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

[Sophiehoney]

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?!

Ahh come on, we can't expect people to actually read the OP before chiming in can we

Why are people saying OP was wrong for slamming her window? It’s her window and the noise was disturbing her so why not slam it? I think her reaction was reasonable - she could have shouted abuse at the dog owner out of the window!

Ooh, is that what you call it "sharp" 😂

No she didn't

It's not how life works, we should all be trying to reduce noise for others at anti social hours

Apparently not 😂

I know a couple who had to rehome their yappy fucker... There had been complaints. Not sure how many did but it worked..
Bliss for my elderly friend who was quite driven mad by it... They were oblivious....

What do the rest of your neighbours think about it? Are they friendly with your neighbour?

Do your children play the recorder? Could you get one of them to sit outside their house at 6am and play?

It's a big shame most areas don't have dog wardens anymore but if your area still has one you can report it to them.

Some hope. People seem to think that noise pollution is something to aspire to.

🤣

bring back the laughing emoji!

I am not keen on most dog (owners) but a few weeks ago we went for a walk with friends and they bought their dog. It was so well behaved. During a two hour walk followed by a pub lunch the dog did not bark once. It did not go up to other people or dogs while it was walking. When we got to the pub a very aggressive dog made such a fuss and pulled at the lead. Our friend’s dog completely ignored this and just sat itself down under the table.
Why can’t all dog owners train their dogs like this?

Me and DH walked our dog at 6am and then again at 11.45 on Monday as it was so hot. It was still muggy and humid at that time.

Dog barking under window at 12.15 am? JAIL.

Anyone bringing up any noise you or your kids might make is being deliberately obtuse.

Selfish neighbours annoy the fuck out of everybody who lives around them. I have some too. We all compare notes in the street and they’re not really tolerated. One woman is more friendly but even she rolls here eyes at them. Who’d want to be that person?

There's no need for dogs to be barking on walks. It needs to be trained better. I used to dog sit for a couple and one of their dogs was like this. Just barked the whole bloody way. It took me just over a week to un-teach the behaviour. Then when I dog sat again, it was back to square one. That was the last time I did it. Dog owners who don't train their pets properly shouldn't have them. End of.

Get away with yourself.

OP, it's not ok. Get logging every incident with the dog. They need to find a way to shut it up, especially at that time. It's not ok and they sound like dicks.

I wouldn't play games back. I'd be less polite next time. Not rude but even more assertive.

' This is not acceptable neighbour and you need to do something about it ok'.

You can report to the Council, Council's have dog wardens also.

You'll need a collection of incidents obviously.

They don’t give a s##% literally. The same neighbour with the barking all hours dog near us rides an electric scooter. He’s in his 50s and fell off the scooter a while ago and broke his arm and a few ribs but didn’t learn his lesson!

Slamming a window shut at midnight (presumable making noise when that was the porblem in the first place) instead of having an adult conversation is acting like a child. So yes she did.

Its really annoying OP. I live along a main road and it never ceases to amaze me at the thoughtlessness of people in the early hours of the morning slamming doors, shouting, bibbing hooters, having very loud phone conversations and barking dogs.

If you have a dog that barks on walks, taking it for walks at midnight is a real dick move.

He's clearly a selfish twat.

So you think OP should have gone outside in the middle of the night, and chased this old man down the road to ask him to shut his dog up? Really?

I think it would be better to do something even easier - chuck laxative laced dog treats in to their garden on the sly whenever you hear the dog barking. They'll keep it inside then...after all, he could just train the dog then he wouldn't have to clean up diarrhoea 🤷🏼‍♀️

And regret it when you want to sell....

My dog (huge guarding breed) walks me home from friends houses and pubs fairly often, sometimes after midnight-but she doesn't make a peep unless someone alarms her first. I'd say it is the barking that's the issue not the walking of the dog itself.

You can walk your dog every minute of every day if you like.

My only issue is the noise you make while doing it

Yes loud music outside his bedroom window...or better...record his dog barking...and replay it...
.might need to wear earplugs