Bad Neighbour

[caroljay]

Hi Folks , :evil:

I like probably many of you have a neighbour from hell  :evil:  :evil: . When we first got Coco she was OK , :twisted:  then as time went on she complained about everything . Coco can't even pass wind in the same direction without her having a winge  :roll: .

She complained about his crying - Coco has had 5 homes in his 13 months on earth ( including the breeders ) so when we go out yes he does howl a bit . So we paid for a dog trainer to come for a 1 to 1 session . She then claimed I was cruel leaving a dog in the house all day on his own .

My partner walks Coco at 6AM every morning ,  :shock: at 9PM at night I walk him  :roll: . Everyday the man 2 doors up comes in to '' have man to man chats '' :?  with coco !!!! and at the weekend we take him over country parks ertc for 2 hours on a Saturday and Sunday .

Apart from this we bought the anti-bark collar so all in all an expensive week , £250 down she is still winging ...........you will love this .

 :x  :x She has told 3 of the neighbours that they have foxes digging up their back garden because we have a dog and his poo attracts foxes . The fact that she leaves her bins out on a sunday night for the dustmen and uses a fertiliser that contasins bonemeal has nothing to do with it .

I have a good career but I would forgo it to punch her one in the trap .

One of her other suggestions was that we should find a '' dog minder '' like a child minder and drop Coco off in the morning and pick him up at night .........1 - Whats the point of having a dog , Coco has had enough upset in his life without thinking he's off again .2- Who pays for this .

I really don't believe some peoples mantality - she lives in a terrace house and has a ''Detached attitude ''


Thanx for letting bme get that off my chest  


Love CJ and Coco :wink:                    

[TOPAZ BILLY]

Caroljay,
I do sympathise, falling out with neighbours is a terrible thing  You may have already tried it but does coco have access to toys such as kongs and haverballs (things you can stuff with treats etc :? ) Our Billy loves these and on the occasions that he is left for more 4+ hours we make sure he has plenty to keep him going.  

We both work as well but my husband works alternate shifts, murder if you are planning anything but great for Bill, and on the weeks that we both work days like you we have a great neighbour who comes in and walks him midway through the day maybe your neighbour rather than just chatting with him could take him for a short walk? or even round to his house for a couple of hours to give your other neighbour a break :roll:

The other thing I have heard mention of is a plug in diffuser (like one of those air freshener things) I forgot what it is called but it gives of a scent which will help calm a dog down.

I am sure someone with more experience will be along shortly to offer some more advice.

Michelle                    

[Shirley]

Hi Caroljay  

I have no idea how much noise Coco is making, it may be that she is just a born whinger.  

I do, however know that after living for 3 years (in a detached house) with dogs barking day and night in the neighbours garden, that it is extremely annoying.  We have now moved and I am always conscious of Morgan barking too much when he's out in the garden.  

Michelle's ideas for using the kong and havaball would be worth trying as they might distract him from the fact that you've left the house and by the time he's finished with them he'll be full up and ready for a sleep    The diffuser thing is called a DAP diffuser - never tried it but I think Gill has  :wink:

If she's blaming everything (foxes, etc) on your dog, then she's obviously going a bit OTT but if you keep yourself in the right then she'll have to go and find another neighbour to whinge about.  Maybe a neighbour with some of these children that Colin's been telling us about  

Shirley                      

[*Jay*]

Hi Carol,

Your post made me laugh - think it was the punching her in the trap comment that did it :wink:    I also have a very annoying neighbour - hence I'm planning to move later on in the year before my next pup comes along and gives him more cause to moan :roll:  My Dallas is also a whinger - a REAL whinger - and this tends to happen when we are getting ready to go out or food time. He even throws himself against walls :shock:  He wears an aboistop when I'm out at work and I leave a radio on quite loudly. He also barks when he gets excited so I have to stop them playing in the house.  Anyway, when the neighbour said that they walked too loudly  :!:  I knew I was fighting a losing battle :roll: I now feel that, like your darling neighbour, he is moaning just for the sake of moaning. I'm about to put all my DAP diffusers back in, get my clicker training books out and give that a go. And if that fails, the behaviourist is getting called in :?

PS Next house is going to be detached :evil:                    

[Hel]

Carol

Do you know how much howling Coco is doing when you leave him?  If it is going on for long periods of time, day after day, it is not surprising that your neighbour is getting annoyed.

One of my rescue dogs, Fletch, can howl for England and can keep up the howl for hours.  I can hear him down the street, over the noise of the traffic from the main road!  If I lived next door, or indeed several doors away,  to Fletch and he howled, as he can howl, I would be complaining!

Luckily I was able to cure Fletch's howling when left in a matter of days (he was an only dog at the time).  Instead of following the usual advice of ignoring him when going out and coming in, I did the opposite.  I told him I was going to work, looked miserable and waved him goodbye.  After a few days, no howling at all.  I still (well over a year later) have to go through the routine - if I just pop out without doing it, he howls.

I've fostered rescues since then with separation anxiety (according to their past owners).  All have picked up on the routine immediately and have been happy to be left, with no noise and no damage.

Helen                    

[Michele]

Carol, you could try leaving a tape recorder on whilst you were out, to record the level of howling/noise that Coco is making. That way you would know just how valid this neighbours complaint is.
Also, would the man who comes in for a chat, consider taking Coco for a short walk, just to break up the day.