To speak to neighbours re dog barking even though I've reported to council and have been keeping logs?

[Carlie97]

I reported my neighbours to the council. Their dog barks frequently through the day and disturbs me working, in the garden, reading, mealtimes etc. They let it sit in the window bottom barking at everything. I don't have even ten minutes peace. The past few days its been barking every five minutes.

The council sent them a letter a few weeks ago about someone complaining (me) and the first few days they shut the dog up immediately as soon as it barked. Now theyre getting more and more lax. Yesterday was horrific, as today has been so far. I dont think they know or care to train the dog out of being so reactive to everything.

Anyway, im keeping a written log for the council. It seems endless. No sooner as I've put the pen down, that im picking it up again to log more barking. Yesterday I was desperately looking for a rental to move to even though this is my home and I've worked hard to make it lovely.

Im thinking of going round there just to tell them how much its affecting me, that I can't concentrate with work (already very stressful) and asking them to consider a dog trainer, otherwise ill have no choice but to submit my log and pursue any action the council want to take and if the council dont take it further, then ill take the case to court myself. Wibu to do that or should I keep logging and let the council deal with it? Im thinking dark thoughts because of this and work stress, but this is definitely contributing to my poor mental health.

So have you actually had a conversation with them about it yet? It sounds like you fired off a complaint to the council without even speaking to them, which seems a bit backwards. They might Be busy working at the front of the house and not even hear the dog and realise how much it’s disrupting everybody else. First step surely has to be a nice polite conversation Letting them know quite how disruptive and request they bring the dog indoors.

There isn't a specific noise level that should not be breached, but frequency is more likely to get dealt with if it is unreasonable. For example of the dog barked continually between 11pm & 7am, or if lots of people were being disturbed.

But from your description, the dog is inside. Are you in an adjoining house, so you hear it clearly? Definitely talk to your neighbour first. Suggest what might help.

I remember your last post and honestly I would be very surprised if the council did anything about a dog barking intermittently in its own home during daytime hours, so I wouldn’t get your hopes up.

This.

I had this experience with a neighbour who let their dog bark outside all hours of the day and night, it was dreadful. We had already had issues with the boundary so I didn't discuss it with them and reported them to the council.

They had an initial letter and didn't do anything so I submitted my log to the council and they were sent a further letter explaining they would be fined( think it was a few thousands) if they didn't control the dog's barking. That seemed to do the trick and it barked much less and never in the night like it had done.

Fortunately it died quite soon afterwards and they got a much quieter dog. We have never spoken or acknowledged each others presence in the 25 years since, doesn't bother me as they're horrible people.

You are not owed a silent environment to work in, they're homes, not offices.

no idea why you've started another thread.

They will hear their dog barking unless they live in Buckingham palace!

Speak to your neighbours about it. We have a puppy and it does bark but we have a dog trainer. Our puppy will bark when crated for around 1-2 mins and then settle. It’s a hellish noise so you have my sympathies. Our neighbours are aware we are training our puppy and we try to limit her noise with lots of exercise and mental stimulation. But you shouldn’t be afraid of discussing it with them. We’re hoping a bit of initial discomfort now will result in a well trained & well behaved adult dog.

They're not. They're in the same room as the dog when it starts barking. I know this because they yell at it when it starts.

So they know you have reported them to the council and have continued allowing the dog to bark - suggests they couldn't give a fuck about it and going round there will achieve nothing but an argument.

The time to talk to them was before the council complaint. That said it's not like they wouldn't already know how annoying it is.

They're not the sort of people I want to speak to ever. He is seriously creepy, looking me up and down whenever he sees me and staring in at my window whenever he goes past.

OP, if the dog is inside, is it really making that much noise?

If they aren't leaving it in the garden to bark, but take it inside and close the door, I'm not sure they will be seen to be irresponsible.

Have you tried using white noise or ear plugs? Or closing your windows?

Well to the skeptics I know of a couple who were court ordered to get rid of their yappy fucker....
Keep on at the council op.
I reported our ndn. They deal with it now. But I wouldn't have second guessed continuing with the complaints..

If it's the chihuahua and you're counting the barks, or if it isn't? I'd still hope you would've already spoken to the neighbours. That's what you should do first before going to the council.

So yes, do politely mention it. But during the day stuff like dogs barking occasionally (not for literally 20-30 mins solid barking or more, multiple times) then it's part of day to day living.

Builders can drill and dig up the road and build houses etc as long as the noise is during normal working hours. And noise from dogs, children, cars, people existing etc during the day often you can't do much about it.

My windows are usually shut! The dog does bark lots even inside when both humans are with it.

I think you are hyper focused on this chihuahua.
You should speak to them before you drive yourself crazy.

As well as the male neighbour staring in my house when he walks past, the dog has just been barking at the female neighbour leaving the house and when she went past in a car, she stared right into my house too. This is why I dont want to talk to either of them.

I don’t think I’d bother speaking to them as it might just wind them up and they are clearly selfish and unpleasant. I’d keep up the logging and the complaints.Have you spoken to any other neighbours? It would help a lot if there were more complaints.
i can’t stand it when people are too lazy to stop their dogs from continually barking.

So has the barking frequency changed from your last thread? It wasn't every 10 mins as you listed actual times, and it was mostly just single barks, not prolonged barking.

I have a mixed terrier including chihuahua. I get it, her bark is annoying, it sounds shrill and desperate at times.

The amount of barking you previously described didn't sound like it would meet the threshold as excessive though, according to the posters that claimed to be in environmental health. But it's clear that you are very sensitive to it. Keep up your log and submit it, hopefully your complaint will be dealt with appropriately.

Not sure why you ask about talking to them in the thread title, as your posts say you don't want to talk to them anyway. So yes, YWBU to talk to them about this; keep it to the official process that you have already started. Good luck.