To report the neighbour again?

SpeedbirdSquawker · 2023-12-03T12:42:01+00:00

Back in September, I reported the neighbour for her dogs barking and howling every few minutes throughout the day and evening, even when she was in the house. She just wasn't doing anything about it. My mental health was shattered. I approached her numerous times to ask hwr to stop the dogs from howling and barking, when it would then go quiet for a few days but then the dogs would start up again. After the last time I spoke to her about the noise and her mother who was there at the time was completely in denial about the noise, I submitted a complaint to the council who wrote to her. Since then it's been heaven. There's the odd howl and bark, which is to be expected, but nothing I mind. I suspect she takes the dogs out now when she goes out, but mostly stays in as I can hear her pottering around. Yesterday I wasn't too good and floated off to sleep around midday. I hadn't been asleep for long as the dog woke me up with loud howling. This continued for around half an hour. Today, around the same time the dog started and has been howling pretty much non stop since. I am finding it hard to cope with the noise again to be honest. WIBU to put a note through the neighbours door telling her that if the noise doesn't stop, I will be contacting the council?

sugarandsweetener · 03/12/2023 12:46

so it’s only been two occasions? i’d wait until next weekend and then contact council if no improvement

sugarandsweetener · 03/12/2023 12:47

how long has it been “heaven” for?

Outliers · 03/12/2023 14:07

Report if she's unlikely to know it was you.

Original poster

SpeedbirdSquawker · 03/12/2023 14:19

It's been heaven since September since I reported her to the council.

I feel that she, knowing what the dog is like, shouldn't be leaving him for long periods. He's been howling now for 2.5 hours.

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Original poster

SpeedbirdSquawker · 03/12/2023 14:22

She will have known it was me who reported her last time after all the times I went round asking her to quieten the dogs when they barked and cried. She didn't care or stop them until the council got involved. One night, I had five hours of the dog crying as she was at work. She still went on a nightshift despite knowing her dog cried non stop while she was gone. Just before I reported her for the dog noise, she also got a puppy who barked and howled so much. It was awful. I could no longer work from home because of the noise.

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Kingoftheroad · 03/12/2023 14:25

Get straight back on to the council as before you know it it’ll be as bad as ever.

id consider moving if I were you it’s not worth your peace of mind

Maddy70 · 03/12/2023 14:29

SpeedbirdSquawker · 03/12/2023 14:19

It's been heaven since September since I reported her to the council.

I feel that she, knowing what the dog is like, shouldn't be leaving him for long periods. He's been howling now for 2.5 hours.

So she shouldn't go shopping or the doctors where she can't take him with her. Give her a chance. Its not happening often

Wolfiefan · 03/12/2023 14:35

Report. She’s leaving a dog making a noise for hours on end despite being told it’s bothering neighbours. Keep a record of noise.

VariantHela · 03/12/2023 14:39

Dogs can howl due to separation anxiety. She cannot reasonably stay indoors all the time, and the noise will happen on occasion... but twice since September and your knee jerk reaction is to post a note through the door, give her a chance.

witchypaws · 03/12/2023 14:42

Lurking
I've put a note through the neighbours (not next door directly) to tell them their dog is barking continuously
It stopped for a bit, then last night was going 9pm - 3am. Still barking this morning when I woke up and again now
I say bark, it's more of a yap. Want to point out to them if they actually walked the bloody thing it might be tired and not bark all fucking night

Original poster

SpeedbirdSquawker · 03/12/2023 14:56

That sounds awful. Were they in last night or was the dog alone? I'd encourage you to report to the council with a noise diary. I didn't think anything would stop these but when they received the letter from the council the noise stopped immediately. Working from home is a dream now.

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Original poster

SpeedbirdSquawker · 03/12/2023 14:58

It turns out she was actually in the house, just upstairs and when I finally snapped and shouted for the dog to shut the fuck up, I heard her going down the stairs. The dog is massive and the howl is so loud. I don't know how she can let the dog cry and howl for 2.5 hours?

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Original poster

SpeedbirdSquawker · 03/12/2023 14:59

VariantHela · 03/12/2023 14:39

Dogs can howl due to separation anxiety. She cannot reasonably stay indoors all the time, and the noise will happen on occasion... but twice since September and your knee jerk reaction is to post a note through the door, give her a chance.

I also don't want to hear her dog for more than an hour. Why should I?

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SuddenlyOld · 03/12/2023 15:01

Poor dog. She probably thought the puppy would keep it company. We have a dog that never gets left because after 14mo of living with us he still can't tolerate even 10 mins alone. We have had to adjust our life around him. 'Thems the breaks'.

Maybe go round and have a coffee and a proper chat to see if you can find a solution together? She needs a dog sitter or doggy daycare. I imagine it's been quiet for 10 weeks because she's made changes but perhaps those changes aren't sustainable long term.

Or it could be a one-off.

Think if it was me I'd try the coffee option first

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 03/12/2023 15:05

VariantHela · 03/12/2023 14:39

Dogs can howl due to separation anxiety. She cannot reasonably stay indoors all the time, and the noise will happen on occasion... but twice since September and your knee jerk reaction is to post a note through the door, give her a chance.

So it's down to the owners to do something about it, not expect everyone else to put up with the yapping and howling.

As you can probably tell I'm still pissed off by the two neighbours who had dogs with separation anxiety and seemed to think it wasn't a problem!

AngelAurora · 03/12/2023 15:07

Yabu, sort your mental health out. Dogs bark, kids make noise. I think you will find nothing will be done about a dog barking tbh. And no do not go round and complain, work on your mental health instead if this.

SuddenlyOld · 03/12/2023 15:08

SpeedbirdSquawker · 03/12/2023 14:58

It turns out she was actually in the house, just upstairs and when I finally snapped and shouted for the dog to shut the fuck up, I heard her going down the stairs. The dog is massive and the howl is so loud. I don't know how she can let the dog cry and howl for 2.5 hours?

Just saw your update. Scratch the coffee. I can't believe she lets it bark and howl when she's there!

Ours isn't allowed to bark at all, even outside. He does bark at the door but only once then he's quiet. So easy to train them not to bark. And you don't need aversives. We trained ours with praise, treats and consistency.

He's reactive with strangers so if we have a workman round for any length of time dog goes out.

So easy to manage these things. Some owners have no idea

Original poster

SpeedbirdSquawker · 03/12/2023 15:08

@AngelAurora so it's OK for a dog to bark continuously through the day? Are you crazy?

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Original poster

SpeedbirdSquawker · 03/12/2023 15:12

@SuddenlyOld I've tried to go round and be nice to chat about the issue but nothing was ever done until I went to the council.

The last time I went round, her mum who doesn't live there defended her daughter to the hilt. The truth is that some neighbours don't give a shit. It got to the point where there was barking through every meeting when I was working from home. The barking, crying and howling was the soundtrack to my life.

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Original poster

SpeedbirdSquawker · 03/12/2023 15:13

SuddenlyOld · 03/12/2023 15:08

Just saw your update. Scratch the coffee. I can't believe she lets it bark and howl when she's there!

Ours isn't allowed to bark at all, even outside. He does bark at the door but only once then he's quiet. So easy to train them not to bark. And you don't need aversives. We trained ours with praise, treats and consistency.

He's reactive with strangers so if we have a workman round for any length of time dog goes out.

So easy to manage these things. Some owners have no idea

Show quote history

I wish I was your neighbour!

I actually love dogs. I hate owners who neglect their crying or barking dogs. I feel that a trained dog is a happy dog.

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Changednayme · 03/12/2023 15:24

My dog is also a nuisance she’s a chihuahua. If this is me I am really sorry. I don’t know what to do she sees things out of the window and barks

ActDottie · 03/12/2023 15:25

I’d have one more conversation with her just to say it’s becoming an issue again.

I’d like to say you’ve done all the right things and good for you for speaking to your neighbours about it.

Our own neighbours complained about our dogs barking to the council after one jokey conversation they had with us where “the missus sent him over” to tell us they were barking when alone. We’d only just moved in and said they’d hopefully settle soon as we’d never had complaints in our previous house. But we took it seriously paid £150 for a behaviourist, stopped the dog walker and take them to parents on the days we work, have dog camera to monitor the noise. But despite all this they still complained to the council and it absolutely broke me as I felt it was so sneaky when they’d mentioned it to us once in such a jokey manner. It just felt like there were a few conversations they could’ve had with us before this. We try to have as little as possible to do with them now. Oh and the joke of it is they also have a dog who they leave for long periods (8 hours) who funnily enough also barks! We never leave ours for more than 2-3 hours, anything longer and they go to my parents.

That said our dog walker said she recognised our neighbour as a serial complainer from when she worked in the local Post Office. This made me feel a bit better about the complaint. Fortunately not had any more complaints since but have since found out they refuse to take parcels in for us… despite us taking parcels in frequently for them. I very much enjoyed refusing two parcels for them on Friday. Petty but it made me feel good!!

What I’m trying to say, as someone who’s been on the other side of the complaint, make sure you’ve had plenty of conversations with them about it and been clear about how serious it is. But from your post it sounds like you’ve regularly let them know and going to the council is potentially a valid next step.

Original poster

SpeedbirdSquawker · 03/12/2023 15:35

ActDottie · 03/12/2023 15:25

I’d have one more conversation with her just to say it’s becoming an issue again.

I’d like to say you’ve done all the right things and good for you for speaking to your neighbours about it.

Our own neighbours complained about our dogs barking to the council after one jokey conversation they had with us where “the missus sent him over” to tell us they were barking when alone. We’d only just moved in and said they’d hopefully settle soon as we’d never had complaints in our previous house. But we took it seriously paid £150 for a behaviourist, stopped the dog walker and take them to parents on the days we work, have dog camera to monitor the noise. But despite all this they still complained to the council and it absolutely broke me as I felt it was so sneaky when they’d mentioned it to us once in such a jokey manner. It just felt like there were a few conversations they could’ve had with us before this. We try to have as little as possible to do with them now. Oh and the joke of it is they also have a dog who they leave for long periods (8 hours) who funnily enough also barks! We never leave ours for more than 2-3 hours, anything longer and they go to my parents.

That said our dog walker said she recognised our neighbour as a serial complainer from when she worked in the local Post Office. This made me feel a bit better about the complaint. Fortunately not had any more complaints since but have since found out they refuse to take parcels in for us… despite us taking parcels in frequently for them. I very much enjoyed refusing two parcels for them on Friday. Petty but it made me feel good!!

What I’m trying to say, as someone who’s been on the other side of the complaint, make sure you’ve had plenty of conversations with them about it and been clear about how serious it is. But from your post it sounds like you’ve regularly let them know and going to the council is potentially a valid next step.

I agree that was very sneaky.

I've been on her doorstep probably around five times now over the past two years plus a note asking her to keep her dogs quiet. Nothing worked until I went to the council.

I've written her a note and will pop it through the letterbox.

I'm really anxious not for this to start up again.

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AliceInWonderlines · 03/12/2023 15:39

Constant dog howling or yapping is hell. Keep on at the council.

Wolfiefan · 03/12/2023 15:50

if a dog has separation anxiety it can’t be left. (Been there. Suffered!) If this person can’t stay with the dog or get someone else to then she needs to rehome as she can’t meet its needs.
Dogs can occasionally bark but non stop noise from a distressed animal is awful. OP shouldn’t have to put up with this.