My Neighbors are Harassing My Dog

[jgold47]

We just moved into a new condo. We have the end unit (townhouse), with windows on the side. The windows face into the next door property (a single family house), which has trees screening the property ( I can barely see their house). We just a new dog ( a small malteese), which is new to us, but had lived at my GF parents for last couple of years. The dog has some pretty bad separation anxiety problems, which we are aware of and are dealing with. Her new crate is coming on monday and we will crate her in the basement when we are not home. I work from home and I am home 90% of the day (an hour here and there for errands, lunch, etc..). The dog is kept 100% indoors unless she is doing the business outside with one of us.

When we are home, she is fine, but as soon as we leave, she is a wreck, howling and whining (I dont think she actually barks, but thats bad enough). After about a week, we got a nasty letter from our neighbors (the house - we have never even seen the neighbor in the unit next to us), telling us that the dog barks non-stop (which obviosly isnt true since I am home with her all day). This obviosuly greatly upset my GF (and me too) since we have been struggling with getting the dog acclimated to the new place (she still poops inside when she freaks out). Today, after runnign some errands, we got home and my GF wanted me to let her out early so she could sneak up on our place and see if the dog was making noise. She said that not only was the dog making noise, but these same neighbors were howling back, antaganizing the dog. She of course burst into tears.

I was about to walk over there and have some words with them, but that would have ended badly, so I am at a loss what to do. In some way, I feel kind of bad for the neighbors, but its only been two weeks and its not that bad. We ususally keep the windows on that side of the house closed, because we dont want to be bad neighbors, but I feel like harassing my dog back crosses a line.

Any thoughts?

 

[teddieriley]

You got a maltese, what do you expect?

And if I were your neighbors, I'd have a word with you if your dog was bothering me.

 

[globetrotter]

sorry, I like dogs, but I really feel for your niehgbors. I don't know what you should do, but I have more sympathy for the nieghbors having a new dog howling all the time than for the dog.

good luck with this.

 

[jgold47]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

sorry, I like dogs, but I really feel for your niehgbors. I don't know what you should do, but I have more sympathy for the nieghbors having a new dog howling all the time than for the dog.

good luck with this.

I mean, dont get me wrong. I feel bad for them too. I am not a huge fan of dogs, but the GF and the dog were a package deal. Its caused a lot of tension between both of us, because we both want to do the right thing. We are going to work on the dog behavior issues (or its going back to her parents), since I am probably going to start an office job in november, and wont be home all the time. My issue, is that 1) its only been two weeks and 2) they are harrassing the dog, which I dont give a **** what the dog is doing, thats not cool at all.

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by jgold47

I mean, dont get me wrong. I feel bad for them too. I am not a huge fan of dogs, but the GF and the dog were a package deal. Its caused a lot of tension between both of us, because we both want to do the right thing. We are going to work on the dog behavior issues (or its going back to her parents), since I am probably going to start an office job in november, and wont be home all the time. My issue, is that 1) its only been two weeks and 2) they are harrassing the dog, which I dont give a **** what the dog is doing, thats not cool at all.

oh, I understand, and I agree with the harassment, no matter what is up, that isn't cool. it doesn't help them achieve quiet, and even if the dog is making noise, its not his fault (its yours). so they shouldn't be picking on the dog. but its hard to say what is happening, and what you can do about it.

is it a family in the house? maybe the kids were harrasing the dog, and you can talk to the father and explain that you are trying to solve the issue and that he should control his kids until you get the dog settled. or, if its a house full of college kids and they are all being assholes about it, then **** them. I think that the next step is to calmly go talk to the nieghbors. good luck.

 

[dfagdfsh]

how do you know its not that bad if the dog only howls and cries incessantly when you aren't home?

 

[hossoso]

Originally Posted by Teger

how do you know its not that bad if the dog only howls and cries incessantly when you aren't home?

Originally Posted by jgold47

I work from home and I am home 90% of the day (an hour here and there for errands, lunch, etc..). The dog is kept 100% indoors unless she is doing the business outside with one of us.

Your neighbors should stop being total whiny bitches all the time.

 

[dfagdfsh]

I dunno, I feel for both parties, but at the same time the OP doesn't have much experience with dogs and I doesn't seem to really understand that fixing this isn't a really easy/brief thing

 

[philosophe]

Why don't you try to talk to the neighbors? The letter sounds obnoxious, but my guess is that the neighbors fear that the noise will never end. Perhaps if you explain that you're working on the problem, they will be more tolerant. Your dog is not the first dog in human history to have to acclimate to a new situation.

 

[itsstillmatt]

If somebody harassed my dog I would shoot them.

 

[hossoso]

Originally Posted by iammatt

If somebody harassed my dog I would shoot them.

Ladies and gentlemen,
I present to you the first time I have ever agreed with iammatt.

 

[jgold47]

Originally Posted by Teger

I dunno, I feel for both parties, but at the same time the OP doesn't have much experience with dogs and I doesn't seem to really understand that fixing this isn't a really easy/brief thing

I dont, my GF says she does anyways - I have no illusions that this isnt going to be easy, its a 6 year old dog that has lived (basically with a stay at home mom), and another (at times 2) dogs, for the last 5 years. Its not going to be like flipping a switch, but like I said, its only been two weeks and we are doing all we know how to do so far.

Originally Posted by Teger

how do you know its not that bad if the dog only howls and cries incessantly when you aren't home?

We have sat outside after 'leaving' to hear it. Can you hear it? Yes, and if the windows are open on that side of the house (we cant be more than 20 ft from their property line), but the windows have been mostly closed, and its only a little 8lb dog. You cant hear it from the garage, or from the front, so the only way they are hearing it is from the windows. It also pisses me off, because what else are they listening to? Me and GF fighting? *******?

Originally Posted by philosophe

Why don't you try to talk to the neighbors? The letter sounds obnoxious, but my guess is that the neighbors fear that the noise will never end. Perhaps if you explain that you're working on the problem, they will be more tolerant. Your dog is not the first dog in human history to have to acclimate to a new situation.

To top it off, they have a dog as well, a 9 month old puppy according to the letter. Which I hear sometimes when I am home barking, but it doesnt bother me.

As we speak I am going to draft another letter back to them, along the same lines as before, with something in there about them harassing the dog. Very even toned, because I can get fired up if I am not careful.

 

[Manny Calavera]

Don't be the gutless twats they are. Go over, knock on their door and explain the situation just as you explained it to us. That's plenty reasonable.

 

[dcg]

Originally Posted by jonglover

Don't be the gutless twats they are. Go over, knock on their door and explain the situation just as you explained it to us. That's plenty reasonable.

Agreed. Attitude/emotion can be difficult to express through writing. Be positive and let them know you're working on a solution. If they continue to be assholes, then:

Originally Posted by iammatt

If somebody harassed my dog I would shoot them.

 

[Pennglock]

Their tormenting your dog is inexcusable.

But keeping a yapping, noisy little **** mongrel dog in an apartment or condo is absolutely inexcusable. If I were your neighbor I would probably be looking for an opportunity to kill your dog, not even joking here.