I (34M) live in a semi-detached house, and got new neighbours about six months ago, a couple about my age. They have a beagle that they leave alone all day while they’re at work, and it barks. Nonstop. From about 9am to 6pm.
I work from home, and the barking is loud enough to hear through the walls. It’s incredibly distracting and frankly, annoying as hell. For the first few months I just put up with it, assuming the dog was just settling in. But it never stopped.
Last week, I had enough. I went over after they got home from work and tried to talk to them. I was polite, I just said “Hey, just wanted to let you know your dog seems to be barking a lot during the day, I’m not sure if you’re aware”. The guy got super defensive and said “dogs bark, that’s what they do and told me to f*ck off.
So yesterday morning, I found a note taped to my front door. It was one of those passive aggressive notes, written in a swirly font. It said “A kind reminder that some people have pets, and making a fuss creates a hostile living environment for everyone. Let’s all be considerate!”
I was fucking livid. They were turning it around on me for their noisy dog. So I went online and filed a formal noise complaint with the council, including logs I’d started keeping of the barking times. My girlfriend says I overreacted to the note and should have just tried talking to them again. She thinks escalating it to the council makes me the asshole and will just make things worse between us.
I dont know, I feel like they were rude first and the note was just a dick move. AITAH?
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Nta
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No. I have two rottweilers and I manage to keep them quiet. If they can’t control a single beagle then they need to sort something out.
Did they actually say “fuck off,” or are you overdramatizing?
NTA. You should record it all day and send it to them and the council. F em
You didn’t report a dog, you stood up for your peace. Being polite doesn’t mean being a doormat, especially when they mock your boundaries with a cute font.
I have dogs. No way, file that complaint. They can buy a bark collar. Beagles arent the type of dog that wants to sit around all day. Bad owners.
Nah, NTA. They should deal with the dog. Not only is it annoying for the neighbors, but the dog barking all the time means it’s stressed all the time.
NTA.
Nta, you tried to talk to them and they rejected it.
NTA. Your neighbors are bad pet owners. That dog should have something to do while they’re at work. Beagles are working dogs. Ask them to leave their TV on for it.
Absolutely not, because people who won’t listen to your initial polite word certainly won’t listen to you all the repeated times you complain, and you have to go hard at them or it will never end.
(That being said, often it’ll never end until they leave anyway. I hope you’re aware of that. I don’t think you’re wrong, but you should brace for it continuing/escalating because y’know. Dickheads gonna dickhead.)
NTA.
Nooooo NTA. Dogs are allowed to “alarm” which is 1-3 barks. They can’t bark all damn day. And any self respecting Beagle did, indeed blab all day.
NTA. There are many things that dog owners can do to keep the peace. Hire dog walkers to come and take them out, drop them at doggy daycare, hire professional dog trainers, etc. Their strong reaction to me sounds like this has been an ongoing problem and possibly why they moved in the first place.
NTA
They’re idiots and escalated things.
If yiu’re TA, they were assholes first, so it cancels itself out 🙃 also fuckⲉⲙ. Yiu tried being polite
NTA, because you’re right, you were polite with your mention, they got defensive and rude for no reason. Your girlfriend is right in that it won’t help your relationship with your neighbors but wrong that it was unnecessary. The council likely has rules about how long they can bark and other ordinances they may be violating. They brought this on themselves.
Easy NTA. You gave them a polite notice and they got all butthurt about it. FAFO.
NTA. Nuts to people who refuse to care for their pets properly.
NTA You took a stand for your peace and boundaries when they tried to deflect with passive-aggressive notes… which only shows they didn’t take your concerns really, what’s next, a complaint from the council or will they just keep barking until someone finally does something?
NTA – Just because some people have pets doesn’t mean you have to put up with unwanted noise all day.
Being considerate works both ways! Having a dog bark through your walls for hours creates a hostile living environment for anyone within earshot!
They need to find something for their pet to do during the day. Beagles are social pack dogs and hate being left alone! That’s why they bark all day. Not every breed is like that.
The neighbor was the AH when he told you to FO and made it worse by leaving the note!
NTA had you hit instant rage and gone to see them then and there you would no doubt have ended up the ahole here but what you did is in fact the correct response. Their dog has clear separation anxiety and they need to help it, poor woofer.
You could buy a bark box that quiets the dog by frequency or record it and play it everytime you leave the house and they are home so they know what it’s like to listen to.
NTA. If your residences are attached along a single wall, maybe look into purchasing and placing acoustic panels on that wall to act as a sound buffer. That might help reduce the sound some? I’d look into sound buffering options in general.
Matching their energy. Asshole v. Asshole.
Nta!! My neighbor also has beagles in a neighborhood where the houses are fairly close together. Everyone hates those dogs. They never stop howling. I too have made formal noise complaints against them.
NTA Beagles are known for howling. They sick for getting a dog who needs to be around people and have play time,
You are more charitable than I. I took their note (creates a hostile living environment for everyone…) to be a threat.
This is pretty awesome.
NTA. A person’s pet shouldn’t be an inconvenience to their neighbors. Their dog is clearly bored, stressed, or whatever causes dogs to bark nonstop for hours. Perhaps they’re neglected or abused. Animal services should definitely look into this.
NTA. Beagles bark. A lot. It would be better if they took it to doggy daycare during the day.
NTA
I WFH too and when my new neighbors (I moved at the end of March) found out, they asked for my schedule and gave me their number and told me to call if their little ‘shit head’ ever got too loud or they were making too much noise I could either bang on the joining wall or message them and they would do their best to keep quiet.
Their dog went nuts once when they were out and my solution was to go to their window, talk to the dog and give him a treat. It worked. Told the neighbors that evening and in response they bought me a bag of dog treats for my dog and their dog.
No, a petty over reaction would be you recording their dog barking all day, then buying a loud speaker system and playing that on repeat on full volume while you go away for a two week vacation.
NTA. You might need to upgrade your girlfriend though. The minute they told me to fuck off is the very minute I’d be filling an official complaint.
I have a dog . You did the right thing . It can be resolved but may require of time or money to help the dog adjust . That is the owners responsibility.
NTA
Start recording the beagle. In his defense, he is just a dog, and is probably lonely all day, and maybe scared. So he barks at whatever noises he hears either to scare off an intruder or to gain attention.
But his owners aren’t taking care of him properly; that’s completely on them. And the note was a total dick move.
Kids who constantly scream outside while playing have the same effect on me. People are so inconsiderate with respect to many things, noise is one of them. NA
Yta 100%. “They leave it alone ALL day while they’re at work”. Yeah they have a job? Like most adults. They’re right. Dogs DO bark.
NTA. I had a similar situation on Sunday mornings. But it turned out the dog was a sheriff’s K9. The dog was quiet after that, luckily.
NTA. I live in a rural area and hound breeds of every type are everywhere. After one afternoon with my aunts beagles as a teenager, I swore I’d never have one because I couldn’t handle their constant barking/braying. The “God Creates Dogs” video for the beagle is so spot on… give me a neighborhood full of pits any day of the week. Of course they can be well trained and well socialized like any dog but when they aren’t…oof.
So yeah, I feel for you. The bigger the jerk the owner is always seems to directly relate to how poorly trained the dog is.
NTA You tried to be neighborly & work it out with them. They took zero responsibility. Report away.
NTA, but your gf is right, with neighbors like that things will probably get worse if they left a passive aggressive note after telling you to f*** off in person.
Good luck to you sir.
They told you to f*ck off when you tried to talk to them about it and then they escalated things by leaving the note. I probably would’ve put a note on their door stating that you work from home and, though you are fully aware that dogs bark, their dog barks nonstop the whole time they are gone which makes it hard for you to work. I don’t blame you at all for escalating the situation after their response. They may not like it or you, but no one says you have to like your neighbors.
Using a cute font in their note is a violation of your civil rights. Sue them for every scent they have!
NTA. I’d be reporting it every single day until they force the owners to do something about it.
There is a device some use to get dogs to stop barking. I uses a high frequency response signal every time the dog barks. The signal is not audible to human ears.
You may want to take a look on line to see if you can find the plug in version and put it next to the wall where you hear the dog barking.
Ok but not only does that suck for neighbors especially if anyone works graveyard but the poor dog must be anxious AF. I don’t think a beagles meant to be cooped up in a small apartment most the day. Maybe if they hired a dog walker to come walk their dog once a day he would be less anxious
I had a beagle that did this. I was gone for work and he would just bay for hours. My neighbor finally told me and I worked hard with my pup to get it under control. Your neighbor is out of line. I was mortified when I learned he was howling/baying all day. It turns out its a separation anxiety thing. Its not just normal dog barking. Normal dog barking doesnt last hours upon hours smh NTAH I was so thankful they gave me a chance to figure out what was going on and to remedy things and NOT report me/my dog. Unless you went over there cussing them out and being mean you did the right thing. I dont think talking to them again would have gotten you anywhere.
I totally understand you. My neighbor’s dog of unknown breed barks every evening as soon as her owner comes home. He goes out of the house – she barks. She hears his voice – again with that barking. Plus she’s scared of literally anything and you’ve guessed it correctly – she gets extremely noisy. Sometimes I yell at her but she never stops.
Over the years I realized that all of their previous dogs were like that because they lacked attention.
Bottom line: NTA
NTA, that note would have had me red with rage as well. They won’t take you seriously, so play hardball with the council.
Being defensive is the knee-jerk reaction for a lot of people when someone unexpectedly points out a problem or implies a failing on their part, particularly a stranger. If you have a knee-jerk reaction to their knee-jerk reaction, things usually do escalate and become even more problematic. Remaining calm and reasonable can tone down defensiveness and there’s a better chance of problem solving.
NTA they also need animal control in the house. Dog is not having his best life
NTA – your partner is nieve, they would have just upped the anti as soon as you stepped away. The neighbours clearly couldnt give a fuck, given their response. If their dog is barking constantly then either the dog is not happy or has seperation anxiety as dogs are social animals and not meant to be left in the same 4 walls 9 hours a day. Either way, the owners need to sort it out and instead told you to fuck off instead of having a civil conversation. Sucks to be them, they shouldnt have been uncivilised and shouldve shown some empathy to the constant distraction to your work .
After being told to F off I wouldn’t try to talk to them again. It’s being ‘escalated’ but not by you. It’s the neighbors not dealing with it. That dog needs to go to doggy day care.
NTA. Fuck them and their neglected dog. That’s not right for the dog or you, the human neighbor that deserves at least basic decency. It practically ruins your home life to hear constant barking dogs. Been there
NTA. I have 5 dogs. I can’t stand dog owners like them.
NTA. Most dogs don’t behave like this. I lived in an apartment complex and yeah, I’d hear a dog barking from time to time, no surprise. Nobody would care about hearing a bark. I think all of my neighbors had dogs. Then this one dog moved in and barked non-stop. It was agonizing. It ruined the experience. I chose not to renew my lease, and I stated an issue with a dog barking. The leasing person asked why I didn’t say anything and I’m like I had no idea where the dog was.
I wouldn’t bother talking to your neighbors about these things in the future unless you know them well. I just go straight to the “authority” figure so they have to respond. From their perspective, their dog could have only barked for 20 minutes once and that was it. They could have thought you were challenging them.
It’s the same with anything. A business has a card charge issue? Just call your credit card processor and post a screenshot on Google. They’ll talk it more seriously when they perceive someone in a position of authority. There’s also a lower chance of some nutcase “retaliating” against you. I don’t like this world, but it is what it is.
NTA Your asshole neighbours are creating a nuisance and need to be taken to task!!
NTA. You tried to handle it like an adult… they came back with passive aggression and zero accountability. Barking all day isn’t normal, it’s neglect. Filing a complaint after being dismissed and mocked isn’t petty, it’s self-respect. You’re not starting drama… they are by refusing to fix the problem.
NTA. First, you were trying to be polite. You were told to fuck off… then they leave a note on YOUR door reminding YOU to be considerate? Yeah, there isn’t a big enough bag of dicks for them to eat for that.
NTA. Our neighbor has a beagle, and they don’t bark, they yelp/howl – LOUDLY. I couldn’t imagine having to listen to that all day long. And I have a dog. And while dogs do bark, to bark continuously from 9am – 6pm is beyond excessive.
NTA
Your gf sucks.
🤷🏼♂️ bots gonna bot.
Regardless…your girlfriend is right that your actions will make things worse between you, but that doesn’t make you the asshole.
NTA and a BEAGLE?! That means it’s not just barking, it’s howling!
Let the beagle spend its days with you 🙂
Beagle of all dogs barks…. No luck for poster for his ND neighbor story.
NTA. Barking non stop is not normal or acceptable. It also is ridiculous to leave a dog alone for that length of time.
You tried polite, and they escalated the situation.
I live in the suburbs and my dog along with two of our neighbour’s dogs bark. We all take our dogs inside when it starts because it’s simply polite. I may tolerate the barking, but I have no assumptions my neighbours will. It’s entitled behaviour.
Dogs bark. Nobody cares if dogs bark at something that requires alerting. That is a good dog. Dogs that bark all day and or night have bad owners and it is called “nuisance barking” and most municipalities have ordinances against that. Calling the authorities likely will not help but mailing the animal control, and copying the city council, board of supervisors, police etc with a copy of the ordinance attached will likely provide some effort by the city to do something about it.
NTA
Not even in a million years are you the problem here
NTA and !Updateme !! I need to know the outcome!
I’d record audio of their dog barking and play it full blast at night when they’re trying to sleep…if they love barking so much I’d make damn sure they’d get their fill.
NTA OP but get yourself ready for war. These people are going to escalate and make things worse for you. I would invest in a security system for your home and CYA. I don’t know the recording laws where you are but be careful and watch your back. Document EVERYTHING. Dates times, conversations, any retaliations, and I mean anything out of the ordinary. I’ve learned throughout my life that some people really suck who enjoy making other people’s lives living hell. Good luck OP.
NTA. They’re AH owners. The dog is possibly suffering from separation anxiety. Dogs do bark but not all the time unless there is something wrong.
NTA. You tried polite and was told to “fuck off”. Then a snarky note. They escalated the situation.
As a former owner of a beagle – I can agree wholeheartedly with You. I loved my pup but his bark sounded like a cross between a dog being murdered and nails on a blackboard.
I trained mine to have an indoor voice and I never let him bark outside for more than 5 minutes. If he saw a rabbit…people would come running out of their homes asking what I was doing to that poor dog (eyeballing me like I just kicked it or something).
You are NTA. Your neighbour is. You have a right to peace in your own home, and they clearly have no idea that beagles are pack dogs and many are very stressed being left alone. It sounds like this one has separation anxiety.
After their sarcastic note, you know there’s no way you’ll be buds anyway so yeah, report away. You tried with decency and they’re playing the insulted victim. Sadly, there’s too much of that out there in the world. These people can’t handle any negative feedback, so don’t bother trying to play nice in the sandbox, they already peed in it.
In Sweden it is illegal to leave a dog alone longer than 6 hours. These people leave their dog alone for 10.
NTA, they suck and I feel bad for their dog.
Dude gonna tell you to fuck off, then post some chicken shit smarmy note… fuck em. Call and complain to the council and the police and file a noise complaint.
My dogs are barkers. I’m aware. But my neighbors also all have my phone number so that they can let me know if they are barking outside and annoying them while I’m in a harder to hear spot in my house, otherwise they are never left out when I’m out of the house for that reason.
I’m doomed never to live in an apartment with them tho lol
NTA. And you are definitely not overreacting. We have a dog and while he may bark in absolute enthusiasm when visitors come for just one minute or something, or when we have been gone and come home, he’s been trained not to bark and no neighbor has ever complained, as it should be. If he barks and we tell him to stop, he stops. He is trained to listen to commands and listens without fail. Even a little child can tell him to sit and he sits. It’s a pet owner’s responsibility to raise their pet. A dog barks, but shouldn’t be barking all damn day to the point where neighbors can’t even focus on their job anymore. They should go to some course or something to train their dog. Currently we’re also struggling with a neighbor who keeps his dog in the garden day and night and the dog is barking day and night, sometimes it causes us sleepless nights. Now it seems they have gotten a second dog. And we can’t sleep because of their dogs. While ours doesn’t give a peep and peacefully sleeps on his doggy bed. Those people are renting their home while we have bought this place and we’re currently struggling with the landlord of their place because they don’t seem to give a shit.
Why not offer to dog sit during the day? Sure the owner’s an asshole but the dog isn’t. Bet you would love having the pup around. They are great company for people who work at home and the dog would love having some human company. Win Win.
NTA people who lock their dogs up for more than 4 hours at a time are dicksshit dog owners, controversial but its true. If you work all day but want a dog then you should have someone pop in to take it out, get a dog walker or take it to doggy day care.
It’s always the excuse of “oh but he is fine being left”, “All he does is sleep anyways”
You are 100% valid in your complaint.
Make sure they landlord gets a copy of the note and the tenants reaction to a loud hopefully allowed pet
NTA That poor dog. It must be so distressed being alone all day.
NTA. Sometimes, passive aggressive BS like that note deserves the full attention of the council officials.
Advise your girlfriend that you’re not inclined to give the neighbour the opportunity to tell you to fuck off twice.
Definitely nta, the dog has severe anxiety and it’s most likely due to the LONG periods of time that its owners are away. If they’re gone as long as 9am-6pm they shouldn’t even have animals, at the very least they didn’t do nearly enough training or interaction with the dog as a puppy to teach it how to entertain itself when they’re away. I can pretty much promise that my dogs have never spent more than 3-4 hours at home alone, it helps significantly that my fiance and I have semi-opposite work schedules. Idk we make sure our schedules line up with the care of our animals, it might seem impossible for some, but if you’re not willing to switch around your schedule or able to visit home on your lunch break, I truly believe you don’t need an animal. Dogs should NEVER be holding their pee and poop for longer than 8 hours, 6 hours is even too much. Unless they’re on a dog nutritionist approved raw diet, with PERFECT nutrition, they’re most likely in need of multiple bowel movements a day.
Nta. Your gf is stupid
Our neighbour has just got a dog and leaves it caged all day. Shes a very busy person who we hardly see so can’t see why she would get him in the 1st place. It’s a miniature dachshund so probably just to look good as a mascot! But my gripes aside it’s howling, scratching at its cage and barking can’t be good for the poor little guy!
My doggy is a barker so if I know he’s going to be alone for a long time I take him to my brothers so he isn’t alone. It’s not nice to listen to a dog barking for 9hrs non stop. Not the AH.
That is 100000% neglect. There’s also things they can do, get a camera and check on your dog and maybe see if your neighbor isn’t overreacting? Be a decent person about it. Get them a muzzle. So many options. I’ve worked 12 hour shifts and have two dogs and they’ve NEVER continuously barked when we left. Yes dogs do bark. At things. Not continuously and at nothing. That screams unhappy and not cared for properly to me. I’ve called APL on neighbors many times. They will perform an assessment and more people complain they’ll take it more serious too
That note would’ve pissed me off to. You want to make it seem like I’m the issue. “We all deserve a peaceful living environment and leaving your dog to continuously bark while you’re away at work everyday since you’ve moved in can be seen as animal neglect. I care for everyone in my neighborhood equally humans or not and I hope you understand my concern”
Don’t know if you would have been open to it and they weren’t TOOLS to you, everyone & everthing would have been happier if they left the dog with you and you gave it an afternoon walk and let it hang out in a corner of your house. They would have to pay you off course, but they ruined that
Since they turned it on you and said to be considerate, after doing what didn’t sound like an appoligy when you spoke to them, NTA.
As soon as you said it was a beagle I was like, of course it barks lol
Record the barking, get a powerful speaker, aim it at their place and play back the barking when they come home every day. Do not have any conversations with them about this.
NTAH. This would literally drive me nuts!! We have next door neighbors who have two barkey dogs, but the don’t bark all day long, only when we go out in our driveway. They go crazy. If I had to listen to that all day long, I’d be writing to the council too. 🤷♀️
The audacity of saying “Let’s be considerate” after telling you to f*ck off! NTA
You wouldn’t even be over reacting if you recorded their dog barking and then played it all evening when they were home trying to relax after their own work day (bonus points it would probably set their dog off barking again, so they get it double) And when they try to complain “it’s your dog, and you said dogs bark, so why are you creating a hostile living arrangement?” And if they try to file a complaint “I don’t even have a dog…. So clearly this is a revenge complaint”
I have two dogs (as one can clearly be seen in my profile) and I don’t let my dogs bark without attempting to stop them. If they are outside and start barking time to come inside. If they are trying to look out a window and bark at people passing by…. Look I will put up the baby gate to block your view. I will also correct the heck out of them when I catch them barking at things I don’t want them barking at. And if my neighbors complained that they were barking when I wasn’t home I would look into a way to limit that as well.
Yes dogs will bark, there’s a difference between a few lone “woof woofs” vrs an 8 hr “yipyipyipyip fest”
NTA……………You made a decent effort. They are super hostile and vicious. Keep documentation for future legal action.
NTA but your neighbors are.
NTA. My mother in laws dog barks constantly and she never corrects the behavior. She works from home, the dogs not alone, but she just ignores it. I’ve told her repeatedly that I’m shocked her neighbors haven’t called and reported it yet, and they absolutely are in the right if they do.
NTA. The moment they told you to fuck off, conversation was over.
A dog barking constantly for that long can mean there’s a problem for the dog, even if it’s just separation anxiety. That’s something that should be addressed not only to be a decent neighbor but also to help the poor dog. Absolutely NTA, and I have 2 dogs myself.
Fuck that guy. I had a coworker send a cease and desist letter to his neighbor for complaining about his constantly barking beagles. How entitled do you think you are to do something like that?
I would record the dog and play it back at full volume from 11 pm to 8 am.
NTA.. Most towns have codes/ordinances for excessive dog barking outside or inside the home. It’s called disturbing the peace. You did not overreact. The note was bullsh*t and the neighbor’s response when you politely spoke with them is equally bullsh*t.
The excessive barking is also a sign of stress, separation anxiety. “Dogs bark, that’s what they do and told me to f*ck off” is a clear sign the neighbor could give a shit less about their dog’s well being and merely looks at the animal as a possession rather than part of the family. It’s 100% abuse of the animal.
You did the right thing.
Note back: You first. It would be considerate if you brought your dog in when it starts barking.
Beagle? Yeah your screwed, I mean barking is what they are bred for. Why would someone have one (or any dog) is beyond me. News flash-they are a pack animal and simply aren’t engineered to be alone and isolated for hours everyday, they go crazy. I bet the barking stops right when they get home.
You can get a bark device that emits a sound only animals can hear. I got one for $20 on Temu and it works great. Even stops the 2 big dog across the street from me. I only used it a couple days and stopped bc it was freaking out my lil senior and making him cling to me
NTA
You approached it tactfully like an adult and HE took it to the next level.
That note was hilarious. Why yes! Let’s ALL be considerate!
Nta
NTA. Some folks shouldn’t own pets.
NTA. I used to have a beagle. They’re working hound dogs and they have a LOT of energy. It’s also well known that they are constantly barking. Happy, sad, angry, it doesn’t matter. They bark. It’s not a dog I would recommend to someone in a suburban/city area or for keeping as a normal pet, that’s for sure.
NTA. Your gf is likely worried about them retaliating. But you already spoke to them and they escalated the situation, so talking to them again would be counterproductive. Going the proper complaint you’re does not make you the AH. Your neighbors are the AHs and they have forced your hands by being dicks.
You’re trying to protect your peace, but hopefully this also pushes these people to help their poor dog.
NTA. You’re right, girlfriend is wrong. The note was definitely a “d*ck move”.
NTA , you didn’t make a hostile environment they did with the dismissive behavior and letter.
HARD NTA this is animal cruelty leaving it alone like that for such long periods of time. That dog is CRYING out for the attention and love it’s not getting from its owners, reporting to the council was fair but a bit harsh. Might’ve been better to leave a letter taped to their door back with accurate logs of the barking and some good daycare establishments as it de-escalates the situation showing some genuine concern for the dog. Would also just make them look stupid for being so aggressive to you for nothing.
NTA put a camera in your office and record the constant barking so it’s not your word vs theirs. Your GF is just going to escalate matters with her approach. You don’t try to talk it out with people who jump to cursing and yelling immediately. Might want to put a ring doorbell or something in too. They might start harassing you after this.
You should not have to hear this dog in your house, we all need to consider each other. Your neighbor already showed that polite consultation is not going to work. Next step then is authorities that can address it. As to making neighbor to neighbor problem as your partner indicates, that happened when they moved in.
NTA fight thebwild animal with burocracy. Thisbis the human way
Definitely NTA. I would’ve complained sooner. Once in a while is manageable but six months is a lot. I don’t understand why people get dogs and refuse to treat them right. I think there’s definitely more inconsiderate dog owners post pandemic who got dogs but weren’t fully aware of the commitment involved. Doggy day care is expensive but the right thing to do.
NTA
You tried the nice way and they told you to f off. Then they had the gall to leave that stupid note? Protect your peace.
NTA
NTA – these people will not respond to reason.
good job, don’t let inconsiderate assholes walk all over you when you’re in the right
your gf is wrong and just wants to avoid confrontations
escalate it. nta
Please tell your gf that they were hostile first. You were just returning fire after you offered a peace treaty and they refused it! NTA
Our dogs were aggressive, competitive nappers! They could out nap any dog that naps. When they barked it was because there was something to be barked at. The older dog just passed away she was 18. Our 8 yr old Shih Tzu is the real barker, but again, only if there is something to bark at.
I say this for you OP – it could be worse, my sister’s Beagle was stone deaf. Her barking and howling could raise the dead. It was awful!!
NTA AT ALL!!!
You don’t ever want to shit where you eat. Problems with neighbors are the worst. I would drop it entirely.
NTA.
I’ve been on the other side of this fence. My dog was barking, and we didn’t know until we had someone call AC on him. We promptly installed a camera, got him to the vet to get checked out, and started working with training/enrichment for him.
Our letter to the neighbors was to apologize immensely and explain that, emphatically YES, we are taking numerous steps to investigate / remedy the situation.
…… Which is the letter you should have gotten.
NTA.
I think you went too quickly to reporting to the council, which could have serious consequences. I would have tried once more to talk to them, or written a letter. He was out of order at your first attempt but may just have reacted defensively? I’d write and mention that dog sounds unhappy/stressed, also that it’s impacting on your work. If that didn’t get a better response then report.
NTA. You talked to them, they said fuck off, so you did by reporting it to someone who will not tell you to fuck off (speaking of hostile, they started it).
NTA
that poor dog 🙁
I had neighbors like this. They had hounds from hell, and I mean vile and aggressive dogs that got out and terrorized the neighborhood. I had to put up a privacy fence since they kept attacking my dogs through the chain link. They would constantly get out and try and attack my old elderly neighbor and the mailman even maced them once. Leave the doggy door open and it would be up all night till 2am on a weekday barking. Finally went outside and yelled shut the fuck up and they got the hint. Called in every single noise complaint, every single time. Protect your own, NTA
I think you did the right thing in telling them, they’re just assholes. Our neighbours dog would do the same but when we told her she was so thankful because she had no idea her dog was so stressed. I assume she did some training or something after that because it stopped
NTA. Your neighbors are tho.
NTA. People like your naighbors tend to escalate behaviors rather than see common sense or practice human decency. Neighbor leaving a note like that is what creates a hostile living environment.
Take the note, if you still have it, to management as well as your Bark Time Log.
Maybe they should try a ” thunder jacket”. My German Shepard had the same issue and it worked very well to help him stay calm.
Their dog should be taken away to a loving home and they should be kennelled.
I have dogs of various noise levels and I’d do exactly the same.
NTA, you handled that situation with some calm and common sense… but their note was just passive-aggressive nonsense. How do you think the council will handle this?
Beagles surely can bark, loud and long. We had a neighbor who kept his beagle outside ALL the time, night and day. The poor animal got almost no affection. The barking drove me insane. Thy refused to do anything about the barking or the isolation. Finally the damned dog died and the neighborhood gave a sigh of relief. What shows up next? Their kids gave them another beagle! Here we go again. I don’t know what happened because we moved.
NTA – Record this, you need evidence. If they weren’t totally psycho, they would be willing to get a bark collar (not the electric shock kind) to break the dog of the habit.
Youre not the asshole. They were dicks and will now suffer the consequences of their disrespect. But it is totally going to eacalate, these people can do no wrong and will see this as an attack. How dare he respond to our passive-aggressive bullshit.