To still expect neighbours to sort it?

[Chefpig]

My neighbours have a dog that barks at regular intervals through the day. No longer than ten minutes goes past without her barking. She sits in the window and is triggered very easily by anything that goes by. It drives the owners mad because the man and woman shout at the dog and then the woman ends up screaming at her too. They're always in and the dog barks when they're home. If they go out it tends to be silent after a few barks. I was due to send council logs to the environmental noise team today.

Things have been frosty for ages but the other day we finally got talking. I was invited in and the dog barked at me non stop for half an hour. It didnt take a breath. I also found out during that visit that the woman has cancer and the man has heart problems. Really sad. He also takes shopping round daily for his MIL who is elderly and frail. The woman also said the dog loves to sit in the window watching the world go by (where it barks at everything and nothing). Female neighbour also said dog is untrainable now. We left on a good note. This.was friday. Yesterday I was out all day but there was some barking in the evening. Its fine, I dont expect silence. Today is a different matter. Since my weekend visitors have left, the dog has been barking a lot. They always quieten it down when I have visitors.

I cannot go on like this though. I pay a shitload for the property and can't watch TV, read, relax in the garden or eat a single meal without it being interrupted by the damn dog barking. My mental health is on the floor to the point I've almost quit my job and I've gone on antidepressants.

Today I saw male neighbour out and asked in a very friendly way if they've done any training with the dog (I've been there a year and the dog has always barked but lately its just awful). He said no because of their health and his MIL but that he'd start this week. I did say that my compromise is that I don't mind some barking, after all its what a dog does but they need to meet half way and offered to get some dog training resources if needed. I also said i really didn't want to take this further with the council and appreciate anything they can do, but I reportedto the council mid may and nothing has yet been done by them. I was really upbeat and friendly but he was obviously pissed off.

Aibu to expect them to train the dog in light of their health?

Its been barking this morning too. My days off make me really nervous.

Do they walk it regularly?

There health issues are sad - but not an excuse to not train the dog.

I am a massive dog lover and owner. Training the dog is as essential to their wellbeing as feeding, walking, taking to the vet - as a well socialised pet and a trained pet that is under your control is a happy pet.

they are being pretty negligent / if you take in an animal you take in their care and that includes training it.

lifrbis tough and their illnesses sound awful but it doesn’t mean they can neglect the dog and cause a nuisance to everyone around them.

At a minimum they need to block the dog from looking out the window at passersby.

How enriching this dog must be to their lives 😕

I'm assuming they don't walk the dog and it is very, very bored.

If they are open to suggestions, please tell them not to shout at the dog when it barks. The dog will interpret shouting as encouragement to bark more. They would be better off leaving the room, and / or praising the dog when it stops barking.

It does beg the question, why get a pet dog, in the first instance? They’re a massive responsibility but socialising them has to be the first priority (alongside toilet training etc), surely?

Honestly I don’t understand people who take on pets that actively make their lives worse. Like, it’s not mandatory. You can actually just….not have a dog that barks at you all day.

At least now you've actually spoken with them as you hadn't in the last 3 or 4 threads I've seen by you on this. You should still submit the log, as you've already reported them, and see what Environmental Health determine.

You can still expect them to sort it out despite their health difficulties.

and whatever happens, dont quit your job. Then you’ll have even less respite from the dog.

Sounds like the sort of elderly couple who get a dog to replace flown children but have no experience in actually looking after one.

They won't train it. But they can block its view of the outside very easily. Ask them to do that.

No sog is untrainable. The issue is the owners need to put into he work.

Their situation is unfortunate but they have a responsibility, if they can't cope they should rehome the dog

They would be exactly the same whether they were ill or not! They are just lazy! Letting the dog bark at you continuously for half an hour when your gone to talk
to them is beyond rude!!!

i can’t answer specifically your question or what u should do.

I have a dog, always have had a dog.

Personally I do six miles a day walking a day with her, and we go to dog training now every other week for an hour. It was twice a week for an hour originally.

im not sure what the answer is, dogs barking, children screaming when they are playing goes away as quick as it comes in my opinion, but then I am an old woman now, so probably half deaf too!

It never gets walked. It's three so a young, active dog who would love walks, im sure.

If they can't exercise the dog then they should contact The Cinnamon Trust and see if they have a volunteer in the area. Or, maybe they should advertise to find someone willing to walk their dog and pay them to do so! Poor dog.
I'd be inclined to contact the RSPCA, its not fair on anyone keeping such a young dog cooped up in a house like that with no quality of life.

Seems an easy fix on the part of the owners that the dog is just confined to a part of the house where it can't see out the front...?

Thanks everyone.

They won't block access to the window for the dog. She says the dog loves it in the window.

Im still going to submit the log to the council with a note saying that the neighbours and I have spoken on friendly terms and I believe training is being put in place from this coming week. Im going to ask them to put my logs on file and after a few weeks of 'training', perhaps we can determine whether to press forward with the complaint or not. I have to submit it all within a certain time and that time is due this week and I've worked bloody hard on getting a log and notes of how its affectcting me, together so I dont not want to submit and then find that its not changed at all.

This feels like a waste of time OP.

They aren't going to suddenly start training the dog. They're going to hope you just leave them alone and carry on as they are.

You sound very kind though. But I wouldn't hold back with the council report

My thoughts too. Is it bored?

Oh should I still send the report then and update the council with if it doesnt get trained?

Sounds like it needs rehoming. I’m not a dog lover but it’s got a crap life atm.

It never gets walked. Hasn't in the year I've lived here.