Help. At my wits end with the neighbour's dog!

screamer

OK, here goes. We moved into this house 6 months ago, only renting, and was happy for a short while. I have a dog that is usually so well behaved you don't know he's in the house most of the time but now we have a new problem, and my poor puppy is getting the brunt of my anger.

There is an alsatian who lives in the house opposite that when left alone he goes bonkers. He barks and growls all day and doesn't let up. His owners leave him alone from 8am to 6pm and I'm sure it's just boredom or stress but honestly, this dog is driving me crazy. My pooch now thinks it's acceptable to sit on the back of the settee barking back at this dog. I have tried moving furniture but to be fair, even if he can't see this dog he still growls and barks back at him.

I have spoken to the owner who says she can't do anything about him, "it's how he was brought up", but the problem is now I'm not getting anywhere near enough sleep. I haven't been sleeping all that well recently and now this dog, combined with my dog, have been making sure I'm not getting any more than 3 hours sleep a night. It has come to a head, I had a seizure yesterday after staying grand mal free for nearly 3 years and now I'm very upset and very tired, as well as extremely annoyed. If this had happened 4 weeks ago I would have been on the waiting list for an operation to help with my Epilepsy.

My OH said we will only move out of this house when we buy one, but in the current market that isn't possible with me being unable to work. I cannot keep living here near this dog. Our relationship is suffering as I'm so tired and ratty, my health is suffering clearly, and my dog gets shouted at for responding to the angry barks from this stupid hound.

I'm unsure as to whether to report the dog to the council because he's as quiet as a mouse in the evening. Will the council listen to me because I'm just a little whingebag who's at home all day?

I really cannot take any more. Any advice or just a bit of reassurance would help right now. The neighbours claim not to hear anything but I don't believe that's possible.

Oh, and the owner has decided she wants another alsatian for company. Now, if my dog thinks it's ok behaviour to bark all day, I have no doubt that her new dog will do the same. I will end up committing doggycide before the year is out.

Please help. I'm in the mood for walking out right now and not coming back, all for a dog that no one else claims to hear.

frivolous_fay

That's horrendous. My neighbours dogs bark every time they get out into the garden... but at least they shut up when they're in, and they're mainly in.

If this is affecting your health, of course you must try to get it resolved. Does it bark at night too?

How well do you know the neighbour? How about writing her a friendly, non-threatening letter, putting in what you've written here, and asking her if she's please able to do anything to help the problem?

If she's still unhelpful, try the council?

snapping_crocodile

My mum had a similar problem when the people that lived behind her house used to go out to work and leave the dog outside barking all day. She phoned the council who sent a warning letter to the lady. The warning was enough, the dog was kept inside whilst they were at work, problem solved! It is worth contacting the council, especially if your health is affected. You have tried talking to her and it has got you nowhere. Good luck :beer:

Bennifred

Oh poor you - I completely sympathise, the constant barking can drive you mad, I know!

The thing to do is ring the Environmental Services department of your local council. They will send the owner a letter warning them that there has been a complaint about the dog barking (they won't name names - and it's entirely possible that you won't be the only one suffering!). They will send you a diary for you to keep of the times, duration and effect that the noise has, for a fortnight or so. If their warning letter has no effect, then they have powers to take the matter further, so although it might take some time, this CAN be sorted. Take that first step with the council, right now!

screamer

I have asked the owner nicely. I have explained that her dog makes my dog angry, that her dog overreacts when anyone goes past the house, but she is already aware of that and has fitted a special letterbox to her house as the dog attacked the postman's hands (says it all really) We all went for a walk together only for her to tell me off for being overprotective when her dog cornered mine. I'm sorry but in a fight my puppy has no chance, he is a Jack Russell cross who was and still is very sociable with other animals, cats included.

I will do as you suggest though and will write a letter, basically saying what I have written above. Now the problem would be this woman is very highly strung and is under extreme pressure as her husband left her last week. I have a feeling that no matter what I say it will backfire, but why would I ask advice if I wasn't going to take it?

Failing that, I will get my video camera out and start recording his outbursts. He's at it now, annoying thing he is, and I just want to go back to sleep.

And no he doesn't bark at night. When his owner is in he is fine. That's why I thought the council wouldn't take me seriously.

screamer

I'm just going to write a letter. Will put a copy of it on here. You'll see I'm kissing **** a little bit but I am 5ft tall, she is almost 6 foot tall and her job requires her to be a bit, well, shall we say, a bit of a hardnut. She scares me, but I'm not totally spineless. I am worried for my health and the fact that my poor dog is constantly getting shouted at.

Thanks to you all for your help and advice.

My biggest problem is getting the nerve up to approach her house to put the letter through the door :-(

cheepskate_2

Sorry i've got to dissagree with the other posters.

The problem is that you cannot control your own dog and are blamming this other person for this.
A dog (yours) doesnt just go from a very quiet dog to a raving lunitic overnight, it is over a little period of time thus your dog has been allowed to get away with it and now it has escalated into a problem for you. No matter what another dog does you should be able to control your own dog especially in a household envioroment

You need to start training your own dog, not going balistic at it but proper training.... constantly shouting at it, is not training. .

I had dogs and none of them have ever gave more than a few or occassional barks back to one of the neighbours dogs who would woof a lot at them as from the start i controlled when they would stop or be allowed to woof back.

cheepskate_2

Bennifred wrote: »

The thing to do is ring the Environmental Services department of your local council. They will send the owner a letter warning them that there has been a complaint about the dog barking (. They will send you a diary for you to keep of the times, duration and effect that the noise has, for a fortnight or so. If their warning letter has no effect, then they have powers to take the matter further,

May come back to bite the o.p on the bum, as from the looks of it , the o.p's dog is causing just as much problems.

mrtobs

Poor You! I really sympathize, it must be a nightmare! Are you friendly with any other neighbours? I just wondered as, if it bothers you across the road, it must be disturbing them as well! Could you encourage them to have a quiet word with her also? I'd also definitely second the suggestions to go to the council about it.
The other thing I wondered about was if it was worth checking with the RSPCA - I can't think that its right to be leaving a dog for 10 hrs every day?
If all else fails though - please try to convince your OH to move, even if it means renting again. NOTHING is worth making you ill and miserable like this! You deserve to have a home that you feel comfortable and happy in! Have you talked to him about it, explaining what a terrible effect this is having on you? One good thing is that, if you did decide to move, you wouldn't have the huge hassle of selling. One way or another, it CAN be sorted!

screamer

OK, my dog is not a raving lunatic for a start. He occasinally growls and grumbles but will sit down and be quiet when the tone in my voice say he has to. I'm a soft touch, I know that, but my dog is NOT out of control. As I've said, he responds to the barks from this other dog. He only barks loudly when someone knocks on the door and he's locked in the kitchen, usually because I'm in bed. This doesn't make my dog either bad or crazy, it makes him my "doorbell" as my friends used to call him! So cheepskate, you've got that wrong I'm afraid.

Secondly, the reason my dog is so soft is because I have 2 young nephews. It was imperative that my nephews and my dog got on well, and to do that I had to "rough house" with him as a puppy. It worked, and now every kid in the neighbourhood loves to fuss my pooch when he is out. The dog over the road is NEVER allowed off his lead as he cannot be trusted, and they are the owner's words not mine. I do not need a special letterbox to keep my postman's fingers safe. Does that not say something?

Thirdly, it isn't my dog barking that wakes me up in a morning, it is the other dog. Do you not read posts properly? I am sick of shouting at my dog for responding, but at least he does as he's told. He is currently curled up on the settee behind me but this other dog is barking at a kid on a scooter.

But of course, unless you saw film, pictures and have lived with this day in, day out, you won't know what I mean!

And as mrtobs has stated, leaving a dog alone for 10-12 hours a day cannot be good. My dog is left alone for 2 hours maximum, mainly because I know what happens when dogs get bored!

screamer

cheepskate, I'm sorry, I didn't make it clear enough. My dog barks occasionally, this other dog barks constantly. It isn't my dog that's getting me down as he does shut up when I tell him to, just this other dog is out of control and barks incessantly all day. I'm sorry that I didn't make that clear in my original post!