| Author | Message | ||
     Tuxedo Citizen Username: Tuxedo Post Number: 111 Registered: 7-2004 |
For all of you well-intentioned people who suggested that I sack up and firmly, but politely speak with my neighbor about his dog -- the neighbor I've known for 5 years and had had the friendliest relationship in the world with... I'm here to tell that honesty is NOT the best policy. Just as my wife predicted, he flipped out on me. I mean complete hysteria. He could not believe that his poodle would make such noise, and said outright "I don't believe you." His final words were, and I quote, "I'm not going to do anything about it. You're just going to have to deal with it." It's clear that you can't count on people to react rationally to what they perceive to be criticism about THEM (it wasn't about them, but their dog). I mean, it's not like I told him that the paint job on his house is unacceptable, or that he's got B.O., I simply let him know that his dog barks ALL DAY LONG when they're not home. So what's my next step? Start blasting Motley Crue at all hours? Get drunk and throw up on his doorstep... then tell him "you're just going to have to deal"? | ||
| Mayor McCheese Supporter Username: Mayor_mccheese  Post Number: 2237 Registered: 7-2004  |
Record his dog barking, get some good speakers, and play it back for him at all hours of the night. Or, kill the dog. | ||
| MeAndTheBoys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 4393 Registered: 12-2004  |
Sorry to hear that Tuxedo. Guess you've done all you can do to be a good nieghbor. If the barking is really disturbing you, you probably have no choice but to contact the proper authorities. I would suggest you try to get other neighbors who are bothered by it do the same. Some people are rational and some people are not. You did your best and he was a jerk. | ||
| hch Citizen Username: Hch Post Number: 368 Registered: 8-2002 |
Give the guy some proof. | ||
| fabulouswalls Citizen Username: Fabulouswalls Post Number: 243 Registered: 10-2005  |
When I lived in Maplewood my next door neighbor did receive a barking ticket. The neighbor behind him worked nights and the dog barked when he was out during the day. The dog was not left out for any long stretch of time but just long enough to annoy the heck out of this guy. I will admit that as the next door neighbor it was annoying at times but I would call him up or just go over and put the dog in the house myself. BTW. He tried to fight the ticket but lost. | ||
| Alleygater Citizen Username: Alleygater Post Number: 2545 Registered: 10-2004 |
The EPA can be contacted and they will come over on a random day to monitor the sound. If the dog doesn't happen to bark that day you will be out of luck. I would suggest waiting until the neighbors leave for the day, and go over and record with a camcorder the barking. Make sure that it's GOOD AND LONG. Like fill up a 3 hour tape if you can. Or better yet, make sure the timestamp is on the screen and do it over a few weeks capturing A LOT of it. Then dupe the tape and send a copy over to him with a note asking that he please consider a bark collar for his dog. | ||
| Dego Diva Citizen Username: Fmingione Post Number: 836 Registered: 12-2003 |
Tuxedo, I guess the question is, do you want to preserve your relationship with this neighbor or not? If not, then go ahead and call the authorities, without a doubt. However, if you think you still want to be on speaking terms with this guy, then you might want to talk to him again. Let him know that you don't want to escalate this, and that you'd like to resolve this amicably. Tell him if he doesn't believe you, he's welcome to come to your place and hang out for a few hours to have a listen for himself, or that you'd gladly record the racket. Then, as Alley pointed out, suggest a bark collar. Look, people get VERY touchy about their pets - I know I do. He may have reacted badly out of embarrassment. That doesn’t make it OK, but it might be enough of a reason to give him another chance. Personally, I think a good relationship with a neighbor for that long is worth trying to preserve. | ||
| cmontyburns Citizen Username: Cmontyburns Post Number: 1976 Registered: 12-2003  |
The reason people suggest talking with the person is that going to the authorities may help you win this battle, but will only up the ante in the coming war. Which you'll soon find out once he thinks up something to complain to the town about over you, which, if things went as frosty as you describe, he will. | ||
| Oldstone Citizen Username: Rogers4317 Post Number: 921 Registered: 6-2004 |
tux, you shouldn't have said a thing to him and just made a formal complaint to the police. people whose dogs bark all day long already know their dogs have a behaviour problem. if they don't, they are clueless, inconsiderate and deserve a knock on the door from the police for their head-in-the-sand approach. cmonty alludes to the problem that most likely will arise when you approach a neighbor with their "problem". if it is legally a problem, calling the police anonymously is the BEST course of action. let them be pissed at the whole street instead of you because most likely there are others that feel the same way and won't do anything about it. i know because there are dogs on my street that bark incessantly during the day when the owners are not home and the immediate neighbors have both told me about it but they don't want to cause trouble. so instead they just build up resentment and vent to anyone who will listen EXCEPT the police. | ||
| Oldstone Citizen Username: Rogers4317 Post Number: 922 Registered: 6-2004 |
btw, you might ask how one would know that their dog (s) bark all day when they are not home...you ask your immediate neighbors that you know are home during the day if they ever hear a peep out of your house. you get big, big points for showing that kind of concern, plus you know you are doing the right thing by making sure your pet isn't a nuisance to others. | ||
| MeAndTheBoys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 4422 Registered: 12-2004 |
How many times should Tuxedo bang his head against this particular brick wall? If it were me, I wouldn't be talking to that guy again. Not after I'd extended myself and been completely and utterly dismissed in such a thoughtless and insensitive way. Seems this neighbor has no issues with "starting trouble," as he clearly intends--and has stated in so many words--to do nothing! | ||
| Dego Diva Citizen Username: Fmingione Post Number: 838 Registered: 12-2003 |
Wow MATB, I'd hate to have a bad day around you!! "the neighbor I've known for 5 years and had had the friendliest relationship in the world with" "he flipped out on me. I mean complete hysteria." "He could not believe that his poodle would make such noise" OK, this guy did not handle the situation well, but after 5 years of a good relationship, giving him a 2nd chance is "banging his head against a brick wall"??? Tell me, have you never had a friend say something insulting, scream at you in a fight, or treat you worse than you would expect? Did you just write them off? C'mon, this guy obviously cannot beleive that his poodle, his BABY, could do anything wrong, and behaved completely irrationally - have you never been there yourself?? Tux, you have EVERY right to peace and quiet. I'm just suggesting that you give it another try because I GUARANTEE you, the minute you report this to the authorities, the tension between you and your neighbor will continue to escalate further and further and you will eventually be facing bigger headaches than the one the barking dog is giving you! | ||
| MeAndTheBoys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 4431 Registered: 12-2004 |
Jeez Dego, of course I would give a friend a second chance, but that's not what I understood this relationship to be. My understanding of this relationship is that they are friendly neighbors. Two different things. If I'm wrong, then I stand corrected. And I think, if a friend or neighbor came to me and said something--during the course of an otherwise rational, civilized conversation--that I found to be upsetting or insulting, no matter how bad a day I was having, or how precious I think my dog or my children are, I wouldn't flip out and tell them, basically, "tough luck." I don't believe that's any way for one decent, civilized human being to respond to another decent, civilized human being. And if someone I had known for a while did respond to me in that manner, then yes, I might reconsider and/or modify my relationship with that person, because I don't believe that's any way for people to treat each other. | ||
| Cis4Cookie Citizen Username: Cis4cookie Post Number: 126 Registered: 6-2006  |
Tuxedo: I think I live near you  I must have missed your first thread on this topic | ||
| Tuxedo Citizen Username: Tuxedo Post Number: 112 Registered: 7-2004 |
I absolutely don't want to call in "the dogs" on my neighbors. I agree that it would not solve, but escalate the issue. I'm hoping he comes around and apologizes to me for his behavior. I still cannot believe this all happened. It was like this guy had a total personality shift. If it continues next summer, I'm not above doing it, but I'm hoping that it won't come to that and he realizes that he is being an inconsiderate dog owner. Often, people need time to chill out and think about their behavior. I just hope he doesn't start bad mouthing me to other neighbors. If I were him, though, I would certainly be nervous about leaving the dog alone, even though I'm not calling the cops. I'm still in utter disbelief that he spoke to me this way. Absolutely no respect for my feelings at all. | ||
| Lotts of guns Citizen Username: Lotts_of_guns Post Number: 59 Registered: 3-2005 |
woof...woof woof woof...arf arf arf...woof woof woof woof man if I could post on MOL I wouldn't ahve to bark all friggin day woof woof arf arf hoooowwwwwwlllll |
