nextdoors dog

Coveredinbees!!!!

My next door neighbour recently got a puppy which is probably about 6 months old and as far as I can tell spends most it's time shut outside in the shed. All day long it barks and whimpers. I don't really know anything about dog having never owned one but is it right to leave a puppy alone all day long, the kids do play with it when they get home from school?
It just doesn't seem fair on the dog what should you do in this sort of situation?

missbishi

Must be awful for you, and heartbreaking too. I would maybe call the RSPCA, you can stay anonymous, and discuss your concerns with them. What if this is still going on when the winter weather really kicks in?

toby_puppy

It's so sad. Why do people like this even think of getting a pet?? The mind boggles.

I would say contact RSPCA too. Clearly it's being denied one of the freedoms of being able to express normal behaviour for an animal, if it's being kept in a shed all day.

A puppy is likely to get rehomed quickly if they give the dog up, so fingers crossed for the poor thing x

EmptyPockets

You don't seem to know any facts for certain regarding this pup - you estimate its age, you say it spends 'most' of its time in the shed 'as far as you can tell'... Are you at home sitting by a window all day to see where the puppy is? How do you know it doesn't have regular trips indoors?

I'm only saying all this because if and when you ring the RSPCA, what are you actually reporting the owner for? I wouldn't want to be making that call unless I was sure it was necessary.

Wouldn't it be better to first try and strike up some friendly conversation with the neighbour and try to enquire about the pup - where it lives, how come it barks so much, etc etc?

Coveredinbees!!!!

I'm going to monitor the situation for now and keep a log of the amount of time it's left barking. It could seem like it's always barking just because it's so bloody annoying, obviously they don't have to listen to it. I'm guessing the age on the amount of time they have had it. They moved in a couple of years ago and have never wanted to speak to us. We speak to the other neighbours and haven't given them any reason to not to, we return the kids balls when they come in but regardless we're unlikely to be popping round for a cuppa and a chat.

I don't really want to get involved nor am I going out of my way to cause trouble.

chookmom

I think the avice to discuss it with the RSPCA is good. They will then advise you on gathering more info or will contact the owner to discuss themselves and gather more info.
I bitterly regret not doing this myself when I had concerns that my neighbours had gone on holiday and left their 3 cockatiels unattended. I held back through fear of jumping to conclusions and the poor things had all starved to death by the time I took action.

gettingready

I am with EP on this one....

Instead of practically spying on the neighbours.... why not just try and chat to them?

I have someone on my estate who constantly treatens to report ME for dog neglect - Zara is a barker, she barks when postman comes for example or when she sees dogs out of the window. The woman stops with her dog outside my window to cause Zara to bark and then runs around the estate saying people like me should not have dogs as my dog is "left at home alone all day while I go out to work". Little does she know that my daughter is at home most of the time and that I have a dogwalker taking ara out every single day for a good 1.5 hour midday.

So excuse me if I am a bit touchy on the subject about when assumptions take over...

Caroline_a

I had exactly the same thing when Oakley was younger. He had a daft hatred of the Dyson, used to try to attack it, so I used to have to put him in the garden when I hoovered. (well it was that, or not bother...:rotfl:). I used to be as considerate as possible because he did go ballistic, so it tended to be when i got in from work (6-ish), and certainly not every evening!

One evening as I was sat with Oakley having a coffee (around 6.45) having hoovered for about 10 mins earlier there was a knock at the door. 2 women were there, one in particular having a proper go about my dog 'barking all day long'. I denied that and explained about the hoover. I come home most lunchtimes and had no sign of any barking, and my next door neighbour would have said something anyway. The one woman kept insisting that I left my dog out all day - and he's never left out on his own! At this point I opened the front door wider. They could see Oakley sat to attention at the dining room door which is directly in front of the front door down the hall. He didnt move, just sat watching (god, was I proud!). They eventually left, the more 'normal' one saying what a lovely well behaved dog he was.

It upset me a lot, but... a week later a neighbour from the other side (where these 2 women lived) said 'oh no, its not your dog, its the one on the corner that gets left out all day every day...' Big sigh of relief!:T

sebdangerfield

gettingready wrote: »

I am with EP on this one....

Instead of practically spying on the neighbours.... why not just try and chat to them?

I have someone on my estate who constantly treatens to report ME for dog neglect - Zara is a barker, she barks when postman comes for example or when she sees dogs out of the window. The woman stops with her dog outside my window to cause Zara to bark and then runs around the estate saying people like me should not have dogs as my dog is "left at home alone all day while I go out to work". Little does she know that my daughter is at home most of the time and that I have a dogwalker taking ara out every single day for a good 1.5 hour midday.

So excuse me if I am a bit touchy on the subject about when assumptions take over...

Yes but just because your dog is a barker, why should that be imposed on other people? Just playing devil's advocate.

EmptyPockets

sebdangerfield wrote: »

Yes but just because your dog is a barker, why should that be imposed on other people? Just playing devil's advocate.

That's a ridiculous question, really.

I don't have children, and that is no different to me asking why your (or anyone else's) children's crying/shouting/screaming should be imposed on me! It's part of life. Dogs bark, just as children make a racket and have paddies.

I can't stand listening to other people's kids, but don't have much of a choice.

sebdangerfield

As I say, I'm playing devil's advocate. Personally, I think being a responsible pet owner means making sure your dog or pet does not detract from the quality of life of others. But then I'm just old fashioned and don't like to think that someone else has to suffer something they don't want to just because I impose it on them.

And comparing dogs to children is also ridiculous. If everyone chooses to not have children, the human race dies out. If everyone chooses not to have barky dogs, nothing happens.