Ok let me set the scene!

You are my next door neighbour, I helped you choose a breeder, pick a pup, select food, bath your dogs, clip thier nails (out of love not for money) feed them if you are not about, let them out too - sometimes you return the favour keeping an eye on my dogs if need be.

You go out for the day and shut the dogs in their kennel, I am chatting away to my parents who visit for the day and can hear your 6 mth dog barking and barking so decided to go upstairs to get a better look to see if anyone is about etc......no one there so I call your dog who instead of shutting up barks back LOL, I tell him all is ok etc and then realise he is barking at the cows in the field!  I leave him be because he won't listen to me (before I have hopped the fence to let him out to see if he is ok, normally attention seeking barking).  I have 2 dogs that without a doubt will bark if someone comes up the drive or makes a loud unusual noise etc, I make sure your dog is not barking for this reason and is not 'play' barkign at your other dog.

When you return home, in passing converstation I say 'oh, 'rover' was barking quite a bit today....not at anything, don't think he likes the cows ha ha' - SO WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ? DO BACK????

Oh no! hope he's not worrying the cattle?

Thanks for checking we weren't being robbed?
??

Yep thats the sort of thing I would say - keep em coming, I need more back up :D

Ooooo.....I want you as my neighbour, fancy moving? :-D

Well, I'd probably have an embarrassed laugh at the cows bit, ask if he disturbed you and apologies for the noise.  And thanks for keeping a eye on him. 

Go on give us the answer!! ;)

Sorry you got me wondering now!!!

I will reveal the answer I actualy got once I have a few more opinions ;)

OK....

Was he OK (in himself)?
Could he see a cat?
Those blooming cows are teasing him! ;)

Ummm......

Could he hear you and wanted attention

I am out of ideas now :D

Not "why didn'tyou stop him?"

Or "why don't you myob??" 

Margot

I would say "Oops, hope he didn't get on your nerves - he'll get used to them when they've been there a few days"
(Has actually happened to me, but it was sheep not cows)

OK I will put you out of your misery - As nothing was said at the time I thought nothing more of it.  The next day I went out to see my neighbour and she gave a half hearted hello?  So I was friendly saying hi to the dogs and she said 'my dogs never barked today, but yours did and theirs (pointing to another neighbour) - in a na, na, na na na sort of way!  So I said 'oh, did they' and she said yeah with a held smile so I said 'are you joking' and she said 'well how do I know you were not joking yesterday' so I said I wouldn't lie and that I was surprised my two barked (rotts normally only bark if they have too, far too much hard work) and asked if they barked continuously to which she replied no (obviously there as a noise of some sort) well she then said 'he was probably barking at those poxy kids' so I said no he was barking at the cows because I checked to see and there was nothing else about!  Anyway I left it at that sensing that she was obviously in a mood and last night her husband came a knocking saying how dare I complain about their dog barking!

What??? I said I was telling you for your and the dogs own good because you wouldn't want the council et con your back about nuisance barking, he didn't believe me and they now think I am out to be nasty to them!  For god sake, what is it all about hey!  I tell ya, it's the last time I get 'too involved' with the neighbours cos all my assistance and advice has been chucked back at me, as if I would complain about a dog barking, I used to work at a bloody kennels where dogs barked all day long, it doesn't bother me but I sure as hell know I would want to be informed if my two barked loads!

Rant over :D

Defensive aggression. It affects people as well as dogs. :(

You can do too much for some people and they throw it all back in your face
I would let it go and let them get them get on with it.

Least said soonest mended my old man says :-)

I think what I'd do is, next time I saw them, to say something along the lines of "I hope you didn't think I was complaining about Rover barking the other day, because I wasn't. I just thought you'd like to know he was bothered by the cows, because it's the sort of thing I'd like to know about. It would be awful if he started worrying them, because that could get him into trouble. [look sad and serious] Or even worse, they might retaliate. [look even more grave.]"

Then smile, and leave it at that.

Come on then surely that is enough? LOL I don't like being in suspenders ;) :P

It's gotta be something along the lines of 'yeah, blooming (or worse word) dog never shuts up still I blame the breeder !' or 'what's it to do with you, mind your own business !'

Come on - put us out of our misery :)

not sure of exact wording, but probably something along the lines of ...Really sorry,  hope he didnt annoy you too much, and where in the hedge/fence/wall was he barking so it can be blocked off.

:) Again too late.  Honestly, I would miss a bus if I turned up 10 mins early ;)

"Oh dear, we'd better make sure he can't see the cattle."
?

Well, at least you know now, that if HER dogs start barking, that you video YOUR dogs sleeping :D

Margot

JG - thats what I suggested, i siad I told you cos I thought you would be able to try and prevent it before it gets out of control!

Margot, thats about right too - app my two were barkign the other day but there were men next door banging about fiting a carpet - dogs guard at the end of the day but this would have been classed as a pain!  I suggested that the put extra fencing up cos he jumps up to look over, with hip dysplacia !!!!!!

Yeah that good advice Carolyn, I decided to shut the door as I could feel my blood boiling - she has underlying problems but the last thing I would 'complain' about is dogs.  I will keep myself to myself for a bit - yes a bit of peace, or not as the case may be, with my dogs :)

Some people are soooo sensitive.  One of my neighbours, her husband run off with another woman in our street and so she had a go a me. ME!  Why? because I was friendly with the other woman, made it sound I was part of some conspiracy when this one sided argument was the first I'd heard about it.  We've moved away now but I've heard her second husband has left as well - phew glad I wasn't around!

Anyway sounds like you need to slap an ASBO on those blinking cows for winding up the dog.

yes they do stare rather oddly LOL!

I just know I'm going to regret getting involved (probably how you feel at the moment) but here goes: defensive aggression is probably about right.  You hint that this couple/person has 'other issues' so my advice to restore the relationship and prevent escalation to DefCon 3 is: (wait for it) apologise.

I know you have nothing to apologise for but in my experience it's the best strategy for this type of situation and one I frequently employ in my work. 

If you employ this tactic they/she are more likely to drop their defensive posturing and (not wanting to lose a good neighbour) take the opportunity to mend the relationship.  Emotionally fragile people are easily and often inappropriately offended but the damage can usually be repaired by this technique. 

Oh well, off to put my tin hat on...

Hi missthing -

Ok cutting a long story short, she got the hump with me because I gave my other neighbour (who she has fallen out with for the most trivial thing) a key to my car when the alarm was going off, I thing it was a jealousy thing, she sent me a nasty text and I tried to sort it but she never replied.  Her husband got involved and I went round to chat things through saying I never meant to offend anyone and that I only gave the other person the key cos I thought she was out, so app she said no worries.  I then had various things to do (dog training) and went away for a few days, spoke on the phone to her a couple of times but never saw her in person - when I returned I was 'spoken' to by her hubby again asking why I was ignoring her, I said I wasn't, he said I used to know the door etc and I said yeah fair enough but I have been busy and had lots on my mind (I actually didn't go out for about 4 days anyway) so again I went round to say sorry if she got the wrong idea and that I was not ignoring her etc etc - then all seemed good until I said btw way about her dog but it frustrates me that she never said was I having a go or just telling them - she then gets her hubby to know again to have a go at me, I have had enough of being the one in the wrong now so have decided enough is enough - she is not happy unless she falls out with someone whether it be a friend or daughter she is always' fighting' with someone and I have ALWAYS stuck up for her and been there for her and then I get treated like this???

I understand what you are saying and had I not tried twice already I would go say sorry but I feel I would be wasting my breath cos it would happen again very soon!

hello kel, you causing trouble again lol. just kiddin :)
if i was you i wouldnt apolozize youve done nothing wrong,ide just speak to them if they speak to you but if they dont just ignore them. :)
ide just let it go over your head,people like that arnt worth getting stressed over! :)

Fair enough - there comes a time when the game's not worth the candle and it sounds like that time has come.  What a rotten situation for you to be in though, especially with someone who is literally on your doorstep.

People, eh? This is probably why we all like dogs.

All the best,

Linda

I know, then people ask why you dedicate you every spare minute to your dogs - they are at the end of the day my best mates, certainly don't need friends like her.....I wouldn't need enemies then! :)

she sounds like a luney! better off out of it

Kelly causing havoc again. I can understand. You're sooooooooo difficult to get along with!!!! (for those that don't know we're friends)
Bottom line quite frankly and I mean this in the nicest possible way. Don't be a mug. I know you and your'e a lovely person and well liked. You've helped this person out and they are just throwing it back in your face. Why should you have to be the one that backs down and apologise. I know because I've had it happen to me. I think you're better off out off it. Say hello when you see them, be the polite neighbour and leave it at that. You have enough friends who think highly of you.