neighbor wrote anonymous mean note!!!
 

I came home today to find a note on my door with no name:

your dog barks and cries loud!! All day and evening!! Fix this please

First off I WORK AT HOME. Today was the one of the first days I was gone only from 4pm-8pm !!! It wasn't in the middle of the night. I am with Ted all day and night for the most part. I take him with me shopping if I do run errands! I rarely even go out on weekends, I'm literally home all the time.

The few times I have left, I made sure to wait a while outside my door to hear him stop barking. He only barks for about 3 min. at the most when I leave and that's it. He does not randomly bark when i'm home with him or is the type to bark at noises.

I live in a condo complex that is one the few in the city to allow dogs. the first time, a month ago the manager called me and said someone had complained. This really annoyed me b/c there are these 2 chihuahua that truly bark their heads off all day. Since I am home all day, I 'video' taped my dog in my apt. not making a peep and I walked down the hall to record the other real noise makers! now why are they not getting complained about!!

I actually think I know who it is. It's this nurse (mid thirties) who works nights. When I used to work my 9-5 job, she would wake me up at like 3am b/c i'd hear the door slam!! So if my dog was barking for a very brief time it's during the day, when she sleeps.

So should I confront who i think wrote the note? and what would i say?? I guess I'd apologize even though I feel like she is totally over reacting b/c she works nights and moved into an all dog condo complex.

That's tough. :( I'm not sure I would simply because you don't definitely know who left the letter.

Wow. I would confront her and ask kindly if she left the letter. If she admits to it I would apologize but I would also remind her that it is an all dog apartment....dogs bark. I wouldn't do much else, but I would want her to know, that I know, that she left the letter.

I'd speak to the manager, tell him everything that you have told us here. Explain that you're almost always home and you have video proof that your dog is not the noise maker. And when you do leave him alone its only for short periods during the day.You're sorry if he barks/cries and disturbs people who work nights but you also get disturbed by them coming and going in the middle of the night but have never complained because everyone has the right to live their own life. Also leave a polite notice on your door stating that if anyone has a problem they should document the times/dates that they hear your dog so you can find out when this is happening as your in most of the time and he is a very quiet dog!

i would definitely document everything.....even if it means waking up in the middle of the nite and taping the chihuahua's then. Cause if theres enough complaints the condo association can have you removed...and you definitely dont want that! Especially when you're little one didnt even do anything! I would show what you have now to the manager and let him/her know that its not your dog doing it..therefore when someone does complain ....they can tell the complainer its not your dog. And being the wisea** that i am...id take the note..and just pin it on the chihuahua's owners door LoL I cant help it..i'm italian...i'm evil LoL :angel2:

LOL ~ (the Italian comment) :thumbup:

I second this excellent advice!!! Let us know how it goes!

I would be one step ahead of her, call your condo association manager/president and explain that you got a letter from a neighbor and give them a heads up that its possible they could hear from this anonymous person soon. Tell them you honestly do not think its your dog and you have videotape of other dogs barking. Also tell them that you have worked with Ted to get him not to bark and are still working with him. As long as you stay in contact with them they can and will pass the word on to the 'anonymous' person.

Personally Id rather get a letter like that than a letter from the condo association that someone complained... geezz give me a couple weeks to work on the problem before you just go and report me! uugghh (my boys were written up twice in the first year bc someone complained and made false charges in my condo complex also! they said I left them on the deck unsupervised for HOURS on end to just bark! HA - no WAY! Someone could walk by and just take them if I did that, Im not stupid, they were NEVER unsupervised, EVER!)

I would document, tape and have the proof you need. Take it to the manager and tell him/ her that someone has left you a note but here is your proof that it's not this way.

Don't do anything to the lady you think is complaining. It might be someone else and you never know who you are dealing with. People can escalate and then you might have a bigger problem on your hands.

GOOD LUCK!

I can totally relate to you! We just moved into an apartment a month ago. Tiff just came home and she barks like crazy when I leave. I have been taking her everywhere with me because I am afraid someone will complain. She never stops! I swear she will yap for hours... I am actually about to go to lunch right now and I am going to leave her here. I really hope no one hears her! We live on the 3rd floor and I can hear her when I get out of the car! Lol! Good luck!

This sounds like good advice. I would go for the proactive approach vs. reactive.

Sounds like an absolutely ridiculous complaint BTW and totally unfounded, especially with you working from home.

Have you thought of setting up a video camera or a tape recorder so you can find out for yourself just how much he does bark.. And if it is a problem consult a trainer to help with the issue.

I live out in the country on 7 acres and I don't allow my guys to bark because barking dogs annoy me, including my own. If a neighbor has a dog that barks all day I get annoyed. Thankfully no one out here allows their dogs to bark excessively.

I would talk to the manager just in case the neighbor decides to complain to them.

Setting up a video camera when you're not home sounds like a good idea. That way, you can see if he really does bark and cry alot.

I'll bet when she slams her door that causes any dog in hearing distance to bark. Maybe she provokes some of the barking when your gone!! I would do like the others say and document and talk to manager.

I work from home also. I hate to be the devils advocate here, but your dog may be barking its head off out of boredom after you leave. I never thought my dogs did this, until my neighbor mentioned she always knew when the pups were "home alone" because of the barking. We live in a subdivision, and the houses are close together. Once she said they sounded so frantic she thought someone might be sneaking in the back door, so she grabbed a bucket and looked over the privacy fence to make sure!!!:eek:

I was horrified, but she said they could only hear it when they were outside, and it was no big deal. She also said it only started after I started being home full-time. The little boogers get so used to someone being there to cater to their every whim!

When I spoke to the the manager a month ago I explained about the other 2 noisemakers down the hall and how I videotaped it.

She replies 'that's not the point and your neighbors said it was specifically coming from your place. Your neighbors fear for the dogs safety and was worried it was not getting proper care'

ARE U KIDDING ME!!!???? This woman made me cry!


I had tried to explain everything that I typed out here. I think it's my age, I am only 25 but look 18 and I honestly feel like the neighbors are singling me out. Because there are so many dogs on this floor alone that are the real troublemakers.

I suppose I will call this time and explain myself again and make it a point to actually show her the video.

THANK YOU for all your responses!!:

I suggest that if you talk to the neighbor whom you think complained, first ask if it was her, that way she doesn't think you are "attacking" her, then if she says it was, ask her if she is positive that it's your dog and not the others. You can never be positive how they are acting when you are gone, I know Duke used to pitch a fit anytime I left, fortunately for me though when I was in an apt the old lady next door said he didn't bother her much.
for the nurse, it's not your fault she works unordinary hours, and no one legally is going to make anyone cater to her because of that. It's just something that goes along with working night shifts...

HAHHAHA this is sooo tempting!!!

Good idea! I need to speak to the manager before the nurse does.

OMG that's terrible someone would accuse you of that! The manager told me that neighbors feared for the dogs safety!!!! WHHhATT are you kidding me!

Ok I've thought of something really evil here. Make copies of the note and stick it on every door of anyone with a dog. That way everyone gets mad at her and maybe she'll have to move out!! hehe...I know it sounds evil huh? But all of the dog owners need to stick together.;)

LoL That's brilliant!!! Welcome to the dark side!! hahaha!

hehe!! I just couldn't resist :D

sooo tempting! mwahahaha :D

I'll keep you guys updated!

That is a great plan!!! I would so' totally do that!!!!

This made me laugh.:D I would never have thought of that.:cool:

Re: Barking