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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Neighbours dog woke me up - got told it's my fault for having my windows open??

133 replies

Sophiehoney · 02/07/2025 09:13

My neighbours are a retired couple with a very barky dog.
They walk it around our street several times a day, the last walk is around midnight, presumably before they go to bed.
It's very barky and barks all the time on walks, at what? God knows. But I hear it most nights.

Last night it took me ages to fall asleep due to the heat. At 12:15am, just as I was managing to drift off, right in that comfortable place between sleep and awake, it starts right outside my house - BARK BARK BARK BARK. So fucking loud!

I was hot, tired and really pissed off at being jerked awake and I got out of bed, stormed across the room and slammed the windows shut.

I was so annoyed and so hot that it took me until 2am to fall asleep again, and it was a terible sleep in this heat. I get up at 6am and have a full day of work ahead of me.

At 8:15 this morning, as I was leaving with the kids, neighbour comes out of his house with barky-arse dog, barking as usual and I asked him, as politely as I could if he could please do something about the noise at night because it's disturbing us.

He gave a little chuckle and said "well, keep your windows shut, then you won't have to slam them closed" and started to walk away.

I was gobsmacked for a second but then called after him "I shouldn't have to - it was 31° last night, you need to train your dog!" And he just waved a dismissive hand and walked off.

Did I have a right to complain?!

OP posts:
Shesellsseashellsnotinmystreet · 02/07/2025 09:15

Contact the council. Fill in the diary..
They do have powers...

Dangermoo · 02/07/2025 09:16

I liked his reply!

ssd · 02/07/2025 09:17

Do your neighbours like to sit in the garden quietly reading? This is when I'd encourage your kids to scream and shout and annoy the neighbours.

TreatTreat · 02/07/2025 09:18

He's an ignorant pig. I wouldn't mind it it was early but it was very late.

Do your neighbours not have work they need to get up for?

Sophiehoney · 02/07/2025 09:19

Dangermoo · 02/07/2025 09:16

I liked his reply!

I didn't. He's acting like the victim because I slammed a window. He should have some consideration for his neighbours.

Yeah, it was maybe a little passive aggressive but it was gone midnight, I'd been woken up, and I was polite the next day.

OP posts:
Brefugee · 02/07/2025 09:19

yes, only retired people make noise. Families with small children never make a peep.

This is one of those downsides of living among people. I live in the country. If it's not dogs barking at night, it is tractors at all hours. It is how life works.

Jojimoji · 02/07/2025 09:19

He sounds like a twat.
I have two dogs and have spent a lot of time, money and effort training them.
I can't stand dickhead dog owners with uneducated dogs.

You have every right to complain, but sounds like he's too thick to do anything about it.

Maybe go and stand shouting outside his window when you get up at 6.00 am.

chocolatemademefat · 02/07/2025 09:20

Give him time to get settled after his last dog walk of the day then get your music on. Loud. Every night until he shooshes his dog.

Sophiehoney · 02/07/2025 09:20

TreatTreat · 02/07/2025 09:18

He's an ignorant pig. I wouldn't mind it it was early but it was very late.

Do your neighbours not have work they need to get up for?

Edited

No - retired couple. Pretty sure he naps most of the day because he is always awake around midnight and early in the morning.

OP posts:
Dangermoo · 02/07/2025 09:20

Brefugee · 02/07/2025 09:19

yes, only retired people make noise. Families with small children never make a peep.

This is one of those downsides of living among people. I live in the country. If it's not dogs barking at night, it is tractors at all hours. It is how life works.

Amen for countryside living. The only fucker who wakes me is a cuckoo 😆 🤣 😂

Fratolish · 02/07/2025 09:21

You asked him politely to do something about his dog barking in the middle of the night. Of course you have the right to do that. His reply was rude and dismissive. The problem isn't you having your window open, it's him and his dog being noisy.
What a shit way for him to treat his neighbours.

FortyElephants · 02/07/2025 09:21

Dangermoo · 02/07/2025 09:16

I liked his reply!

Why, are you also a rude, antisocial person?

FortyElephants · 02/07/2025 09:22

Nobody needs to walk their dog at midnight. It's extremely antisocial.

Sophiehoney · 02/07/2025 09:22

Brefugee · 02/07/2025 09:19

yes, only retired people make noise. Families with small children never make a peep.

This is one of those downsides of living among people. I live in the country. If it's not dogs barking at night, it is tractors at all hours. It is how life works.

I can assure you, after 9pm and before 8am, not a single peep of noise comes from my house. And very little during those hours.

No matter how much noise I may or may bot make - midnight is not a reasonable hour to be making a racket on the street, not just once but regularly.

OP posts:
Ivereallyhadenough · 02/07/2025 09:22

I feel a bit sorry for the dog actually. It sounds as though it has issues - not getting enough exercise to get rid of its energy perhaps?

I understand this was really annoying for you OP and it sounds as though your annoyance is as much a result of the long term problem as much as this particular incident.

I agree with @Shesellsseashellsnotinmystreet
about keeping a diary of the noise nuisance and contacting the council.

Newgirls · 02/07/2025 09:23

He’s in the wrong. But it might be easier to invest in earplugs

Motomum23 · 02/07/2025 09:24

I'd buy a dog whistle and start blowing it at 2am and 3am and 5am and generally every time they arenot actively interacting with their annoying dog!

JoyousGuide · 02/07/2025 09:26

Have the same in my house. Retired neighbours having a part in the garden on a work night till 1am or last night sat out talking in loud voices till midnight. They let their dogs out at 530am every morning and they bark loudly. Loop quiet earplugs are my summer salvation and an absolute game changer for being able to sleep with the window open!

BoredZelda · 02/07/2025 09:28

FortyElephants · 02/07/2025 09:22

Nobody needs to walk their dog at midnight. It's extremely antisocial.

If it’s been 31 degrees during the day, walking your dog late at night is recommended. I’ve walked my dog at midnight, if I’m about to go to bed and our garden isn’t where she wants to be for her late night pee. Nothing anti social about that.

Dogs barking constantly is a problem any time of the day.

@Sophiehoney I get it’s annoying but it sounds like all you have done is made sure he will be more likely to do it on purpose now. I have a similar situation with our neighbour who claims his dogs are just communicating. I tried asking him nicely but he never did anything about it. Unfortunately we just have to grin and bear it.

Floatlikeafeather2 · 02/07/2025 09:32

Sophiehoney · 02/07/2025 09:20

No - retired couple. Pretty sure he naps most of the day because he is always awake around midnight and early in the morning.

How presumptuous of you. If you're out at work all day, how could you know how he spends his time? I'm retired. I'm always up way after midnight and early in the morning. It's just how it goes. Being in bed feels like a waste of precious time. But I never sleep during the day. I fill my days with doing stuff.
I'm totally in agreement with you though about him being an antisocial arse. Sadly, complaining will just fuel the fire. Antisocial is as antisocial does.

ssd · 02/07/2025 09:39

JoyousGuide · 02/07/2025 09:26

Have the same in my house. Retired neighbours having a part in the garden on a work night till 1am or last night sat out talking in loud voices till midnight. They let their dogs out at 530am every morning and they bark loudly. Loop quiet earplugs are my summer salvation and an absolute game changer for being able to sleep with the window open!

Can you link to your earplugs please

Dangermoo · 02/07/2025 09:41

FortyElephants · 02/07/2025 09:21

Why, are you also a rude, antisocial person?

No, just sharp witted, like the neighbour.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 02/07/2025 09:41

He was embarrassed. He knew he was at fault but did the typical thing of trying to make it someone else's fault. They KNOW their dog is a pain and they KNOW it shouldn't be barking at night. So guilt made him flippant.

MrsSkylerWhite · 02/07/2025 09:42

Dangermoo · 02/07/2025 09:41

No, just sharp witted, like the neighbour.

And modest …….

Fratolish · 02/07/2025 09:43

Dangermoo · 02/07/2025 09:41

No, just sharp witted, like the neighbour.

What was sharp witted about it? It wasn't some clever retort, he just told her to keep her windows shut 🥴