OT: "Normal everyday noise"

[R D S]

Just polling opinion.... Because I personally am an intolerant, miserable buzzturd. [1]

I was in the garden yesterday evening, 8pm ish, peace shattered by an incessantly barking dog. [2]

Now I know from reading posts on dog forums and other social media that some folk think it is normal and OK for their dog to be barking its t*ts off and this should be tolerated by others. I've seen people complain about people complaining to them about their dog!

So I posted on a local community Facebook group [3], to the effect of thanking whoever was responsible for making me rue summer.

A response I got, presumably from the owner, was that people should tolerate normal everyday noise, and by the way her dog doesn't just bark in summer. [4]

She might be right? I'm not King of the Universe. [5]

[1] But a largely quiet one. [2] Not uncommon. [3] I know, shamed, i've since deleted the thread. [4] She missed the point that it isn't such a problem in winter. [5] Which is a ####ing good job for her and many like her.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

All dogs do bark, its their job, but constant barking suggests a complete lack of care by the owner. I also believe it is a Statutory Nuisance.

[polygonum_on_google]

Completely understand.

We are very lucky - a very quiet area despite being "town" rather than "country".

But building work (lots) has become a right pain. Seems silly, but the disc cutters are the worst of the lot. The big diggers are really not too bad.

Dogs - yes, quite a few, but don't hear them at all much of the time, and even then, bearable.

Our BIG issue is the person with a Harley. Likes to run it in his garage, revving, then eventually (maybe) going for a ride. The combination of that noise and the smell of half-burned petrol...

By the way, are you working at present? I sent an email...

[R D S]

Yes, the missus appears to have sent you a reply, have a look in 'Junk' but i'll send it again....

[Clive Arthur]

It /may/ be a statutory nuisance, you'd have to fill in log sheets which you can probably get from your council's Environmental Health department. Evidence is everything, and if you can get other neighbours to support you that's very good.

The council officers probably won't want the extra work, but I believe they are obliged to investigate Statutory Nuisance complaints.

[R D S]

Indeed as did ours, and barking dogs are a benefit to a neighbourhood in terms of security.

I don't know why their barking dog doesn't bug them?

[Dave Liquorice]

Presumably because they aren't at home and Fido has be shoved into the gard/yard and wants to be let back in.

[spuorgelgoog]

Only if they bark only when disturbed.

A continuously-barking dog is as much use as a continuously-bleeping smoke detector.

Owain

[Hans]

R D S [e-mail] wrote in news:rc8572$gbf$ [e-mail]:

. . . . . machete

[The Natural Philosopher]

closest neighbours here have a dog that occasionally yaps. It sounds a nice enough doggie.

They cut down the aspens in the from garden 'becaus the noise they make scares their daughter' Fucking townie suburbanites

[T i m]

I think selfish / ignorant people are less likely to react badly (and often that's the best you can hope for) to any perfectly reasonable requests to act responsibly, if you make it look like you are concerned, not just suggesting they were socially irresponsible.

'I was worried your dog was ok as it sounded distressed' ... ?

Daughter approached a new barking / whimpering dog heard in the flat below like that and the owners apologised and suggested it might only be a temporary situation (b/f moved in, dog left alone etc).

She qualified her intentions by offering to take the dog out for a long walk (with hers, tired / sleeping dogs generally make little noise <g>) when they were out or even having it in her flat for a while etc.

Not so easy if the people aren't know to you etc.

Cheers, T i m

[anonymousrapscallion]

When I was a kid, we had neighbours with sausage dogs that yapped throughout the day, but especially when anyone used the side path of our house, to access the side/rear door. I always recall my dad getting home from work one day, in a filthy mood, only to be greeted by unusually vigorous yapping. Without a word and with a thousand yard stare in his eyes, he calmly put down his briefcase, took off his jacket and tie, picked up a slipper and walked to the side door. He leaned over the (low) fence and gave one of the yapping sausage dogs a proper, full-swing slippering around the chops. That dog became unusually quiet whenever my dad was about.

Ant.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

Erm, often its not the barking, but the frequency range its in. To me Yappie small dogs are often more annoying. Myself I am OK with dogs, you can teach them to be quiet in most cases of course, but some folk feel that the dog is the top dog, not them. No my bugbear on a nice summers evening or day is powertools. Angle grinder man, Strimmer man, the powered chipping devices, then there are all manner of unknown gadgets including hammer drills that seem to come out on such days. There used to be a family near me with a swimming pool in the garden, and it was a magnet to the local kids on a sunny day, yelping children and splashing are fine for short periods, its nice to hear folk having fun but not all day. Similarly, those who decide to have a party, they put the music on loudly on a crappy system then proceed to attempt to talk loudly to get over the music. I did once offer my advice that if they were not actually listening to the music, why have it on at all, but one slightly worse for wear party goer suggested he might rearrange my face if I did not stop being such a killjoy. I'm not a party animal you see. Bah Humbug. Oh, and the guys who test their motor bike engines almost to destruction must surely all be deaf by now. Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

On the other hand there could be a business opportunity for dog trainers and behaviourists here. Its not exactly lack of care, its lack of control. if the owner is not seen as leader of the pack then the eventual outcome is that the dog becomes the leader. Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

Its the same reason why people who live near the railway do not see the train noise as a problem. They become immune to it. Brian

[Andy Burns]

Which might be ok if the owners a) tried to teach them b) realised how much noise their dogs make when left alone

neighbour's dog repeats a pattern of bark-bark-bark-bark every few seconds when it's feeling lonely, so several thousand times an hour, and that can go on for many hours if they go out for the evening ...

[Tim Lamb]

In message <rc9s5q$vkv$ [e-mail], "Brian Gaff (Sofa)" [e-mail]> writes

Hmm. Classic case here. Rural lane with culvert type road bridge over shallow stream. Half mile from village centre so an ideal *clover leaf* dog walk route.

Numerous dogs have trained their owners to throw stones/sticks upstream for them to pretend to chase. Yapping loudly when the owner stops.

Remonstrating with such idiots follows predictable lines usually terminating with *you don't own the water* followed by *is he standing on it?*

[Spike]

Spot on.

Dogs are hierarchical, so 'Top Dogs' eat first. The usual way to put a dog in its place is to feed it after rather than before the family meals. Once that message has gone home, and it's very quick, the dog can be told to be quiet, and will very soon get the idea and shut up.

[charles]

ring the RSPCA

[Clive Arthur]

I live and work near a hospital with a busy A&E department. Ambulances whizz pass quite frequently with their flishy-flashy and nee-naw. The only time I notice is when I'm on a Skype call and someone else points it out.