Whinging Neighbours!

[Caroliina]

Hi all,

I'm so pleased I found this site! I need some advise. I have been dealing with some whinging neighbours who clearly don't like dogs. They claim that my German Shephard (Sam) barks non-stop especially at night. My family and I are home at night and know this is not the case. In the day both my husband & I are at work and my daughter at school however everyone knows about the breed they are definitely not the type of dogs to be barking non-stop just because... ?

I also received a note no name or address saying to basically do something about my barking dog. I was very upset with receiving this notice as I know very well that my dog is extremely obedient and well trained.

What shall I do? I need some advise please

[Winterpaws]

Are you absolutely positive that your dog is not barking? In my experience people do not leave notes just for the sake of it....

Barking dogs are horrid. The noise can make you feel like you are going insane.

My advice would be to try an really determine whether your dog is barking. Too many dogs get baited because they are nuisance barkers.

If you are absolutely positive it is not your dog then maybe approach all your neighbours with a friendly attitude and tell them you have received a note and would ike to investigate it further and remedy any issues if it is your dog. Explain that you are home at night and have not heard your dog bark but ask whether they might keep a diary of when your dog is barking for you. Then you can keep your own diary of you being at home etc.

You could also try entering your street when your dog thinks you are away to investigate as to whether he / she is barking.

[moosepup]

It could be another dog in the neighbourhood and they just think it's your dog. Perhaps you can film him or something during the day to prove it is/isn't him.

This type of thing scares me a bit because sometimes people are willing to take matters into their own hands with a dog they think is a nuisance barker.

[wuffles]

Can you keep the dog inside at night?

Our neighbours told us that our dogs were barking during the day. I tried to clarify with them how much and under what circumstances but they didn't give that much information, so we filmed our backyard on random days over the course of a few weeks. It gave us a better idea of how much our dogs were barking and what they were barking at.

Good luck though, I am now very paranoid about the dogs when we are not home

[Staranais]

Are you absolutely positive that your dog is not barking? In my experience people do not leave notes just for the sake of it....

Barking dogs are horrid. The noise can make you feel like you are going insane.

My advice would be to try an really determine whether your dog is barking. Too many dogs get baited because they are nuisance barkers.

If you are absolutely positive it is not your dog then maybe approach all your neighbours with a friendly attitude and tell them you have received a note and would ike to investigate it further and remedy any issues if it is your dog. Explain that you are home at night and have not heard your dog bark but ask whether they might keep a diary of when your dog is barking for you. Then you can keep your own diary of you being at home etc.

You could also try entering your street when your dog thinks you are away to investigate as to whether he / she is barking.

Very good advice, IMO. You need to find out for sure whether this is your dog - and if not, which dog is it? I doubt your neighbours are making it up just to annoy you, if they wanted to do that, they would have straight gone to the council without doing you the favour of contacting you first.

[Andisa]

Unless the dog is inside with you at night you probably don't hear it barking or might think it is coming from somewhere else. OR it is and the neighbours think it is your dog.

It must be taken seriously because the next letter will be from the council and will have to be addressed then.

I don't know why you think that GSD are not barkers - I have certainly known many who are shocking non stop barkers.

I personally hate barking dogs and I doubt many neighbours would drop a note in a letterbox if there wasn't a problem - just might have been the wrong letterbox.

[Monah]

easy, keep the dog inside at nights.

if the barking stops , then maybe it was yours. If not, you can nicely inform the neighbours, or even let them know before hand that your dog will be inside from now on so that if they do hear a dog barking, they may realise it is not yours.

[Flaves]

Hi all,

I'm so pleased I found this site! I need some advise. I have been dealing with some whinging neighbours who clearly don't like dogs. They claim that my German Shephard (Sam) barks non-stop especially at night. My family and I are home at night and know this is not the case. In the day both my husband & I are at work and my daughter at school however everyone knows about the breed they are definitely not the type of dogs to be barking non-stop just because... ?

I also received a note no name or address saying to basically do something about my barking dog. I was very upset with receiving this notice as I know very well that my dog is extremely obedient and well trained.

What shall I do? I need some advise please

I had this issue with my neighbours

Apparently my boy barked all night - impossible as he sleeps on my bed!

So what i did was make sure they could hear me bringing him in when i got home from work, i also bought a bark collar which i have on him when i am not home.

I know that it is not him that barks all day - we have left for work and gone back to listen a number of occassions and my ex also would drop passed at different times of the day.

I got the bark collar, and i wrote a note and door knocked and gave it to all the neighbours surrounding us

It basically said, it has been bought to my attention my dog is barking, and these are the steps i am going to to fix them, also had my number so that if there was any issues they could call.

Funnily enough 5 of the 8 called me and said it was NOT my dog barking during the day

So whilst you may think or know it is not your dog, it doesnt hurt to do all you can so that they neighbours think you are listening to them

[Flaves]

That was the other thing i did

I keep a diary of when any dog barks that i can hear, including mine.

It shows a pattern that my dogs are not the ones starting the barking or continuing barking

I even videoed my dogs sleeping one night when the neighbours dog barked from 11am until midnight

When i rang the council on the monday to make a complaint, the person said i couldnt because it was my dogs barking!!!!!!!!!

I had video evidence which i emailed them.

[Dogsfevr]

I agree never say never,many people have no idea how much there dogs bark.

I have neighbours who do buggar all & sleep with ear plugs.

I agree with others you need to take the complaint serious because until you actually now yourself you don't whether it is your dog or not & i would sooner be seen to addressing the neighbours concern seriously then fogging it off when infact it is correct plus being pro active with the neighbour will work wonders.

As for GSD barking at nothing don't be fooled they can be right royal barkers if they choice & when they get started can have a very annoying bark.

Obedient & well trained doesn't mean they can't be barkers .

I

[Sandra777]

I live next door to a GSD type cross that barks non stop and more worryingly charges the fence at people walking down a public footpath on the far side of the neighbours property. They are home and do nothing and it drives me completely bonkers - and I own dogs I can imagine how crazy-making it must be for someone who doesn't own a dog and possibly isn't even fond of dogs (don't have to be a dog hater).

Monitor, keep inside and door knock. ASK your neighbours if they have a problem, explain you don't want to cause a nuisance and give them a phone number which they can contact you on during the times you're out. If you make it obvious you don't want your dog to be a pain in the butt most normal people would probably ignore more noise than they would otherwise.

[kelpiekaye]

All good advice. I havnt got anything to add except this joke I read in a xmas cracker.

Paddy and his wife were sick of the neighbours dog barking all night so one sleepless night Paddy stormed out of the house in the wee hours. After a little while he returned and his wife asked him " what did ye do?" Paddy replied "Ive tied the dog up in our back yard, so I did. Lets see how they like it"

Sorry, I thought this was

[Christina]

You do need to check as advised in other posts.

Another thing to do is leave the house as though you are going out.

Park your car in the next street or a short distance away & quietly walk back & listen.

Dogs can hear your car coming & know the sound of your engine so they need to think you are gone.

You won't know if your dogs are barking or not unless you do some kind of checks.

[sallyandtex]

Are you absolutely positive that your dog is not barking? In my experience people do not leave notes just for the sake of it....

Barking dogs are horrid. The noise can make you feel like you are going insane.

My advice would be to try an really determine whether your dog is barking. Too many dogs get baited because they are nuisance barkers.

If you are absolutely positive it is not your dog then maybe approach all your neighbours with a friendly attitude and tell them you have received a note and would ike to investigate it further and remedy any issues if it is your dog. Explain that you are home at night and have not heard your dog bark but ask whether they might keep a diary of when your dog is barking for you. Then you can keep your own diary of you being at home etc.

You could also try entering your street when your dog thinks you are away to investigate as to whether he / she is barking.

What a great response. maybe you are heavy sleepers? My neighbour has a lab(Jet 2 years old) that has only recently started to bark each night every feew hours :D keeping me awake. I am debating whether to ask about this, hoping it's some sort of phase, because i don't want to be a "whinging neighbour". I know it's Jet as I see him in the moonlight barking and howling away!

[Shepherd 08]

Hi all,

I'm so pleased I found this site! I need some advise. I have been dealing with some whinging neighbours who clearly don't like dogs. They claim that my German Shephard (Sam) barks non-stop especially at night. My family and I are home at night and know this is not the case. In the day both my husband & I are at work and my daughter at school however everyone knows about the breed they are definitely not the type of dogs to be barking non-stop just because... ?

I also received a note no name or address saying to basically do something about my barking dog. I was very upset with receiving this notice as I know very well that my dog is extremely obedient and well trained.

What shall I do? I need some advise please

I had a very similar situation mid last year. My dog (also a male GSD) was apparently barking while we were out and about. I had no idea this was the case, as he is well behaved when we are home and doesn't just bark at nothing. Like it or not, dogs aren't always as well behaved when left alone :D

I received a note in my letterbox from the neighbour across the road, who I subsequently went to see. Far from being anti-dog (they own a few little yappy dogs), they told me they didn't want to put in an official complaint and that they just wanted me to know it was happening. I was really appreciative that they let me know, and I told them so. I gave them my mobile number and told them to call or text anytime barking was an issue. I also got a high frequency barking collar which I fit on my dog when he is left home alone.

Since that time - no problems. Unfortunately for you, you have an anonymous complaint; might be worth printing out a few generic letters and posting them to your neighbours. Ask them to contact you if they have a problem and you can hopefully come to an answer together.

[Adza]

Unfortunately, constant barking dogs drive people nuts. It does with me. One of our neighbours dogs used to bark up to 3 hours straight at night, owners were home and didn't do anything, which made me nuts, but that's getting better now.

Like the advice here, bring dog in at nights and find out. It can get worse with the neighbours if you don't check and make sure.

Good luck!

[Janba]

At my last house I had a GSD next door who did bark a lot but not at nothing - at me hanging out the washing, walking into any of the rooms of my house next to his, going into the back yard and he did the same for the neighbours on the other side and behind. He wa an outside dog and did bark at night but his owners slept through it because their bedroom was at the front of the house and they didn't hear him.

Talk to your neighbours about when he is barking and if he is an outside dog bring him in at night.

[poodlefan]

Hi all,

I'm so pleased I found this site! I need some advise. I have been dealing with some whinging neighbours who clearly don't like dogs. They claim that my German Shephard (Sam) barks non-stop especially at night. My family and I are home at night and know this is not the case. In the day both my husband & I are at work and my daughter at school however everyone knows about the breed they are definitely not the type of dogs to be barking non-stop just because... ?

I also received a note no name or address saying to basically do something about my barking dog. I was very upset with receiving this notice as I know very well that my dog is extremely obedient and well trained.

What shall I do? I need some advise please ;)

1. Don't conclude that because your neighbours complained they are dog haters. I hate barking dogs too, especially at night.

2. Go and THANK (yes, you read that right, thank) your neighbours for bringing the problem to your attention (beats dealing with a ranger) and ask them to keep a diary of when the dog is barking.

3. Lose the "my dog is well trained and obedient therefore it won't bark" idea. I live next door to a working police dog - he is highly trained and obedient and barks his head off given half a chance.

4. Sleep your dog inside (garage, laundry where ever) for a week and ask your neighbour to tell you if that's made a difference. Then both of you will know if its your dog that's keeping people up.

I suggest you act on the assumption that it is your dog until proven otherwise.

Edited January 24, 2011 by poodlefan

[sas]

Apparently my boy barked all night - impossible as he sleeps on my bed!

We recently had a barking complaint....2 and 3am.....dogs sleep at the bottom of the bed.

Some people typically get over dramatic during their reports because they're pissed off as it is.

[sas]

Hi all,

I'm so pleased I found this site! I need some advise. I have been dealing with some whinging neighbours who clearly don't like dogs. They claim that my German Shephard (Sam) barks non-stop especially at night. My family and I are home at night and know this is not the case. In the day both my husband & I are at work and my daughter at school however everyone knows about the breed they are definitely not the type of dogs to be barking non-stop just because... ?

I also received a note no name or address saying to basically do something about my barking dog. I was very upset with receiving this notice as I know very well that my dog is extremely obedient and well trained.

What shall I do? I need some advise please ;)

1. Don't conclude that because your neighbours complained they are dog haters. I hate barking dogs too, especially at night.

2. Go and THANK (yes, you read that right, thank) your neighbours for bringing the problem to your attention (beats dealing with a ranger) and ask them to keep a diary of when the dog is barking.

3. Lose the "my dog is well trained and obedient therefore it won't bark" idea. I live next door to a working police dog - he is highly trained and obedient and barks his head off given half a chance.

4. Sleep your dog inside (garage, laundry where ever) for a week and ask your neighbour to tell you if that's made a difference. Then both of you will know if its your dog that's keeping people up.

I suggest you act on the assumption that it is your dog until proven otherwise.

x1