Nasty note re: dog barking, what to do?

Little Miss!

Morning all,

Hope to get some advice on what to do in this situation. I got a note in my post box this morning complaining that my dog is barking all day long and that what i'm doing to my dog is very cruel, of course no name or apartment number on this note.

I'm more than annoyed to be honest as pretty certain it's not my dog barking, one resident has 3 little terriers in their apartment that i've heard myself when walking into my place and also there are 6 dogs in total so how can it be proved it's my dog?

Also i get up every morning at 5.30am to walk my fella for over 30mins and in the evening he plays off the lead for over an hour, he goes to the beach once or twice a week for a few hours each time, so he's well exercised. He wears a collar during the day when i'm at work that sprays a lemon scent at his nose if he does bark. He never barks when wearing this as he hates the smell of it! My immediate neighbours say they never hear him barking

I'm annoyed as whoever wrote this note has just presumed it's my dog barking and of course that they had the cheek to comment on how i look after my dog

Can anyone suggest the best way to deal with this?

username123

If youre not there how do you REALLY know your dog isnt barking during the day?

My immediate neighbour (apartment living also), has a small terrier and the dog used to bark in prolonged volleys all day long. I was studying from home so it would disturb me a lot. I said it to the neighbour one day, and he was totally astonished that the dog was barking - as the dog never uttered a bark in his presence so he just thought he had a quiet dog!!

An anonymous note is not the way to deal with an issue however, and unless the person approaches you directly Id ignore it.

Shelli2

username123 wrote: »

If youre not there how do you REALLY know your dog isnt barking during the day?

If her immediate neighbours say they can't hear her dog barking I'd say she's pretty sure it isn't hers.


I wouldn't let the note bother you, whoever the coward is, they are most likely being driven to distraction during the day by some dog, take consolation in the fact that by not having the curtosy to talk to you directly, that nothing will be resolved for that person. Don't worry what people think about you, you know your dog is well looked after, and your neighbours can confirm that.

Cat Melodeon

First off check that it's not your dog that's doing the barking. Try and get your hands on a digital recorder - they can record for up to 24 hrs. If you leave it on while you're away you'll easily be able to tell whether or not your dog is actually making noise. If he's not, then there's nothing else you need to do, bar perhaps sticking a note on your door yourself saying something along the lines of 'my dog doesn't bark, I can prove it, kindly eff off'.

If however your dog does bark while you're away (and you really can't be 100% sure that he doesn't), you need to deal with it as it is a nuisance. How to do that, maybe someone else can advise - our dogs sometimes howl when we're away but it's a detached house, they're inside with double glazing so they don't bother anyone. Not much help to you, I'm afraid!

Cat Melodeon

Shelli2 wrote: »

If her immediate neighbours say they can't hear her dog barking I'd say she's pretty sure it isn't hers.

Sound can travel weirdly in apartment blocks. The sound insulation between walls can be pretty decent but useless between floors. The immediate neighbours might have the radio or tv on , or might be out at the times when the dog barks. The person who is being annoyed might be working shifts and trying to sleep and might be headwrecked by ALL noises, with the dog being the one easiest to attack.

Regardless of all that, if they don't approach you in person you are not actually obliged to do anything about it. There is a process for reporting nuisance barking and an anonymous note is not it. Don't stress about your dog, but in the meantime try to ensure that there is nothing to be stressed about!

RustyNut

Little Miss! wrote: »

Morning all,

Hope to get some advice on what to do in this situation. I got a note in my post box this morning complaining that my dog is barking all day long and that what i'm doing to my dog is very cruel, of course no name or apartment number on this note.

I'm more than annoyed to be honest as pretty certain it's not my dog barking, one resident has 3 little terriers in their apartment that i've heard myself when walking into my place and also there are 6 dogs in total so how can it be proved it's my dog?

Also i get up every morning at 5.30am to walk my fella for over 30mins and in the evening he plays off the lead for over an hour, he goes to the beach once or twice a week for a few hours each time, so he's well exercised. He wears a collar during the day when i'm at work that sprays a lemon scent at his nose if he does bark. He never barks when wearing this as he hates the smell of it! My immediate neighbours say they never hear him barking

I'm annoyed as whoever wrote this note has just presumed it's my dog barking and of course that they had the cheek to comment on how i look after my dog

Can anyone suggest the best way to deal with this?

Mabel he gets lonely during the day, dogs like company. What about a little buddy for him. If he is doing the barking.

kylith

When my dogs were accused of barking all day we set a webcam to record them all day so we'd have visible evidence that they weren't barking. I'd recommend doing that over just an audio recording.

Little Miss!

Thanks all for the replies.

I have my dog over 3 years and he's well used to his routine, when i got him first i used to come home at different stages during the day and there was never a sound.

He is well looked after, i hide treats and toys around the place for him to find and leave the radio on all day for him. I'd nearly bet my life it's not him barking. When i come home in the evening or if i come home at lunch he's always just waking up and looks no way distressed, he has to yawn and stretch before he comes to me!

I'm just annoyed that someone who didn't even have the guts to put their name of the note has the nerve to comment on how i treat my pet - i've had a few days off recently and i've often heard over dogs barking but i just ignore it.

And in fairness i'm going on holiday in a few weeks and i'm taking him with me as i don't wanna leave him with family, does this sound like he's mistreated??

Apartments are weird for sound alright . I had a couple argue every evening and we couldnt tell were it was coming from.

On a side note I had a neighbor call into me because my dogs are barking for 15 minutes at the same time every evening. It actually got me angry as there are other dogs in the area that are barking morning till noon. But he is afraid of those familys.

andreac

Unless you are 100% certain that it isnt your dog barking then i would set up a recording facility and see what happens during the day.

It could be that hes barking for a few hours then going to sleep then as he is wrecked from all the barking. So i would check it out first before you know for def that its not your dog.

borderlinemeath

If there's other dogs in the building then the person leaving the nameless note may have left the same for the other dog owners.

My worry would be that there may be a complaint made to the management company and they may try and invoke a pet ban in your apartment block based on noise pollution, so I would firstly get your dog in the clear with a recording of his lack of noise and also communicate with the other pet owners in the building to try and resolve the solution.

One nameless complaint can escalate if the issue isn't dealt with.

hidinginthebush

kylith wrote: »

When my dogs were accused of barking all day we set a webcam to record them all day so we'd have visible evidence that they weren't barking. I'd recommend doing that over just an audio recording.

I've always wanted to do that to see what sort of schennanigans my dogs get up to when I'm not around! :pac:

Little Miss!

I definitely will be getting some recording gear sorted over the weekend thanks for suggesting it to me, i do however think it's a waste of time and money as i'm almost positive it's not him.

I'll also be speaking to all the other dog owners this evening so i'll find out if they got these notes too.

Re: the management company - not too bothered about it, i'm a memeber and to say the directors couldn't organise a p!ss up in a brewery in an understatement - but that's a whole other issue!

I think it's the gutless way this person went about it that bothers me.

Even if my dog was barking all day which he's not i've often been woken at night with other peoples parties and kids screaming and crying. Am i to presume these children crying & screaming are being abused and mistreated and start leaving annoymous notes?? i don't think so!!

kylith

hidinginthebush wrote: »

I've always wanted to do that to see what sort of schennanigans my dogs get up to when I'm not around! :pac:

If they're anything like mine they'll be invisible cos they're in bed asleep. Occasionally they came out for a wee, and there was 1 episode of barking that lasted 4 mins in over 50 hours of footage; a far cry from the 'all day every day' the complainer told us.

Diddler1977

Little Miss! wrote: »

Morning all,

Hope to get some advice on what to do in this situation. I got a note in my post box this morning complaining that my dog is barking all day long and that what i'm doing to my dog is very cruel, of course no name or apartment number on this note.

I'm more than annoyed to be honest as pretty certain it's not my dog barking, one resident has 3 little terriers in their apartment that i've heard myself when walking into my place and also there are 6 dogs in total so how can it be proved it's my dog?

Also i get up every morning at 5.30am to walk my fella for over 30mins and in the evening he plays off the lead for over an hour, he goes to the beach once or twice a week for a few hours each time, so he's well exercised. He wears a collar during the day when i'm at work that sprays a lemon scent at his nose if he does bark. He never barks when wearing this as he hates the smell of it! My immediate neighbours say they never hear him barking

I'm annoyed as whoever wrote this note has just presumed it's my dog barking and of course that they had the cheek to comment on how i look after my dog

Can anyone suggest the best way to deal with this?

Could you leave your dog in doggy daycare for the day?

ncmc

From reading your posts Little Miss, it actually sounds like you're more annoyed about the suggestion that you are mistreating your dog than the comment about the barking. That's understandable, everyone on this forum adores their dogs and would hate for someone to think they were mistreating them.

Look, this person is a coward. And sounds like a total A-Hole to boot. I know it's difficult, but you are just going to have to try and forget about the note. I agree with recording the dog to make sure she isn't barking just in case it does go further. But to be honest, I'll bet this neighbour doesn't have the guts to actually take it further, he would prefer to hide behind cowardly, mean spirited notes.

It's obvious that you love your dog and treat her very well, so try not to worry about one spiteful idiot.

TooManyDogs

It could be that your neighbour only ever sees you out with your dog so assumes your dog is the only one in the apartment block. I know myself and my friend are blamed for dogs straying, dog poo on the streets, poo on the beach, poo on the pitch, barking, stealing cats food bowls :eek: all because we're the only ones in our village who regularily walk our dogs so they're the only dogs seen with owners to give out to.

Little Miss!

Thanks guys for the replies, as someone suggested I am annoyed that some complete stranger that knows nothing about me, my life or my dog feels they can pass comment.

I guess whoever wrote the note is just a gutless person and i'm going to ignore it. I will however be buying recording gear this wkend to ensure it's not him barking as i'd hate to think he's upset when i'm not there. He's such a chilled out dog tho i'd be more than surprised if it is him.

I know my dog is well looked after, my life revolves around him - sad but true

Thanks again everyone for the replies and suggestions

Bullseye1

The first thing you need to do is establish if indeed your dog is barking or not. As someone above has advised see if you can record them while your away. That way you will have the evidence you need.

If your dog is barking seek some professional dog advice.

Discodog

If you Google "Voice activated recording software" you will find lots of programs that let you record audio via your computer - saves buying a recorder. You can set them so that it only starts recording if the dog barks.

Mrsbananas

We came home today to find a hand written letter posted to our address by one of our un named neighbours, who by the way spelt part of our address wrong, complaining about our dog keeping them and their 'kids' up at night. I'm so angry, our dog sleeps in doors in her crate every night. She is out during the day but comes in every evening about 8 for bed!
We obviously can't reply to this person but myself and my husband have spent the evening recording videos of our dog indoors and all of the out neighbourhood dogs out barking their heads off and I'm contacting the dog warden myself tomorrow just to have it all on record! It's very infuriating being accused of something that your pet hasn't done!

Little Miss!

Mrsbananas wrote: »

We came home today to find a hand written letter posted to our address by one of our un named neighbours, who by the way spelt part of our address wrong, complaining about our dog keeping them and their 'kids' up at night. I'm so angry, our dog sleeps in doors in her crate every night. She is out during the day but comes in every evening about 8 for bed!
We obviously can't reply to this person but myself and my husband have spent the evening recording videos of our dog indoors and all of the out neighbourhood dogs out barking their heads off and I'm contacting the dog warden myself tomorrow just to have it all on record! It's very infuriating being accused of something that your pet hasn't done!

I wouldn't worry about it to be honest, as you have probably read from this thread same thing happened to me last week. I've been recording my dog for the last 2 days while i've been at work and there hasn't been a sound from him, not one bark even!

The person that wrote the note to me cannot prove the barking was coming from my apartment when there are 5/6 other dogs in the same building and many other dogs in the 3 adjoining buildings!!

Don't let it bother you, if someone has a serious problem with anything they'll knock at your door