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.

She has multiple times!

@Chefpig what happened to the old dead / not dead dog?

How do you teach them not to bark?
Mine is calm when I’m out but barks like a demon when I’m home. Training her to not bark has only taught her to bark more - the trainer we’ve worked with has never met a dog like her!
I know not the point of the thread, but I’m always open to learning new techniques!

Sounds like where I live, every other dog owner is an older person, and their dogs, there are usually two, are walking the owners. taking up whole pavements. If it wasn't so annoying it would be funny,

I’d be disturbing them. I’d book into a hotel for a night, put speakers to the wall and play music all night.

Elderly and ill or not, I’d make their lives a living hell.

I’ve done the speaker thing before with a noisy neighbour and it did the trick.

How did you train her not to bark? Or attempt to train her not to bark? And what breed is she?

From what you have said, it is highly likely that you have taught her that barking gets her attention, which in turn makes her bark more. Especially as she doesn't bark when you are not there. QED you are the environmental change that is causing the barking.

My preferred method is that barking always leads to all fun stopping.

They bark in the garden? They come in, immediately.
They bark at the doorbell? They are removed from the room until they stop barking (better to teach a place cue, and reward them for going to it when the doorbell goes, but it isn't easy to do that with other people's dogs).

There are many other techniques, but timing is essential (as it is with all dog training). Also, the handler needs to be calm, and make no noise while engaging with the dog until it is quiet. Then heap loads of praise / reward.

Most owners shout at the dog to be quiet, which the dog interprets as 'wahay, let's bark more'.

Obviously, this is very general, each dog is different, but the above works quite well in most instances.

The ones that I have regularly all know my rules, and while they bark and go nuts at the door in their own homes, they generally don't do it in mine.

Noise pollution does drive you to the edge. Can you get some AirPods or noise cancelling headphones in the short term? My DH bought me a pair a year or so ago and I was initially meh. Then I used them (often without music playing) and they’re the best creation known to man. I live in a tourist town and street buskers with amps drive me insane. AirPods have been so good. Not a longterm solution I know, but it might provide some relief in the short term

It died the following day after he had told me it had died. They left it outside in the pouring rain while it was dying. Authorities did nothing about my reports of cruelty even though I sent them videos of it shaking in the rain clearly very unwell.

She came round hysterical just after it died to tell me it had died. I didn't ask why her husband had lied about the death but didnt want her to darken my doorstep any longer than necessary.

Can people please STOP with the 'Boomer' thing?
I've had dogs all my life & am quite capable of training & walking them, despite my VAST age..

PS Sorry @Chefpig it must be driving you crazy.

Would this affect my council complaint though if they then countered my complaint? I'm in rented and don't want to risk my tenancy even though I'll probably leave at the end of it. I do love the house, area and garden and I've spent loads of time and money making it nice.

We had 3 bereavement last her and each time came home to a barking fucking dog.

Currently awaiting Big Progress op.

I commented on hiring initial post to keep going. After the log keeping it's recording equipment...
They have powers to enforce get dog being rehomed.
Your life isn't less important than theirs just because they have health issues. Ime you will soon too.

I feel your pain OP. In exactly the same position. Constant from 5am, for days on end some weeks as they work away. It doesn’t take a break, and goes mental everytime there is the slightest noise. It has free rein of the garden so you can’t even escape. Go to the bins and he smashes the window whilst barking viciously at you. You can hear it over everything.

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

Absolutely agree.

My mum is 75 and nearly entirely immobile. She can walk to the end of the drive and that's it and this has been the case for several years. She has a beagle...a beagle ffs. It never leaves the house or garden, ever, and it's heartbreaking. I've also warned her that when this one dies (which will be soon) that if she gets another dog or puppy I will physically remove it and rehome it even if it causes WW3 (and it would, my sisters are as daft as she is).

Every time it barks go and hammer on the door and tell them to stop it!

They can't believe they are trying because they often can keep the dog quiet for hours and hours. This is only when I have the sort of visitors who are vocal about the never ending barking though. They seem to see the car pull up and miraculously shut the dog up.

I'd shout at them to shut the fucking dog up everyday but I could get in trouble for harassment apparently.

If I took them to court myself, I have read I'll have to pay their legal costs if I lose the case. Does anyone know if that's correct?

Op the man sounds quite reasonable, what would he say if you asked would they consider rehoming?

And yes if you lists a court case you’d be liable for costs but I wonder if you’d be taking them to small claims or higher- then it may not cost so much. Given the man talks to you though I don’t know that anything heavy handed is the answer

If you take them to a small claims court, where it is expected that you represent yourself so there shouldn't really be any costs for the defendant, then no, you do not pay any costs if you lose.

However you'd have to prove they have cost you financially and thats not easy in this situation.

They could train the dog that every noise or movement it hears/sees = reward, classical counter conditioning, altering the emotional response, and when the emotional response changes, the barking goes away. (More to it than that but it does work).

This isn't hard but requires consistency in being in the same room/space with the dog at all times - having high value rewards on them at all times - ensuring that they can remove the dog from somewhere without yelling/chasing (ie a long line) at all times. Typically takes a few weeks to see decent results.

The issue with punishing barking is that barking is in itself, inherently rewarding - its enjoyable to bark - if there is a noise whilst the dog is barking (ie a human yelling SHUT THE FUCKING DOG UP) this may reinforce the barking either because the dog was seeking a response (bored, lonely) or because the dog thinks the person is joining in (you shout, i shout, we all shout, hurrah!).

So then you're letting the dog practice an inherently rewarding behaviour - same with the 'wait for the dog to shut up then reward them' - you're letting them practice, and hoping they will guess that they should shut up (they won't) or hoping that your timing in rewarding the second the pause for breath will be spot on (it almost always won't be).

He would in an instant as he hates the dog. She wouldn't entertain it. When he goes out, she let's the dog bark and bark regardless of what time it is. Ive been woken past 10pm many times as that is when shes home alone and he goes to the pub daily.

My mum jas this gadget think that emits a high pitched noise the dog doesn't like when it barks too much. It quietens the dog instantly. Now she only has to pick ot up not actually press it and the dog is quiet.

Have you thought about speaking to the RSPCA or Dogs' Trust for advice @Chefpig? The constant barking could be a sign of distress and coupled with what you recorded about their treatment of their old dog, they don't sound at all like fit owners. The RSPCA may take a view on it being left to bark all day.

I would try the high pitched gadget.

If that didn’t work, load speaker against their bedroom wall and leave it on all night and stay in a hotel.

I just can’t believe how selfish some people are. The poor dog needs to go to good owners.

Far too many dogs. Why does everybody with a pulse have to own a bloody dog! What's wrong with a lovely chilled cat.

Maybe because they don’t want a cat?!

They can't even look after themselves it seems, let alone an anxious, under-stimulated dog. Their house is filthy.

Dogs are amazing! Getting ours has changed my life in such a good way. And it's almost never the dog that's the problem, it's ALWAYS crap owners (I'm discounting XLs here). They should bring back dog licences to prove the suitability of owners.