How does one deal with the neighbor's noisy dogs that are occasionally even loose in the area?
I live on a long driveway that is shared by six houses. The neighbors opposite me are college aged, and they have 3 dogs. When the people are gone, the dogs bark continuously. When the dogs are left indoors, they bark. When they are chained in the yard, they bark and whine. It’s incessant.
Today, one of the dogs was out and off any leash. I left my porch to go to the mailbox at the road, and the dog chased me and growled viciously. I had to back up to my porch without getting my mail.
I called the police and animal control. The policeman who came was very helpful and went to the neighbor’s house where no one was home. He told me that when the dog threatened me, I should bend over and make like I was picking up something to throw at it. I later did this, and the dog did indeed retreat. Still, I should not have to resort to such actions to walk on my own lawn and driveway.
The animal control officer came and cited the residents, who still were not home, for leaving a dog loose without a leash on it. They are not allowed to take a dog that is at the place where it belongs at the time they see it.
I rent my house and called the owner who knows well the problems caused by the tenants of the other house. She promised to call the landlord of that house and have action taken. This is not the first offense.
Is there anything I can do on my own to alleviate the situation?
Have you dealt with animal control problems with neighbors?
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37 Answers
I hate to ask the obvious, but have you talked to the owners yet?
It seems as if you have taken all the right steps so far. If the owners aren’t willing to do anything, I think your only option is to continue calling animal control everytime this happens.
Yes, several of us neighbors have talked to them. The occupants of one of the other houses are not nice people—we’ll leave it at that—and they had a screaming match with the dog owners. The ‘not nice people’ carried the day until today, that is.
(One of the dogs is barking at present and has been doing so all day long.)
Just sad, the poor dogs are being neglected, and the neighbors suffer the consequences.
Tying or chaining dogs is abusive, for more than a very short time.
The owners need to take their neighbors complaints seriously, and maybe even employ the use of electric bark collars to break this bad habit. Once the dog is conditioned through this methodology the barking may cease.
Otherwise, all you can do is keep complaining to the animal services/control people.
I love animals but nothing worse than barking dogs, nothing!
True, you shouldn’t have to go out of your way to appease the dogs, but…OTOH maybe tossing a few treats their way might help. They will make a positive association with you.
Personally barking dogs are, one of the only things, that brings up my murderous side.
I’d carry pepper spray if it’s legal. If more than one comes at you it could be rough.
The poor dogs need a walk or a treadmill. If the dog is coming at you I don’t think it is necessarily aggressive. Aggressive dogs stand back a bit and give warnings. If these dogs are chasing, growling and barking it is most likely due to the fact that the owner doesn’t remedy them socially so they get all pent up and take out their frustrations on whatever or whoever. It is the most common #1 mistake people make when they purchase a dog, they purchase a high maintenance dog and then they have no time for it.
I feel bad for the dogs and you. All I think you can do is keep calling either the police or animal control.
Perhaps I wasn’t clear. The dog chased me down the driveway, and I had to back up to my porch to get back inside my house. The “poor” dog was absolutely aggressive with both me and the policeman. The animal control officer didn’t even get out of her vehicle except to put a citation on the truck parked in the drive of the offending house.
Excedrin headache no 60. As in Marlin model 60.
Also known as the SSS method. Shoot, shovel, shut up.
One of the dogs is now in its fifth hour of continuous barking.
@WestRiverrat Thank you. I am taking that suggestion under serious advisement.
Slip ‘em a doggy Mickey. lol
As soon as the owners leave you give them a sedative in a hamburger. Sweet dreams doggies.
Do you mean to tell me animal control and the police left the dog running off leash? I would think the would take they
dog to the pound.
There’s not much to be done about neglected, noisy dogs, unfortunately. The law does not appear to adequately address it in any situation I have been in or heard of. I used to fantasize about my neighbor’s poor dog dying. He finally did and it was like paradise. You have my sympathy.
But as far as aggressive dogs go: you are a human, and therefore boss over all dogs. Act like it, and even the stupidest of dogs will remember this fact. This aside, most humans have the physical power to take down a dog that is not specifically trained to attack humans. We have the weight and the reach, and dogs attack with the most vulnerable part of their bodies. I am 5’ and 100 lb, and I have stood down an attacking 50 lb-ish dog and dragged an 80 lb-ish attacking Akita off my dog. Just yell “Fuck you!” – the people version of the bark – and punch the little asshole in the face.
@bkcunningham As stated in the OP: “They are not allowed to take a dog that is at the place where it belongs at the time they see it.”
@wildpotato I have never wished for a dog’s death until now.
I’m insane now.
And we continue to debate the cat/dog person issues? lol
Hands down, cats are purr-fect!
Have you called the police to complain about the noise and report the incident?
In my village we have noise ordinances. If you do also, the neighbor can receive a citation for violating the ordinance. We also have leash laws.
You may want to email your police station to write up a full complaint and ask how they recommend you proceed for best results. Let them know all pertinent info including dates/times the dogs are typically alone barking their heads off.
I am now completely insane.
@SpatzieLover Read the details of the OP in their entirety.
I did read it. I am not understanding….
Is the officer following up? Have the neighbors collectively contacted said authorities and explained that all hoops have been jumped through prior to reporting to police.
It sounds to me like an officer came out due to one call to the cop shop. If this is the case, he then goes back writes in his report that he went to the call….meaning from his stand point this is a done deal.
What I am suggesting is literally giving all info from all neighbors over to the police. Give as many times and dates each of you have been disturbed by these loud, aggressive animals.
Ideally you’d contact a superior officer (in my case I’d contact the chief as I know him and he lives on my block). If you or a neighbor personally know someone on the force, that is the officer that should be contacted to assist.
Another way to handle this is for you, yourself, or (via the police) to contact the landlord of said dog home. This is a liability to the landlord’s property insurance.
When I go walking in a neighborhood like that I often take a rake handle with me. It’s a handy walking stick, and no dog approaches me with a weapon like that in my hands. They know it for what it is.
Animal Control, my ass. I’d be moving higher up the food chain, and calling town officials. “Animal Control” should actually be doing something to alleviate the situation. Dogs barking continuously for five hours represent a huge quality of life issue (as you well know!) not only for you, but also for the dogs. When the dogs fight each other or starve to death and the owners have still not shown up, will they remove the corpses then?
This is a huge bureaucratic snafu with “animal control”. It’s at about this point that @WestRiverrat‘s response becomes “mercy killing”.
Someone (not you, I’m sure, and I’m not suggesting that it would or should be you) will poison those dogs before long, or shoot them in the night (and inaccurately, for that reason), and then you’ll have a real mess in town, because “Animal Control” is not what it ought to be. Keep calling them at least every hour that the dogs bark. At least that often.
After hours, call them at home.
My day was an utter waste.
All is quiet now. The dogs’ owners are home, and the animals are all inside.
My nerves are shot.
And I had planned on writing today. No writing happened.
If they are getting onto your property, see if you can borrow some live traps from animal control or state wildlife dept. and trap them yourself. You will probably get a more positive response from the wildlife dept. at this point.
Actually, @WestRiverrat, that is an excellent idea. I can be the bait, or perhaps, some hamburger would be a better bait.
There’s only one way to deal with ghetto people that you’re dealing with call the authorities for disturbance.
That is one situation where the stand your ground law should be applied. Defend yourself with lethal force.
I honestly believe this is all the owners fault and the easiest way to control the situation is to take care of the dogs but I believe the owner needs education because the owner is the problem the dogs attitude is just the symptom of the owners ignorance. What kind of dogs are these? Dogs need socialization and if any of us were locked up all day, we would go crazy to and probably be a little over dramatic. Animals suffer way too much because of us, if it was a child crying motivation to end it would be differentprobably more positive…that is sad to me.
I would keep calling the cops so the owners get cited over and over again. Let the bill rack up. Can they be put in jail for not paying citations? They need to get a clue that this is not ok. Maybe since they are not home they don’t realize how bad it is? An alternative suggestion is ask them to park their car down the street and spend an hour or two in your house (if you are comfortable with that) listening to those dogs, or film their house with audio and show it to them.
I would be so annoyed if I were you. First, I would worry the dogs are suffering in some way. Second, I would be pissed about the constant noise. No wait, first, I would be afraid to walk out of my house! Seriously. I would consider moving probably.
@Coloma I’m with you.
I can tell you what someone did to me a long time ago. They coerced my dogs out of my yard and took my dogs to the pound. My fence was down that day, I didn’t do anything wrong.
Record the dogs’ barking and play it back to them over a loud speaker when they are home. Tell the other neighbors you are doing this, so they’ll understand. You can also give a tape of it to the animal control people and the police.
The incessant barking is bad enough, but not being able to go get your mail is ridiculous.
Sounds like pet ownership is not a privilege your neighbors should have.
I would just keep pestering the authority’s until they do something about it.
Your neighbors are idiots.
The dog owners are interrupting your peaceful environment, which should be a violation of their lease. I hope those bastards get kicked out and lose their dogs.
Sorry you have to deal with this.
A quick update: 2 of the offending dogs, most notably the aggressive one, are gone today. Now, I don’t know if they have simply gone with the dog owners for the day and will be back this evening or if they’re gone for good.
My landlady is being very responsible and is having a fence erected between our houses. It will not be a complete barrier, but it will signify to the dog owners that they must keep their animals in a certain area and away from other areas.
The policeman wrote a report and that information has been passed on to the dog owner’s landlord.
Things are quiet today, and I have regained my sanity.
Just discuss with pet’s owner & tell them about their disturbance in your area.
Update: The dog owners have been evicted. My landlord contacted theirs who didn’t even know they had dogs in the house or on the property, and their lease does not allow for pets.
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