To message my neighbour about their howling dog?

[Allornothing9]

The poor thing obviously has separation anxiety as it howls and howls every time it’s left alone. I WFH and have invested in a good pair of noise cancelling headphones as it drives me round the bend.

I mostly put up with it as it’s during the day but for the second time this week the dog is still howling at gone 10:30. I don’t know where the neighbours are.. they have 2 under 3 so I’m guessing they are staying somewhere for the night. I’ve only ever messaged once when it was howling at gone 9pm and keeping my toddler awake and they sent a friend round to sit with it.

YABU - leave it, they obviously can’t do anything about it at 10:30

YANBU - message them, I’d want to know if my dog sounded like an extra from 101 dalmations at 10pm

Message them but do it in s concerned way.

Hey hope you don't mind me messaging but I'm really worried about your dog. He's howling loudly as soon as you leave him. And it continues all day. He's obviously suffering from separation anxiety or similar. It's super loud. I'm wearing noise cancelling headphones and I can still hear him. Is there anything I can do to help?

Definitely message them. This is really unacceptable apart from the fact that it's disturbing you, the dog is in distress. They need to take more care. I'd get a recording and get the RSPCA involved.

Thank you. The last time I messaged I did say oh he sounds really upset, is there a spare key maybe I can let him out? But they just said they’d sort it. When they first moved in they asked if he was noisy and I said yes 😂 but at the time I worked an office job so it didn’t really bother me.

I don’t want bad blood as we have to live next to them but I think they know that he howls when they are gone they are just ignoring it. They said they used to have 2 dogs so maybe he’s lonely. I might just phrase it that over the last few months it’s gradually gotten worse.. he’s obviously not happy.

You could pretend you don’t know they’re away, ring the police really worried and say the dogs been howling all day and you’re concerned that there may be something wrong!

Awful people: how does it go to the toilet if it’s inside for that long.

You could also contact the Council next week to make a noise complaint.

This is my worry too! @SerenStarEtoile he’s been howling since about 1pm so has been left alone for almost 10 hours now. I would’ve happily let him out this afternoon but not sure they want us to have a key.

Why do people get dogs if they are going to just leave them all day and night 🙃

The good news is they’ve just come home, hallelujah!! Peace at last. I think I will write out some sort of message tomorrow though..

No more nice ndn imo.. Report to the police next time.. And for a welfare check in ndn. Twats..

Maybe, maybe not. If they’re the type to not really care, you’re outing yourself as the one who complains. Then, if this carries on and you get to the end of your tether and report it as a noise nuisance, they’ll know who to have a go at. If that’s a possible outcome.

Have a think; not everyone’s normal! Leaving a dog for that amount of time is usually something that people who don’t give a sh*t do.

Separation anxiety isn’t an easy fix, but sounds like they’re doing nothing to sort it anyway, and they’re leaving him way too long on their own - unless they have a dog walker or someone visiting him (but then I guess there would be a break in the noise if that was the case)
I would be popping a friendly note through the door mentioning that you can hear the dog for several hours at a time, even wearing noise cancelling headphones when you’re working. That you appreciate he may be lonely since their other dog died but as it’s getting worse perhaps a dog trainer / behaviourist may be able to help them.

The thing is, it doesn’t affect them, so as nice as they may be, they probably aren’t bothered about sorting the issue, or don’t realise how much he does it or how loud. I would definitely mention it again to them.

OP, if all else fails perhaps get a recording of a howling dog and play it loudly through the walls when they’re at home 🤣 - I’m joking of course, and I am genuinely sympathetic to this, any repetitive noise is horrible, it ends up being all you can focus on.

Hope they sort something so it’s not a problem

I have a dog - just tell them straight it is causing a disturbance. My neighbour did that - I didn’t know before - and I dealt with it. Just be honest that it is a nuisance

Non-dog owners rushed out in droves to buy a lockdown puppy without prior research. These doom-scrollers thought that covid and WFH would be for life. Before long though, these people were back at work base, creating a number of puppy (now dog) behavioural problems of which one is separation anxiety.

They need to know tomorrow. They probably come home and think ‘oh, he’s not howling now - what a fuss’ but if he’s howling incessantly when they’re not there, something has to be done (maybe not at 10.30pm, but talk to them tomorrow.)

Ok this is what I’ve just sent..

Hiya ☺️ I wasn’t sure if you knew so just thought it would be easier to message. Over the last couple of months ‘xxxx’ has got more upset when he’s left on his own. He was howling til about 11pm last night and is again now. If there’s anything we can do to help please let us know, we’d be happy to have him if you’re going out for the evening X

I think this is fair and makes the point clear?

That’s very nice of you but why are you offering?

I think you need to be clearer ‘this happens every day when you’re gone, tbh - since I’ve started working from home, I’ve really noticed it and you might not realise how distressed he gets.’

She replied to say she was sorry and that she didn’t know he howled, but she has noticed when she picks her keys up he starts shaking 🙃 and that they are getting a cat to keep him company which should help… but other than that she doesn’t know what to do. I’m not sure that’s the solution but we will see 😂

Message them. Poor thing is probably suffering separation anxiety and they made be completely unaware of it and be grateful

she does know what to do - not leave him! Get a dog sitter etc

well done for telling them

Ffs getting a cat will stress him even more. But really @Allornothing9 - offering to HAVE the dog is insane. It’s their problem they need to deal with it. Properly.

She needs a dog sitter or take him with her.
Poor thing

On a thread with a similar problem the other day, everyone was replying to the OP telling her she should offer to look after the neighbours dog when they’re out. And now this one has done that and is being told the opposite!

sounds like you are going to get a still upset dog and a neglected cat

Well I wouldn’t have advise that. It’s nuts.

And I’m a dog owner of a dog who gets separation anxiety. That’s on me - not my neighbours and I do everything in my power to not have them disturbed.

She “doesn’t know what to do” ! Well not leaving it alone for 10 hours would be a start, that’s so selfish. Poor dog.

Oh I think neighbour does know what to do, she just doesn't want to do it.