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Too many dogs

(78 Posts)
Gardendisy Sat 08-Aug-20 16:35:06

I live in a small village next door to a lady that breeds Border Collies and she has altogether 5 dogs.
I love dogs I have two Cairn terriers of my own. The dogs usually do not bother each other and everything is fine. However, a few times a year she has a friend that comes to stay and she has 6 Border Collies. They are not very friendly to say the least and every time anyone goes into the garden me or my dogs her dogs go absolutely mental. Then my two join in and it sounds like Battersea dogs home.
I’m getting really fed up now. My male dog has started scent marking everywhere and my girl dog just keeps yapping . This woman has been here for two weeks. 11 dogs next door ....... what can I do ?

cassandra264 Mon 10-Aug-20 09:51:52

I agree Environmental Health should be the first port of call. Also, you can get whistles which have a very high frequency which humans cannot hear but which dogs can't stand (Google it). If you blow such a whistle every time the animals are making a racket, they will associate their own barking with an unpleasant experience. The noise should reduce.
Good luck.

Seefah Mon 10-Aug-20 09:55:00

If they don’t go out walking those dogs at least an hour a day it’s a bit cruel. Where do the dogs go to the toilet ? That must be a health hazard? I’d be fuming.

Alioop Mon 10-Aug-20 09:58:56

I have my own rescue dog, but I lived next door to a couple with 1 collie dog and it drove me bonkers. It howled every time they went out, which was a lot, sometimes until 3am in the morning, and it never got walked, it was bored. I moved!!! Contact your local council about the noise rather than the amount of dogs. The laws about noise and anti social behaviour to me a better bet. If council don't bother doing anything, go to a one of your local councillor offices direct. If not it will start to affect your life worrying about it.

Juicylucy Mon 10-Aug-20 09:59:17

They are obviously putting dogs together so they can breed. If you get on with her could you not maybe suggest they take it in turns and go to the other ladies house once in the year to do the breeding, it’s clearly done on the dogs cycle.
I agree with the others re- breeding for money. I’m huge dog lover and your situation is clearly very frustrating.

BusterTank Mon 10-Aug-20 10:00:43

Firstly speak to your neighbour first . If she refuse do anything then your next step is your parish council . If they are no help , then it your local district council . Good luck .

DeeDum Mon 10-Aug-20 10:06:18

Definitely phone the council, they will send someone to investigate, do it right away while all 11 there
That's ridiculous ....

polnan Mon 10-Aug-20 10:06:33

oh wow.
RSPCA?, not dog related, but many years back, we had a cat whose tail looked bent one morning, we took her to the local vet, and he said, come back in a week, and I will take her tail off.

I was very upset, then over a few days, her tail was o.k. she was not in pain, she was her usual self, and the bent had gone..

we had a visit from the RSPCA!!! the vet, I guess, had reported me for animal cruelty.. I was mortified.. we had another cat at the same time, and let the RSPCA inspector, inspect our home, and the cats... and all. and he/she said good.. all o.k. I was mad cos if I had gone back to the vet he would have taken her tail off unnecessarily!

so the RSPCA can be helpful in my experience.

and yes, I have had a border colllie, and they DO need a lot of exercise.. I think I would speak to the RSPCA,, who would not disclose who had spoken to them. Think of the dogs?

just wondering what I would do

Craicon Mon 10-Aug-20 10:09:15

It isn’t normal to have visitors bringing 6 of the same breed of dog just to visit for a holiday, so I’m betting it’s an illegal puppy farm. (Puppy farms are always run from someone’s home to make it appear to potential buyers that they are legitimate breeders.)

New laws came into effect in April this year in England to help close down puppy farms so report your neighbour to either your local authority or the RSPCA.

You’ll be doing the poor animals a favour!

jenpax Mon 10-Aug-20 10:16:21

It sounds to me as if you weren’t direct enough in your previous conversation with her! Saying mildly that your dogs were aggravated by the visiting dogs and you were glad they had gone home sounds a bit woolly (apology if that’s not how you put it) you need to be very clear with her that it’s not acceptable and constitutes a noise nuisance and that you will contact environmental health if the situation doesn’t improve; of course you could take out a civil action against her instead but I doubt from what you say that you want to go down that route!

4allweknow Mon 10-Aug-20 10:18:11

Check Conditions on property deeds re business. Also contact Council about noise. Dogs barking is a nuisance and you are being caused stress, not able to enjoy your home because of the noise. If you spoke with neighbour would she take your concerns on board given she allows it in the first place. I am a dog lover but wouldn't tolerate what you are experiencing.

Marjgran Mon 10-Aug-20 10:37:17

Report to council / RSPCA anonymously. Does not sound like proper care for the animals and complete disregard for neighbours. Although I have had dogs, I live in a city with too many dogs and more acquired during lockdown. Some bark less at the moment because owners are not leaving them home alone so much, others are wailing at foxes, anything, late at night and in the night. It really is hard on neighbours, especially in the heat with opened windows. It completely puts me off having a dog in the city. (Never mind the strange fruit of poo bags hanging from trees in the parks and any nearby countryside).

Xrgran Mon 10-Aug-20 10:38:42

Sounds like he’ll and I suppose they call themselves Animal Lovers ?

sarahellenwhitney Mon 10-Aug-20 10:38:59

This few !times a year warrants intervention by your local authority. ACT now.

Nannan2 Mon 10-Aug-20 10:40:16

surely they should not be having visitors to stay now?even if they claimed its a ' bubble' there are rules about those-not everyone can have one- also they would probably quiz them about all the dogs at same time as they would, no doubt, be barking?

Chaitriona Mon 10-Aug-20 10:47:06

I sympathise. I lived beside a person who showed and bred dogs for many years. The noise was terrible and often the smell could be bad. When there were puppies there could be twenty or so dogs. He had a severe personality disorder as well and was aggressive and irrational. Eventually a group of neighbours contacted the Council. Though there are laws requiring planning permission for a residential property to be used as a breeding business, and there was an assessment for this, it is difficult to make a case as people are allowed to have show dogs or pets and breed and sell a few puppies and you have to prove it is primarily a commercial enterprise. The council did issue noise abatement orders. But it didn’t stop him having the dogs. The noise would be a bit better for a while. Then it would increase. The Council would issue a warning. It would decrease for a bit and so on. Because in his words, he was “harder on the dogs” which he didn’t want to do. Meanwhile social relations were very difficult. I would talk to your neighbour first. The next step is keeping a record. The Council will then make recordings with equipment. All this takes time. So if all the dogs are only there for a few weeks, I don’t think it will be easy to do anything officially.

Chaitriona Mon 10-Aug-20 11:00:30

I would add that I was not directly involved in the complaint though I knew about it. I felt unable to deal with the aggression I knew it would inevitably involve. My daughter and I were both chronically ill. He asked me to tell the Council the dogs were no problem. Because I refused to do this, he was very abusive to me and my family anyway. In other ways he could be kind and in some ways we were good friends as well. He could not help having a personality disorder but he was not the only person to suffer from it. Your neighbour may not have this extra complication and may be more ready to weigh her own needs more fairly with other people’s needs.

grandtanteJE65 Mon 10-Aug-20 11:00:56

If, as I assume, your and her houses are in a residential area, she needs planning permission to run a business from her home.

I do not know whether legally anyone can prevent her allowing a visitor to bring her dogs with her, though.

You should be able to check both points with your town council.

However, if you do so without first mentioning to your neighbour that you are affected by the issue, she will no doubt be hurt and resentful, so in the interests of staying friendly, I would ring her doorbell and explain how upsetting this influx of strange dogs is for your dogs.

If you get a rude answer then go to the council or the police.

sf101 Mon 10-Aug-20 11:02:31

All dog breeders require a licence from the local council. Contact the council about this and the noise nuisance.

MollyG Mon 10-Aug-20 11:14:18

If she is breeding dogs she must be registered with the council, may be worth checking with them?

Gardendisy Mon 10-Aug-20 11:28:05

Thanks again for all of your answers and advice I have my eldest son living with me and he is going to have a word with her as I don’t think I could stand the stress. I have Chronic heart failure so it is probably best if he deals with it.
It’s a sad world I am afraid where some just go through life without any consideration for other people around them. There seems to be a terrible lack of empathy. I do feel sorry for the dogs as Border Collies should have a lot of exercise they are very intelligent dogs and probably wonder what’s going on. Thanks again everyone
Just telling someone has made me feel better xx

Aepgirl Mon 10-Aug-20 11:29:36

Garden is your, the only suggestion I have is to ask at your local council office. They will at least be able to give you the ‘rules’.

VRHI surely you can report your neighbours to the RSPCA as they have already taken action in the past.

Thecatshatontgemat Mon 10-Aug-20 11:41:30

Oh my god. You poor woman.
That is not dog ownership, that's an infestation!

(I feel your pain, as l have just moved house because of constantly yapping dogs, and reasoning with the owners did not help, and only made it worse)
The fact that SHE is not apologising to you for the noise, would surely indicate that she does not give a stuff.
You can fight most things, but indifference is the hardest.

All the previous posters have recommended sensible options to try first. You may rescue the situation yet, or make it fifty times worse.

However, the bottom line really is: would you consider moving?
I know you should not have to, and may not want to, but how much noise and smell can you stand.....

The very best of luck.

Musicgirl Mon 10-Aug-20 11:52:43

Gardendisy, l have nothing more to add advicewise but my eyes lit up when I saw you have two Cairn Terriers. I have a Cairn myself and he is such fun, a big teddy bear of a dog. They are such characters, aren't they? Good luck with your new neighbours.

Flakesdayout Mon 10-Aug-20 12:01:55

There are rules for excessive noise including dog barking outside certain times. My neighbour has 3 dogs which generally are fine but when left out at night they were barking non stop. As she is the type that would take no notice of any complaint I contacted the Council and they discretely wrote to her. The dogs are now kept in at night. I would contact your Council, express your concerns and let them deal with it, after all you do have to live next door to her.

Seajaye Mon 10-Aug-20 12:12:06

While I fully sympathise, I doubt there is much you or the authorities can do about temporary visitors dogs other than trying to reason with your neighbour. It sounds like this would fall on deaf ears if the neighbour does not feel it is unreasonable on her part. Your town or parish councillor might be prepared to act as intermediary or at least offer some suggestions, but I would be mindful about stirring up a hornets nest here, especially for the temporary visits.

The UK dog breeding licensing rules are found here

www.gov.uk/dog-breeding-licence-england-scotland-wales