It's like a Zoo!

shannonman81

Just wondering if anyone would know what we can do in relation to our problem...
We moved house a while ago and our neighbour next door has two dogs. She lets the dogs out every morning at 7:30/7:45 and they bark constantly until they go back in approx 30 mins later she also lets said dogs out at night time...anytime really but generally around half ten eleven o clock and they again bark constantly for about 30 mins.
We spoke to our landlord who basically warned us off the woman as she is a bit of a loose canon...

Now the other problem...One of the neighbours has cats(we think its the same neighbour) and they like to come into our house, if we leave a window open downstairs they will be in in a flash, and in this weather having all the windows closed is a nightmare.
We have a baby on the way and the idea of cats coming into the house is just not good..

So...What to do about the dogs?
and what to do about the cats??

Thanks in advance!

Obliq

Um...re cats, get screens for the windows on the inside. I know they'll look a bit off, but they don't have to be expensive. Chickenwire and a 2"x1" frame - maybe the landlord will have a better idea?

As for the dogs, this woman clearly has form and the landlord has tried and failed before. Maybe a quick chat with her about more sociable hours? In fairness, the dogs do need to get out....

I'd be unhappy too, but at least it's not all day long like some around my neck of the woods. When you do have the baby, you'll have more leverage and you'll know better what hours suit you. It might be that those hours are ok to have dogs barking, might not. The baby might get used to the noise better than you!

baby and crumble

tbh op, there's not much you can do. If this lady owns her house she isn't breaking any laws, and actually she's acting like a responsible pet owner i letting her dogs out twice a day. Dogs bark, just like how babies cry. You can't do much about either, and no doubt she could easily come here in a few months time and complain about her neighbours baby screaming all night. The amount of barking you describe isn't excessive, by any standards I don't think.

As for the cats, the only thing is getting screens. Cats can't be trained and if they're cats used to the outdoors they will come and go as they please. The owners probably have no clue what they get up to when they're out.

LegacyUser

There are plenty of options for keeping cats out that don't result in having to put up a screen. There are a number of planets that they hate the smell of that can keep them out or if you want some fun get a water pistol and fire at them every time they come, they'll soon stop coming in if they get a wet head each time. You can pick up commercial repellents but give the natural options a try first. Check some gardening websites for good tips as plenty of gardens come up with creative ways to keep cats off flower beds.

As for the dogs to be honest 30 mins twice a day really isn't that much. Plenty of people have dogs barking none stop all day and all night. You could ask she let them out later in the morning and earlier in the evening but it might not suit them to do that. You could try going down the legal road for noise pollution but it's not excessive and the most the Environmental Protection Agency are likely to do is maybe ask they let the dogs out later in the morning and that's a big maybe. I live on a terrace house with both houses on either side being full of kids and dogs and with the nice weather it's pretty much solid noise from early am to after dark but I've just grown deaf to it.

Chattastrophe!

Completely agree with the above ... you can't politely ask a dog to stop barking, just like you can't politely ask a baby to stop crying! Animals are like family members in a lot of cases, it's not like you can demand that they get rid of their pets just because they make a lot of noise.

And they can't keep their cats inside all of the time. Mesh screens would be the ideal solution for you, and probably quite cheap and easy to install. You do definitely need to address the problem - I'd be worried about cats being near my baby, too. But if it wasn't their cats, it could be someone else's cats tomorrow and I think in this case it's up to you to resolve the problem, not them. Personally I don't leave my baby alone while downstairs with windows open, if we actually had a problem with cats getting into the house, I'd definitely be getting screens of some sort installed asap.

Fair enough, maybe she's a bit of a "loose canon" according to landlady, but from what you've said I can't really see anything that she's doing wrong. I feel bad when my baby bawls the house down, because I know my neighbours can hear it (because I can hear their baby too when he bawls the house down!) Nothing you can really do except move, if it really bothers you. That's just life.

shannonman81

Thanks for all the replies.
The screens will defo be sorted.

Just on the dogs barking. I get that dogs need their time outdoors and all that but It's the timing i have a problem with...is half seven not too early to allow your dog to wake the neighbourhood and then 11 and night not equally as bad??

zefer

shannonman81 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.
The screens will defo be sorted.

Just on the dogs barking. I get that dogs need their time outdoors and all that but It's the timing i have a problem with...is half seven not too early to allow your dog to wake the neighbourhood and then 11 and night not equally as bad??

You are lucky, my neighbour lets their dog out at 2 or 3 in the morning some nights, every single morning about 7 and then at night (at 11pm/12am sometimes)
The dog barks constantly when it's out and doesn't stop until it's let back in.

It's a nightmare at the moment as we have the windows open as it's so warm (saying that, you can hear it yapping even with windows closed)
I've never seen the dog being brought out for a walk, so I actually feel a bit sorry for it but the barking, especially early at the weekends is so annoying.

But like you, not much I can do about it unfortunately

Chattastrophe!

It's unfortunate that the times don't suit you, but to me 7.30 isn't that early, surely most people are up and about and maybe even on their way to work by then? Could be a lot worse ...

ahnow

Throw a cup of water just beside the cats when you see them (not at them! Just beside them!) they'll learn quickly not to come anywhere near your home because they'll associate it with that
...no idea what to do about the dogs though.

shannonman81

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

It's unfortunate that the times don't suit you, but to me 7.30 isn't that early, surely most people are up and about and maybe even on their way to work by then? Could be a lot worse ...

I work shift work...so 7:30 really isn't good
Herself doesn't start till 10 most days.
She walks the dogs once a week Saturday afternoon

It could be alot worse but its all relative...when you are just dozing off to sleep at 11 and the dogs are then let out and are barking for half an hour...its frustrating.
Or when you come off shift work and have only been in bed a few hours and are woken by dogs at 7:30 ...its frustrating

By the sound sof it we are just going to have get used to it or move though

Chattastrophe!

Earplugs?

shannonman81

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

Earplugs?

Ya defo worth a try anyway!!

Queen-Mise

ahnow wrote: »

Throw a cup of water just beside the cats when you see them (not at them! Just beside them!) they'll learn quickly not to come anywhere near your home because they'll associate it with that
...no idea what to do about the dogs though.

Second this. Although I would just wet the cat it is not exactly abuse.

Few years ago I had to do this with a cat that used to sit on our wall. The problem was our dogs took serious offence at the cat and would run up and down barking at it. The cat would sit with its ar*e to the dogs and ignore them.
A saucepan or two of water sorted it with one very disgusted and insulted cat.

Had to do the same thing last year again with a different cat. We had guinea pigs and a rabbit in a hutch outside (I had a run in front of it also to give them more room that was open). One of the neighbours cats was stalking them. So used to keep a plastic pint glass of water beside the back door to throw over/near the cat.
Not sure who won really, couldn't leave them out as cat was very persistent, but it would bugger off when got wet.

Lou.m

shannonman81 wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone would know what we can do in relation to our problem...
We moved house a while ago and our neighbour next door has two dogs. She lets the dogs out every morning at 7:30/7:45 and they bark constantly until they go back in approx 30 mins later she also lets said dogs out at night time...anytime really but generally around half ten eleven o clock and they again bark constantly for about 30 mins.
We spoke to our landlord who basically warned us off the woman as she is a bit of a loose canon...

Now the other problem...One of the neighbours has cats(we think its the same neighbour) and they like to come into our house, if we leave a window open downstairs they will be in in a flash, and in this weather having all the windows closed is a nightmare.
We have a baby on the way and the idea of cats coming into the house is just not good..

So...What to do about the dogs?
and what to do about the cats??

Thanks in advance!

Cats= Ask the neighbour to put a collar with a bell on them...you will hear them coming and be able to shoo them. Tell her you love animals but are concerned for the baby and 'shoo' them gently. Close the windows when cooking food particularly meat. If you shoo them enough they will learn not to bother you. But of course don't hurt them.


Dogs bark....there is nothing she can do. What WE do is however try to settle the dog before it goes out so he is not over excited and that works for us to stop him barking. Also if he is very naughty we bring him out on the lead in the garden until he calms down then we take it off.


Talking to the neighbour would help but you say that will not do so I don't know.

If she was considerate it is possible to calm most dogs down ....we sometimes need to let ours out very late at night and always make sure he is calm and doesn't wake anyone. It works for us.

The issue is the woman and not the animals she could make it work if she cared.

Time Now Please

By any chance is your neighbor renting as well?? If so contact the PRTB and get advice, very easy for your landlord to pass off your complaint lightly. However if she owns the house she lives in then contact your local council who should give you good advice, there is a by-law regarding dogs barking constantly.

baby and crumble

Time Now Please wrote: »

By any chance is your neighbor renting as well?? If so contact the PRTB and get advice, very easy for your landlord to pass off your complaint lightly. However if she owns the house she lives in then contact your local council who should give you good advice, there is a by-law regarding dogs barking constantly.

It's hardly constantly.

Hollister11

Queen-Mise wrote: »

Second this. Although I would just wet the cat it is not exactly abuse.

Few years ago I had to do this with a cat that used to sit on our wall. The problem was our dogs took serious offence at the cat and would run up and down barking at it. The cat would sit with its ar*e to the dogs and ignore them.
A saucepan or two of water sorted it with one very disgusted and insulted cat.

Had to do the same thing last year again with a different cat. We had guinea pigs and a rabbit in a hutch outside (I had a run in front of it also to give them more room that was open). One of the neighbours cats was stalking them. So used to keep a plastic pint glass of water beside the back door to throw over/near the cat.
Not sure who won really, couldn't leave them out as cat was very persistent, but it would bugger off when got wet.

Ignorant pig

Taltos

Hollister11 - have a read of our charter - posts like yours can and do earn bans here. Attack the post not the poster.

ash23

Hmmm OP I think you might have moved into my old house!

I had a neighbour who was a crazy old bat and had a dog she treated like her baby. Dog was let out the back every morning at 7/7.30am and every night at 11pm and yapped constantly, right below my bedroom. It used to really bug me because while weekday mornings or weekend nights were fine, the weekday nights were annoying as I'd be in bed and the weekend mornings would mean being woken early.

After some previous run ins with her I decided it wasn't worth the hassle and just grew used to it. Yes it still bugged me a bit but I'd console myself that at least it wasn't all day every day. If the neighbour was a bit normal I'd have just asked could she let it out a little earlier at night so it wouldn't wake us but I knew it'd just cause a massive kick off from her so I left it.

As someone else mentioned there are repellents you can get for cats, natural and commerical.

MugMugs

I had issues with cats coming into my home.

I tried a variety of methods, some that I probably shouldn't put here but in my view I had vermon enroaching on my property and needed to defend it.

A super soaker worked a treat. After a few ocassions of pussy getting a wet snot, they took the hint and stopped coming back.

Obliq

MugMugs wrote: »

A super soaker worked a treat. After a few ocassions of pussy getting a wet snot, they took the hint and stopped coming back.

I turn the garden hose on my cats regularly. Mostly for climbing the polytunnel. They REALLY don't like water

vixdname

cant log in wrote: »

There are plenty of options for keeping cats out that don't result in having to put up a screen. There are a number of planets that they hate the smell of that can keep them out or if you want some fun get a water pistol and fire at them every time they come, they'll soon stop coming in if they get a wet head each time. You can pick up commercial repellents but give the natural options a try first. Check some gardening websites for good tips as plenty of gardens come up with creative ways to keep cats off flower beds.

As for the dogs to be honest 30 mins twice a day really isn't that much. Plenty of people have dogs barking none stop all day and all night. You could ask she let them out later in the morning and earlier in the evening but it might not suit them to do that. You could try going down the legal road for noise pollution but it's not excessive and the most the Environmental Protection Agency are likely to do is maybe ask they let the dogs out later in the morning and that's a big maybe. I live on a terrace house with both houses on either side being full of kids and dogs and with the nice weather it's pretty much solid noise from early am to after dark but I've just grown deaf to it.

Uranus being one of them

ManOfMystery

Don't think there's a lot you can do about the dogs.

We had a similar issue with cats, when we lived in our old house. There was one particular cat owned by neighbours across the street, and it had no problem with coming into your house at all hours if you had a door or window open (most other cars would only lurk about outside). I came out of the bathroom on more than one occasion to find it sitting on our landing. As we had a baby on the way, I took to chucking a bottle of water over the cat every single time I saw it round our house. They say cats can't be trained but this one must have learned to stop coming near ours as we didn't see much of it after a few soakings.

Taltos

vixdname - suggest you have a read of our charter again. We have little (zero most days) tolerance for any messing about here. Either post inline with our charter or don't post at all, folk that break the rules here can find they are on a rapid path to being banned from the forum.

Thanks
Taltos

certifiedcrepe

Not too sure about the cats although the screens suggested by the other posters sound like a good idea.

Regarding the dogs, have you thought about ear plugs? You can get a pair of 3 silicone ones in boots for a fiver, they're way more comfortable than those foam ones. I wear them every night as my family snore quite a lot. Even if you're awake at those times it would be nice to pop those in for some quiet time while you read a book or something of the like.

Also, congratulations on your baby OP

stickybookmark

From http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/animal_welfare_and_control/control_of_dogs.html

Barking dogs
Excessive dog barking that causes a nuisance is an offence. The District Court can make an order requiring the reduction of excessive barking by a dog, can limit the number of dogs that can be kept on a premises or can direct that a dog be delivered to a dog warden as an unwanted dog.

You can make a complaint about excessive barking to the District Court under Noise Regulations. Before you do this, you must first inform the dog owner of your intention by completing a form under the Control of Dogs Act 1986. These forms are available from your local authority.

baby and crumble

stickybookmark wrote: »

From http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/animal_welfare_and_control/control_of_dogs.html

Barking dogs
Excessive dog barking that causes a nuisance is an offence. The District Court can make an order requiring the reduction of excessive barking by a dog, can limit the number of dogs that can be kept on a premises or can direct that a dog be delivered to a dog warden as an unwanted dog.

You can make a complaint about excessive barking to the District Court under Noise Regulations. Before you do this, you must first inform the dog owner of your intention by completing a form under the Control of Dogs Act 1986. These forms are available from your local authority.

I still don't think dogs let out twice a day at what are actually not outside the hours of 'socially acceptable' and barking is excessive.

shannonman81

baby and crumble wrote: »

I still don't think dogs let out twice a day at what are actually not outside the hours of 'socially acceptable' and barking is excessive.

See its not excessive and i completely understand that the dogs need to get out..its the timing of it...

I mean if it were me and I had dogs, If i let them out at 7:30 in the morning and they barked like hers do the first thing i would think is Christ I'm waking the neighbours same thing at 11 at night.

ash23

shannonman81 wrote: »

See its not excessive and i completely understand that the dogs need to get out..its the timing of it...

I mean if it were me and I had dogs, If i let them out at 7:30 in the morning and they barked like hers do the first thing i would think is Christ I'm waking the neighbours same thing at 11 at night.

The way I used to look at it was that the dog has to be let out to pee and poop so it's not really that unreasonable to do it at those hours when you think of it that way.
It's 8 hours between bathroom breaks for the dog so it's kind of as reasonably early as you can let them out in the morning and at night without leaving much longer for the dog between toilet breaks.

Toots

shannonman81 wrote: »

See its not excessive and i completely understand that the dogs need to get out..its the timing of it...

I mean if it were me and I had dogs, If i let them out at 7:30 in the morning and they barked like hers do the first thing i would think is Christ I'm waking the neighbours same thing at 11 at night.

I think the thing is it depends on her routine and what the dogs are used to. It sounds to me like she's letting the dogs out right before she goes to bed at night (most dog owners would do the same) so they don't pee/poo in the house during the night. Same with morning, I always let my dogs our first thing because they've not been able to go all night. In fairness it's not excessive, its just poxy timing.

My mum's dog goes nuts when the next door neighbour's dog is out at the same time as she is (the dog). They'd be over barking at each other through the fence. My mum got one of these http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Outdoor-Ultrasonic-Bark-Deterrent/dp/B000UZNLGA and had very good results with it, so it might be worth considering sticking one on the side of your house that's nearest their garden.

njs030

I'm stunned at the advice on here!! Dogs barking constantly for 30 mins twice a day IS excessive!!
I have 4 dogs who are not allowed to bark at all- obviously that doesn't include if someone tried to break in!
They have the door open to run in and out during the day but if they start barking they come in, end of story. Neither of my neighbours have dogs and shouldn't have to suffer!!

Op, firstly approach the woman and politely ask is there something she can do- explain the situation. Secondly find out if they are renting and if so complain to the prtb.
If she's not renting then contact the council and complain to them.

Best of luck.