucher could be seen as bribery to accept your annoying animals. They (animals) really need to cease and desist. It's highly antisocial.

New neighbours got a dog a few weeks after they moved in.

I'm on the verge of reporting the dog next door out of annoyance and out of concern.

The bliddy thing yowls all day as if it is in great pain. Almost feel like calling an emergency vet out. It's cruel keeping an animal like this.

When the neighbours are actually in, the stupid thing yaps incessantly. How the neighbours put up with it, I'll never know. They don't appear to tell the bliddy thing to shut up.

In the middle of the night - yapping. I've no idea when the bliddy thing actually sleeps.

RSPCA and council phone numbers on standby here - I've had enough.