I think I just need reassurance that I’m not being mental.

Newish mid townhouse, walls obviously wafer thin. Had a new next door neighbour at the turn of the year who, shortly after moving in, got a new dog.

Problem for me is that it barks and cries non-stop when my neighbour is out. She’s out ALOT. I was woken up at 7am today by the dog and am currently being kept awake by the same barking and crying.

Is it even worthwhile dealing with the council to make a complaint about the noise? It’s not worth me speaking to the neighbour as it seems very much a case of the dog goes.

It’s at the stage where I avoid being in the house because the noise is driving me, well, barking…

RSPCA if you think it’s being left too long on its own?

It’s definitely on its own too much but isn’t it easier proving to the council that the noise is too loud rather than proving to the rspca that’s it’s alone too long?

dog is bored – if its any comfort its probably destroying their house unless they have caged it. call the RSPCA or SSPCA if you are in scotland. They have the power to investigate.

As she is out and you are not speaking to her to advise her of the barking/whimpering, how will she know that the dog is making a noise?

I know if I got a complaint from the council and the neighbour hadn’t spoken to me then I would most consider them to be bit mental.

Ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen.

For the OP’s headache or rubbed in to a juicy steak?

It’s not worth me speaking to the neighbour as it seems very much a case of the dog goes.

When you say “not worth” what do you mean ?

I’m assuming there is no actual cost to you ?

Tell the neighbour! They won’t know the dog is doing it and would probably appreciate being alerted to their pet’s distress.

Perhaps ste_t is reluctant to tell the neighbour because the dog will just deny it ?

You mean the cpuncil building standards right ?

I think id be more than a little pissed off to hear that through a party firewall…….

Maybe im spoilt having a 1950s semi with a twin block and fireplace wall separating me from neighbour.

Their german shepard has a booming bark and i never hear it inside my house.

If you’re reluctant to discuss it with your neighbour (don’t know why, it’s not such a big deal) your local council ought to be able to give you a leaflet on dog noise and why it happens, which you can drop through her letter box.

picolax rubbed into a steak…..

Don’t bother with the council – the noise probably won’t stop, you’ll both have to declare “issues” if you ever try to move, and she’ll hate you forever.

My neighbour’s dog wakes me at 6.30 when they throw it out for a crap. Polite requests to not do it or train the dog got nowhere. A solicitor friend offered to write a letter on my behalf but to sum up her advice: “You’re probably better off moving than going down this road.”

You have my sympathy.

she’ll hate you forever

That’s quite an assumption.

You don’t there is the tiniest vaguest possibility that the neighbour might respond with “Really? I’m terribly sorry, I’ll have a word with my vet and see if they can suggest anything”, or “Oh thank you so much for letting me know, I’ll try not to leave her alone so long so that she feels more reassured that I’m coming back”, etc etc ?

You don’t there is the tiniest vaguest possibility that the neighbour might respond with “Really? I’m terribly sorry, I’ll have a word with my vet and see if they can suggest anything”, or “Oh thank you so much for letting me know, I’ll try not to leave her alone so long so that she feels more reassured that I’m coming back”, etc etc ?

No.

If she gets a letter from the council before she’s spoken to about the dog privately? Pretty confident that won’t go down well.

As I said, now has to be formally declared during sale.

I really can’t understand why you can’t nip round for a friendly chat. Most people aren’t psychopathic neighbours from hell.

Tell the neighbour! They won’t know the dog is doing it and would probably appreciate being alerted to their pet’s distress.

This!
Let them know and they might get another to keep it company.

We’re in the same position. Our chat ended with the neighbour saying the “dog will have to learn” and “shit happens”.

We’ve considered moving…

Apologies for my somewhat vague ramblings after a few glasses of wine at dinner!

I appreciate that I need to speak with her first, but don’t know what options she has as she lives alone and works seemingly long hours (same as me, hence why I have a cat who comes and goes as he pleases.)

Clearly dealing with the council will be a last resort so will invite her round first to help her understand the issue.

I rent and will hopefully be moving with work before the end of the year so me moving now and signing a new 6 month tenancy isn’t ideal.

Edited.

ste_t’s neighbour asking the question “Is this true?”

Note through door describing a dog needs companionship, care and an owner who cares not a add-on to their life.

We had this. I went and knocked on the door for a polite word. Framed as
“Is your dog ok, he’s making ever so much noise?”

she went batshit crazy. Threw the dog into the back garden shouting “bark for those **** (rhymes with hunts) next door” at the top of her voice. Proper nuts.

She also wrote her car off by missing her drive whilst reversing on and ploughing into a lamp post. Think she was an alcoholic. Luckily we were renting, so moved not that long after.

This is of no use whatsoever to you, but you have my sympathy.

This is of no use whatsoever to you, but you have my sympathy.

Although you can’t be sure that the OP is living next a swearing alcoholic with poor driving skills.

Perhaps ste_t is reluctant to tell the neighbour because the dog will just deny it ?

True. I’ve tried asking dog questions before and the best I’ve ever got was a wag. Didn’t say a word. This is why they planted dogs to work undercover in the Kremlin as undercover spys during the cold war. They knew if the dog was ever captured it would never crumble and let on it was a spy.

Perhaps the op is in a better position to judge his neighbour’s likely response than random internet warriors who nothing about her?

Nightmare situation, we had a similar one in our old house… woman was clearly bonkers and was happy with the barking as ‘he’s just scared’ (!).

After much effort with trying to be nice, then not so nice, then council, then police all with no joy the thing that worked was Ibiza Club classics (i.e a full volume, left on when I went for a run, when she complained I said I’d stop when the dog stopped, worked in a week).

You have my sympathy.

Had this. Neighbours would go out leaving their dogs, they bark non-stop…you just want to shoot the sods – but knowing it’s not their fault thats probably not the best approach.
Mentioned it to them in passing, “wow your dogs bark a lot, are they OK?” type approach.
Had them round for tea soon after, dogs going mental in the background – they heard them (hard to avoid really) and suddenly the penny dropped. they apologised profusely and have made steps to reduce that behaviour.
Basically taking them out for walks (not just the garden to crap) helps. Dogs get bored, need exercise, pretty basic really but so many people just don’t realise. Not that they’re stupid or don’t care, they just have no clue.
Every case is different, guess it’s lucky these neighbours realised and have more than an ounce of intelligence to acknowledge and try and do something about the behaviour. If your neighbour is some scrubby bathsh*t crazy cat-throwing type then yes, you might have a bit of a challenge. Ibiza club classics might work but what about any other neighbours in the area?

You don’t want a dispute with neighbours. surefire way of making your life difficult as well. Don’t get hung up on it.

Go tell her.

Then if no break through, council and RSPCA or sleeping tablets in a steak.

Offer to look after dog?

Headphones?

Play loud music at midnight?

I’ve suffered this twice, both times spoke to the owners, and both were apologetic and horrified that the dog was causing upset. Like shiato, I was talking to one neighbour at mine, and we could hear the dog in the background…

Her: Is that my dog?
Me: Yeah, he does that a lot…

Works better than council, and all that nonsense

Why do people get dogs when they’re going to be locked up in a house all day ? (the dogs not the people 🙂 )

Seems cruel to me.

I certainly appreciated my neighbour telling me that my dog was barking when I left her.
I’d moved into a new house, dog went with the ex, but I was looking after her (the dog, not the ex). We only left for an hour, but wouldn’t have known the dog was stressed at being left in this new place without the neighbour telling me when I got back. She put it quite nicely too – “Is your dog ok? She was barking a lot earlier”.. little tip how to word it for you.
Slightly different to when the ex took dog to her new house, note left on the door one day: “Shut your f**ing dog up!”. Which was no help as she didn’t know who put it there!

I feel your pain. But you never know the circumstances until you have a chat with your neighbour.

I got told off by the mods and my thread ‘killing your next door neighbours dog’ was deleted the other week. (It was a joke, I wasn’t actually planning on killing it). It was about much the same. We’ve new neighbours and their dog is a right royal PITA. I work from home a lot of the time and while they’re out (which they are a a lot) it just barks constantly. For hours on end! It was driving me up the bloody wall!!

So I nipped round and had a word. When I told him, he gave an exasperated sigh, and said that the damn thing is mental, he never wanted it in the first place (it was his wife’s decision), it just won’t settle in the new house, and he was considering taking it to a dogs home, as he could no longer cope with it.

Anyway…. turns out it can read, is IT literate (probably has an ipad) and in between bouts of incessant barking, it goes on this forum. Though I don’t know his user name. Maybe he’s a lurker. Whatever… it clearly knew about my threats to its life.

Because cut to yesterday, I’m out the back, cleaning my bike. Neighbour opens the back door, the stupid bloody animal darts out, barking its head off (as per usual) runs straight at me and sinks it teeth into the back of my leg. My neighbour witnessed the whole thing, and said that he did it to someone else, for no apparent reason last week too. Maybe they’d been slagging him off on Facebook? Who knows?

So he’s off to the local animal sanctuary. And I get my peaceful 6 music listening normality back.

So… see if you can induce it to bite you, then you’ve got a result. It does hurt though. I’ve got a massive bruise!

Why do people get dogs when they’re going to be locked up in a house all day ? (the dogs not the people )

Seems cruel to me.

You’re absolutely right….its totally effing cruel! Totally selfish **** who want a dog for them but don’t stop to think of the consequences of how a dog copes with being left alone all day. Makes me very cross! I waited until I was 45 before I finally bought a dog as we were in a position of never having to leave our dog for longer than 4 hours….and this only three times a week, after a good walk.

I think Breeders should do more to check out the prospective Owners lifestyle before selling them a puppy, but of course that could never be done adaquately.

Rant over! 👿

Anyway….back to the OP its always tricky dealing with neighbours on sensitive subjects, as you really don’t need grief at home. However, I can’t see how you can avoid it as its spoiling your life and its unfair on you.