Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

New house, next door dog

9 replies

Thatsmycupoftea · 24/01/2021 06:40

Hi all,

We have a 1 year old Golden Retriever. We have not had her long but she has been nothing but gentle and sweet and lovely. She used to live with other dogs and cats and was absolutely fine.

We just moved house and next door have a big dog. This is probably another thread but I do feel sorry for this dog as its left alone all day and I have never seen it be taken for walks.

Anyway it barks and barks when it's owners leave it. Its sometimes in the garden barking.

My golden has now started barking along and growling inside and out and will often not dare go down our garden when next door dog is out. There are 2 6 ft fences so they can't actually see each other.

This dog will bark for hours and my golden seems so wound up.

Any tips
Thanks

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 24/01/2021 08:53

No tips sorry but I think the noise would be driving me bonkers too.

Thatsmycupoftea · 24/01/2021 09:04

It is driving me mad to be honest.
I have had a couple of days off work and when they leave at 6am I'm woken to bark bark bark for hours.

They lock it in the bedroom next to mine most days and I can see the poor thing looking out the window.

They never open their curtains and their house seems in a bit of a state. Poor thing must be living in the dark all the time. So sad. Especially when my golden gets loads of walks and goes to work a few days a week and is never left alone.

When we viewed the house.... 3 times! It barked once and that was it. I asked the previous owner and they said they never hear it and it's a good dog and family!

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 24/01/2021 09:14

When we viewed the house.... 3 times! It barked once and that was it. I asked the previous owner and they said they never hear it and it's a good dog and family. It could be that the circumstances have changed next door, maybe a break up or it could just be that the last neighbours weren't telling the truth.

A DF is having similar problems. Her neighbour works nights and the two dogs bark all night when he's away.

She put up with it fir months before talking to him about it, it turns out he was completely unaware and has now changed what he does with the dogs and they no longer bark.

Do the neighbours seem approachable? Have you got any kind d relationship?

Thatsmycupoftea · 25/01/2021 18:39

No I wouldn't feel comfortable approaching the owner. But I may have to or il send dh round. Its been better today as they have been in the house.

My cat challenged their dog today when he was barking... From behind a window and fence hehe

OP posts:
GuppytheCat · 25/01/2021 18:42

Not an expert, but it’s possible that the dog didn’t bark much until a new cat and dog arrived next door.

Our neighbour’s dog hates one of our cats. Just the one; it’s been fine with every other cat in the street.

Maybe things will settle down if the animals get better acquainted.

Thatsmycupoftea · 27/01/2021 10:13

No I can tell they have been doing this a while. Turns out it's two pitbulls as I have just been round and seen them at the window. Every time someone walks past or any noise outside they are up barking.
Owner is not in today and it's been constant.
I'm struggling to work from home now with the noise. I have actually been in tears with this today. It's not fair on my kids or my dog she's so on edge. She dosnt bark only when they have wound her up.

OP posts:
SirSniffsAlot · 27/01/2021 11:00

Hard though it is, the narrative that these dogs are winding yours up needs to go. I honestly understand how tempting it is to think that but it doesn't help you help your dog get past it.

It's a noise and your dog will be capable of learning the noise has no meaning at all to their life.

Right now the noise has meaning.

Noise happens > they feel agitated in some way > you feel agitated in some way = the noise is bad.

You can change this story. Partner the barking with something nice that your dog likes. Probably treats.

Dog barks > your dog gets a treat = the noise is good

Do this often enough the noise next door ceases to have a bad connection for your dog and, instead, starts to have a good one. Keep little pots of treats close by, all over the house, so one is never out of reach. Once the dog starts to hear the noise as the chance of something good, you can slowly drop the frequency of treats, working your way to the point where they get treats if the noise happens and they don't so much as lift their head in response.

You also support this by (other than the treat) never once reacting to the noise yourself. No lifting your own head, no sighning, cursing under your breath, rolling your eyes etc.

None of which is meant to excuse the dogs next door being left to bark or to say you are somehow 'bad' for finding the noise hard to live with. It would drive me mad, too.

But is how you help your goldie to learn to ignore the barking. (It is how I helped my dog stop reacting to the noisy lurchers next door - which, in turn, helped the lurchers relax and the general noise levels go down.)

bunnygeek · 27/01/2021 12:09

Chances are these dogs may be winding everyone up and the owners are unaware (or maybe don't care) of how much of a noise they make when they're not there.

You can report nuisance noise to your local council, this includes dogs barking: www.gov.uk/report-noise-pollution-to-council

Thatsmycupoftea · 27/01/2021 12:40

Thanks all. Really useful info.

My dh has been home to take ddog to work now anyway for today so I'm able to try ignoring next doors dogs.
I think I'm going to approach them this evening.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page