Dog next door has terrible separation anxiety, advise needed!

[Monkeywithaminaturecymbal]

Hi hoping for some advice...2 years ago, a week before I had my baby, our neighbours decided to buy a puppy. From that day onwards every time they leave the dog she cries and howls, scratches at the walls and is obviously distressed. We haven spoken to them several times, offering advice as we have a rescue dog with separation anxiety ourselves but it fell on deaf ears, so I contacted the council who wrote them a letter and it improved for a few months. However they are leaving her again more and more, I find it not only distressing but it sets me on edge and I’m losing my temper with my toddler over silly things. In the early days listening to the dog definitely contibuted to me getting pnd. The problem is if I go back to the council it makes relations so awkward and we see them everyday due to a shared access garden. Any advice?

Any idea where they got it from?

Go back to the council and complain about the noise

Can you offer to let the dog out when they're out?

It might be awkward but for the dogs sake something clearly needs to be done and if they know and not doing anything then there really isn't another answer

Breeder - She’s a pedigree Hungarian Pooley (not sure on the spelling).

Trouble is it's not awkward enough for them. Mention it politely each time you see them. Complain to the council again. They'll keep doing it until shamed / compelled not to.

I really feel for you as there is no easy answer it doesn’t seem. Other people’s choices can be quite distressing, even when one isn’t wanting to judge.
I would either escalate this in some way or learn to really detach yourself and understand it isn’t your problem. So hard though and a shame for the dog as some breeds or temperaments just aren’t happy to be left.
Could you say you are really struggling with the dogs upset still (important they know after all as they may just hope it’s settling) and ask if Borrow My Doggy might be worth a go so they try to get local help?

We’ve got a key because one night they got delayed travelling back from London and left her crying for 8 hrs, so we offered to pop in if that happened again. The problem is they leave her up to twice a day for 1 up to 3 hours and I have a ferile 2 year old and a grumpy, senile rescue staffy to look after who doesn’t like other dogs - otherwise I would just have their dog in with us. It’s not that easy for me to pop in and I think she wants proper company.

... or detach yourself and understand it isn't really your problem
Eh? Aside from everything else, the OP is sick and tired of listening to the thing howling, so what do you suggest - ear plugs?

Also OP , kind as you sound, it is not your problem or responsibility unless it had happened to suit you anyway . I’m all for being neighbourly and that but this is a daily problem they need a solution too.
On the plus side I know it’s distressing but the hours she’s left for aren’t too extreme; though I guess that’s not the point as it obviously isn’t working for her so can’t be ok for that particularly dog. Ours would just sleep I suspect! Sounds to me like they should build her up to it with shorter stints and leave her with stimulating toys filled with food or something and radio etc if they aren’t already

horizontalis I hear you, it can’t be easy to ignore howling at all! I was thinking of the emotional side as I hate worrying about an animal who’s upset and I ought to go to bed as not making much sense!

Yes it’s the emotional side that is getting to me, I think becoming a mother heightens your response to any mammal crying / distress maybe? Thanks all for the advice, I need to toughen up and keep bringing it up and then go back to the council. We live in a terrace with paper thin walls and not even noise cancelling headphones blocks the crying out! As well although it’s not all day I never know when it will be or for how long, as they don’t work regular jobs so I can’t plan to be out or grit my teeth knowing they’ll be home at a certain time.

Record her crying if you can and play if back to them. Say they probably don't realise how bad it is.

Could you suggest something like Borrow My Doggy to them?

If someone else is coming in and looking after their dog for them, it takes the stress off you.