To report the neighbour again?

[SpeedbirdSquawker]

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?

We put window film up to stop him seeing out. Took away a good 70% of his barking. Only noises set him off now. But through training we can get him to be quiet almost instantly. Consistency is key. A barking dog is a distressed dog (unless dog has been trained to bark).

i wonder what happened between September and now?

@sugarandsweetener She had a letter from the council which made her shut the dogs up.

yes

i know but has she suddenly overnight forgotten about the letter?!

Thanks all for your messages.

I've posted a firm and no nonsense note saying how much I appreciated her keeping the dogs quiet the past few months but if the noise returns again then I'll be going to the council.

It really was hell last time. I'd get woken at 7am by them barking in the garden. A few mornings at 5am by the puppy being left to bark when they first got him. Then all through the day yapping, howling, crying with no more of a ten minute break in-between each session.

Not sure but I know she has family nearby who could have taken the dog for the day as she's been out so long. Or maybe she's just been upstairs. I can't work that one out.

so is it once a week?

This reminds me of my old neighbour who would put her dog in the garden at 5am and wouldn't take the poor thing in till past 11pm. The dog would bark and howl all day long , it was torture. I used to shout out at the dog to get it to stop and she could hear but didn't give a hoot.
I lost it with her one morning at 5.30 am , I'd been in hospital for a week and was still very unwell and I just couldn't take it any more. She was very aggressive at the door but thankfully the dog was kept in more after that. She was in a local authority housing(as was i) and didn't want to be reported . It's completely selfish to have dogs making that kind of noise all hours of the day and night. I'd keep a log and report it every time it happens.

It started back up yesterday and then today for four hours. I'm really keen for it not to start up again. It ruined my time having people round for dinner, house dates, people staying over, I couldn't watch TV properly without dog in the background.

That sounds hellish!

I'd report to the council again in a heartbeat. I was scared of repercussions to tell you the truth but nothing happened apart from her and her mate next door to her saying a few things about 'upsetting the neighbour' and the noise stopping. It was so peaceful!

whatever she’s been going for the last three months - she needs to reinstate

pop around and say you’ve really appreciated her efforts last few efforts and it’s made a world of difference but last two days it’s started up again, and you are wondering what’s changed

I honestly think the stress was I ended up in hospital in the first place. I'm just lucky she was afraid of any marks on her record with the local authority but if she had not kept her dog in then I would 100% have reported and so should you. She'll end up going back to how it was before if you let her get away with it at all.

Dogs that bark and howl continuously gor excessive periods are not happy or content dogs so not only are you stressed but so are they. Leaving the dogs in this state of distress on a regular basis breeches the Animal Welfare Act as well as the noise itself being covered under Environmental Protection Act. You are doing the right thing reporting it, not just for your sake but the dogs too.

I own dogs, and I don't leave them to bark. I appreciate that gets on neighbours nerves. You can get a sound meter and record the noise. Ask environmental health at your council about making a noise/ statutory nuisance complaint. The neighbour needs to exercise her dog more as they are barking due to boredom of being stuck home all day.

Thank you for all your messages. They have just arrived home five hours after the dog started howling (her and her boyfriend). There was silence and then a 'fuck offfff' through the wall from the boyfriend. He doesn't live there.

I hate, hate, hate confrontation but I also hate my peaceful Sunday being ruined. I know that previously when shes nipped out she has had her mum round or taken the dogs. Shall I see now if the noise stops before I submit the report to the council?

Oh OK, so a human being needs to 'sort their mental health out' so a bloody great big dog can sit there howling all day whilst it's owner does nothing and is actually in the house?

Jeez. Why are we prioritising dogs all the time. We need to stop letting inappropriate owners adopt dogs. Clearly it's dreadful to have to live next door to this. Surely you can see that? Anyone's mental health would be taking a downturn.

She do something to help the poor dog!

She used to go upstairs and leave her older dog to cry for hours. I then had to go round one evening after I had got in from work.

Numerous lunches with friends in the garden ruined as she would shut the dog out there to bark even if she could see we were lunching out there.

Re: my other post, I didn't realise she was in the house and keeping the poor thing to bark and howl all day, that is absolutely not on. Was the partners "fuck off" aimed at you or the dog?

"sort your mental health out" she'll have a hard time doing that with a dog barking and howling, noise torture is a thing and there's a reason the council takes dog noise so seriously. I put up with my neighbour's dog barking for two years until I got to the point where any little dog bark would put me in a foul mood and make me drop things, and I'd struggle to sleep the night before knowing the next day would just be hours and hours of barking.
OP I would say just report, waiting to see if it fixes is very optimistic and I've been there but the next day you hear it barking you'll be in hell and thinking whyyyyy didn't I report it the day before. Life is too short and stressful to take something like this even one extra day, best wishes for a quick resolution

@VariantHela I think he must have read the note I put through the letterbox and it was at me.