Barking in evening from neighbours dogs

[ElTortilla]

I've spoken to my neighbour before about her dogs barking for prolonged periods. It then goes quiet for a few weeks and always starts up again. After some polite notes through her door and me actually knocking on to speak to her, it's never really been resolved. Dogs have massive anxiety being left.

Eventually I went to the council. It was destroying my mental health that everytime I sat down for a meal or opened a book or logged on to a meeting, the barking would start and wouldn't stop for upwards of an hour sometimes. Same if she went out. Barking constantly without dog stopping for breath. Could be a few hours. Could be 5 hours and longer. She once started a nightshift and the dog barked constantly without stopping all night. That was hellish.

I recently wrote off to the council again.

Now, the past few nights one of the dogs has been barking constantly from just before 9pm to just gone 10pm. That's my down time and my nerves can't take anymore. I really don't want this to be a regular thing, especially after a hard day at work.

I've emailed the council again. Can the council actually do anything?

My 14 yo ddog is still open to training.. Your neighbour is just a twat..

I was going to speak to her last night when she opened the back door but then decided against it and leaving it to the council. Just not sure of how much more I can take.

And also how quickly the council will act.

You need to contact the local dog warden explain what's been happening and they should come out to investigate it (number should be on your council website)
Hopefully that might push more action.

You have my sympathy it does wreck your mental health and even when you get bit of quiet you're waiting for it.

For now might help to play some background noise, heavy rain apps on YouTube are helpful also fans, just anything to try distract your attention to the barking it does help a bit.

Hope it gets sorted.

Hello @Steakandwine the council have been in touch and are going to get in contact with the neighbours so I'll be seeing what changes, if anything over the weekend. My mental health is wrecked. I hate going home.

Oh god OP, my sincere sympathies. I’ve been there and the persistent deep gruff smattered with high pitched yapping really is like a form of torture and neighbours are just expected to put up with it because ‘fur baby’.

I also think dog owners tend to have a level of delusion when it comes to how noisy their dogs are. I recently stayed at a relatives where the dogs barked all night and relatives couldn’t even hear it!! The ear equivalent of nose blind

To put it bluntly - the dogs will probably snuff it before any action happens.

Unfortunately as long as the dog is fed, has access to water and isn’t physically injured the RSPCA are unlikely to do anything.
The other side of this is that some dogs are yappy/ barky and others aren’t. Ndn always comments on how quiet our dog is because there’s a really loud dog a few doors down.. We’re just lucky with our dog, we don’t do anything amazing that makes him not bark, and he’s a cs so is a clingy dude and I leave him alone at times because he would never sleep or eat if I stayed around all the time- he literally just wants to be all over you all day!!

Got everything crossed for you, I understand completely what you're going through. I've had problem neighbours, barking dogs, raves etc and it's given me anxiety even years later I get triggered.

I remember crying before going home and I'd get a knot in my stomach.

Can you stay over at a friend or family member now and then to have a break from it?

If it continues and it's affected you like this if you can I would look into moving, although you can get dogs everywhere but scout out the neighbours etc and hopefully you will get your peace. It's not fair at all but it might be better for your mental health which is more important than bricks and mortar.

There's some coaches on YouTube re anxiety that might helo you in meantime please know you're not alone massive hugs