We have a puppy. (Theoetically my DD has a puppy but as she lives with us it is our puppy). Those who follow the pet forum will know that I am finding it difficult. But puppy has only ever been left on his own 4 times. All when there was no choice and only for about 20 minutes. He has full and free access to our garden. He is never out there alone and absolutely never shut outside. He does bark ( more like a high pitched yap), but never excessively and we shush him up as quickly as we can.
One morning last week at exactly 8.00am there was a knock at the door. I was about to go to work, my DH was abroad on business and my DD was in the shower. Puppy barked , I picked him up and opened the door. A neighbour from diagonally across the road and whom I have known for over 30 years was standing there. He accused me of letting my puppy bark all day. He said he and another neighbour had been talking about it.
I was shocked and very angry. I pointed out that he was a puppy and of course he sometimes barks. He said dogs only bark when they are unhappy. He said " he's barking now". I pointed out that he was barking because someone had knocked on the door.
The thing is, he wasn't angry that the puppy was barking but because he thought we were ill treating him. His final shot was that he would phone the RSPCA. To which I replied " you do that then". And shut the door rather forcefully. I was completely shaken and deeply upset.
Later that day DD went round with puppy and had a long chat with his wife. I suspect he was hiding upstairs or in his garden as his car was there. DD was much calmer than I had been. She pointed out that we had only had puppy a few weeks and that there is another dog a few houses down that does bark a lot. And that it was obviously a case of mistaken identity and we would be very grateful if they did not phone RSPCA and if they would set the other neighbour straight as well. I think his wife, who is lovely, was mortified.
I had expected him to come round to apologise, but I haven't seen him at all.
Don't really have a question to ask of you all, but having a good rant about it does help.
Maybe we should have a " get it off your chest" forum?
Oh my!! More reasons I am SO thankful I do not have near neighbours! The reason I cannot consider downsizing. Maybe good neighbours, then they move and maybe not so good move in!!
I used to have a dog and I sometimes would take her on a long walk around a large field. She never approached other dogs or humans - unless food was involved! One day a woman aggressively walked across the field and told me that my dog had attacked her and her children. I knew that was not true - even more so when she said that I'd been laughing with my granddaughters. As I've never had kids, how the hell can i have grandkids? the day she mentioned, I was several miles away. Obviously the dog belonged to somebody else but despite my replies , the lady was adamant that my dog was the aggressor.
My next-door neighbour complained to me over the garden fence that my dog was barking all day. Said she was keeping a record of it and going to environmental health. The dog 2 doors up the road started barking as she was complaining and she said can't I shut my dog up. When she looked through a gap in the fence she saw my dog sat quietly next to me. I suggested she go and talk to the spaniel owner up the road. She went red and disappeared inside rather quickly.
I had daft neighbours once. The first time they started on me I was delighted
You see the police had got the council to install a camera in the street due to my next door neighbour being a drug dealer.
So if I had left my home with a large tin of paint to throw over someone’s car as they accused me of, it would be on film.
I told them to either write me a letter of apology or I would allow my daughter the solicitor, to start proceedings against them for harassment.
That was long ago and I soon moved
Naturally none of my children are solicitors!
Your neighbour needs to visit where I live. He would be fully occupied complaining about barking dogs. I complained about one left outside and barked in shifts when owner went to work. Barked for hours and hours and I seemed to be the only one who heard it. Poor thing was really anxious and stressed according to Council dog warden.
Lizbethann55
Does your angry neighbour not know there is another dog a few houses down from you - has he not seen it with its owners?
We are surrounded by peeps with dogs - one of them does bark quite a lot and for long periods. Sometimes the barking sounds close by other times not - depending on which way the wind is blowing I guess.
I haven't a clue which dog is being a bit of a pain and certainly wouldn't make any assumptions or go charging round to complain without being absolutely sure I'd identified the right dog and its owner.
The fact that he and another neighbour had been "talking" about it without either of them realising that it might actually not be your dog is infuriating. Unless they were totally and completely unaware of the other dog - which seems unlikely.
I believe he owes you an apology, especially as he's known you for so long. I'd be mortified if I'd made such a mistake and would have to apologise ASAP. It's not easy to admit you're in the wrong I know but self respect demands that you do, I think.
If anyone has a Alexa there is an app on it that will contact you should your dog bark while your out. My problem is screaming kids that go unchecked by the mother or father scream like banshees and generally make sitting in the garden impossible. And one more thing dogs should never be left in the garden while your out even for a short time. I've had border collies for 35 years.
Quite a long time ago when we lived in our previous house and our teenagers were at home, our next door neighbour came round one morning to complain about our little dog barking all night. We had all been out the previous evening but home about 11 o’clock and thought our dog had been quiet as usual. As our dog was getting on a bit, we gave the neighbour the benefit of the doubt, and rarely left her after that ( she wasn’t left often anyway). Shortly after that the same neighbour told me that the child next door to her the other side had been screaming all night and she thought she was being ill treated. In fact the neighbour was showing signs of dementia and suffering from auditory hallucinations, and eventually was admitted to hospital.
We have four dogs, three of who belong to our daughter, who now lives with us again, we seem to live in Dog Road Galore, and if any dog in the neighbourhood barks, they all bark. It is annoying but our dogs are very rarely left alone, not allowed in the garden alone but can go out whenever they ask and are never ever let out after 10:00pm or before 6:30am and one of our neighbours reported us to the council dog warden, who wrote me a letter. Ironically, up until last October I worked from home (now retired 🥳🥳🥳) and all the dogs were in the same room as me, so I know it’s not ours barking 24/7 but our neighbour insists it is and persists on poking head over our fence whenever they’re let out and then tuts and complains loudly about them barking !
I had the police knock on my door one Sunday afternoon recently. A women had an altercation with a man and his mother about walking her door in front of their house. She left but the man followed her and she must have dived into our drive because he took a picture of our gate. It wasn’t me. I have never walked my dog in that area. It was a titled person who took the photo. I said take a picture of me and show him but the Police officer declined. I think I had the wrong dog and he made a swift retreat but it makes you feel absolutely incensed.
That’s dog in front of their house.
The problem is the neighbour, not the dog. I have a noisy terrier, she barks loudly at every noise and I’m afraid I add to the noise by shouting at her to stop.
None of my neighbours has ever complained and when I apologise they always say it’s not a problem. My dog is never left to bark and I have tried very hard to stop her. Thank goodness my neighbours understand that some dogs do bark more than others.
Dog owners have no idea how irritating dog barking is; it may have been mistaken identity, but your daughter handled the situation far better. and more politely, than you.
If I was confronted with an angry, shouty neighbour threatening to report me for ill treating an animal I would react similarly to OP. OP’s. DD was dealing with angry neighbours’ wife and setting them straight, while angry neighbour hid. That tells you all you need to know.
Jocork
Similar thing, our cat has a skin condition for which he regularly has a steroid injection. He is also tiny, more kitten sized than cat.
My neighbors went one further and took him to a pet rescue centre, they rang us because he was chipped, and we went and fetched him.
Not giving up, our neighbor went on to ring the cat protector league, and I got a lecture from a very pompous person.
Nothing wrong with the cat at all. I told them to ring the vet, no idea if they did.
I have a noisy terrier, she barks loudly at every noise and I’m afraid I add to the noise by shouting at her to stop.
Does that work watermeadow?
I am so sorry to hear of some of the terrible accusations so many of you have had to put up with, though I can't help but be reassured that I am not on my own.
Years ago and going off subject, I lived in a tower block with long connecting corridors. A group of women congregated on the corridor each evening which was over my bedroom.
One evening I was leaving the apartment to meet up with some friends when the whole group accused me of having my TV on far to loud.
When I explained I didn't have a TV they said it must be the radio then. They didn't believe me when I said I didn't have a radio either. No apology at all.
there’s a lot of “neighbours “ who post on community facebook pages about neighbourhood dogs barking or not acting in a way that some find appropriate- our puppy was included as we were toilet training in our garden and “neighbours “ felt it a health and safety issue ? and threatened to report, (they posted anon so no idea which neighbour ) but i didn’t respond regarding the “complaint” I feel more upset that dog owners have to constantly apologise - ignore them. i say
25Avalon
Like all puppies yours does bark but is not the one barking all day and annoying your neighbour opposite, who should apologise to you and go round to the neighbours who do have the all day barker and talk to them.
Having said that there are means of training your puppy to stop barking or not to bark for long as he gets older. I am trying this on my lab at the moment. I don’t want to stop her barking when someone comes but I don’t want her barking for 10 minutes afterwards.
Oh please let me know what you are doing!
I have two dogs, and one is causing me issues with her barking!
I have a Golden Retriever, who will have a bark, but will come back down the 'very long' garden, but the other one knows that I cannot manage to get to her, won't stop and just ignores me! I have tried everything!
MadeinYorkshire idk if this will work for you but it was in an online manual. My red lab barks if she hears a noise, any noise outside, which is good in a way. I don’t want her not to bark a warning but it goes on and on and she has a very loud bark. This is indoors so may not be so easy outdoors. I go up to her, put my finger to my lips and say ‘shush’. As soon as she’s quiet I give her a treat. She is gradually coming to realise (I think!) that when I do that she stops barking and gets a reward.
I recently lost my little dog, but when she was younger she used to go to the window and bark at people passing. I would respond by going to the window too, make a big performance of looking out of the window with her, and say loudly “here I am”, at which she would go and lie down, happy to leave me to deal with “things”.
I think dogs find this sort of intervention reassuring.
Graeme Hall, *Dogs Behaving Badly*has lots of advice on teaching dogs when not to bark. He also demonstrates how to solve many other doggy behavioural problems. All done with kindness. It's worth watching old episodes on TV. Channel 5.
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