Help please re neighbours dog.

[BernardsarenotalwaysSaints]

Sorry for another barking related post folks but I'm at my wits end. Also apologies it's long but don't want to drip feed.

2 years ago this summer my neighbours got a rescue from Dogs Trust (sorry I can't put the breed it would be outing, he would be in the Pastoral catagory though). He's lovely & settled with them really well. We rarley heard a peep out of him.

Last summer everything changed, he started barking, constantly, at everything, anything & nothing. I mean everything, lawn mowers, planes, gliders, my DCs on their scooter (& the dc over the back), DCs on the trampoline (which is as far away from their garden as possible, in both ours & over the backs case), DC on the trampoline in the house 4 doors down, birds, cats...you get the picture. It got to the point where my 3rd DC in particular would only go out in the front garden because the barking worried her.

As the weather had been reasonable for the last couple of weeks it's started again but I've realised something, they're just locking him out & going out to work or shopping. I will admit it's annoying me for the selfish reason that we can't sit peacefully in the garden during nice weather anymore as even when they are in no attempt is made to quieten him.

As a dog owner I do understand that all dogs bark sometimes. My girl is quite 'woofy' for a Bernard but after a couple of weeks of me telling her to shush in the back garden (she used to 'talk' back to other barking dogs) she stopped & now rarely does it.

I've raised the issue gently with them a couple of times & the answer I've received is "well dogs bark". I know another neighbour found a letter online with regards to dog noise & sent it anonymously to them (most neighbours in the street are irritated by it now) but I'm guessing it went straight in to the recycling.

Realistically I know the issue is boredom (he gets a good walk each day but that's it) I just really don't know where to go from here I can't stand the thought of another summer with him barking constantly & the DC not wanting to be out there. Not sure if this is important or not but I always make sure they're quiet in the garden & not running around screaming...sorry I'm rambling. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

They lock him outside? Does he have everything he needs out there? That would be my main concern.

Certainly, my dog would bark constantly if she was left outside on her own for hours- but we'd never do that because our neighbours would go potty! I think they are being very inconsiderate, but I don't actually know what you can do about it unfortunately. If you've already spoken to them and others have made it obvious its a problem, it sounds like they are unlikely to change anything now.

Perhaps contacting Dogs Trust for advice? or if he's not got everything he needs outside, then I'd be ringing the RSPCA unfortunately. I would never leave my dog outside when I went out, but maybe that's just us. Or the council for a noise complaint.

Sorry for not being more useful- I wouldn't know what to do in this situation either. On one hand, I wouldn't want to 'grass' my neighbours up, but it does sound incredibly annoying & frustrating!

I'd contact your local council noise control department.

Yes, dogs do bark but not all day and without stopping and it's very unreasonable of your neighbour to dismiss your concerns in this way - having said that, if they're the sort of people that lock their dog out all day, the happiness of others is probably not their priority.

It might be an idea to contact Dogs' Trust as pp said, they might be interested to know that one of the dogs they rehomed is not being looked after properly and the owner is allowing it to be a nuisance to their neightbours.

If a few of your other neighbours contacted the council too it might make them (the council) take it a bit more seriously.

Thank you both

Yes he's locked (or at least shut) out, it seems to be 2-3 hours in the am then 3-4 hours in the pm if the weather is nice. There's been next to no noise off him all winter apart from when I know the door has been knocked, so he's obviously ok being left in the house or he's quiet because he's slowly destroying it I suppose. I think a friend from over the road pops over roughly every 90 minutes or so but it really is only for a couple of minutes (sorry didn't realise I skipped that in my OP).

I don't think the RSPCA can or would do anything as he has shade, water & toys as well as a shed which has the door propped open for shelter if needed.

We did start keeping a noise diary last summer, with a view to contacting the council so I'll start that up again & mention to the other neighbours about doing one as well.

If the council don't pay any interest I think I'll be left with no choice but to contact Dogs Trust...

I've made them sound awful haven't I? I don't think it's that they don't care or love him but it's that they don't realise how different he is from their last dog. They had had their previous dog from a puppy when their DC were young so the wife wasn't working as much, thus they had time to fully train him etc. By the time we moved in he was about 15 & was happy to just laze around, I can't remember if they did leave him in the garden when they were out but as he only used to bark once in a blue moon I wouldn't have notice iyswim?

They sound ignorant and lazy. What the hell did they get a dog for if they're out all day and the dog is shut outside? I'd be speaking to the rescue, I'm sure they wouldn't have let them rehome the dog to treat it like that. It could hurt itself, it could get stolen, it could get poisoned by an even more irate neighbour. What a stupid set up. What do they do in the Winter when it's snowing or freezing?

The rescue I work with will take dogs back if circumstances change. I don't know what Dog's Trust policy might be - but there's no harm in asking!

From what I can tell he's been inside all winter MsAdorabelle with just being let out to toilet, which, in a way is what makes it even more irritating.

I think DT have a similar policy Alpaca I'm sure I remember an old work colleague saying that they had the right to take her dog back at any point if they suspected it wasn't being cared for.

Oh I see. He's obviously not used to be dumped outside then, if he normally lives indoors.

Could you film it and send the video to the council or something?

I think I might, I've an old phone that works without a sim so I could pop that in my eldests room as a back up to the written log.

It's so bloody infuriating, I'm longing for good weather but dreading it too.

I bet. What arseholes your neighbours are.

What about a movement sensitive camera? A cctv camera pointed at the garden when they've gone to work?