To have gone round to neighbours about their dog?

[Chefpig]

I've posted before about my neighbours and their very barky dog who barks throughout the day, so frequently and it's now every ten minutes or so.

I went to the council about it and they sent a letter to them and I've been keeping logs.

They can keep it quiet and have done on several occasions but most days it barks and barks and barks.

Its got to the point where wfh, watching tv, eating a meal, reading, anything basically is disturbed and barking has started being late at night. Neighbours also shout at each other most days and dog. Both are ill, heart issues and cancer, but also clearly antisocial and disrespectful to their neighbours.

This morning, the dog was barking an insane amount. Both are home all the time (retired) whilst dog is barking. This has been going on a year since I moved here. I was supposed to be presenting on a work call but dog was coming through on the call. Really shit.

I went round and I asked very nicely and calmly if they can keep dog quiet. He said they're trying. I replied that they have kept dog quiet on a few occasions for long periods of time, why can't they do that all the time. He just told me 'we're trying'. I said its very antisocial to keep letting your dog bark and not once have they come round and said sorry and he said, 'sorry for what?' I said for being antisocial. He then got more dismissive and angry and told me he's very busy, walked past me and got into his car.

There have been times in the past where they invited me in to meet the dog after I got exasperated by the barking and the dog barked at me non stop the whole time I was there and the few times I've seen male neighbour out and about and stopped him to ask what they're doing about the barking (im always very nice and calm), and I was told they're going to start training but each time they also have said they don't have time to do training due to their health concerns which is bollocks as she is sat in that house shouting and arguing with him every day and he is in that house 22 hours a day. Dog never ever gets walked.

Anyway, I left it at that but my mental health is so low.

The council are doing their thing, but I wondered if they'll take their health into consideration and be lenient?

I also thought of taking them to court myself but I wondered if the judge may be lenient too? I can offer pages and pages of written logs and sound recordings but not sure I'll get anywhere anymore.

I can't afford to move.

Oh I feel for you . I suffered almost 3 years , dog was left alone 8am till 6pm , rarely walked and squealed and barked the whole day . I felt unwell . My asking / polite notes / were Ignored until they moved away . I hope for your sake environmental health help you . It's all so very wrong .

There are gadgets you can buy for dogs like this but you shouldn't be asking on MN where entitled pet owners are treated with far more respect than folks whose health is being eroded. Take care.

It is so frustrating, especially when it is relatively easy to teach the dog not to bark.

I have two who live across the back from me, and they bark if you breathe too loudly. There is an alley between us, so everyone that walks past sets them off.

I look after dogs, and every time I jave a new one to stay, I have to spend the first couple of hours teaching mine not to bark when the ones over the back start. Frustrating, but also gives me good practice and has benefits elsewhere for the dogs staying with me.

I’m a dog owner and this is totally unacceptable for you to suffer this. My in-laws had a dog like this for the same reason, they never walked it. Poor thing was bored rigid and going insane sitting watching telly with two couch potatoes all day. My DH rightly or wrongly said it had ‘Pensioner dog syndrome’ although obviously many older dog owners are very responsible and active. It was a relief (probably for the dog too) when the poor thing sadly headed over the rainbow bridge. We live the other end of the country so couldn’t help get the poor soul out. Nobody has the right to regularly inflict this noise on their neighbours.

Poor dog as well. Untrained, unwalked, neglected.

I know someone in a similar situation and they dogknapped the barker and brought it 200 miles away to a shelter where it was trained and adopted.
Not suggesting anyone does that though

This must be unbearable. I'm not at all keen on dogs. Next door to me have two. They do bark occasionally and I think that's ok. A few minutes once or twice a day. I suppose your neighbours just can't stop them barking.

Thanks everyone. The dog is three so I don't think the dog is going to die anytime soon. It's not its fault its neglected also.

It's really bad but I'm to the point I think of walking out into the sea and just drowning (i wouldn't do it), but also I hope the neighbours get so poorly they end up in care so the dog gets adopted out. They're shit owners and shit neighbours and can't see they're so antisocial, which is infuriating. If I were them I'd be mortified my neighbours were impacted by my lack of attempts to be quiet.

I did think of playing their dog barking all day on repeat to them whilst I was out but that could affect my progress with the council and their willingness to help perhaps.

I just think their illnesses might make the council more lenient.

The funny part is, if the male neighbour and I pass in the street he always looks over to say hello. I'm over pleasantries at this point with such antisocial twats!!!

I’m sure you’ve posted about this before

Record the dog, that's a good idea. Then wait until they are asleep and play it back on a really good speaker next to their wall. Maybe you could leave the house while that's happening. Keep doing that.

Have you read the OP? It says they’ve posted before!

OP said in the first line that she'd posted about it before!

Would the council, who are currently investigating this, look dimly upon this behaviour? I'd be sorely tempted to do it for a whole day and into the night and blast it through speakers while I stayed away in a hotel.

I thought living next to old people would be peaceful.

Pensioner dog syndrome is exactly what it is. Boomers make barkers.

Old people get dogs they physically can't manage. They neglect the needs of the dog. Poor dog ends up ruling the house and is reactive to other dogs because it never sees one, rarely sees the outside world unless it's on a ridiculously slow walk to the shop. Never off lead because said old person can't catch it and has never taught recall. I could go on and on...

Oh it is. The dog rules them. Ive heard it snapping at them and them squealing. Its ridiculous really. He hates the dog. When we spoke all friendly and she invited me in, she gushed how it loved to sit in the window all day (where it barks at everything) and told me laughing how its passed being trained now. Meanwhile when I stop him in the street, he tells me theyre starting training very soon everytime and that its not been done yet because of 'everything going on'. That'll be them sitting in the living room all day, everyday then apart from his one hour visit to the shop and his evening visit to the pub. The same time every single day.

Have you other neighbours who may also be fed up of the barking and would be willing to add their complaints?

Really the poor dog ought to be rehomed so it can get the attention and training it needs

many years ago my p-i-l lived next a barking mad dog.
F-i-l got a piece of steak and laced it heavily with mogadon..
Silence for 3days

A PP has said its easy to train a dog not to bark. She's right!

I rehomed a 10yr staff 18m ago who barked at everything. So, got a trainer and behaviourist plus a vet who come alternate weeks. Now she will bark at anyone knocking the door so I've installed a parcel box outside so couriers don't set her off. I've also trained her by saying enough after a bark, raise my finger and send her to the kitchen. Plus window film so she can't see out.

She goes days and days without barking but I think I drove my neighbours mad the first couple of months!

It's not fair and plain rude to let an animal ruin the one safe haven you have, your home. Keep up with the council. Not far from where I live, it was reported in the local news that the owner of a parrot had been prosecuted for noise nuisance.

For the sake of your own mental health I think you need to stop dwelling on it OP. It's clearly not doing you much good. Focus on what you can control and do that for now.

They clearly believe they are trying, however ineffectual that might be, if you get the same response every time you ask it's clearly not going to change. They may eventually decide they can't handle the dog due to their health, fingers crossed.

Keep completing your log and hopefully the council will do their thing eventually.

I wouldn't get involved in retribution or it will become a two sided neighbour dispute that goes nowhere.

Can't you report to RSPCA?

Or do a vigilante style dog-theft, rehome it somewhere it can be loved and have all the exercise and attention it needs.

Ah sorry. Skin reading!

I guess another possible option is to offer to walk the dog yourself?

It makes me so angry to see dogs kept in captivity like this and not stimulated. My Mum and stepdad got a yorkiepoo about 7 years ago, neither of them are remotely mobile (both nearly 80) and this poor dog gets a run round my garden at the weekend as the only break from being housebound with them. The dog is riddled with arthritis/anxiety, rotten teeth and also has epilepsy (that neither of them will acknowledge) and say the Vet is just trying to make money out of them. They've also had letters from the council and both get very angry saying "well we can't stop her barking, what's the point in reporting us"....

I have threatened them both that when this one dies (and I don't think it'll make old bones at all), they're not to get another as it's cruel. I think we need much stricter laws on dog ownership in this country and that def includes older people who keep pets in captivity for company.

As a massive dog owner and lover this would annoy me no end.

My dogs bark to alert me to someone near the front door or back door but quickly stop when told, it’s what I’ve trained them to do.

It’s a horrible situation to be in my neighbours dogs bark when they are left alone and sometimes it’s for hours - they’d been the first to complain if mine did it yet when I’ve spoken to them just been dismissed (they are not nice people) so I’ve given up I generally wear noise cancelling headphones for works calls as I can’t be bothered to deal with the fall out and general distress from it all.

It is also bad when owners have them off leads when they have no recall at all.

YANBU in the slightest. I can't stand selfish neighbours who impose their noise on other people. If the dog is distressed enough to be barking that much, he/she should be rehomed with someone who can provide exercise and a less stressful environment.