[Danielle G.]

AIBU 11.10.2024​

AIBU, which stands for 'Am I Being Unreasonable', is the perfect platform for sharing your thoughts and opinions! So, for today's AIBU discussion, we have this story from Reddit/Away_Television3779:

Am I being unreasonable for pounding on the neighbour's door because their dog was out barking at 11pm?

'I love dogs. I love my family and friends’ dogs. But the neighbours right next to us leave their dog out multiple times per day and it barks on and off for 10-30 minutes each time. It is usually during daylight hours, so I suck it up because dogs be dogs. But they also let it out after 9 or 10 some nights.'

'Tonight it was 11pm on the dot. As I was dozing off. My irritation had built up so much, I ran out of the house and pounded on their door until they opened it up startled. Then they had some excuse about the dog needs to pee and they had gotten home late.'

'I know dogs need to go. I can also handle barking within reason. But this seems inconsiderate and lazy. People I know with dogs have trained them, walk them, and are considerate to others. Am I unreasonable for thinking that’s how dog owners should act as neighbors?'

 

[Dad n Dave]

Ddefinitely not. We lived next to a neighbour whose dog woke us every morning when the first walkers went up the street. No need for an alarm clock. Same thing if someone walked down the street in the middle of the night. Some dog owners are completely inconsiderate. We have been baled up by dogs when we are walking along the footpath and the owners don't even call their barking dogs away from the front fence despite being nearby. Personally I like friendly dogs but some owners are completely inconsiderate and uncaring.

 

[Gazman]

Ddefinitely not. We lived next to a neighbour whose dog woke us every morning when the first walkers went up the street. No need for an alarm clock. Same thing if someone walked down the street in the middle of the night. Some dog owners are completely inconsiderate. We have been baled up by dogs when we are walking along the footpath and the owners don't even call their barking dogs away from the front fence despite being nearby. Personally I like friendly dogs but some owners are completely inconsiderate and uncaring.

Unfortunately, there is no license to establish if people are suitable to have dogs (all pets). It's bad enough that some even breed children.

 

[Dynamo]

6am barking not good either. We do our best to keep our dog quiet between 10pm and 7am.

 

[what]

Are you being unreasonable? NO! Our neighbours dogs bark at us even when we are inside on the side nearest them. They bark at us if we go out into the garden, They bark before we are awake in the morning. I am getting close to banging on their door and telling them to shut the pests up. They are renting and I have thought of complaining to the Real Estate who rented out the property. OF COURSE it isn't the dogs fault, it is bad owners and neighbours.

 

[PepeLePew]

When new occupants moved in across the road 18mths ago they brought with them a German Shepherd & a Corgi. The dogs were kept in a very small front fenced yard while owners were at work and although the Corgi never barked, the German Shepherd rarely shut up. It annoyed me for quite a while but then it just kind of became back ground noise. Last yr when I had a house inspection this dog started barking as soon as the agents car pulled up and continued to bark non stop and it was still barking when she left 30mins later. When asked about the barking, I told the truth and within a couple of wks I noticed the dogs were no longer in the front yard, so I assume that this agent made a complaint to the council. Things quietened down for a long while after that but just lately if another dog in the neighbourhood barks then the German Shepherd goes off and will keep going long after all the other dogs have quit their barking. Only barks when owners aren't home though, never barks when they are there.

 

[Marilynne]

I am surrounded by dogs these animals are not taken for walks and if one starts to bark, they all start - but it isn't a problem anymore more I go out and say "Hey you guys there is no need for that" - they shut up and I go back inside, it's all good.

 

[Marvin Kombi]

Admittedly, a barking dog can be a source of annoyance, but pounding on your neighbours door at 11:00 at night is far more annoying, unreasonable and borderline illegal.
Look! Most dogs bark. That’s just what they do. I have 4 dogs, (Min Pins or Miniature Pincers.) A very intelligent breed but equally as stubborn and extremely difficult to train. If they want to do something they will whether their human wants them to or not. Personally I have tried every trick in the book to try and curb their barking; nothing works. I’ve had dogs all my life and never have I had so much trouble training them.
So, my dogs do bark a bit, but only during daylight hours, rarely at night. If they do, it’s because there is something to bark at, such as a noisy neighbour! (Ironically, the very neighbour that complains about my barking dog.)
Said neighbour has a newborn baby that cries a lot during the day and night, so when he came yelling at me about my barking dogs and demanding that I get rid of them, I politely asked him if he would get rid of his crying baby! Family pets can be just as much loved as human babies. Added to this dilemma is the fact that most of the residents in our street and adjacent streets have dogs, most of which bark from time to time, no more or less than mine do, so why pick on mine?
Seriously people! If barking dogs annoy you that much……. MOVE!!!! But good luck finding a suburb without dogs!
And, if you must confront your neighbour about their barking dogs, do so at a reasonable hour of the day and do so POLITELY!!!
Having expressed all of that, I also admit that a dog that barks constantly day and night without the owners intervention can be extremely irritating. But, again, approach the situation with a cool head and be reasonable!

 

[magpie1]

Approach your neighbour and explain your concern in a polite manner.....if an amicable solution can be found well and good, if not, then you have a right to live in your home without being annoyed by your neighbours barking dog. You can then approach your local council without any further discussion with your neighbour and creating a scene and let them handle it their way according to their local by laws.

 

[Choff5]

There are attachments that can be put on dogs that stop them barking, check it out

 

[Bill MacL]

Buy a dog whistle and blow it all night long, it'll drive'em crazy.

 

[marni]

Admittedly, a barking dog can be a source of annoyance, but pounding on your neighbours door at 11:00 at night is far more annoying, unreasonable and borderline illegal.
Look! Most dogs bark. That’s just what they do. I have 4 dogs, (Min Pins or Miniature Pincers.) A very intelligent breed but equally as stubborn and extremely difficult to train. If they want to do something they will whether their human wants them to or not. Personally I have tried every trick in the book to try and curb their barking; nothing works. I’ve had dogs all my life and never have I had so much trouble training them.
So, my dogs do bark a bit, but only during daylight hours, rarely at night. If they do, it’s because there is something to bark at, such as a noisy neighbour! (Ironically, the very neighbour that complains about my barking dog.)
Said neighbour has a newborn baby that cries a lot during the day and night, so when he came yelling at me about my barking dogs and demanding that I get rid of them, I politely asked him if he would get rid of his crying baby! Family pets can be just as much loved as human babies. Added to this dilemma is the fact that most of the residents in our street and adjacent streets have dogs, most of which bark from time to time, no more or less than mine do, so why pick on mine?
Seriously people! If barking dogs annoy you that much……. MOVE!!!! But good luck finding a suburb without dogs!
And, if you must confront your neighbour about their barking dogs, do so at a reasonable hour of the day and do so POLITELY!!!
Having expressed all of that, I also admit that a dog that barks constantly day and night without the owners intervention can be extremely irritating. But, again, approach the situation with a cool head and be reasonable!

Glad we don’t live near you. Dogs are not children and need to be trained