Neighbours dog barks 10-15hrs a day a few doors down. What do I do?

LiveOnce

They don't seem to be the most sociable people. And I will try and do it if I catch them on the street and approach casually to the topic to not make it confrontational.

By the accounts of the neighbours living opposite them they don't seem to be the most friendly characters.

Person_one

LiveOnce wrote: »

They don't seem to be the most sociable people. And I will try and do it if I catch them on the street and approach casually to the topic to not make it confrontational.

By the accounts of the neighbours living opposite them they don't seem to be the most friendly characters.

You've never spoken!

At least drop a note through the door and let them know what's happening. For the dog's sake, its clearly distressed and if they know they can try to alleviate that.

krlyr

My dogs never previously barked when left home alone and when we moved house I had no reason to suspect otherwise. It was only when one of the neighbours informed me (and I didn't actually believe them until I recorded them and heard it myself, as no one else had complained) that I was aware, and able to take steps to resolve it.

It can be easy to summise that it's a bored dog left home alone half the day - but it could easily be a well exercised dog that has someone pop home several times, the nature of seperation anxiety means the dog does not think logically and think "Well, my owner is popping home in 4 hours to let me out for a wee so I'll just settle down for a snooze", Kiki at her worse would literally be barking as soon as I'd driven away after I'd popped home at lunchtime to walk her. In fact, I had to stop walking her just before leaving her as it seemed the adrenaline from running around on a walk (where I was trying to tire her out) just worsened her anxiety - so from an outsider, it might look like I never walked her, and left her home alone all day, when it was actually that I was having to take her out really early and they wouldn't have spotted my car outside at lunchtime as I had to park down the road and walk to the house so that the sound of me driving away didn't upset her.

Of course, in this case, if the dog is barking for 12 hours a day, it sounds like something definitely needs to be done. The council will give the chance for the owner to address the issue before any action is taken, so it's not the worst approach to take, but I definitely did appreciate my neighbours having a friendly word rather than just reporting us. Even if it was just an anonymous note through my door, a "Did you realise your dog is barking during the night, wasn't sure if you're aware - I've heard the book by Malena DeMartini Price is great for seperation anxiety!" or something along those lines.

And of course, neighbour's views of how friendly another neighbour is may not necessarily be worth much. Us and our previous immediate neighbours rarely talked - not because either of us were unsociable or unapproachable, but our working patterns meant we rarely bumped into each other. Infact, I got a complete shock when I bumped into her on the driveways for her to turn around and have a 7 month baby bump - it'd been that long since we'd seen each other other than seeing the backs of each other's heads or driving past down our road! And the neighbour on our other side is such a gossip about who's done what wrong down our road and who's not very nice - but it's all just their opinion (and relates to issues like another neighbour - well within his rights - complaining to the council about them etc. so not exactly unbias)

Fireflyaway

Yes, night shift worker came to my mind too. They may well have no clue and can't be expected to do anything if they don't know. I wouldn't 'complain' but make them aware in a friendly way then take it from there.

gettingready

Sorry but reporting this to the council without contacting owners first is just a nasty thing to do.

You said you do not know them, you never spoken to them yet you assume they are the worst lot.

Again, they may be working nights and not being aware of the poor dog barking at night.

springdreams

It is not necessarily separation anxiety.

My dog barks at any noise - be it the children playing next door, the postman pushing the post through the letter box, leaves scrapping the paving blocks when the wind blows, or the spin cycle of the washing machine. He even barks at me when I take the bins out ... He is definitely not an anxious dog. Just likes the sound of his own bark.

Person_one

gettingready wrote: »

Sorry but reporting this to the council without contacting owners first is just a nasty thing to do.

You said you do not know them, you never spoken to them yet you assume they are the worst lot.

Again, they may be working nights and not being aware of the poor dog barking at night.

The OP has been posting all over the forum but hasn't bothered coming back to explain why he won't tell his neighbours their dog is in distress all night.

Who knows if this is even real?

gettingready

I have a dog barking 2 houses away most day - it is not my one for a change. Met people with this dog n the street, we had a chat. Lots of squirrels around, dog is young gets over excited.

I would never "report" anyone without speaking to them first, this can cause so much grief for people if they are not even aware of their dog barking. Such a nasty thing to do.

elliebellie

I had similar issue with new neighbours who during the summer left their 2 dogs outside all night, whilst they were at work.
I knocked on the door and nicely let them know, got the door slammed in my face after being told " we have to work you know!!"
happened a couple of weeks again, this time wrote a note to say that their dogs were normally very quiet, but when they are left own their own the garden, they constantly bark. I said I understood they needed to go to work, but it wasn't fair on their neighbours who needed to get up for work in the morning.
Seems to have done the trick as the dogs haven't been left outside on their own since.

[Deleted User]

I've just 'adopted' a 4 year old cavapoo - excellent condition, well trained, lovely - until it comes for him to go to sleep at night. He's crate trained. His owner had to give him up as they're moving to rented accommodation.

He's barked for 2 nights straight now. I'm lucky to have got 4 hours of sleep. I'm at my wits end.

I've not got a bloody clue what to do.