We have new neighbours again - next door is rented out. They moved in about 4 weeks ago and at first all seemed fine, they appear to be really quiet and keep themselves to themselves. I posted a little 'wecome to your new home' card through their door a couple of days after they moved in  and we exchanged lovely Christmas cards but thats about it - we haven't met to say hello as of yet and Hubby & I are not really the type to go knocking and introducing ourselves. The problem is, they have two Chihauhau's and they spend an awful lot of time locked in the garden - in fact as time is going on I am pretty certain that they live mainly outside and use a cat flap to the garage for shelter - every time my boys go out into our garden, Alfie always runs to a little gap at the bottom where the fencing ends to say hello and they bark at one another and no matter what time of the day, be it morning, noon or night,  the little Chi's appear to be there - on Saturday morning is was -3 and they where out in the garden for hours on end :-(  I say 'they' but its only the biggest one that I see and that makes any noise.....and boy does he make some noise!! He's yap, yap, yap for very long periods of time and who can blame the poor little dot....it is really upsetting me. I let my boys out for their last wee at about 10.20pm and the Chi was out saying hello to Alfie, it was raining so it was a quick 2 minutes and my boys where back indoors. I then came upstairs to bed and the poor baby was yelping and crying out in the garden - by now it was pouring with rain. My 10 year old son was sobbing in bed and asked if we could have the Chi's because it is cruel the way they are treated.......I explained, if only. This went on for almost an hour until I heard their back door open so I'm assuming and hoping that they are now indoors. I really don't know how to deal with this - I cant be certain that the dogs are being mistreated and don't want to go accusing the neighbours of neglect without 'facts' but at the same time, I cant bare to sit back and do nothing. Another issue which seems trivial compared to the dogs but is still annoying, they are extremely untidy - our houses are semi detatched with no-one either side of us on a corner plot and they have piled a load of cardboard up outside the front door along with a doormat full of dog poo and tied up carrier bags full of rubbish - since the cardboard was dumped, we have had a recycling collection but they didn't put it kerbside and its remained there ever since. I am extremely house proud and we keep our house and garden immaculate and very well maintained as do all other house holders on our development so all of this visible mess is driving me around the bend and I have seen other neighbours walking past commenting on this mess. I am hoping for some ideas on how to tactfully deal with these problems - do I approach the neighbours directly or do I get in touch with the lady who owns the house who lived there when we first moved in? I really dont know what to do for the best but I need to do something....HELP!!

Sorry for the length of the post and the rambling and thanks in advance.

i would say get in touch with the lady who owned the house or get to know the neighbours and drop suttle hints that there dogs are noisy

Its not really the noise that is bothering me (yet) mollaholland, it's the fact that the dogs are outdoors most of the time. I don't know much about the breed but they are such delicate little things and I would imagine that they do need warmth and dryness and of course interaction - they are obviously not happy when left outdoors hence the 'yapping'. Another major factor is the risk of theft - I would not dream of leaving my boys in the garden without a watchful eye over them because you just never know who is around.

Aww the poor little things, i feel so sorry for them, thats terrible and i think they are so out of order doing that!!!

However, we have a neighbour and they have a collie, and they keep it outside in a kennel, its forever escaping and running lose on the main roads, looking for food, at one point it was covered in fleas and didnt have a clean water and just looked unhappy, it used to come to our front door for food and just warmth! However when we called the RSPCA (because too us, this was cruel, as they have one dog and have it out in all weathers freezing and wet through roaming the streets etc) and we have 6 dogs who all stay in the house! However they said because they dog has food and water (must of had some that day) and shelter, there is very little they can do...

So i guess as long as the little chis have a shelter and warmth and food and water, nothing can really be done, however they are not really warm animals chis (same as yorkies and shiver a lot from what i know) so i would say outdoors even in a kennel is not ideal for these little creatures...

Contact the owners of the house though and see what they can do about the noise especially, if you push for that, they may be forced to keep them inside due to this noise nusance?... x

Contact the owners of the house though and see what they can do about the noise especially, if you push for that, they may be forced to keep them inside due to this noise nusance?... x

thats what i was thinking hope things work out for u

My daughter would love to have one of my dogs to live with her, but her contract for her (private) rent states no pets, it also has things in it about keeping house and garden in clean and tidy condition.
You could check with the landlord about conditions of the rental agreement.

I would report it for sure if they are smoothcoats.  Chihuahuas are NOT outside dogs and do not do well in kennels at all.  And in this weather, a garage is not adequate warmth and shelter.  They need to be indoors where it is warm as they can chill VERY easily, you have to be very careful.  The little dogs are making so much noise as they are probably chilled right through and WANT to be with their owner, they are too sociable to be stuck outside like this.  I would definitely report it.

PS I have chihuahuas so this is an informed opinion

> I would report it for sure if they are smoothcoats.  Chihuahuas are NOT outside dogs and do not do well in kennels at all.  And in this weather, a garage is not adequate warmth and shelter.  They need to be indoors where it is warm as they can chill VERY easily, you have to be very careful.  The little dogs are making so much noise as they are probably chilled right through and WANT to be with their owner, they are too sociable to be stuck outside like this.  I would definitely report it.

I agree with Mini here, because my little Yorkshire Terrier, even in full coat (before i had it cut off) always used to shiver, they dont have an undercoat yorkies (not sure if its the same for chis) thats why they shiver a lot and feel the cold very easy, i could never imagine my little yorkie outdoors in this weather especially!! Its just cruel, would be like putting a human out there with a thin piece of cloth over themselves and thats it, be freezing for the little things, the barking is obvious they arent happy, otherwise they would give up after a short while of being ignored (ours do) lol!

Oh Mini, yes they are smooth coated and this is what I feared - I have worried no end about them being cold. My Cavaliers feel the cold and they have much more to them than these little Chi's. I am wondering if the lady who owns the house has objected to the Dogs and that's why they spend most of the time outside - if this is the case then I would be willing to let them use my smaller crate which fits in our boot so that they can stay indoors whenever the owners are out or cant be supervised - not ideal I know locked in a crate but surely it would be better than in the cold garage. How do I approach them though without totally falling out with them? Today, I haven't seen the dogs at all - I left the house at 11.30am so they must be indoors as they didnt have a little barking match through the fence with Alfie.

If the owner of the house objected to the dogs, then these people should have refused the house... in an ideal world!

It's kind of you to offer that, but being locked in a crate in your house with limited interaction isn't going to be ideal either and they would probably bark and whine in your house for attention - you'd be driven spare by a problem not of your doing.

Monitor the situation.  If you see them outside in the cold/rain/elements again I would report them.  There isn't really a way of talking to people you don't really know about these things without offending them, dreadfully sad but a sign of the times.  Unless you try very quickly to strike up some sort of rapport with them.  In any case, it seems that they have no idea about keeping chihuahuas or do and are deliberatley neglecting them.  It's then up to the authorities whether they class it as neglect though as according to dog law it may be deemed that they do have sufficient shelter.

Mini, I think you have misunderstood, I wouldn't offer to have the dogs crated in my house but would be willing to lend them my spare crate to use in their house if it meant that they would let the dogs indoors more - albeit in a crate but surely better than outside in the cold or rain or both :-(

I have returned home and there is thankfully no sign of the dogs outside which is good. I will monitor the situation (gosh, I feel like a right nosy neighbour) and make a note of how often they are locked outdoors. If it carries on happening I will contact the owner of the house.

I have however popped a polite note through their door regarding the cardboard explaining that it is recycling day tomorrow and that if they flat pack it and leave it kerb side it will be collected so lets hope they take the hint that dumping rubbish on the front lawn is not acceptable.

Sorry, I misunderstood.  Of course that would make more sense, not desirable but a big step up from facing the elements!

You polite note may open up some dialogue so maybe you will be able to chat to them politely about the Chis.  Here's hoping anyway. :)

luvhandles,
I would have knocked there door and said "I just thought I would let you know it is pouring with rain and your dogs are getting soaked, I have just had to bring mine in" "its is so cold out there!" see there reaction. It may make them see, you are keeping an eye on them. The rubbish ring up your local refuge and just say, there is loads of rubbished been dumped by your house could they please come and remove it!

Denese

A little update........ After I posted on here about the Chi's being left outdoors, it was almost as though the neighbours had read it or overheard me discussing the matter - the dogs didn't seem to be left out as much although almost every time my boys go out to wee, the Chi's seemed to be in the garden also  :-(  I had also noticed on a few occasions, the neighbours would go out and leave the Chi's outdoors in the back garden  :-( Today however, I couldn't keep my opinions to myself any longer. This morning it was 0 degrees and snowing, the little Chi's where out in the garden shivering and looking soooo sad. They were huddled against the fence, under a bush with no foilage on it trying to shelter :-( Their little back ends were shaking and they were crouched down like they wanted to sit but didn't want to put their little bottoms on the cold ground  :-( I stood at the windows and cried - enough is enough. I knocked and asked the neighbour if she could give me a good reason why the little dogs where outside when it was teaming down with snow - she said that she didn't realise that it was snowing and that they had only been out for 5 mins. I told her that this was rubbish and that I was aware that they are left out in all weathers far too much......she told me to not to worry and that they are fine!! At this point I was fuming, I suggested that I should perhaps call the dog warden and RSPCA to ask whether they find it acceptable for two little Chi's to stay outdoors in freezing conditions and that if she couldn't care for them properly then I would gladly take them home with me  :-O   -She then changed her tune a little and said that she would bring them inside straight away, explaining that she loves her dogs and would never neglect them.....Anyway I got my point across, she now knows that she lives next door to the nosy neighbour from hell! She was very embarrassed and seemed quite upset so hopefully she will learn from this and knowing that I will be watching, will keep the dogs indoors in the warmth. I explained that I hated having to go round on those terms (that is the first time I have spoke to her since they moved in) and that it was nothing personal and its better we get on etc.... I feel very uncomfortable now but also relieved that I have hopefully helped the little dogs.......Time will tell.

I hope the owner behaves better now she knows you will be keeping an eye, I'm a bit of a cynic though and feel if owners are happy to leave the dogs out in all weathers they dont care that much about them really, good you are there to look out for the poor little dogs.

> I'm a bit of a cynic though and feel if owners are happy to leave the dogs out in all weathers they dont care that much about them really

Totally agree Papillon, it's one thing telling me how much she loves the dogs but actions speak louder than words.......

All I can say is good for you for saying something.Lets hope life improves for these poor little dogs.I know how much my papillon feels the cold-for the past few days she's been going out in the garden just long enough to do a wee and can't get back in quick enough,she shivers even if she's out just for a few minutes so these chihuahuas must have really been suffering.

please dont quote me on this but i dont think the rspca will do anything because if the dog has shelter(this is the shed)and access to clen water and food and is showing no signs of illness or abuse then the dog is not being mistreated. although you and me and many others know this isnt the way to keep dogs esp toy breeds i dont think theres alot to be done.i think you should drop a few hints on your views and see if they take notice.i know its going to take courage on your behalf because i phoned the rspca last april to report that a neighbours dog was left roaming the streets night and day all weather and was full of scabs.when they came out they made the owner take the dog to the vet came to see how the dog was 2wks later then closed the file.the poor dog is still out24 /7 in all weather .there not like on tv.

Well done luvhandles that must have taken some courage. I so hope the lady takes notice of you if only cos she thinks she has a nosy neighbour. I think I might be kreeping up the garden to kidnap them next some people  just shouldn't have animals.  

Well done luvhandles.

Don't feel bad about going round there or reporting your neighbours to anyone. When I get calls from people complaining about neighbours, they usually feel guilty or upset and feel they are 'grassing' but I always explain that THEY are doing the right thing and that their neighbours are most definately in the wrong.

I would urge anyone with issues like these to contact their local Environmental Health dept. who deal with noise, fouling and public health issues amongst other things. Sometimes all it takes is a letter or informal visit from an officer to clear up a problem.

Very brave of you to go round there in person - think how much better life will be now for these two wee ones.

I would add that in the past when on visits I have seen dogs out in all weathers in gardens full of faeces, that the SPCA have visited but unfortunately as others have stated, if the dog has food and shelter, they won't do much.

Well done!! Just read this and i am so glad you took that step and went around!! Well done you!!!

Keep us updated on if she continues to keep them outside or does actually keep them in like she said she would

xx

*Quick  Update*

The dogs don't seem to have been outside for any length of time other than to go to the loo and have a quick sniff around since I went round, so far so good  and lets hope that's the end of it :-) I just hope that they have now realised that it wasn't fair on the dogs and that me confronting them wasn't a personal attack towards them and that I'm not such a nasty neighbour - I haven't seen them since but I imagine that it will be very uncomfortable when we do see each other which isn't ideal....I hate ill feeling - life's just too short.

So if a dog is kept in a small space and is so bored that it is chasing it's tail and damaging itself it is not an issue for RSPCA?   After hearing that they removed an overweight dog from someone's home I thought that they were concerned with more than food or shelter?

ceejay, don't get me started on that subject.................

As a chihuahua owner and dog lover, im glad you told her!

Oh! sorry Hayley.  Just something my daughter was concerned about when she visited a friend - also a very busy working mother who has this problem of a very bored GSD by the sound of it.   It is a shame young families are taking on intelligent active dogs when they really haven't the time for them.  I have been so relieved that my daughter gave up the idea of having a dog - for the time being anyway.