Anxiety and overreacting to noise

I would time how long you hear him for. It sounds as if he really isn't outside very much and therefore asking them to change their behaviour is just going to cause additional problems (& neighbour problems never great for anxiety).

Looking at misphonia and CBT may be a good move. You are more in control of your responses than asking neighbours to change and CBT would probably be useful for your anxiety in general - which can only be a good thing.

Of course if you time and find out he's whining for an hour then that's a bit different.

My neighbour had a noisy dog that would bark continually when in the garden. It got so bad that I had a word. They were so apologetic as he was put in the garden when they were out thinking the dog would prefer it so had no idea it was making a noise. It was kept in after speaking to them.

I agree a dog's whining is intuitively upsetting. My own dog whines and whinges when he is over excited about toys he obsesses about, and I just have to remove the toys until he relaxes.

If the neighbour's dog is being left outdoors shivering in the cold and rain for too long you can ring the RSPCA for advice.

I think it depends on how frequently this is happening, and for how long. A dog whining in the garden for a while every day three or four times is an issue, but if it’s once every couple of days it probably wouldn’t be a problem for most people. I think I’d keep a diary to see how often it’s happening and for how long, so if you do need to raise it with your neighbors you’re on sure ground - but also so you can see if it is as bad as it feels to you?

There's a dog two doors down from us that never stops yapping. It's no fun sitting in the garden in the summer. I don't know how the people who live there stand it.

Thankyou Dilly, I will have a look at misophonia.
Redhead, I don't think the dog is being treated badly and they do take it for walks, just don't seem to hear it.
Thanks for all your comments. It helps to tell someone else and to realise that it's not me having unreasonable feelings.

My mother had a similar problem she was upset because the neighbours had two German Shepherds in the garden. All day hale rain and snow drenched crying and barking never taken for a walk and no shelter.
My mother asked her neighbour to be more considerate to the dogs and their neighbours. Her neighbour who had grown up there and was no stranger was really rude to my mother. I think another neighbour got in touch with the RSPCA . My mother was accused of reporting them but it wasn't her.
The neighbours moved house not long after the incident.
I suggest you or a family member have a quiet word with your neighbours they maybe more understanding.

15 mins is a long time to let a dog whine to be let in. I let mine in after a few scratches/woofs and they would wait a minute max

Have you ever looked at the symptoms of Misophonia MaryRose54 ? My DIL suffers from this and apparently it is linked with with anxiety. In NZ she has been undergoing CBT and said it has improved tremendously learning strategies to deal with it as it worsened after she became pregnant and gave birth. I think she wanted to strangle my DS when he ate around her Hers was mainly around people chewing loudly and high pitched noises.

It isn't out there very long, maybe 10to 15minutes, although it feels like longer,but just hearing the sound begin makes me react. The reason I think that they don't hear it is because their living room is the other side of the house from their back door.

How long is left out in the garden for? It must be quite a long time if it causing you to be hyper alert about it

I would feel the same maryrose primarily because I would be worried and upset for the dog. If you can hear it, why can't they!!!

I am so with you on this. Barking/whining dogs are enough to drive anyone crazy and it would seem that the dog owners are completely oblivious to it.