All the money,nice clothes and fancy cars in the world wouldn't make him " better" than you YOU have manners!

Spoke too soon. Oh well.

Geesh Florence... any dog with half an ounce of sense would be on high alert by shouting and slamming at all hours. When we do move, Ella's welcome in our garden!

One person on my husband's (oops, shouldn't have named the dread social network) mentioned that he could get a loan of a noise meter from the Council in order to prove there was a problem. I wonder if it might not be a bad idea to ask for one myself? Phone them up, say my neighbour has been complaining, I'm not aware of any problem; could you lend me one so that I can figure out what's going on? Might that be a way to go?

But there is no problem. He says they bark 'all the time when we're out all day'-- we are never out all day. My husband works from home and I don't have a regular job. I think I'd notice if the snoring animal beside me was raising all heck. He says they wake his kids up-- okay, I've been up almost all night every night this week, and they have been pretty quiet (not so the foxes, the council lorries and street cleaners, &c, &c.).

Seriously, this is not the place to live if you can't stand to hear dogs. There's an open canal walkway two minutes from our door, a riverside walk ten minutes down from that, and in the other direction a massive park and nature reserve. Plus, one of the UK's finest veterinary schools within walking distance. It's dog heaven here. There are lovely high rises near the city centre. Go live there if you can't stand animals! Grr.

We'll be out soon. I hope when we sell the new people are giant tattooed metalhead vegan opera fans with lovely temperaments and a fondness for freshwater birdwatching.

If you have to stay where you are for a while why not get your good neighbors all sign a statement that you have been there X number of years and your dogs have never been a problem and do not bark excessively. Then if he makes a complaint or you have to go to the police you have ammunition showing that he's lying and filing a false report. Here in the US filing a false report could get you in loads of trouble.

Thanks Lacey10! I try to have manners, I do!

Thanks Manydogz. I have mentioned the problem to one of our downstairs nice neighbours. She was quite surprised to hear that he was complaining. I have asked them point blank before if the dogs ever bothered them-- nope. They said they were glad to have them.

Husband has just set up a spare old laptop (working from home in IT has its spare old laptop benefits) that will record, time and date any noise at the level of a clap, to be on 24/7. We may only be here for another couple of months but we are not having it spoiled by this rotter.

Neighbour problems are some of the worst problems. Because they are 'always there' and you can't get away from them. And often trying to 'do something' about them can result in making them worse.

Be very careful when dealing with 'unreasonable' people you never can predict what they might do (well of course not because they are not reasonable!)

I wish you luck.

Exactly, if you hate dogs, people and other living beings, go live in your own house far away from civilisation and nature. Probably best in an abandoned city.

Ella would love to play in your garden, I'm sure. Hopefully we'll get our own at some point. And good luck with those new wished for neighbours, they sound like my kind of people too

Yes! It's what I tell people who live here and complain about traffic noise, people playing in the pool, other peoples dogs, kids, TVs and music etc. Why CHOOSE to live in a huge apartment block (45 units) with a shared pool that is in sight of the main tourist area on a quite busy road if what you want is peace and quiet during the high summer months? It's crazy. There are so many isolated dwellings to be had inland - but of course they are away from all the amenities. Can't have it all ways.

Ha! I actually prefer hearing the sounds of other people's life around me. Kids playing (we don't have any kids), music, people talking and laughing... our through-the-wall neighbours got their adorable puppy a new squeaky toy and I just about laughed my face off listening to him play with it.

I'm all for proper consideration and being quiet in hours where quiet is called for, and I do try to be respectful, and I think it's pretty much appreciated. I should say that everyone else I know on my street is lovely. I was stopped by a lady I didn't know the other day-- she hadn't seen us in a while and was pleased to see the Yellow Dog Squad again! It's really a very nice place to live if you have dogs, even in a top floor flat. It just takes one hopeless grump to ruin things.

Husband has contacted the owner, who said he'd have a word. We've still got the recording laptop running and I'm still recording going in and out when I'm on my own, and getting OH to come with me if one of them asks to go out late (youngest turns 7 tomorrow; trips outdoors at night are to be expected).

This is very galling, but you have all really helped a lot! Just having sympathetic ears/eyes makes my stomach stop roiling. Thank you!