To think enough is enough with the neighbour?

[SpeedbirdSquawker]

I have lived in my house now for coming up to three years. The neighbours dog has always barked from when I moved in and the neighbour did little stop it. After 18 months, I posted a polite note after the dog had been barking for 5 hours while she was out.

It quietened down but not for long and after they got a new puppy which caused even more noise,some more polite notes and me going round to speak nicely to them, I wrote to the council.

The noise quietened for some time and although is still better than it was, at weekend I often have to listen to the dogs barking or howling for lengths at a time. She has to go out, I understand that, but yesterday it was an hour, and this afternoon after prolonged barking, I banged on the wall and the neighbour was actually in the house (just upstairs probably and the dog has separation anxiety).

WIBU to go back to the council? I'm tired of having my reading time or tv time or general relaxation time interserped by barking or howling and even though its not as bad as it was, should I be hearing dogs barking or howling several times a day? I just hate confrontation and as our back gardens are tiny, I'd rather have good neighbourly relations when we're all outside in summer.

Instal soundproofing or move to a detached house. I struggle to see what you expect the council to do about it. Your neighbour is not doing anything illegal unless the dogs are howling between 11pm and 7am on weekdays.
I suppose you can always complain about housing regulations which allow properties with paper-thin walls to be built.

Keep a log of ALL the barking (day, date, time from, time to, duration, approx noise level, disruption caused to you). Record if you can too to give an idea of what you hear. Then when you have a log report to the council. Have you looked on your council website for what applies in your area? Several of us were successful in stopping 2 dogs incessantly barking in this way.

@Catza I feel that I have a right to go about my day peacefully without having to hear the dogs on a daily basis. I understand that with living next door to people there will be some noise, but when they're intruding on my peace and frequently, I think they're being somewhat antisocial. They could, after all, put in some work to stop the dogs from barking and howling, such as training, especially as she knows both dogs suffer from extreme separation anxiety.

I feel I am being the nuisance sometimes expecting peace, but it's usually when I settle for a nap, to eat a nice meal I've prepared or to read. Last night I had just settled down to watch a film at 7.30pm and the barking started for an hour.

Hi @InSpainTheRain. I have been keeping a log and also recording sound clips so I have plenty for the council to go on. Although it's not as bad as it used to be, I remember the dogs waking me up howling and barking at 5.30am and when the neighbour heard me mention it to a friend, the neighbour clearly thought I was overreacting.

Neighbour is also friendly with her other neighbour and if I kick up a fuss again, I know I'll dread to see them in the garden in the summer.

I'd be more concerned about the dogs over the noise. I had this problem with an ex neighbour of mine. Dog crying and barking all day and most of evening. Called the RSPCA and it turns out that the poor dog was being kept in a crate so small that I wouldn't even put a cat in it😡 it was so small that there wasn't even room for a water bowl. Just wish I'd reported it earlier.

You do and I appreciate it is annoying as I lived next to a bunch of students who listened to the music for 8 hours every day (mostly in the late afternoon and evening when we were trying to relax after work). We moved because... well, there was nothing else we could do. They are within their rights to do it.
I still think the council would not be able to help so I don't see what would be the point of complaining. Would you complain if you were living next door to a small child?
Again, I would focus on sound-proofing your own house as it is the only thing in your control.

@qpid5tunt well, I know the neighbour smokes lots of weed from morning til evening. She used to go in the garden to smoke but now it's in the house as I can smell it in my living room so the dogs are breathing that in. It's really sad when animals are mistreated.

@Catza I too think the only option might be to move for my sanity. Antisocial neighbours are always going to be that regardless I think, with or without council intervention.

If you want to live in total silence then move somewhere with no neighbours. Somewhere where you're nearest neighbour is about half mile away.

YABU to expect no noise, and YABVU to expect the council to do anything about it.

If noise isn't in antisocial hours there's nothing you can do. Lots of my neighbours have lifestyles I don't like but I can't do anything about it. You need to move somewhere remote.

I can't afford to move somewhere remote. I just want to be able to relax without hearing dog. I don't want to have to go in another room because I can't stand hearing the dogs bark incessantly for an hour like last night.

That's not true, antisocial hours are only one facet of what constitutes excessive barking.

"Examples of excessive barking can include: frequent intermittent barking over lengthy periods; sustained barking over more than a minute or two; barking early in the morning or late at night."

The above quote is from a Council website. If you have a dog you have a duty to be a responsible owner. Otherwise, you can be taken to court, and/or have the dog impounded

I have this issue with a neighbour.
My council told me it's a civil matter (Scotland) and to take them to court!!
I can't afford that. So I (and everyone else) have to put up with the bloody thing howling any time it's left alone 🙄

A dogs constant barking is annoying. You have my sympathy as we had neighbours that left their dog outside for hours even once on a Nye all night.

The odd dog barking of course you get everywhere , there are some yappers where I am I went detached because of noisy neighbours and dogs but outside you can't control it.

I'm not sure if it still applies or anyone has suggested about contacting your local dog warden. I speak from experience that environmental health will just get you to do diaries and that in itself can make you actually feel worse. I'd advise anyone if you can to move and hope your neighbours are better.

I've heard white noise machines are good with helping block out some noise I use a fan at night as I still get anxiety 😞

Wow, 3 and a half hours and someone hasn't come out with the MN classic- 'offer to have the dogs in with you/ walk them' 😂😂
Keep a log, as others have said OP. I admit I'd probably put a list of dog behaviour trainers through their letterbox.
It's not easy for some breeds. It took 4 years for our dog to be happy to be left. Initially, I had to sleep in the front room with her ( too big for our room!) even overnight. I took slowly building up and we got there. Our neighbours often say they wouldn't know a dog lived here. and complained when I put a fence up as they couldn't talk to her any more

Thank you everyone for your replies.

@tracktrail someone on another thread did suggest I offer to have the dogs! The thing is, I suspect most of the time the neighbour is home yet still let's the dogs bark and howl. She's probably so much off her face on weed that she doesn't hear the dogs.

After 40 minutes of the dog howling this morning from 5.50am 😲until 7am when I left, I am just about done with it.

My council will definitely attend to dog noise from 5am to 7am so I'd just report it if I were you. My council also allow anonymous reporting if that helps

Report her to the police anonymously for the weed. Tell them you suspect she’s dealing. She has no problem inconveniencing you. Return the favour.

I honestly don’t understand the people saying “if you don’t like noise move somewhere detached”.

How about “If you don’t live in a detached house, try to keep your noise down so as not to disturb those around you”?

People are so selfish.

I think you're overlooking that we all live on top of eachother and have become intolerant of any noise from any neighbour these days. You say you've put numerous notes through the door, approached them and contacted the council, so be aware that potentially yes, you could become seen to be part of the problem. You say that it is better than it was, so what exactly do you aspire to? It's not going to be perfect unfortunately. People are not going to live in silence because you want to read. You are going to get some intermittent noise. The biggest problem is becoming so focussed on it that even when it has improved massively and is not constant, it still drives you mad.

Rubbish, they're terrible neighbours, we can all live peacefully without annoying our neighbours with unnecessary noise if we choose

Do you own the house or rent? Just be aware that if you own and come to sell you will need to declare this to your buyers and it may put them off.

Personally I think it’s a really tricky one. If you report it to the council and they do something about it then you end up living next door to (but the sounds of it not very nice) neighbours who will now hate you; if the council don’t do anything about it you need to declare it when you sell. For me it’s a lose/lose situation.

Ask the council for a diary sheet. I think it's 2 weeks of details. I know of a family that had to rehome their yappy fucker after council intervention.. Go for it op. Those poor ddogs could get a better owner... What is the garden like poo wise? Environmental health if it isn't regularly cleaned up. Especially with warm weather coming... I have 4 ddogs and my ndn's tell me they never hear them. And we have a husky... It absolutely it possible to not inflict your ddogs on other people's lives...

That’s not true though. The council can do something about it. If it involves a fine, they probably will!

I am so sick of it now and dread going home incase the noise starts up.