Advice on neighbour's howling dog.

Retikulan

Retikulan

Retikulan

Associate
Joined
14 Jun 2007
Posts
309
Location
Wherever you go, there you are.
I could really use some advice about this from you guys (especially those who have experienced similar) as this is driving me absolutely nuts.
A month or two ago a new neighbour moved into the flat below mine and shortly after moving in he decided to get quite a large dog. He seems to work quite long hours as he can be away for between 8 to 12 hours at a time so the dog can be left alone for long periods of time, and that's where the problems start.
Shortly after being left alone the dog will howl intermittently throughout the entire time it's left alone, and believe me, it howls long, loud and hard. To give you an example of how bad it is, although the howling usually starts around 11am or noon, a few days ago it was howling at around 6.30 am in the morning and howled intermittently throughout the rest of the day till around 9.50pm.

I've spoken to the neighbour on a number of seperate occasions about the noise his dog is making and he's always apologetic and saying things like 'he'll leave the radio on', 'he'll get someone to come and look after it while he's out' (why get a dog in the first place then?), 'he's trying to train it' etc but it's now been going on for weeks and I believe that he's now just making excuses in an attemt to fob me off.

Since this has been going on for weeks now and nothing has changed, how long would you give him to resolve this situation and what further steps would you recommend or take?
 
Is it young? Probably separation anxiety.

But as you say, I don't understand people who own dogs to then go away for 8 hours of the day - my assumption is he has people or walkers come in? Otherwise that's borderline cruelty (particularly in a flat) as it has no means of getting outside.
 
My kids plead with me frequently to get a dog. But with both of us working I won't do it. It's not fair on the dog.

I don't really have any practical advice I'm afraid.
 
Hades said:
My kids plead with me frequently to get a dog. But with both of us working I won't do it. It's not fair on the dog.

I don't really have any practical advice I'm afraid.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'd love a dog but I'd not be able to give one the attention it deserves. I have to live vicariously through my mum and her dogs. :D

As for noisy pets, one of my neighbours has screeching parrots which gets annoying but I can't be bothered rocking the boat at the moment, I just sleep with earplugs.

Good luck, OP.
 
Good to see so many sensible people in here. Why has the idiot got a dog that he can't give the time and attention to that it needs and deserves? Can you mention it to a landlord or building owner at all?
 
Dogs bark for many reasons, because they are lonely, bored, frightened, aggressive, excited, hungry or wanting attention. He needs to take care of his dog and spend more time with it. Alternatively he can try re-training his dog as well as get help from council as most councils are in partnership with dog training companies and they do events or he can try anti-barking collar which they are cheap.
http://www.parkguard.co.uk/status-dogs-and-problem-dog-owners.html
 
Hades said:
My kids plead with me frequently to get a dog. But with both of us working I won't do it. It's not fair on the dog.

I don't really have any practical advice I'm afraid.
Click to expand...

Narj said:
Yeah I'd love a dog but I'd not be able to give one the attention it deserves. I have to live vicariously through my mum and her dogs. :D

As for noisy pets, one of my neighbours has screeching parrots which gets annoying but I can't be bothered rocking the boat at the moment, I just sleep with earplugs.

Good luck, OP.
Click to expand...

Yup, same. I would love to have either a cat or dog (yeah, I like both equally :D) but I work full time and then go to gym in the evenings so I wouldn't be able to give it enough attention.

Plus I would feel bad going away and leaving it somewhere, even if it is with parents or at a decent kennel.
 
I would report to the Council also. You've spoken to him and given him the chance to remedy this. The Council can deal with this and they'll be used to such situations.
 
100% separation anxiety.

If the guy is living on his own, and at work all day getting a dog is damn irresponsible.

We have two little guys, and the maximum (if ever because my wife is at home) that they are own their own for is 2 hours.

Owners needs to understand, that its different from a cat.

What can you do? Record the noise, and log it, when it starts and finishes and get the RSPCA involved.
 
Some interesting advice so far. Especially the one about speaking to other neighbours to see if they are bothered by it to the same extant that I am. I think I'll give that a try next.
As far as I can tell it's not lack of excercise or walking that's the problem. The guy will take his dog out for a walk before he goes out to work or whatever and I think his brother pops in later in the day to do the same, but the dog often starts howling shortly after they leave.
 
Quick Google:

Age of Dog
(maturity varies between small, medium, large, and giant breeds) Maximum period that a dog should be left for during the day
(ideal scenario)
Mature dogs over 18 months of age // Up to 4 hours at a time during the day
Adolescent dogs 5 – 18 months // Gradually build up to 4 hours at a time during the day
Young puppies up to 5 months of age // Should not be left alone for long periods during the day

and

It is important that potential dog owners ask two questions of themselves before they take on the responsibility of ownership;

  1. Have I got the time? and;
  2. Can I afford it?
If you can’t provide companionship yourself, or make provision for someone else to, then you will not be meeting that dog’s welfare needs. This could put you in danger of breaching the Animal Welfare Act and you could be depriving the dog of a home that can provide companionship.




So it sounds like a breach of said act and if nothing is sorted you may have to report to the RSPCA.
 
Thing is, what happens then?
The RSPCA eventually take it off him and then what? It gets an even more miserable life before likely being put down if it's not adopted within a certain time frame.
 
I reported a huski next door to the council as the people who care for it obviously didn't give a **** that it was howling all day, as much as they love the dog. After I'd reported it to them, I think the council sent out a letter and the dog was substantially quieter after that point.

I think they have a lodger now who's in a lot more than they are, maybe does night shifts, and they seem to have got a dog walker in the day. So although the dog is still a bit lonely, it's a lot less than it was before.

One issue, which I know is probably not one that you have OP, is that most dog owners who are out in the day never get to hear the racket the dog makes so are completely unaware of it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom