About 2 months ago, I went away for 3 days, unfortunatly the dog sitter got beaten up by her boyfreind so coulnt have the dogs. So I had to leave them at home, My dad came in on numerous times during the 3 days to let them out, check they were ok, play with them etc, but they were in the kennel anbd run for alot of the 3 days, but in my bedroom at night, with the radio on etc. 
My next door neighbour only moved in in Nov last year. 
Now Gemma barks at people she doesnt know, but all my neighbours have to do is say Gemma shut up and she shuts up, and they had no trouble with her until SHE moved in.
This neighbour doesnt even talk to the neighbours let alone my dogs :(
The monday night after I got back Sunday afternoon, She came round ranting and raving that my dogs had been barking all weekend. She had had landscapers in ALL weekend doing her garden. Now, of course the dogs barked at the fact there were strangers in the agrden. She didnt give me a chance to apologise about the dogs barking, or ask her to talk to the dogs so they get to know her voice. She just ranted and raved. If she had given me chance to apologise, I would have groveled to her as I know how annoying dogs barking is.
Since then she has had every tom dick and harry in her garden doing various pieces of work.
I have today got a letter from the council about Barking dogs.
The dogs are left 3 full days in the kennel and run, and for 5 hours another day. The rest of the time they are in the house with me, and let out to go to the toilet/door open, and as soon as I hear them barking, if they do, I get them in.
What can I do????? If she wont talk to them to let them know she is there, they wont stop barking. (She also has a dog so she obviously is supposed to know about them :(
The different 'workmen' that have been there I cant guaruntee they havnt been antagonising my dogs, and some of them I would say have been, so It will make them worse.
I cant leave them in the house all day when I am at work as it is not fair on them. And I cannot give up work :(
Can anyone give any suggestions as to how to stop the dogs barking when she is in the garden??????
She knew I had kids and dogs before she bought the place, and now is complaining about them.
HELP Please This is really getting to me.
Lea :(

Hi Lea, she sounds like The neighbour from Hell, Have you asked the other neighbour's if they are upset by the dog's because it seem's to me that she may be one of those people who just has to have something to grumble about. If they say yes it doe's fair enough we will have to think of something but seing that they haven't complained I can't see that it's enough to worry them. Find out and if it dosen't tell her that she is the only one it bother's and if it bother's her that much to beep off, as im sure it is upsetting you more then it need.

After I had to leave them for the weekend, I went and asked and they said Yes, she had been barking all weekend, but the rest of the time they have been fine.
I even had a load of workmen 2 doors down building a 2 bungalows all summer last year, and you can imagine how many different people were around. I asked one of them if the dog(only had Gemma at the time) barked all the time and they said no. Not the sort of people that would put up with it if she had.
Am going to ask a few of my neighbours to see what they say, but when I asked before, they all said, dont worry, we know you well enough to come and say something!!!!!!!
Shes got a face like a slapped .... and treats all her staff like Shit!!!!!!!!!!! Most of them work cash in hand, so cant say anything to her. When She has a drink she is worse.  So it isnt just me she has it in for, it is anyone that doesnt suck up to her. But I have to live beside her and am terrified to let the dogs out and leave them when I go to work in case she comes round having a go again. I love this house, and dont want to move again as got most rooms decorated, but I dont like coming home at the moment. :(
I love my dogs, but feeling at the moment as if I should never have got them as life would be easier :( :(
And yes I am stressed, and fed up :( :( :(
Lea :(

To be honest (and i sympathise because i have been in a similar postion in the past) if the dogs stay outside they will bark and that could lead to more problems :(
I would perhaps make just one attempt to reason with her - only one! If her workmen have been intentionally annoying your dogs, that is hardly fair, and i konw that is what can happen.

Is it possible the dogs can stay indoors whilst the workmen are there? Can you take a holiday for a week or two to calm things down?

NOt sure what else to suggest, if your dogs tend to bark they will annoy and that is that sadly (not blaming them, it happens). If you can arrange to get them seen at lunchtime they may be fine with stuffed kongs etc...

Sorry not sure what else to suggest...

Lindsay
X

Mmmmmmm, just had a feed back. My neighbour the other side said they were the other day but there were WORKMEN working in the complainants house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everytime I come back, what ever time during the day, the are not barking!!!!!!
I was away for a week 3 weeks ago and the dogs were at a mates for the 8 days!!!!!!!! So that isnt going to work :(
They bark at her when I am there, in the garden but I tell them to shut up.
Maybe it was the comment I made in a very loud voice the other day that caused this..........
'you dont bark at any of the other neighbours so why do you bark at them!!!!!!'
Lea :(

Leah

I can sympathise with you.  My own neighbour writes evil notes and moans like crazy and is a curtain twitching old bat who hates dogs.  any dogs.

What I suggest you do is if you can tape or video your dogs to see for yourself.  Keep asking the other neighbours for their feedback do all you can to keep the dogs quiet.

What about aboistop collars or sonic antibark collars.?

You should keep a diary of this evil cow next door and log every moan/ report etc.

I am sure that for the council to act your dogs would have to be barking exccessively for hours on end or at antisocial times ie from 9pm to 7am-8am.

All the council would do (well my Council) for starters is to give the complainee a noise diary to log evidence and maybe you would get a visit from the dog warden to check on what can be done to help you with the dogs.

I know how you feel with not wanting to be at home.  You can never please some folk no matter what you do.

I could ram the notes back down my neighbours throat, she is so nosey and intolerant.

Just ignore her and make every effort to limit your dogs noise so if she persists in her moaning you are doing everything that you can anyway.

Remember dogs DO bark, that what God gave them Woofs for.

Pm me if you want any other info chat etc.....

I hate the sound of barking dogs and I would also complain if I had to put up with dogs barking. At my old house they had a kennel with a dog in and it barked for hours and hours and nearly drove me insane when I was trying to have a nice drink in the garden

Remember dogs DO bark, that what God gave them Woofs for.
Yes, and people also have the right NOT to have to sit and listen to someone elses barking dogs :(

Some of your language about your neighbour BB shows the same kind of intolerence that you are complaining she shows to you! ;)

I have to say I agree with ChloeH on this one.

Have to agree with Chloe here. I complained about someone not far from us who let their two lovely Dobes bark ALL day (and I mean all day 7am until 8pm)

Try hard to talk to the woman Lea and apologise ..maybe try and explain about the workmen?

Thats is the point, I donot like listening to dogs barking either. But I also realise that when I am working next door to a dog, I talk to the dog, as I am a stranger, and after a few hours they realise that I am not going to intrude onto their terratory and am ok, so they shut up. These people are not doing this.
Yes I am not saying very nice things about her, as I am very hurt and angry, The way she shouted at me the night she came round and had a go, I am not liable to say anything else but not very nice things about her!!!!!!! And am not confident enough to go and see her as I really dont want to have her gobbing off in my face again like she did the last time.
All she needed to do was tell me, I would have aplogised profusly, asked her to talk to my dogs when she goes into the garden, even meet them and spend 5 mins with them and that way they would know her, and if that didnt work I would have to try something else. 
If I had spoken to someone about their dog, and they suggested that, I would be all for it, and be reasonable, so that I could get the dogs on my side. Not expect a dog to stay quiet when a stranger is around.
I apologise for being nasty about her, I am just so angry.
How can I stop my dog barking when I am not there. I pull her away, play with her, when she barks when I am there but I cant do anything when I am not there. So what do I do to stop her barking when I am not there???
Lea :(

I was talking about the language used in the post above mine ;)

Lea, I think the problem is that while you were away, the dogs learnt that barking brings people, not matter how long they bark for, eventually people DO come.........  What you need to do now is to teach them that barking does NOT bring people, infact, it makes them go away (which may be what the dog who barks at the postman wants, but not the dog whose barking to bring home their own people)  Unfortunatly, it's going to mean for a while the dogs are going to bark, because they've got to learn that barking doesn't get them what they want, so maybe it's best to forewarn the neighbours all around, maybe sweeten them a little with a small gift?  Then, when ever you go to let the dogs out, and they bark - you turn away..........  They may even get worse before they get better (extinction burst) but they will learn that barking doesn't bring you, infact the opposite happens ;)

Only thing is Digger, They are barking at the neighbour to get them to go away. The only time Gemma barks is when there is someone around she doesnt know, be it a visitor to Margrats or 'her' or 'her' 'workmen'.  
I donnot know when 'workmen' will be round so cannot keep her in when they are,
incidentally, I did keep them in for the week after I was away as knew the landscapers would be there that week.
She is protecting her property be barking when someone is around that she doesnt know.
So how can I stop her protecting her property(as she does this when I am here as well) but still let her be what she is good at, which is a good guard dog, and I need that as I am on my own with 2 children(and I havnt trained her as that she has just become that)
Hope you understand that, if not I will try and put it another way!!!!!!!! LOL
Lea :(

Dogs that bark for people to go away ARE rewarded Lea! I have a GSD who is the most wonderful girl in the world but she hates people being on, or near my property and goes absolutely crazy until the "threat" has gone away. Ultimately, the threat always goes away eventually as far as she is concerned. I have accepted and take comfort from the fact that, this is the way she is and always will be, I wouldn't want her to be any other way, especially as I live in a very isolated house in the middle of nowhere (but can sympathize with you, as have lived in a similar situation not too long ago)  and am on my own all day (work from home) and all night. My 7 year old daughter and I call her our guardian angel. She has stopped so many near disasters, you would not belive. ;)

You cannot stop her protecting her property and then still expect her to guard her family when it suits. Dogs think in black and white, they do not compute anything more complicated. I presume that you don't think trying to compromise with this women will work?

Hairypooch,
unfortunatly not.......
My mates boyfriend works for her as a doorman, and my mates daughter used to work for her as a barmaid. They all say the same thing.
And from what they say, me going round there will not work.
If she has to go anywhere, she just leaves her dog behind the bar.
Although, I have just found out, the reson the 'workmen' are tere is to construct a kennel and run for Ben, the dog. So maybe that is it.
Margarat, my other neighbour catagorically says that the only time she barks is when there are people working in my other neighjbours garden.
Ok, Should I stop her protecting my property, knowing winter is approaching which means no one will be in the garden very soon, so Gemma will stay quiet(other neighbours will be but shge dopesnt bark at them!!!!!!)
Lea :(

How are you going to stop her protecting you and your property Lea? It is an inbuilt instinct that is very difficult to train out, if you try, all you will succeed in doing is confusing her :(  What breed is Gemma? You are upset enough, which your dogs will be picking up on, please don't unhinge them as well :)

Just a quick example, I live in rented accommodation and currently have builders in :( For lots of reasons, we don't get on and they have threatend me, I spoke to my landlord to try and get them taken off the job, they got a kick up the backside from him and then (I presume but cant prove it) they reported me to the RSPCA!!! for having a dog that was too agressive My GSD, who is laying here now, suffering from ill health,albeit she is only 6, but totally devoted to me,  does her job. Always Did, from when I had her at 9 months old from GSD rescue. Upshot was, RSPCA came round, came in, looked at my dogs, said it was obviously a grudge report (they have up to 5 a week) then said that it is not a criminal offence to have a dog that barks to guard and is just doing its job, providing it barks within reasonable hours 8.00am -10.00pm (not constantly) and does not cause any other nuisance.Also asked if she had bitten anybody recently :rolleyes: I have the added problem of knowing that she does, if people start being "stupid".  Be ready for the RSPCA, if she is petty minded enough to report you to the council, as it sounds like you are not going to make peace with this person. They have to follow up on every complaint, however trivial.

Winter is approaching :( but if this women wants to cause trouble she still can. Is she the only one in the family? Is there not any other person who you can talk to when she is not there? You say that your mates boyfriend works as doorman, what does this women do for a living? Has she got a reputation and does it precedes her?

The simple answer Lea, is, you cannot stop your dogs from barking when you are not there. A dogs instinct is to guard and protect the "nest" however well distracted they are and people making unhelpful comments is not assisting you solve the problem. None of us like to listen to dogs barking, but some of us try to reason with the owners so that everyone is happy :)

I realise that you don't want to go round and confront her, neither would I if that is the kind of person she is, but it has to be done to restore peace to your household again. Try to explain what the other neighbours did, ie, talking to your dogs and that her being a doggy person "you know that she will understand" Ask if you can start again and get off on the right foot this time. Can you not invite her round for a drink one night and at the same time she meets your dogs, it might break the ice. Don't apologise for being nasty about her, it was her behaviour that got you in such a state in the first place You can't ignore her otherwise it will just get worse and make your life even more stressed than it need be. Even if you keep your dogs inside while you are at work it's not going to stop them barking or their noise carrying over to next door is it? Unfortunately, unless you make peace with her, get rid of your dogs or move, nothing is going to solve this unhappy situation. Good Luck :)

If she is paying cash in hand she is fiddling the tax man. I would not suggest you report this but it might just be something that you can sort of mention that might shut her up, I don't know how nicely this can be done but I would try and introduce her to the dog's if she will have it, if not tough and don't let it get you down to much just keep in with the nicer neighbour's. Let me know how it goe's. Best Wishes Viv

Lea, if she won't talk or listen to what you have to say about talking to your dogs so that they know her voice, then write her a letter. I can understand why she is p*ssed off though, I was nearly driven insane by constant barking at an old address.

This situation is exactly what I warn people of when they suggest having a kennel in the garden for dogs.  I ahve a double kennel for my girls, but they only sleep there at night, if I am out then they are indoors with the TV or Radio on.  It is normnal for dogd to react to outsdie stimulus. 

Living as we do cheek by jowl with our neighbours it is only natural that if no-one is there to tell them not to the dog will bark either through boredom or to defend it's teritory.

The only answer is to have them indoors, in a room where any outside sights and sounds are minimal.

Lea have you thought of contacting the dog warden yourself?
The reason I ask is my friend had the same problem with Holly her Border collie barking at the new neighbours under very similar circumstances after they moved in about two years ago. I have dogs myself so Holly's barking only bugs me occasionally and I just tell her to stick a kong in it and she shuts up. The neighbours at the other side of my friend don't worry about Holly as their Jack Russell can drown out a pneumatic drill when he gets started lol.
I though asking the dog warden to intervene would show the neighbour her complaint was being taken seriously and that my friend was trying everything to rectify the situation, so I suggestion she contact the dog warden before the neighbour complained again and ask him to come round for a chat.
She was really pleased she did contact him, as he was wonderful she explained her side and he chatted to some of the other neighbours and myself then acted as a mediator with the complaining neighbour and made some suggestions to her one of which was to shout its only me as she came down the garden so Holly knew it was someone who was supposed to be there and he came out a couple of times after that to make sure everything was going ok.
Even after all this time the neighbour refuses to even look at my friend but she hasn't made any further complaints.
Ann

Just a thought - can your dogs see into the neighbours garden from their kennel ? if there was some way of obstructing their view so that they could not actually see the workmen then they would perhaps bark less. My youngsters are in their kennels during the day , I live next door to the village school and they never bark when they hear the children as they are used to their 'familiar' noises but if someone new comes into the garden or they see the farmer who owns the land round us then they go crazy, we have high fencing round the kennel area so that they cannot see into the orchards and this has stopped them barking at him and his workers ( we have fruit pickers there at the moment)  Luckily we only have the school as our neighbour and of course their is no-one there during the weekends or nights and during the holidays so we don't have the complicaton of neighbours generally. Our oldies stay in the house and dog run and sleep all day !!.

Good one Ann. Viv

It may also be an idea to teach the dogs to "quiet" on command. My dog is pretty guardy but she is responsive to this and will bark once or twice (which i let her do) and then be quiet. I appreciate this will not work when you are out but it may help in a more general sense.

I taught mine with food rewards and clicker and clicked and treated  when she stopped or there was a lull in her barks. I then started to say "Quiet" so she understood. She is also not allowed to join in more than a few barks with the Weim and Vizsla up the road as there would be a noisey riot in the road!

Is it possible to keep her indoors unless you are there so supervise, or is that not feasible? :)

I agree with Brainless, I started off with a lovely run for my BSDs but they hated it, the neighbour banged his stick against the fence to start them off and then complained, and it was all solved when i brought the dogs in side and believe it or not, even the dogs were happier which i was surprised at .. . they could concentrate on waiting for me rather than on guarding I suppose.

Lindsay
x

Right, I will try and answer all the questions asked in one post instead of replying to each one seperatly.
Gemma is a Rottweiler cross.  Beano is an Am cocker, but Beano only barks because Gemma does.
She lives on her own, So nope, no one else to talk to.
Yep her reputation proceeds her. I cant really say what she does as people who live near me will know who she is :(
I am not going to put myself in the position to be verbally assaulted by her again, as that kills me more than the worry of all this. Last time she did it when the kids were upstairs which also upset them :(
I could leave them inside, but sometimes I donnot get in from work until 7pm in the summer, hence why I have the kennel and run. I will not leave them in the house for that length of time.
Well, reporting her has crossed my mind, but that was rejected straight away!!!!!!! LOL And I know she now has told the doormen/staff they have to pay tax, but she selling her business so thats probably why!!!!!!
I have thought about writing a letter, I just wouldnt know what to put in it. I can also understand her beeing peed off, only thing is, she is the one causing the problem and the solution lies with her, Its just trying to get it across to her which isnt going to happen :(
Ann, I think thats the best suggestion so far. I will ring them on monday and get them to come out to see if they can do anything. I just hope they are understanding and not going to jump down my throat!!!!!! As all she needs to do is what the dog warden suggested. If she goes into her garden and says its only me. They will shut up. I know as thats what I told the other neighbours to do and it worked!!!!
My neighbour put up a 6' fence when she moved in(leaving me with no fence for 4 weeks, and it was just at the point I got Beano so had to keep them on the lead whenever I took them into the garden!!!!!!!! So she doesnt really care about other peoples positions.
I dont want to resort to keeping them inside because of the hours I work on the 3 days I do work.One day I leave them outside for 5 hours, I suppose that day I could keep them in.  The rest of the time they are inside anyway, and always inside by 7pm. And Always at wekends.
Hope that has replied to all the suggestions/comments.
Lea

Hi Lea

I once had a malamute who used to howl whenever I left him alone. He would according to the other neighbours, howl for about 5-10 minutes after I had left, and then settle.

I had a letter through from council about noise pollution from the dog - reported to them by my neighbour who I had previously reported to the RSPCA for kicking my cat...hard :( (right in front of me - her excuse was - "I dont like animals"!)

I rang the council immediately, and asked for a warden to come out to me.

The dog warden came out and said that unless the dog was howling excessively, at night and very early in the morning, then there was little that they could do. He also said that they take into account the dog barking at strangers, new neighbours and for a few minutes after its owners have gone out.

He was very friendly about the whole thing, so I am sure they will be the same to you :)

Good luck - its horrible knowing that someone is against you :(

Oh, and the neighbour moved away a few weeks later ;)

Hi Lea,

Alex here. As you Know we've had problems with our neighbours over the last couple of years, and have been down to NKDC on numerous occassions. One of them was about dogs barking, as I now try to pre-empt any complaint from her.So when our dog numbers got to 4 ,I asked NKDC about dogs barking because I knew this would be next.

The Environmental Dept was very helpful and said that the nieghbours would have to keep a diary, I would be informed of any complaint ,they would have to come and see the nuisence for them selves, and for a complaint to be upheld the barking would have to be for hours and hours. Their opinion was that dogs bark .Its what they do. They are very helpful so I would worry too much .

Alex

Agreed...as long as you dogs DON'T bark for hours and hours ;) It wasn't until I kept a diary like that when *I* had a complaint against the barking dogs nearby , that I realised just how much they were barking ;)

Dogs *do* bark ..but excessive dogs barking can be a blight on a neighbours life..I can testify to that.

If your dogs are not barking very much then you will have no worries

Hi,

Could not agree more Mel,if 4 of my dogs start to bark all together just for for a few minutes they are instantly told to be quiet it would send me barking mad to listen to them lol.

Luckily my dogs are absolutely silent apart from when people come round the back when they bark to warn us,silly teenagers screaming in field next door.
Usually they play fight arond 7pm and its the puppy thats yappy playing but if it continues Rhum is told off however considering I have 4 Goldens they are very quiet.

No one has ever complained about my dogs ,but my neighbours have complained just about evrything else she can think of ,we thought the dogs would be the next thing which is why Alex went down to the council to get advice .
I can gurantee when we have our 1st litter and the pups old enough to be puppy run being pups they will yap she will complain  but the pups will hopefully all be away to their new homes by 8 wks,so I cant see a problem and she out of house from 7-15 - 5-20pm everyday of week.
Because i work from home I know if their barking I hardly hear them then i have to be thinking what are they up to usually playing with the KOI :-D

bRIONY

My old neighbours once swore my dogs had been barking all weekend when in fact we had been away including the dogs!! :rolleyes:

I agree too that constant barking can be a nightmare, and it's not fair, but dogs barking every so often for a reason should be tolerated because we all live close together (or most of us do) and have to be tolerant or we would all go mad :D

Lindsay
X

My immediate neighbour had 2 GSDs that barked occasionally ...at the postman, at people knocking on the door etc..not a problem. Constant barking or barking for hours and hours is a different kettle of fish though. Luckily, she and I got on very well, she put up with my dogs noise now and again and I did the same with hers  :)

Thankyou Alex. That makes me feel alot easier :D
This is the thing. My dogs dont bark all the time. They bark when there is reason to. But unfortunatly probably have barked all day at the workmen next door. If I had been told they were going to be there (as she should realise that is the problem) I would keep them indoors. But I havnt had any warning at all :( 
By the looks of it she has just got a puppy to go with her 18 month old Lab. She has just had a kennel and run built at the bottom of the garden and I could hear the puppy wining in it earlier on today, which my dogs barked at but I brought them in straight away. I am wondering wether she has complained because she is planning to have her dogs outside alot more than she has. I could be wrong, but does seem strange I get the letter at the same time as she gets a kennel and run built and a new pup. Ok, maybe clutching at straws :( But hopefully the workmen will be gone now.
I will keep them inside tommorow and Tuesday and try and get the dog warden round on Wednesday and see what he says.
Thanks agaon
Lea :(

SO just how long are you leaving the dogs outside in a kennel?  I note till 7 in the summer, what time are you going out and leaving them?

3 days a week, Monday Thursday and Friday I leave them at 8 in the morning, and get back anywhere between 5.30- 7. In the winter it is between 4 -6. Tuesday I probably leave them for 5 hours in the kennel or in the house depending what the weather is like. The rest of the time they are with me.
And yes, Beanos breeder knew this before I got him and Gemma is used to it after 5 years.
They come in as soon as I get in from work.
Lea.

No, they are left in a kennel and run ...big difference ;)

<<<<<<<<<<<<No, they are left in a kennel and run ...big difference  >>>>>>>>>>>>>
Melody, you forgot to say CARPETED 6' x 4' Kennel with quilts as beds and a 6' x 12' run!!!!!!!!!!!! ;) ;) ;)
Lea :D

:D Can I move in Lea??

:p :p :p

LOL @ Melody :D :D :D
As long as you can chew bones and chuck the apples around that tend to fall in there :D
Lea :D
(hey look, I am smiling!!!!!!)

Hi ,

My dogs have luxury kennel and run and are out there majority of the day and evening,although they come into house different times during the day and also have acess to whole garden when I choose.They are very quiet and love their run even when gate left open if find them in there.
At night they are securely locked up in their internal kennel where they sleep and no they dont bark at all we have a babymonitor wired back to house so we would know if they barked and we would hear.
My dogs start to scratch at my patio doors they actually prefer to have a large kennel and run and access to garden,yes they potter round house get fuss and attention then they are wanting back out.My Goldens tend to be very active and not particularly fire side dogs  they very rarely sleep during the day probably why they sleep so well at night.
I find my dogs bark more when in the house.They much prefer to hear and watch the birds and the waterfall,koi jumping outside and of course 6 of us in family we are constantly or someone is outside either fussing them all they watching us tending to the Koi,splitting wood,gardening children playing etc.

Briony :-)

Update, Rang the dog warden. They are meant to ring me back. Well, I am still waiting :( Want to see them on Wednesday, but at this rate wont get chance to.
Left dogs in the house all day, It rained at 4, so got home by 4.45 and no mess. Took them out for an extra long walk to make up for it.
Hope the dog warden rings tommorow so I can sort this :(
Lea :)

Might have a very large area to cover but if they don't ring you today ring back and give a gentle reminder.

Well, rang back today and they told me it is not the dog warden I need to speak to as all they do is pick up stray dogs :(  So they took my name and number AGAIN and are going to pass it on to Kelly someone who is the person I need to speak to. But bet she will be as useless as a ......
But still waiting for her phone call, and I rang them at 10am!!!!!!!!!
Will keep you informed!!!!!
Lea :)

We passed you last night, as you were taking the dogs (and son?) out ..we were off to the woods to take Delly and Hudson for a run :)

I thought I recognised the bum in the back!!!!!!!!!
Ok, I do mean Hudsons!!!!!!!! LMAO
Lea :D

LOLOL I hope so ...as mine was sitting on the car seat :p :p :p

Ok just spoke to the Environmental health department at long last.
She said from what I have told her, if the complaint goes further and the complainant does keep a record for a month, then she would be able to speak to the complainant. Telling them what I have said, Ie Talking to them when she goes into the garden, so they know its her.
She also said that they would come and sit outside at the times the dogs are supposed to be barking, and if they arnt, or are onlt doing it for a reason, then they will not pursue it.
She also said if the complainant gets back to her, she will give me a ring to let me know what the problem is.
She said that from what I have told her what my other neighbour has said, about the only time she has noticed the dogs barking is when the women has workmen in, it sounds like a legitamate reason to bark.
She is going to puit a note on the file of what I have told her. Now wondering if I should put it in writing, and wether to write a letter to my neigbour asking her to talk to me dogs when she goes into the garden to stop them barking at her. What does everyone else think?????
Now Just hopeing all the 'workmen' have finished so that they dont bark as much :)
Lea :)

i would just leave it and see what happens.she will only give you another mouth full let them talk to her she won't do the same to them.if the dogs are barking fora reason then you have no worries as it is the natural thing for them to do.at least you have put your side across and it shows that you are trying to resolve the problems.mine are a bit like her,they come home late after a night out and peer round the fence up the drive at him what do you expect him to do but bark,he only protecting our house as to him its not normal behaviour.
i don't think he likes then as he will bark at them during the day but its because he considers them as foe the way they behave.
try and relax and see what happens if any thing.

Thanks Marie. I have kept them in the kitchen while at work this week, and taken them for a long walk when I have got home.
I know I should relax, but it is hard :(
I said hello to her dog and stroked it last night as she was getting stuff out of her car, and then said hello to me.
She blanked me!!!!!!!!!!!
My neighbour (a lovely lady thats 76 and wouldnt be nasty to anyone) told me yesterday that the women turns her nose up as if she is better than her when she walks past my neighbour, and she hasnt done ANYTHING to her :(
So, I am not on my own!!!!!!
Lea :)

I agree with Marie leave it alone for now but what I would do as she sounds a right old battle axe is keep a record of everytime you hear her dog barkink and puppy whinning (for no reason) just in case it goe's further but some how I don't think it will. Viv