I do agree with you Laura but we have 4 under 8's 2 boys and 2 girls living in the flat above us and we tolerate incessant noise because they are children and need to play - in turn the family put up with my 2 dogs (they don't bark incessantly just when the postie comes or they see a cat or squirrel out of the window). An order to make the owner train them would surely be better than a £100 a day fine ?

What I don't understand is, you can teach a dog sit, lay even roll over but why don't they understand shut the F*** up?

was this means tested then ? Just thinking that anyone with a bit of money could let theirs do as they pleasecos they can afford the fine ?

LMAO !!!!!!!!! too true Anne !!

Wiggle perhaps that may have been the best course of action for the dogs and teh owner but in cases like this we have to remember that judges or council or whoever decided on this case give the dog owners the same penalty that they would in any case with a nuisance neighbour maybe a little misguided but at the end of the day they are judges not animal behaviourists and I honestly think why should somebody be forced to put their dogs into training. The fact that the guy is fined means he WILL have to train them (otherwise he will just keep getting more fines) and he WILL also have to deal with the consequences too (i.e. a fine if he doesnt) which seems fair imo, this way the neighbours get some ease while the dogs are being trained and if they are out of line he is fined but both he and the neighbours benefit from happier dogs hopefully.

Very true Anne if I could do this I would be loaded, I would also have them go fetch a beer from the fridge (I saw a horse once on TV do this it lived in a house), go get the papers (without eating them) the list is endless......we can dream lol.

The only thing Harvey can do which is remotely cleaver is that he can open doors and let himself, and the others, in and out. Wish he learn to shut the door behind him though

I don't know if I agree with this or not. Ours neighbours have a Dashshund (looks just like Norman ) and a GSD, and the 2 of them are terrible. But we don't complain as our trio are rather noisy (not as much as theirs though!! ). And our other neighbours 3 kids are the worst brats you've ever seen , but we never complain as they have to put up at being barked at. ops:

How close are you to them though ? In a terrace house or a flat/apartment the noise would start to grind on your nerves