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Original poster

moving house; neighbour has two dogs. should i care?

22 replies

mommie · 15/03/2006 14:46

we are moving to a terraced house in London where neighbours on one side have two yorkshire terrier type dogs and both (neighbours not dogs) are heavy smokers. i only mention the latter cos we are in a flat now where, when the woman downstairs smokes, we can smell it thru the floorboards. should i care about whether our prospective neighbours have dogs or smoke? or should i accept that this is London and everyone lives alongside each other. the smoking is only an issue cos i have a dd, 18 months

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starlover · 15/03/2006 14:49

i wouldn't worry too much about the smoking.. unless they do it outdoors and it comes in your windows or something.

the dog thing... well, i would try and visit the house at various times and see if the dogs are barking.

I have been driven insane twice by neighbours with dogs who bark all day... it realy, really isn't nice and I wouldn't ever want to live next to barking dogs again.

that's not to say all dogs are like that, obviously!

Original poster
mommie · 15/03/2006 14:54

starlover...good point. i do keep walking past and i must say, i have never heard those dogs. too many other "london" noises! we are going round tonight to talk to sellers so will listen again. we get so much junk mail thru the door round here that my idea of hell would be dogs barking everytime something came thru the door

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MamaG · 15/03/2006 14:58

post something thru their letterbox and listen carefully!

KBear · 15/03/2006 15:02

Our neighbour had dogs that she thought were lovely and quiet and never barked....that's because they ONLY barked when she left the house. All day sometimes. Drove me crackers.

That probably doesn't help does it... but IME small dogs are usually yappy.

starlover · 15/03/2006 15:03

ditto kbear Angry

expatinscotland · 15/03/2006 15:06

i agree w/starlover's advice 100%. visit at all different times to see if you can hear the barking. like music, it's a top neighbour complaint and can easily drive someone potty.

RedZuleika · 15/03/2006 15:16

The other thing to bear in mind is that when you move in, the dogs might bark because they're unused to the noises you'll make. Particularly if the property has been empty for any time. I say this because tenants have moved in next door to us and my dog has been barking every time they open their front door. It's because the owners never used the front door but always came through the back. He's settling down now as he gets used to it.

He does bark if someone puts stuff through the letterbox though. He's just guarding his territory. Since he can hear footsteps coming up the steps, he's also like an early warning system. I believe that houses with dogs are less likely to be broken into, regardless of the size of the dog in question.

Sorry - I'm a dog person. Can you tell...?? Smile

WideWebWitch · 15/03/2006 15:18

I have a neighbour who smokes and has 2 dogs, one a doberman and I can smell smoke in our hall sometimes. The dogs bark quite a bit but I don't mind, it makes me feel safer actually.

Nemo1977 · 15/03/2006 15:21

Think it depends on the dogs. We have a dog and at one time had two but neither of them makes a lot of noise unless someone knocks at the door so its just a warning bark.Our dog doesnt actually bark at junk mail just a knock.

Smoking could you smell it when you were in the house? If not I wouldnt be too concerned but if you could then the answer is obvious really.

Original poster
mommie · 15/03/2006 15:36

nemo..i can't remember. it's one of those houses where we have been it it for about 20 mins and that's it. now we are buying it. it's my first house purchase and my dp says i am ludicrously cautious...it's his 4th. what worries me is that i spent more time choosing a dress for my 40th, but estate agents just hurry you round and that's it. anyway, am going round tonight. any killer questions for sellers ...?

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zippitippitoes · 15/03/2006 15:40

if they do bark a lot then nothing nore annoying

nailpolish · 15/03/2006 15:44

in our 2nd house the neighbours had 2 springer spaniels they kept inside all day (they both worked) and the dogs didnt bark, they HOWLED. and they peed in the hall and i could smell it on hot days.

i worked nightshift and couldnt sleep during the day. we complained and they told us they didnt know about it as they were at work all day (obviously!) but said there was no alternative. it was a nightmare.

sorry!

Original poster
mommie · 15/03/2006 15:47

blimey nailpolish...that sounds disgusting! the thing is, i could find fault with every house on this basis. London is such a mixed bag and unless you have pots of cash, most roads are going to be very mixed

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nailpolish · 15/03/2006 15:48

mommie, is your neighbours house terraced? ie they have another house joined on the other side of them? if so you could always pop round for a chat, and im sure they would be honest and tell you

Original poster
mommie · 15/03/2006 15:49

also when i saw the old woman with her dogs, she looked just as alarmed as when she saw me with a baby....i suppose noise issues are a two way street

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Original poster
mommie · 15/03/2006 15:51

nailpolish....i could go and suss out the neighbours on their other side. the old woman will think i am a proper miss marple! i am not sure how friendly she is with them..don't want a reputation for snooping, but its worth a go

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nailpolish · 15/03/2006 15:55

ah, but babies grow up and stop crying through the night Grin

although they then move towards loud music in bedrooms...

enjoy your new house, mommie, good luck with the move xx

FioFio · 15/03/2006 15:59

This reply has been deleted

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foxinsocks · 15/03/2006 16:04

check out next door's garden for turds

we too are in a terraced house in London and live next door to a woman with a dog. The barking is only bad if she goes out at night and leaves the dog on its own. But after a while, we tune out the noise and the kids don't wake up to it.

What is foul is that fact that she doesn't clean up the dog turds in her garden for weeks. That dog must be dragging shit through her house every day cos he's always walking in his turds.

So have a close look at the garden to see how clean it is (this will prob give you an idea as to whether she is good at looking after her dog!)

Original poster
mommie · 15/03/2006 16:25

nailpolish --your idea was brilliant. went to neighbours on the other side of the dog woman and they were charming. been there for 25 years. no noise issues. apparently dogs are only there during day as she looks after them for someone (since we work during day and dd is in nursery, that is v good news.) they said it was nice street etc etc. hurrah...a weight off my mind and mumsnet wins again.

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nailpolish · 15/03/2006 16:27

oh thats great news Smile

Original poster
mommie · 15/03/2006 16:31

only downside...he laughed and said he was paying off his mortgage next year, and bought his house 25 years ago for 31,000. needless to say, we are paying a ludicrous London price now Wink

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