Barking dog next door

PinkPeach

I've had new neighbours move in next door last weekend who have 3 small children and 2 young lurchers. I'm not very knowledgeable about lurchers but despite looking nice dogs these two seem to bark at anything during the day and the worst part is that they bark every night and wake us up. Last night it was so bad that they barked quickly and constantly for 15 minutes from 1-1.15am and the owners did nothing to stop them. I even heard a neighbour across the street shout 'shut up!'

My fiancee is a very light sleeper and any noise that wakes him means he then can't go back to sleep for the rest of the night. He is so tired now after 5 nights of this that he's not gone into work this morning. I'm already starting to feel stressed about it as each time they bark at night I lay there wondering how long it will go on for and worrying it will happen again that night. It's only once or twice per night so far but knowing my fiancee is so exhausted is making me worry about it as him being tired impacts on our relationship - he falls asleep when he gets home from work, has no energy to interact with me and can be a bit moody. The barking often sets our dog off and so one of us then has to go downstairs to calm him down and then go back to bed again.

The problem is that the neighbours seem quite nice and the man even made a bit of a joke to us about one of the dogs being the noisier of the two. I own my ex-council house and this family rent from the council. Before they moved in we were worried about riff raff moving in there so were relieved when they seemed ok, but obviously this is a problem.

Has anyone else had a similar experience to this? I'm not normally the kind of person to say anything for fear of offending or saying somehting the wrong way but I don't know how much more i can take and they've not even been here a week yet. Last night after the barking started we had to sleep with all the windows shut and bedroom door closed to try and block out the sound. It was far to hot to do this and I don't want this to be how it is from now on.

h007

sorry I dont know much about dogs but maybe they will stop being so noisy when they have settled into their new home more?
they are probably being kept awake by all these new noises etc

if not then have a friendly word with the owners, they might not realise you guys can hear the dogs

Sagz_2

Barking dogs can be really annoying - and owners who do nothing about it even more so!

Hopefully the dogs are just settling in and will soon learn that the noises they are reacting to are just normal in their new home. The owners may be using the recognised training method of ignore the bad behaviour and praise the good.... which gives good long term results, but does take a while to work.

If I was in the owners position I think I would have bought a couple of bottles of wine around to the neighbours and say soorry, but we are working on the barking problem. As they haven't done so I think I'd pop around to the new neighbours and have a friendly word first so that they are aware how annoying their dogs are being.

If the problem doesn't improve then I'd have a word with the local council environmental health dept, they may have an dog waden who can give the owners advice, and a gee-up to get the problem sorted. Good luck x

GEEGEE8

Ear plugs? I have these little orange foamy things and I can't hear anything with them in.!

Raggs_2

The thing with ignoring bad behaviour is that it only works if the behaviour isn't rewarded in another way.

If they are barking at a car going past, then the car approaches, the dogs bark, and the car drives (flees) away. Same with people, cats, birds etc etc. Or the dogs may just enjoy being loud and rambunctious, especially since they have each other to react to and encourage.

The first thing I did when we got our dog was teach it not to bark when we left it alone etc. I live in a flat with a family below and an old lady (moved now) opposite. It wouldn't be fair on anyone to have a barking dog. Within 20 minutes he was greatly improved, within 2 days he knew not to bark when alone. He now doesn't bark at all except when playing rough, or dreaming (which is a high pitched, quiet bark, too cute to wake up ).

Definitely tell them, and ask them if they are doing anything about it (other than just telling the dogs "No, stop, shut up, stop." without actually achieving anything.

EmptyPockets

Have a friendly word with your neighbours. Just tell them the last thing you want is a fuss, but explain how much their dogs' barking is affecting you. See what they say. And for short term at least, invest in some earplugs for you and your OH. That's not just a flippant comment - they REALLY do work, should help you both get a better night's sleep

mishkanorman

i can sympathise my neighbours appear to have rescued a greyhound who is left outside with their 2 others dogs but barks at EVERYTHING, and because tehy live on a fairly busy corner we get it throughout the day and most nights too. Its driving me bonkers !

uolypool

I to would say earplugs, my ex neighbour (thank god) has a german shepherd that lived outside, and it barked and barked and barked 24/7 .She was totally unapraochable and knew it was getting to everyone but she thought she was above the law.Contacted the dog warden as did several of my other neighbours and eventually the Enviro health decided to set up recording equipment in one of the houses .It effected our quality of life no end until we got ear plugs .I still use them now as we live opposite factories .In the end an abatement notice was issued but she took no notice ,but it contributed to her getting evicted from her council house eventually.Hope you get it sorted.

PinkPeach

I slept! :j My neighbour asked my fiancee yesterday if we'd heard his dogs barking in the night and my fiancee told the neighbour that it had kept us awake. We didn't hear a thing last night, although I'm not sure if that was just luck that they didnt' bark. I've noticed that he only tells them to stop barking and thats it, so I'm not sure to be honest that this is the end of the problem.
Thanks for the earplug suggestions, we're both going to try that. Slept with the windows shut again last night but it was too hot for that really so earplugs may be the way to go.

I feel so sorry for the person who posted about their neighbours dog barking all the time. It's terrible that the owner thinks they are above the law. I just don't understand how they can tolerate it either. If my dog barks for attention I whisk him back inside as not only am I aware it could annoy my neighbours but it irritates me as well. Luckily my doglet is more cheeky than noisy so barking isn't an issue with him.

Fingers crossed for another good sleep tonight!

carolinejane_2

just go next door and explain to them and if it carries on phone the council

life is too short to worry about other peoles feelings when your own family is being affected

ailuro2

Our deeds tell us we are only allowed one domestic pet, what does yours say? Get a copy out and check.

If it carries on then you will be justified in complaining to the council.

Hopefully it wouldn't come to that, and hopefully the dogs will settle down once they've been in the home a bit longer.