Neighbours dog barking through the night, help!

gazzak_2

We have an escalating issue that needs to be addressed.

My neighbours have a large dog. I have no idea what breed it is but it has a very loud and deep bark. The problem we have is that when the neighbours are out, the dog has started to bark constantly until they arrive home again. This has been getting slowly worse, until it came to a head last night, the hottest night of the year when everyone's, (including the neighbours), windows were wide open. The dog was barking constantly until 2.30am in the morning until they arrived home.

Why are they out so late? No idea, but it's a regular thing for them which is obviously no concern of ours, but now the dog is barking until they come home, I have to do something about it.

Last night it affected everyone as I could see lights coming on and off from other houses, but usually it appears to be only us affected as we're connected directly to them.

For the first time since we lived here I had to use earplugs last night which I detest doing as we have 3 kids, and even then I could still hear the barking. I am sat here today at work like a zombie. I will be knocking on their door tonight and telling them that this is now unacceptable, but are there any other routes I can take, any other advice the clever people on here can give me?

For the record, the neighbours have caused problems before with noise and I've confronted them a few times leading to the issues being sorted out. Before we moved here they had a noise abatement order issued against them giving restrictions on the sons drum playing. They are not particularly nasty people but keep themselves very much to themselves. I would describe them as being completely unaware of others.

Caroline_a

Your neighbours may be unaware that their dog is barking - after all if he barks when they are out, they aren't there to hear him! Maybe a friendly note through the door - 'just to let you know that Rover is missing you when you're out and barking quite a lot' or something like that?

KateLiana27

First, I would work out what you want your neighbours to do. You're more likely to get resolution if you approach them with a solution rather than just a complaint. Not leaving the dog unaccompanied after 10 or 11pm, for example.

Then I'd have a quiet word with the other neighbours. Maybe they would be willing to come with you. It will be less easy to brush off your concerns if the whole neighbourhood feel the same way.

Finally, I'd go over and phrase the problem as a concern about the dog, while making the noise nuisance aspect clear. Be friendly and sympathetic. Something along the lines of "You probably don't realise but your dog has been constantly barking and whining at night when he's left alone - we're really concerned, he sounds so unhappy. We can all hear it really clearly, it's even kept us all up last night. I'm sure you don't mean to neglect him, but he must be so lonely. Maybe it would be best if someone could be with him at night? Say from 10pm? There are dog-sitters you can hire if that's difficult."

Try your best not to get them on the defensive. If this approach doesn't work, I suppose the EH route will be necessary.

fluffnutter

The first step needs to be a word with them. Let them know in a friendly way that their dog barks when they're not there. They may well be unaware.

If this doesn't do the trick... then it's a complaint to the environmental health or noise abatement dept of your local council. You might want to enlist the support of other neighbours. I'm not suggesting you gang up on your noisy neighbours, simply that your complaint may carry more weight if it's a collective one.

fluffnutter

KateLiana27 wrote: »

First, I would work out what you want your neighbours to do. You're more likely to get resolution if you approach them with a solution rather than just a complaint. Not leaving the dog unaccompanied after 10 or 11pm, for example.

Then I'd have a quiet word with the other neighbours. Maybe they would be willing to come with you. It will be less easy to brush off your concerns if the whole neighbourhood feel the same way.

Finally, I'd go over and phrase the problem as a concern about the dog, while making the noise nuisance aspect clear. Be friendly and sympathetic. Something along the lines of "You probably don't realise but your dog has been constantly barking and whining at night when he's left alone - we're really concerned, he sounds so unhappy. We can all hear it really clearly, it's even kept us all up last night. I'm sure you don't mean to neglect him, but he must be so lonely. Maybe it would be best if someone could be with him at night? Say from 10pm? There are dog-sitters you can hire if that's difficult."

Try your best not to get them on the defensive. If this approach doesn't work, I suppose the EH route will be necessary.

It's sound advice, but, TBH, a dog barking all evening, even if it's just until 10pm, would still drive me mad.

Dogs shouldn't bark when left by their owners. It means they're distressed. They need proper training to combat this type of behaviour.

Person_one

fluffnutter wrote: »

The first step needs to be a word with them. Let them know in a friendly way that their dog barks when they're not there. They may well be unaware.

If this doesn't do the trick... then it's a complaint to the environmental health or noise abatement dept of your local council. You might want to enlist the support of other neighbours. I'm not suggesting you gang up on your noisy neighbours, simply that your complaint may carry more weight if it's a collective one.

I agree with this, but would say don't expect it to 'do the trick' overnight. That kind of problem can take a while to resolve even if they try their hardest and start working on it as soon as you tell them about it.

Keep the lines of communication open.

gazzak_2

Thanks for the quick replies. Just wanted to add a note that the dog has also been barking in the middle of the night when they are there. If someone walks by or there's a cat fight or some noise outside the house then it barks. It wakes me up every time, and that's with all windows closed. The dog is also let out at 9am every day into their garden and barks constantly for the first 30 minutes, then at anything that moves after that, including us.

The daylight stuff I can live with, just, but not when it's costing us sleep. They must know there is an issue with the barking.

Wootball

Have you tried shouting at it?

seasnake100

I wouldn't shout at it, as a dog owner I believe this would make matters worse. I think you should put a friendly note through the door saying that other neighbours have also commented (check with them first). Personally I would be horrified if I came back to the note.
Perhaps they are leaving it in a room where it can see too much and it feels it is protecting the house. Maybe just a change of room, closing the curtains put tv on, leave in a crate etc would help but if they don't know about the problem they can't fix it. They can also get these sonic collars that whistle at dog when they woof. As a reponsible dog owner (and a family who likes to keep ourselves to ourself) I would definitely appreciate the chance to rectify the situation before you took the matters any further, which I appreciate you will have to do if things don't improve. Good luck.

Wootball

seasnake100 wrote: »

I wouldn't shout at it, as a dog owner I believe this would make matters worse.

Fair enough. What about looking at it in an angry tone?

dragonette

Wootball wrote: »

Fair enough. What about looking at it in an angry tone?

While the dog is in its own territory? Might things worse but def not better. Staring contests and looks are easily interpretable as dominance struggles within pack animals such as dogs. And are most likely to be an issue when a dog feels it is protecting its territory.

The dog sounds poorly trained with separation anxiety - I would prob phrase comments as concern for the animal (it would be the truth). It may also have been poorly socialised which is sadly fairly common

Good luck OP, the dog's behaviour can be sorted if the owners wish to put in the work. Here's hoping they pay attention and get it sorted!