Barking Dog

pbhb

Aranyani said:

pbhb said:

staffie1 said:

pbhb said:

couriervanman said:

pbhb said:

Hello, I’ve posted in here a lot but will put a quick back ground regardless.

currently in the process of buying a house (just waiting on searches to come back then hopefully ready to exchange), this is the third one as the previous two fell through. Everything was going smoothly, any queries were quickly answered. It’s like it felt too good to be true.

However, I have visited the house on three different occasions, today was the fourth. It is a semi detached, listed home and the attached neighbour’s dogs were barking. I was there for 20 minutes and the dogs barked continuously for 20 seconds, they were in the room that adjoins the study, where I will be working (I work from home).

After 20 minutes I burst into tears and left. The estate agent didn’t ask if I was okay, she knew I was getting upset at the noise. The issue is I have a dog, and I love dogs and these dogs sounded like they were in distress due to being left home alone, and that’s why I was upset, I felt sad for the dog.

But also, it is just myself and my dog, and it has taken me a long time to find a home suitable for us both. He is not a barker; I have a camera at home and when I leave the house he is fast asleep the whole time. My main concern, other than being driven insane, is that the barking will disturb my dog and leave him unsettled. He is 20 months and is settled and happy, but I know if he could hear dogs barking all day, he would not be happy.

On the previous three times (all during the day) I have visited, I have not heard the dogs and didn’t know they had dogs. We found out the owners both work full time. 

Am I over thinking this? Could the dogs have just been unsettled today? I feel sick to my stomach that I have spent lonely on solicitors, searches, surveys, tradesmen 3 times and might be left with nothing again. I split up with my husband in May which is why I’m moving, I’m currently living with my parents and it’s just not going well so I desperately need to move.

I will be visiting the house every day for a week at different times to see if I can hear the dogs. But I know I won’t sleep tonight with worry. If they continue barking. What would you do? Pull out? Speak to the neighbour? I don’t want to be an a*s but I also don’t think it’s fair to subject anyone to a continuously barking dog! 

"He is not a barker; I have a camera at home and when I leave the house he is fast asleep the whole time."

Are you saying you leave the house go to work for up to 8 hours and your dog stays asleep.......we used to have neighbours who swore blind their dogs were didn't make a noise when they went out. Just took a few recordings of them howling for 5 mins every day when the went out, plus every time someone walked past with dog/postman/deliveryman etc......they moved six months later 

I’m self employed and work from home and the longest I’ve ever left my dog is four hours and that’s only ever been a handful of times, if I have to work away, he goes to my parents. I don’t think any dog should be left for 8 hours  

So are you buying this house or not?

Undecided. I’m going back at different times each day to listen for any barking. If I hear nothing it’s likely it was a one off. If I keep hearing them then no, I won’t proceed 

What would you do if you bought a different house and then a year your neighbours bought a dog and carried on having jobs?

I would hope the dogs were exercised enough before and after and given enough attention when the owners were home and well trained enough that they wouldn’t bark all day. I’ve loved next door to families with dogs before and never heard a peep from them 

Getting_greyer

BTW, detached house don't make much difference if a dog's in the garden barking all day.  Listening to it all day can be mentally disintegrating sometimes.
I'd go elsewhere and hope your neighbours prefer cats or goldfish.

Davesnave

There's a world of difference between buying into a situation where you know a problem exists and having one foisted on you, especially one where you are unlikely to get an easy resolution, or indeed any resolution at all.

NameUnavailable

Getting_greyer said:

BTW, detached house don't make much difference if a dog's in the garden barking all day.  Listening to it all day can be mentally disintegrating sometimes.
I'd go elsewhere and hope your neighbours prefer cats or goldfish.

Very true. A neighbour opposite us decided to start breeding dogs. He kept them in cages in the back garden and they barked constantly day and night, until the complaints eventually (very eventually) made them change their arrangements. I think they stopped altogether.

I think the dogs in question here were barking because of the noise the OP and others were making next door. As I suggested there are other ways to deal with such problems especially for a fellow dog lover.

Even just getting to know them (and the neighbours) so they recognise you and your voice, eventually they will settle down.

pbhb

NameUnavailable said:

Getting_greyer said:

BTW, detached house don't make much difference if a dog's in the garden barking all day.  Listening to it all day can be mentally disintegrating sometimes.
I'd go elsewhere and hope your neighbours prefer cats or goldfish.

Very true. A neighbour opposite us decided to start breeding dogs. He kept them in cages in the back garden and they barked constantly day and night, until the complaints eventually (very eventually) made them change their arrangements. I think they stopped altogether.

I think the dogs in question here were barking because of the noise the OP and others were making next door. As I suggested there are other ways to deal with such problems especially for a fellow dog lover.

Even just getting to know them (and the neighbours) so they recognise you and your voice, eventually they will settle down.

This is what I’m hoping. I have a cocker spaniel and I can see the neighbour has a springer and a cockapoo. I enjoy long walks so I’m happy to offer to take theirs on walks if they’re going to be left all day in the hope it’ll tide them out enough to be quiet haha

kinger101

GixerKate said:

So the house you are in the process of buying is normally empty and the dogs next door have been barking the whole time the electrician or whoever has been there, is it possible that the dogs are barking because there is something happening next door outside of their expectations?

If someone being the the house OP is intending to buy is outside the dogs expectations and will make them bark persistently, doesn't seem like a good property to buy.

Aranyani

kinger101 said:

GixerKate said:

So the house you are in the process of buying is normally empty and the dogs next door have been barking the whole time the electrician or whoever has been there, is it possible that the dogs are barking because there is something happening next door outside of their expectations?

If someone being the the house OP is intending to buy is outside the dogs expectations and will make them bark persistently, doesn't seem like a good property to buy.

If the house has been empty a while then it’s new sounds setting them off.  Once someone moves in and it becomes normal sounds, they’d get used to it and settle very quickly most likely.

allIcouldwishfor

Aranyani said:

kinger101 said:

GixerKate said:

So the house you are in the process of buying is normally empty and the dogs next door have been barking the whole time the electrician or whoever has been there, is it possible that the dogs are barking because there is something happening next door outside of their expectations?

If someone being the the house OP is intending to buy is outside the dogs expectations and will make them bark persistently, doesn't seem like a good property to buy.

If the house has been empty a while then it’s new sounds setting them off.  Once someone moves in and it becomes normal sounds, they’d get used to it and settle very quickly most likely.

This ^^
One of my dogs is a watchdog breed so he is sensitive to noises that are "out of the ordinary". When we start opening our windows in the warmer weather he gets a bit barky at the increased noise coming from outside for a few days until he realises this is the new normal. 

MEM62

couriervanman said:

MEM62 said:

NameUnavailable said:

OTOH you could offer to dog sit for them, if your dog gets on with theirs, take them in during the day so they're not alone and won't bark. Just a thought. Maybe the neighbours could then look after your dog if you have to go out or on holiday etc.?

Inspired idea and a brilliant bit of thinking.  

Or the OP could find another house for sale

Or buy ear plugs.........
Or turn the TV up loud..............

pbhb

MEM62 said:

couriervanman said:

MEM62 said:

NameUnavailable said:

OTOH you could offer to dog sit for them, if your dog gets on with theirs, take them in during the day so they're not alone and won't bark. Just a thought. Maybe the neighbours could then look after your dog if you have to go out or on holiday etc.?

Inspired idea and a brilliant bit of thinking.  

Or the OP could find another house for sale

Or buy ear plugs.........
Or turn the TV up loud..............

Sadly that won’t help my dog who will be disturbed by it