Hi everyone,

I had a very good friend of mine crying her eyes out last night.  I have suggested everything I can to help her, but nothing has worked, so if anyone has any ideas can you help.

My friend has 4 Jack Russells, lovely happy friendly little dogs.  She lives on a big new estate and has lived there for 8 years. Never had any problems, whatsoever. New neighbours have however recently moved in at the back of her.  She went to a wedding in the Summer and has a dog flap, when she returned after midnight, she had a nasty letter through her door, saying that her dogs had been barking, the police had been called.

She goes out to collect her children, and nearly everytime she comes back there is a nasty letter saying her dogs are barking, she no longer leaves the dog flap open, so the dogs are contained inside.

Last night she went to see Harry Potter and again another letter, saying that this person would be taking things further if she were to leave her dogs alone again. Saying it is cruel to her dogs and neighbours.(God bless her she never generally goes out, except to collect her children) No other neighbours have ever complained.

I have told her all the usual, leaving treats and bones to keep them occupied, tv left on, seperating the dogs into different rooms. They are as good as gold when she is in, but go like lunatics the minute she leaves. She even asked me last night if there is a vet that would cut their vocal cords!!!!   She loves her dogs but is terrified to go out even for just half an hour.

Any suggestions, or legalities of the situation to put her mind at rest would be very helpful.Thanks!

I would strongly suggest she contacts the Dog Warden and the EHO for advice.  She can then be given the FACTS of what constitutes noise pollution etc so that she can take the appropriate steps to minimise the issue.

Armed with the FACTS ie that is NOT cruel to leave her dogs unsupervised she could approach her neighbours and welcome them to the neighbourhood and ask them if there is anything she could do for them.  This would provide an opening for the neighbour to bring up the subject of her dogs. 

Politely, clinically and calmly your friend can then pre empt things by stating that she has discussed the matter with the EHO/Dog Warden/RSPCA etc and been informed of what is reasonable, however if they feel dissatisfied in any way, here are the numbers of the various individuals/societies etc in case they need any further clarification.

Often people like this have little idea of what is "reasonable" and may have a history of bullying/frightening people with rumours etc.

Once presented with some pro active people who have the facts at their disposal they retreat.

Obviously dogs that bark continuously are indeed a nuisance and an irritating source of noise pollution, particularly to the elderly, infirm, sick or shift workers.

However if they just have a mad five minutes on your friend's departure and then settle down this should not be too disturbing.

The EHO will ask the neighbour to keep a diary of barking incidents and if it appears excessive they will come round and monitor it themselves and fines can be imposed etc.

HTH

Personally I'd go to the police and/or council, with the letters, saying I was being harrassed. I'd keep a diary of when I went out, and for how long. I'd set up a tape recorder to record any barking (and also any evidence that the dogs were being wound up). I'd also start teaching the dogs to settle when I went out, starting with not having them with me all the time I was in.

No vet will debark them as that's an illegal operation in the UK.

Thanks tohme and jeangenie,

I shall pass on your words of wisdom.  I feel so sorry for her, she was even crying saying she was thinking of giving up her dogs. It is such a shame as she has never had any problems before, she is assuming that it must be the new neighbour but does not know for sure. I feel as though she is now being harrassed as it is making her feel ill.  Thanks guys!

I received a lovely letter through my door once from my neighbour who was complaining that the dogs had made a lot of noise that morning - it was on clocks go forward day and she thought it was earluier than it actually was!! She said it wasn't fair for me to leave my dogs in the day and to get a dog sitter if I was going to leave them for such a long time (my dogs are never left longer than 4 hours - I take them with me if I'm any longer) etc etc my husband went straight round and spoke to her - and I taped the dogs after I left them for the next couple of weeks and no noise - mjst have been a one off......anyway to cut a long story short about 4 months later she boughta yorkie pup that yips and yaps uncontrollably at times and at all times of the day, and then my other neighbour who had also apparently been complaining about my dogs noise bought a black lab who barks sometimes as early as 6am and as late as midnight!!!

There is always light at the end of the tunnel!

What is it with neighbours and leaving letters, why can't they go round and speak face to face, this would be the civilised way to handle the situation. I also have harrassed by letters and then also in the street (nothing to do with my dog may i add). I would agree that the best thing to do would be to contact the police, i wish i had.

Yes, I think this is the main worry with her, she thinks it is the new neighbours, but does not know for sure, if the cowardly people would just knock on the door she might be able to sort out the problem, her husband died last year and so she is on her own with her children and not knowing who it is for sure is making her very paranoid about everyone. It's the last thing in the world she needed. She is terrified that she will be getting court letters, police visits etc. and that she will loose her dogs.  I have tried to tell her that she won't have her dogs taken away. But I can understand how upsetting it must be to keep getting these threatening letters, someones obviously formed an opinion on her and her dogs, whereas if they could talk face to face they would hopefully be able to sort things out better, instead of threatening her.

>She went to a wedding in the Summer and has a dog flap, when she returned after midnight, she had a nasty >letter through her door, saying that her dogs had been barking, the police had been called.

This subject keeps coming up. First of all, this isn't police business. I can't see they'd even bother to go out. It is an issue for the council where they live, and/or environmental health. I've lived through it for 3 years now, with neighbours that lie through their teeth. Anyway the long and the short of it is, there has to be an official complaint to the COUNCIL, the complaining neighbour then has to fill in  a form for a month giving times and dates of the barking, how long it went on for etc, then the council look at it and if they decide it looks like the dogs barks too much (and of course the neighbours can just make times up, like mine did -they put down times I was here and KNEW the dogs had NOT barked) they can install listening equipment. If this happened, it would probably be a very good thing for your friend as she'd be proved right. Dogs are by law allowed to bark, as long as it isn't for prolonged periods of time or at anti social hours etc.  My neighbours refused the listening equipment 5 times as they KNEW they'd be proved wrong, so in the end the council told them either they had it done or they had to stop complaining. So they listened and of course there was no excessive barking.

Obviously there are lots of dogs out there that DO bark too much and I myself would be very annoyed at that, but I just do not understand these miserable so and sos that just MAKE UP stories like this and complain for the sake of it......... I can't write about what I'd like to do to my neighbour (nicknamed Mrs Cow) as Admin would never allow it, LOL.

But tell your friend not to worry, and the only way to deal with people like these is to ignore them. If she wants she HERSELF can of course contact the council for advice, maybe even ask them to come for a visit, as her mind will be set at rest AND she will be showing that she has nothing to hide etc. (I was adviced this by a solicitor.)

I basically stayed at home for years and didn't even dare go to the shops. Now I've decided that stuff 'em, I'm doing what I WANT now as I won't be intimdated by Mrs Cow any more. And I feel a lot better.

I have forwarded all replies to my friend, she is sooooooooo.... happy to see she is not alone and this has happened to other people.  To be honest you are right about the police, they were more worried that she had been burguled than about the dogs.  It is just the fact that whoever this person is was willing to go that far, and probably will again. It is very sad that someone would go to these lenghts, when she is home 90% of the time, and that was the first night she had gone out in months. She said she was home for 8.15pm and had only gone out at 5pm.  In that time this person had sent another letter threatening action.

Glad you got your business sorted out, I hope that my friend does too.

Hi, I don't believe some people!!! Especially those that put ANNONYMOUS letters through your door! We had problems with one of our neightbours where we used to live...they complained about my cats messing in their garden and took to throwing the cat mess at our house..it landed on top of the dogs compound and along the path! Derek went and challenged them and it started a row really(not with Derek but with me when she came round and said I HAD to control them!) I said it wasn't just our cats and what can you do about cats anyway??? Since we've moved I see our nice neighbours who laugh and say they have 4 or 5 cats coming down there now!!! As I always say, what goes around comes around and they will get their just desserts in the end! Almost makes me feel like moving back there and getting another couple of cats! LOL :D

I'd ignore the complainers (for now, anyhow) as others have suggested, go visit other neighbours who haven't complained, and ask them if they have heard your dogs barking. Also ask them to let you know if they do bark much.....and take it from there. Very likely as others have said too, it's just a mad few minutes when you leave and the dogs are complaining that you haven't taken them with you!  Good luck!