People are so rude

[MilesDavis]

When I got Miles in June, I was so worried about this issue. I live in an apartment complex, with neighbors above, below, and on both sides of me. Miles had really, really bad separation anxiety for the first couple weeks I had him, and would bark whenever I left...every day for work.

So I decided to get to my neighbors before they could get to me. I put on my happiest, friendliest smile, and went door to door with Miles, and told them the situation. I told them that if they ever had an issue they felt like they needed to bring up with me, to call me personally, and gave them a card with my number. It's really funny how it worked. I never heard any complaints (and I KNOW he must have been annoying in that first week or two). When I have talked to any of my neighbors since then, some of them will admit that they heard him, but they'll just shrug it off and say that it was "no big deal". I have a feeling that had I not made the first move, the situation could be different (with noise complaints, etc).

I know how mad you must be (I have dealt with anonymous messages before...so immature)...but maybe it would help to kill them with kindness. Talk to your neighbors and tell them there was an anonymous message left, and ask them straight out if they've had any issues with noise from your dog. Explain that you don't want to be "that" dog owner, and that you really want to know if his barking is disturbing anyone. If someone speaks up, be super friendly and talk it out. If they don't, then it's their fault for not bringing it up to you. After all, it's really hard to leave a nasty note on the door of the sweet little girl with the cute dog.

[melanie daley]

Originally Posted by molly moo

some people,
i had this once a couple of years ago when i got home from a long day out with the kids to a envelope through my door with fag butts in and a cutting from the newspaper about picking fag buts up from the floor or there is a £50 fine with YOURS circled round the article,would not of minded but i dont even smoke lol, so i knocked on the ladys door who was a busy body and told her they wasnt my butts on the floor and told her not to stick them through my door as my 2 young children could of eaten them and she denied it a looked very embarrassed, i was so mad
Tracy x

Oh wow!!! Now THATS taking it to a whole other level!! I know, some people are just nuts

[melanie daley]

Thats a great Idea!! But I have A LOT of neighbors (as well all do!!) Guess I would need to go door to door and just start asking people!!

Thats a great idea, thank you so much!!

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by melanie daley

Oh yeah I get it, and thanks.... I do leave animal planet on for them... Maybe I should start closing my curtains, Roxi has a tendancy to sit in the window and maybe she is barking... Maybe I will look into that machine (can't remember the name) thats supposed to curb barking...

I just think coming and speaking to someone in a civil manner is the right way to go... The note ticks me off more than if someone just came to us..

Thanks Nancy!!

I totally agree with you about the anonymous note, it kind of gives you the creeps when it's happened to you, but I learned over the years, you can never tell how people will react to certain things, some people are really hell bent on revenge. Another thing, its quite possible it's came from someone who really likes you, but didn't want to hurt your feelings, or ruin the relationship they have with your. Let's face it, you would still be upset if the note were signed by Ms. Crusty.

By the way, I do think pennies in a can works better for stopping barking than the squirt bottle, it's too easy for the squirt bottle to become associated with you, and this means that barking is safe to do when you're not there. Loud noises can happen independently of you, and aren't as likely to be linked with you being there.

About Animal Planet, that's about the only channel that Joey barks at. Seeing all those dogs and even horses sets him off, don't your dogs bark to that?

[ChantalB]

Oh I've been there too. After 2 anonymous letters , I got a letter from the condominium corporation saying I had 2 weeks to fund a new place for my pets!!


So I sold the condo...

Make sure you put the TV REALLY lound before you leave...it help...

Doggy day care is an other way to keep the pet if thing became worst...

Best of luck

[melanie daley]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I totally agree with you about the anonymous note, it kind of gives you the creeps when it's happened to you, but I learned over the years, you can never tell how people will react to certain things, some people are really hell bent on revenge. Another thing, its quite possible it's came from someone who really likes you, but didn't want to hurt your feelings, or ruin the relationship they have with your. Let's face it, you would still be upset if the note were signed by Ms. Crusty.

By the way, I do think pennies in a can works better for stopping barking than the squirt bottle, it's too easy for the squirt bottle to become associated with you, and this means that barking is safe to do when you're not there. Loud noises can happen independently of you, and aren't as likely to be linked with you being there.

About Animal Planet, that's about the only channel that Joey barks at. Seeing all those dogs and even horses sets him off, don't your dogs bark to that?

You bring up great points.. God I love your advice!!!! They don't bark on Animal planet, but I will try something else.. And I'm going to switch to the cans, and try that bark machine thing... I'm also going to start closing the drapes, and windows... The bottom line is that I LOVE my new house, and the LAST thing I want is problems... You bring up an excellent point about the spray bottle, and honeslty doesn't even seem to bother her that she's getting squirted in the face anymore!! I'm doing the cans starting today!!

They also bark for different reasons ya know?? Roxi barks for attention, and Rocco barks at passers by or noises.. Rocco has a very quiet bark, but Roxi's is pretty piercing...But NONE of it is excessive at all.. I am going to make all these changes and see what happens...

Thanks for your help again Nancy... your my fave YT'r!!!!! XXX

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by melanie daley

You bring up great points.. God I love your advice!!!! They don't bark on Animal planet, but I will try something else.. And I'm going to switch to the cans, and try that bark machine thing... I'm also going to start closing the drapes, and windows... The bottom line is that I LOVE my new house, and the LAST thing I want is problems... You bring up an excellent point about the spray bottle, and honeslty doesn't even seem to bother her that she's getting squirted in the face anymore!! I'm doing the cans starting today!!

They also bark for different reasons ya know?? Roxi barks for attention, and Rocco barks at passers by or noises.. Rocco has a very quiet bark, but Roxi's is pretty piercing...But NONE of it is excessive at all.. I am going to make all these changes and see what happens...

Thanks for your help again Nancy... your my fave YT'r!!!!! XXX

Oh what a sweet reply, I don't often post replies that the OP "wants to hear", and sometimes get people really upset; it's wonderful to read a reply such as yours, you can tell, you aren't just complaining, but actually want to do something about this, if there is indeed a problem.

[melanie daley]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

Oh what a sweet reply, I don't often post replies that the OP "wants to hear", and sometimes get people really upset; it's wonderful to read a reply such as yours, you can tell, you aren't just complaining, but actually want to do something about this, if there is indeed a problem.

I totally want to fix it, I don't believe its a real big problem, but rather someone just home all day that needs something to bitch about (Mrs. Crusty maybe) .... BUT I love real feedback, and sometimes here on YT it is a fine line between constructive critisism and plain rudeness. Not from you, but I'm sure you see it all the time just like I do.... Especially lately around here

Thank you again, I am going to put all these new tactics in place today... Just in case.

[nvnvgirl]

Originally Posted by melanie daley

You bring up great points.. God I love your advice!!!! They don't bark on Animal planet, but I will try something else.. And I'm going to switch to the cans, and try that bark machine thing... I'm also going to start closing the drapes, and windows... The bottom line is that I LOVE my new house, and the LAST thing I want is problems... You bring up an excellent point about the spray bottle, and honeslty doesn't even seem to bother her that she's getting squirted in the face anymore!! I'm doing the cans starting today!!

They also bark for different reasons ya know?? Roxi barks for attention, and Rocco barks at passers by or noises.. Rocco has a very quiet bark, but Roxi's is pretty piercing...But NONE of it is excessive at all.. I am going to make all these changes and see what happens...

Thanks for your help again Nancy... your my fave YT'r!!!!! XXX

I agree with Nancy too. And with MilesDavis too! Luckily, we don't live in an apt. but I know my two bark at anything they hear at the front door (and any doorbell or knocking they hear on television too).....not sure if they do it when we're gone and they're alone, but I know they do it when we're home. That would annoy me if they weren't my dogs. And what "isn't excessive" to YOU, may be incredibly ANNOYING to someone who is used to complete silence most of the time.

I used to live in an apt though, with neighbors above and next to me; I had 2 Moluccan cocktoos, and one of them could scream loud enough to be heard almost a mile away (that's not an exaggeration), and screaming was his most FAVORITE thing to do; if he wasn't screaming, it meant he was probably chewing the sheetrock on the walls or the carpeting or the doors. But whenever anybody moved in in the set of apartments I lived in, I tried to introduce myself to them and explain about Valentino and that if it bothered them to please let me know. I had a few other issues with some of the neighbors over the years, but in the 14 yrs we rented there, I had not one complaint about the birds being noisy.

I think letting people know that you're willing to do anything to make them happy and comfortable (within reason of course) from the get-go really helps to avoid problems. I used to have an answering machine that had a "listen in" feature on it, so I could hear what was going on in my apt, when I called it (that was pretty cool, now that I think about it), so I did call during different times of day to check to see if they were being noisy. Better to be armed with valid information just in case. I think Nancy's idea of recording them during the times you're gone would help. A video cam would be good too; like maybe one of those baby cams and if they ARE barking, you could ascertain what it is that's making them bark.
Good luck, it's so hard living in close quarters, and I'd be upset over someone doing that anonymously too, but then, I think the people who say that these days, you never know what strangers are really like, and it's just safer. I personally wouldn't do it, b/c I'd think that whoever it was, would KNOW it was ME, LOL.

[BamaFan121s]

Originally Posted by melanie daley

Thanks for your help again Nancy... your my fave YT'r!!!!! XXX

Geez, not again. I'm telling you guys, you are really going to have to stop giving Nancy a big head here! I mean, she's OK and all, I might put her in maybe my Top 10 Favorite YT'ers, Top 50 at worst, but....

(of course, you know I'm kidding!)

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by BamaFan121s

Geez, not again. I'm telling you guys, you are really going to have to stop giving Nancy a big head here! I mean, she's OK and all, I might put her in maybe my Top 10 Favorite YT'ers, Top 50 at worst, but....

(of course, you know I'm kidding!)

Lol, you either love me or hate me, much like yourself, hmm Bama? Top 50 at worst? Does that mean I'm in your top 50 for the worst YT'ers? Now that would be a fun poll. I'm gonna start making a list right now.

[BamaFan121s]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

Lol, you either love me or hate me, much like yourself, hmm Bama? Top 50 at worst? Does that mean I'm in your top 50 for the worst YT'ers? Now that would be a fun poll. I'm gonna start making a list right now.

Ooh, oooh! I wanna be at the top of your list! I wanna be at the top of your list! Or would it be at the bottom? You are a brave woman comparing yourself to me...or at least that's what I hear. You know you are one of my favorites too.


My apologies to the OP for hijacking your thread. I can be your least favorite YT'er for that if you want.

[linz06]

I read this thread a few times, and just got an idea. Sometimes dogs act differently when you're gone, and you never know if the neighbors who say they don't bark much just don't want to hurt your feelings, or maybe they're dog lovers themselves and don't mind! And let's face it, not everyone loves dogs, just as not everyone can deal with screaming children.
Have you thought about maybe setting up a camera in your home to see what they're really like when you're gone? And that way maybe you could even pick up on what's CAUSING the barking in the first place, whether it be the tv, or people walking by, or just loneliness!

[blueangel32]

People are so rude. When I was married, less than a yr ago, we lived on a military base in Texas. We lived in townhouses and the people on both sides of us were cool. Then the one moved out and a wicked witch moved in. I would get home from work around 5:30 PM and let my dogs out. They would run around the back yard playing and barking. Well the witch next door decided to start tossing a bucket of water on my little yorkie. At first I couldn't figure out why she was always wet then I noticed a bucket beside her door. One day I let them out and heard her open her door scream at them then throw the water on them. Thank god I moved cause we would have had it out. Ya know dogs bark, and after all it was in the day.

[nvnvgirl]

Originally Posted by blueangel32

People are so rude. When I was married, less than a yr ago, we lived on a military base in Texas. We lived in townhouses and the people on both sides of us were cool. Then the one moved out and a wicked witch moved in. I would get home from work around 5:30 PM and let my dogs out. They would run around the back yard playing and barking. Well the witch next door decided to start tossing a bucket of water on my little yorkie. At first I couldn't figure out why she was always wet then I noticed a bucket beside her door. One day I let them out and heard her open her door scream at them then throw the water on them. Thank god I moved cause we would have had it out. Ya know dogs bark, and after all it was in the day.

If I saw someone do that to ANY dog, much less MINE, one of us would be in JAIL probably. You mean you honestly didn't even SAY anything to her? O M G...how did you restrain yourself??? I don't think I could have to save my life!!!