To report my neighbour's dog without speaking to them first?

[Applescruffle]

My neighbours bring their dog outside on a lead every single morning at 6:15am without fail. Even weekend and bank holidays. It barks from the minute they open their door, as they walk down their drive, undo their gates, walk down the street, bark bark bark bark. Every morning I hear it and then hear it fade away as they walk down the street. This is usually how I am woken up and how my day starts. Sometimes it's earlier, the other day it was 5:55am.
In addition to this, they bring it out the front on a lead at several intervals throughout the day, and quite often though the night too. It's never not barking when it's out. Recent examples are 1:30am, 4:10am, and 2:15am. It's so loud, it echos around the street. At these times, they often don't even walk it, they just stand at the end of their drive with it.
It pulls and pulls at the lead while barking, almost dragging them along the street. It seems to very clearly have no training whatsoever. They did have another dog (I posted about that one here too) but they couldn't handle it as it was too aggressive so they got rid of it and we all had a few months of peace thinking it was over, now they have this one and it's just as bad so clearly the issue is them.
Anyway, after the 1:30am incident our children have asked us to do something about it as it's waking them up and affecting their concentration at school. I was ready to go round and speak to them but my husband stopped me and said I should just report them to the council instead so they won't know who it is and can't cause any problems for us.
So I have submitted a full report to the local council, with dates, times and recordings.
I feel really guilty though because surely the neighbourly thing to do would have been to speak to them but maybe my husband is right and also surely anyone who is fine with letting their dog make all that racket in their front garden in the early hours of the morning is not a reasonable person and so is not going to respond reasonably?

Watching with interest same problem and often waking toddlers from 5am onwards

You sound like one of those people who have no idea how to train or look after dogs but insist on getting one because it’s the “in thing”

We had the same issue with our neighbour’s dog all through lockdown (they weren’t walking it, they just shoved it outside and left it to bark) until it woke me up at 2:15am and I lost my shit. I went outside and shouted ‘is this a bloody joke’ and that I didn’t expect to hear their fucking dog barking in the middle of the night. Several other neighbours thanked me in the days after, saying it had been driving them bonkers too. It stopped after that.

The thing that strikes me as particularly odd is that they can't be bothered to train it but they can be bothered to get up at all hours of the night with it. Do they not need to work or anything?
It's like they have a newborn but at least with a newborn you know it will eventually end as they stop being babies. A dog could live for 15 years. How long are they going to keep letting it rule them?

I think you need to talk to them and explain the problems it is causing. If it's a puppy it may need the toilet in the night (and then it goes out and they can't stop it) but that should stop soon.

@Patchymum My ex’s parents had a great big dog that was poorly trained and would jump and hump people, escape from the car and run into shops etc but they didn’t care. They loved taking it out on frequent walks and no doubt not caring when they scared people. The only difference was they were retired so they did possibly have more time on their hands than OPs neighbours. My ex would get annoyed how they would let the dog do anything and everything especially as they were quite strict with him growing up.

I live in a nice area with plenty of dogs. All hell would break loose if a neighbour starting doing this. You were absolutely right to complain, what’s the point of approaching arseholes who aren’t considerate and can’t be arsed to train their dog. You won’t change your neighbours into considerate competent dog owners so you’re wasting your breath talking to them directly. Hopefully the council will do something.

Phone the council. I had to about my ex neighbour’s dog barking. I had to download an app and record when the dog barked then press send. It recorded the decibels and the time of the barking automatically. Neighbour received a warning from the council.
If other neighbours do the same it would carry more weight.

the dog sounds distressed. They are probably not assertive and calm enough to be reassuring to the dog so it can have a peaceful walk.

Glad you reported them! YANBU.

I have this problem dog out continually barking during day then late at night and early morning. I don't understand why people are so inconsiderate.

I sent letters to the neighbour, spoke to the council not much help. I've resorted to shouting out my window to ask the dog stops barking. Seems to be working a bit better. My next step is to try one of those anti bark machines....

It's not a puppy. It might have been pretty young when they first got it but they've had it for well over a year now

I think you must speak to them. When I got my dog she was barking quite a bit and my neighbour told me it was bothering her and I then took lots of steps to minimise it. She needed to sleep from 10pm so I am v careful no noise 10pm-8am - obviously very occasionally it happens, but generally is OK. If everyone is struggling to sleep ear plugs/ white noise? Obviously you shouldn't have to do that but to keep everyone sane while it is being addressed...

Why didn't you do anything about it until she complained? Can you not work out for yourself that barking at night is disruptive to your neighbours?

Some people are really loath to complain to neighbours, have you thought about how much she (and possibly others) went through before getting to the point where she had to say something?

I think if you know them and know they're nice, then talking to them is a good idea. It sounds like you don't know them/have a good relationship particularly, so I'd say you've done the right thing- if you'd talked to them and they'd got aggressive then it'd be really awkward plus you would then be the obvious candidate for reporting them. The other option would be an anonymous note through the door - it doesn't put you in the firing line as much and isn't as harsh as reporting them straight away.
I'd be tempted to team up with other neighbours to report them too if it carries on - you can't be the only people finding this irritating. For those saying "it's dogs" it isn't, everyone on our street has a dog and none of them take them out in the middle of the night or have barky and reactive dogs

It was when I first got my puppy and I wasn't sure it was bothering my neighbour until she said. I was trying to fix it but a few weeks in and was obviously worse than I thought. I also didn't know how early she was going to bed.

I agree, it’s too risky to confront neighbours. You read all the time about this epic battles that neighbours have and it begins with things like this.

You really don’t know how people are going to react especially if they seem not too considerate or clever to begin with, because if they had more decency /common sense they’d probably have been more mindful of disturbing others to begin with without someone needing to spell it out for them.

Anyway OP has already reported them - and quite right.

They’re taking their dog out as they should. Get earplugs if it’s a problem for you.

I rescue dogs

i had a lab who my neighbours used to ask how I kept it so quiet, it was just its nature. I’ve had two other dogs with no problem. Then I rescued cooper who my god likes the sound of his own voice. In the house. In the garden and I’m trying everything to resolve it. I’ve not got it that it would be unusual for him to bark after 9pm.

id be horrified if my neighbour reported me without speaking to me.

a few thoughts about your post

you’ve reported it now so your post is a moot point.

you say you’re an experienced dog own you could try and help for the poor dogs sake as much as your own.

is it barking in the house or only when it’s on a lead ?

nothing wrong with walking the dog at 6.30 it’s probably before they go to work.

the dog must be unsettled during the night if they out multiple times with it again you could as if there’s an issue offer some advice maybe a vet visit ? As if it’s been checked are they trying to crate train him and he hates it they take him out to make sure it’s why he’s nit settled.

maybe the back isn’t secure or he digs maybe the neighbours behind have complained.

you don’t know any of these answers cause you didn’t speak to them. But now they will get a letter think everyone hates them and not ask for help

My neighbour said to me your puppy barking after I go to sleep (v early) is bothering me. At that point I moved into the smaller bedroom with the puppy so as to not be on her side of the house. Before I was keeping her upstairs because I thought my neighbour was still downstairs until a normal bedtime. As it was puppy phase I assumed the dog would respond quickly and it wasn't going to be an issue for long. Once I knew I moved things around and prevented the puppy going in the room next to her bedroom in the evening. Sometimes a chat can resolve things before you go nuclear. Neighbour will now make assumptions about who reported them so the relationship will be a nightmare anyway

You think they 'should' be taking their dog out several times in the middle of the night? 🙄

It's not just the OP and her husband who are affected, it's her kids too, who aren't getting enough sleep thanks to being woken several times a night and are finding it hard to concentrate at school. The solution to that issue is 'earplugs' as well, is it? 🙄

"offer some advice maybe a vet visit ?"

"But now they will get a letter think everyone hates them and not ask for help"

To be clear, you know that the dog owners are adults, not children, yes? I'm pretty sure they already know vets exist. And the 'think everyone hates them' bit is really 🙄

Thank you. Yes, my 11yo asked me to do something about it because we've just had SATs week and he was woken up the night before SATs started at 1:30am and again at 2:15am.

Bloody thing. Honestly, I can hear it right now from my living room as I type and it's like it's in the room with me. I've been hearing it all day. They are just standing still in their front garden with it on a lead doing absolutely jack all abput the barking. I'm starting to think it's attention seeking and I've lost any feelings of guilt.

The inconsiderate neighbours are here 😂

I suspect that these owners don't want their dog messing up their lovely large garden, so instead of letting it run free, they put it on a lead and take it out for walks for it to do is business.
This is all well and good, but dogs need to be given the opportunity to run around, surely, on-lead walks alone won't be giving this dog enough exercise, and I'm guessing that's why the dog is barking every time it comes outside.
Basically, the owners need some training in how to treat a dog!

You said the had another dig before. Is this a new dog? So a rescue or pup?

I think if so, you should definitely have spoken with them first as they may be apologetic and could tell you if they are actively doing anything about training?