I'd be ringing that doorbell of theirs outside their big, flashy gates and asking them WHY they insist on banging on the party wall Tell them in all the years you've lived there, you've never had people next door banging on walls and it counts as noise pollution in your house and if it doesn't stop, you'll be contacting the council about it Ask them what it's all about, act dumb about your dog, and if they come out with all the garb about your dog barking incessantly, then you can just put them straight. Tell them you're going to set up a webcam indoors and just see if they're right because you wouldn't want to upset them with your barking dog (be very apologetic at this stage lol!). You have no idea he barks when you are out, but when you're home, he possibly barks about 6 times a day, because he's a dog, dogs bark, so get over it lol!

I wish I lived in your house I'd be round there like a shot! I hate rude people

I am with you, Tang! LIVE AND LET LIVE. And find some joy in where, and with whom, and why, you live. I certainly do. Cath, I suspect that people like us are way more common than people like your dreadful neighbour. Let's just keep chilling out and we will prevail!

Also: my dogs have been perfect ninja over the last few weeks. Totally silent. Not a whisper, not a sound, when we go out at night. Apart from the tags jingling, but, y'know, they aren't proper ninja.

This may help:

http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environm...barkingdog.pdf

There was a really good report for dEFRA written by behaviourist David Appleby but I think it's been taken off the site. Shame as it was the best info and much more helpful and detailed than the above one.

Basically, dogs are allowed to bark a bit, just not constantly ...


Wys
x

I woujldn't worry about it. Ignore them or go round and call them out on it, face to face. The chances are if you confront them, they will back down very quickly. Your dog is NOT causing a noise nuisance. Dogs bark. They're supposed to bark.

I've had the same problem with my abusive neighbours to the point where there is now a very insulting and abusive message taped to the inside of my porch window (at the bottom and side of the window). It's in a place where the only people who could read it HAVE to be trespassing at the side of my house. On top of that, the neighbours have been told by the Police to stay well away and to NEVER come onto my property. Do they comply? No of course not. Do I answer the door with Zane? Yes, of course I do.

My advice would be to ignore them if you can or if not, play them at their own game. Alternatively, the second they next bang on the wall when you are at home, go straight round and ask them what they're doing. They won't say it's because of the dog barking. After all, how stupid will they look banging on the wall of your house because a dog has barked ONCE?!

Good luck xx

Wysiwyg: thank you! There's some sharp legal clarification there.

Cassius, that's good advice. I think that's probably what's got our neighbour to stand down, but I could not stand up to this guy on my own. It's been the owner and maybe the council and the police the guy's complained to. I couldn't bang back. I can't confront him face to face. The guy's a bully, and I'm just kinda seriously not, and I don't know how to counter his outright lying. It's good if we can stand together on this! It feels rotten if we're made to feel like some kind of criminal because our dogs bark a couple of times a day.