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Upset over ‘coward’s complaint’
Wednesday 15th April 2009, 7:59AM BST.
LETTER: We have had our RSPCA dog for three-and-a-half years. He has a few problems and does bark a lot at certain noises.
On my 70th birthday, on March 20, we had a phone call from Severnside Housing who had had an anonymous call complaining that our dog was barking continuously. Severnside asked if he was left on his own all day, even tied up outside.
I told him my husband is disabled and I am a pensioner so, no, we do not leave him all day, except for a few hours while we go shopping when he is left indoors.
I said to the caller other dogs surrounding us bark and his reply was perhaps our dog sets the other dogs barking. I said, ‘Right, we had better put an “anti-barking collar” on the dog’, to which he replied: “We don’t really believe in these collars.”
So how can you stop a dog from barking? I had to spend nearly £100 on a collar.
If only the anonymous caller could see how much it is affecting our dog. He is so scared all he wants to do is hide. If he barks he runs to hide, he is frightened to go outside.
My husband had a cancer operation a short while ago. He is recovering slowly but for how long we don’t know. He adores the dog and it has upset him tremendously.
This person will not realise they have put our tenancy at risk or we will have to part with the dog.
I hope whoever made that call is satisfied by the amount of worry and upset it has caused us. Haven’t they got any backbone? They could have come and spoken to us.
Instead they used the coward’s way out. But they never know what’s around the corner for themselves. Even if the caller reads this letter, they still won’t have any conscience.
D L Hamer
Shrewsbury
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Anon complaints should noot be taken seriously by anyone as they are usually malicious. I hope this coward is now happy and is probably a serial complainer with nothing better to do.
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I can totally understand your reader’s distress, I myself and my parent’s have received complaints about our dogs barking, again through the landlords.
It is totally wrong that people go straight to the landlords instead of coming to speak to people face to face. I’m sure if your reader checks part of their tenancy with Severnside probably states that initially any complaints about nuisance should be dealt with on a personal level, that’s certainly the case with Wrekin Housing Trust.
My mother is disabled and my father goes to work at 5am in a morning and the complaints they received were stating that their dogs were barking late into the night and all day because they were left alone. Again the only time any of the dogs were left was when I took my mom shopping and my dad certainly wouldn’t allow them to bark at night when he has to be up for 5am in a morning.
The people who complained live at the other end of the road and have nothing better to do than make other people’s lives a misery. For people who don’t have pets I can understand that constant barking can be a nuisance but as we all know dogs bark, cats howl and sing at night and birds in aviaries twitter.
Anyone who can specifically state that a particular dog is barking from a particular house is a much better person than I am and my dad, who used to breed dogs, as we’ve shouted at our’s only to realise its not our dogs making a noise at all!
All I can say to your reader is get environmental health involved as they will not automatically assume that its your dog and will force the person who complained to either back their claim up with evidence or get them to leave you alone. This is from experience, the noise has to be constant for at least 27 minutes at a time for any landlord to take action and environmental health will want diary sheets and as a last resort install recording equipment in the complainers home and they are able to prove or disprove any claims.
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so take the collar off and let the dog bark, what are they going to do? Impound the dog? No, they can’t. If you get another phone call tell them “its ok, Rover off t’internet said we could do it”. Sorted
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We have a dog next door to us that barks constantly and is a damn nuisance. I know that if I went to see the neighbour all I would get is a mouthful of abuse and nothing would change. If you cannot keep a dog quiet, then DO NOT have one.
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Whilst I agree complaints to neighbours should not be made in person all dog owners should know that noisy dogs can seriously damage peoples quality of life.
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I totally agree with you that whomever made the complaint should have come to see you first. However, from experience, I think that the type of people who let their dog bark with no consideration for others are not exactly the type of people who are going to receive the complaint in the manner in which you intended. Many people would rather not have the seemingly inevitable confrontation with the dog owner.
If you dog is not the one barking, then I say by all means remove the collar and let whomever is making the complaint prove that it’s your dog making the noise. I’m very sorry you’ve had to go through with this, but I say fight for your rights!
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I note from the letter that the complaint wasn’t taken to them by some anonymous person but Servernside Housing. I wouldn’t expect Severnside to announce who had called them for fear of retaliation against the complainant.
I lived next door to a barking dog and I know just how much it can compromise neighbours standard of living. Everyone should have the right to enjoy their home in peace and quiet and the owners of constantly barking dogs are behaving antisocially and selfishly. The owner should either train the dog not to bark or give it up as they’re not fit to keep it. That might sound harsh but the owner should have considered that before they took the dog on.
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As a follow up to my above posting, the Severn Housing leaseholder’s Handbook that tennants may not “Keep pets that may annoy other occupiers.” I’d suggest that the letter writer should take a long hard look at their own actions and not blame others for their failings as a dog owner.
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woof…….. dogs do this, its natural, they cant speak english!
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Cats yowl and birds twitter?
Twaddle.
Not quite the same thing.
“If you cannot keep a dog quiet, then DO NOT have one.”
Agreed.
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Why not train your dog properly so that it doesn’t bark all the time. There is no need for the anti-bark collar. A little time spent on training could make things a lot more pieceful for all parties concerned.
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maybe mr farmer could train some of shrewsbury councillors to stop bark and whining then?
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We have a dog who barks continuously when outside. He is now out all the time but frequently late at night and very very early in the morning. He stands in the garden and barks at the sky. We own two dogs who, through training, have never been allowed to stand and bark at nothing. By training the dog to reduce barking everyone lives happily and when they do bark for a reason everyone is more tolerant.
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The above is a neighbours dog that stands and barks at the sky. Forgot to say that!
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Dogs continually barking are a nuisance. End of story. Why is somebody who complains about it “making other peoples lives a misery” (quote Tamara Bates)? Perhaps its the dog’s barking that’s “making other peoples lives a misery”. Granted no fault of the dog (who evidently knows no better) but why should neighbours have to put up with that constant noise? The author of the letter should have been more proactive in controlling the barking (by whatever means) in the first instance rather than now reacting to the approach form the Housing Board… Prevention in this case would certainly have been less painful than the cure…
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If the neighbour’s quality of life was being affected then they have every right to complain. Makes no difference whether they do it anonymously or not. Maybe the story title should read: Noisy neighbour upset over coward’s complaint.
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Dogs have the natural ability to bark.
Its up to the owner to make sure they don’t overdo it. A habitual, backyard, boredom barking dog is being neglected and clearly the owners don’t take the time to train, excersize, and socialize their ‘family’ pet.
A well-mannered, well-behaved dog doesn’t habitually bark.
I’ve approached my neighbor and was verbally abused. Seems to be an ego thing. Who in their right mind thinks its ok to force feed a neglected dog onto others in the first place? Don’t approach a person like this, could be dangerous for you. Just look at this writer’s approach.
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Nothing wrong with the dog, its the owner that needs training.
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Why do people have dogs anyway?
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Point one i wish to take issue with is the letter writer says they severn side do not approve of anti barking collers .This was i will stick my head out and say a personal comment made by a member of staff i do not believe any where in a tennents rental agreament it says they should not use anti barking collers contact severnside again and ask is this the case. Or get your councillor to do it for you.Second point there are a number of anti barkig collers on the market shock and spray the spray is now more acceptable .At the end of the day your pet cant be a pain to neighbors so i suggest you invest in an anti barking coller.
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to the original writer – you said “If only the anonymous caller could see how much it is affecting our dog. ”
Please put yourself in the shoes of the other people and see how much it is affecting their lives, the lives of other human beings, before commenting on your loud-mouthed mutt. I live next to a dog that barks constantly for 3 hours every evening, and I am absolutely sick to the back teeth of my relaxation time after a stressful day at work being disturbed by the constant woof-woof-woof emanating from the neighbour’s back yard.
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in addition, i stress CONSTANT because we all know that dogs are incredibly stupid and keep barking and barking and barking and barking and barking forever until something is done to stop them. I applaud the complainer on taking the first step and doing something about it as opposed to just having to put up with it as many other people usually do.
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Severnside should be concentrating on dealing with neighbours who really are anti-social. Try dealing with those who constantly drink beer in their front gardens and swear at you when you ask them not to swear and shout. Give me a barking dog anyday and yes, I have lived next door to dogs that bark. I like dogs! Well done too for taking on a rescue dog and good luck to you.
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It is NOT the cowards way out to report it to the Council. Violence and retribution is always a possibility when confronting dog owners, they are very unpredictable, even old people.
Either get your dog trained by a professional or get rid of it.
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“I had to spend nearly £100 on a collar” – no you didn’t, you chose to do that, despite advice that they weren’t recommended. That was a knee jerk reaction on you part and there are alternatives such as training, or not placing the dog in a situation which cause him to bark (ie: don’t leave him alone, you dont have to both go out and shop I’m sure, or get a sitter) the collar masy have compromised your dogs quallity of life, what about his barking compromising your neighbours quality of life.
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by the way….if the neighbours had complained in erson what would your reaction have been, what would you have changed and how would you have done it?
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I agree with number 4, and what has your husbands cancer operation got to do with a dog barking? To use this as an arguement is a crude attempt to gain sympathy
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I would also point out was this the reason the dog was in the care of the rspca???? many are in rescue centres for a reason the just dumped is a over inflated myth.
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I agree with majority of the comments – It is a shame you have been upset, but to gain extra sympathy by using your husbands illness does not wash. I also agree the complainants did the right thing – I have spoken to dog owners in the past, usually after being chased (and bitten once) whilst out running and have always been met with agression or just total ignorance.
I have just done a quick search and the most expensive anti bark collar I found was £36.99, so I would be more annoyed at the shop that ripped you off for £100!
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If I were you, I would ignor this “complaint”. Dogs bark. Would you stick an anti-talk coller on a inquizitive child?
It is not fair for you or your partner to go through these difficulties, and more importantly, your dog should not suffer.
Whatever you do, make sure it is right for you three, and not some coward who cannot be bothered to sort their problems out in a polite manner.
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Dogs are not the problem…..
Birds are …..
silly birds always wake me up in the morning.
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Another question:
How many of the people agreeing with the compaint own cats?
I don’t own cats, and I have lost count how many times I have been turing the soil in the boards of my gardens and have encountered buried cat waste.
This is what animals do, and before anyone talks about dogs effecting quality of life, how many of you have driven less than a mile in your car? Poured fat down the drains? or many other things that people do on a daily basis that have a negitive impact on others QOL?
Get perspective people!
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Our neighbours are away over Easter and it is absolute bliss – no barking dogs, no chopping wood for the wood burning stove, no DIY work. In my experience people who are uncaring of other people in the locality enough to have a barking dog think they have a right to do what they like, never thinking of others rights to a bit of peace and quiet and are not receptive to any direct approach.
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I’m sure that if your neighbour turned up their radio full blast in order to drown out the barking you wouldn’t object….
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I’ve just read through the whole thread again. I can’t help but think that surely the author of the letter must have had a conscious thought that her dog’s barking and might be disruptive/annoying to those living in the locality?? Before she even received the complaint. She shouldn’t have had to wait to receive the complaint and then respond like it was some big shock to her?! As I said in point 15 above, all of this ‘trauma’ could have been avoided with a bit of forethought and corrective action. Then there wouldn’t have been any substance to a complaint..
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I have 3 dogs, all bark when they see people walking past the house and only when the dogs are in the garden, this kind of barking is usually more of a greeting than anything else.
They never bark at night(unless there is good cause), are not a nuisance. I’ve never had a single complaint, but then I have good neighbours who understand the difference between genuine living noise and nuisance noise.
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It would drive me barking mad if I lived next door to these people.
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Another point has their been a complaint to other agencys??? if not well we could all phone up severnside and say a dog is barking etc etc it could have been but clearly is not a person with a grudge etc severnside must surly have to check before making accusations that your pet is being a pain as it may not be.
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Perhaps severnside housing association could soundproof your house for you.
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I’ve had similar problems with neighbours’ cats. They should be leashed at all times.
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I really feel for this lady, I know how annoying barking dogs can be which is why I’ve trained my own not to bark constantly but I have had my dog from a pup. This kind lady and her husband rescued their dog from the RSPCA and no doubt the poor dog has suffered some sort of neglect or abuse which is likely to be the cause of the unwanted barking.
I wonder if this lady could have a word with her vet and ask for help, most vets have animal behaviourists on board.
Please could I ask people to keep silly comments to themselves? it serves no purpose to ask why people want dogs at all! this person needs suggestions that will help not criticism for owning a canine companion.
Just for the record I much prefer my dogs company over many humans. Dogs are never sarcastic nor are they spiteful.
I hope this lady receives some help to slve the problem, it would be a crying shame for the poor dog to be moved on again after spending over 3 years these kind hearted people.
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David Farmer and like minded pepole should shut up, go away, get married, have kids, smile, maybe even laugh..i dont care. these poor people have very little to live for, and the fact that their dog has to be silenced???? joke. people just complaining for the skake of it. Perhaps i should contact the Shrop Star and ask if they have any ‘ Anti moron ‘ finger starps to stop you airing your views??? See you laters Booster.
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BRISS!!!!!!
Have you ever thought that due to his illness there is not much to be happy about??
And have you thought that the sight of his dog playing, barking(sometimes)you know, general ‘Dog Things’ might give him that moment of Joy in the day, where the T.V. just does’nt cut it know what i mean??
No you dont do you? Ill put it in simple terms for you.
1) Dog Happy…Man Happy.. Remember Cancer..not much joy in life.
2) Dog Being Buzzed/sad… Man sad and depresed!!!
Think about it you Idiot.
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I stuck one of them dogs collers on the missus and its’ worked wonders! Ahhhh, piece and quite at last! Now I can consentrate on my internet and tellie.
Must say, I fought of getting one for the little kiddie also, but the sizes to small, so not really suted for under three years’ old.
Old way is best – just keep giving him bottle with plane ribena in it – he lovs the sugry blackberry taste and sucking on that he does keep shut up (for longer times than what the missus did befor the bark coller, I must say)! LOL!
Havin sed that, Id’ NEVER make the staffie to ware the coller cos its crule to dogs. Barkings’ naturel and so next door have to unnerstand that or simply move out! LOL! Sweet!
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I would like to point out that at no time have either my dogs or my parent’s been allowed to bark uncontrollably for no reason and I have never had a complaint about such behaviour.
As a responsible pet owner my dogs are trained, always on a lead when out, up to date with their jabs and flea treatments and I always clean up after them. Actions I’m sorry to say not echoed by all dog owners. An owner who does allow their pet to bark constantly is someone who probably doesn’t have the best interests of the animal on their mind.
A barking dog gets upset and anxious and is probably trying to notify the owner of something, whether it be “I’m hungry” or “their’s a burlgar in the garden” a good owner will respond to the barking. I for 1 would not be offended if my neighbour’s had come to me with a complaint about nuisance barking if my dogs had been the nuisance but I think if you read back to the original letter it was not even this owner’s dog doing the barking so an unfounded complaint would cause irritation… again speaking from experience.
At the end of the day pets are a luxury we as humans crave, an animal to give us unconditional love and obedience (well most of the time lol). As owners it is our responsibility to ensure that the animal is looked after to the best of our ability and is not a nuisance to those around us.
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Jules – When I asked why people want to keep dogs I was being sincere. It is not a ‘silly comment’.
In general, dogs foul pavements and footpaths and typically their owners do not clean up the mess – fact. Many dogs are (at some time) the source of noise pollution. Dogs are expensive to keep (food, vets’ bills…) but are often owned by people living on state handouts. Some dogs are not safe – there have been too many stories in the press detailing death and injuries caused by dogs that go mental. Need I go on?
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I agree with Jules;
Steve you are as usual jumping on the anti dog bandwagon, lots of inflammatory anti-dog stuff
you will find that, we the majority of responsible dog owners get very hacked off by the eejits who don`t look after their dogs properly.
on anti social behaviour our rec field suffers from odd irresposbile dog owners; very infrequent but footballers and their spectators leaving their rubbish all over the side lines and not bothering to teach their blessed children to use a bin is far more of a problem, as are birthday parties on the same basis.
I picked up two broken bottles the glass could have been in a paw or a childs knee or hand. We have four bins and a poo bin, the poo bin is used by 99% of walkers.
People should be producing real evidence of nuisance as Powys expect.
Know of an awkward very noisy upstairs neighbour we had to keep a nuisance diary with dates times and description before Powys would approach.
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Steve you are cleary not a dog lover so vets fees and food bills are of no concern to you really are they? As for dogs fouling the pavements and as I dog owner I bitterly resent this too.it takes no effort at all to clean up behind our own dogs.
We are talking about a dog that has come from a recsue here, a dog who may have been terribly neglected in the past, a dog who may have been left alone to bark for days on end with nobody to care. I agree this needs to be dealt with but you cannot blame this lady and her husband, after all what crime have they committed? NONE! all they have done is shown a homeless dog some compassion and for that they should be commended not ridiculed.
As for dangerous dogs, yes there are some who have been and are owned by idiot humans who have failed to train their dogs. You can’t blame the dog when it’s not been taught acceptable behaviour. There is no such thing as a dangerous dog, the problem lies with their owner! and yes I do know what I’m talking about, my dog is a very sweet natured and well behaved Rottweiler who loves everyone he meets. And before you get on your high horse I have never had a bad word said about my boy. Everyone who’s met him thinks he’s great.
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I think steve to be honest is a budgie type.Or infact a postman as he seems to know some how dog owners are on benefits
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I can understand why people complain about dogs barking.
It sometimes keeps me awake at night.
You should stop annoying your neighbours. Then they won’t complain.
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We got our dog from a home and we had no idea it was barking until our neighbour told us. I had a week off to train the dog and he doesn’t do it any more.
However, if it had taken a little longer I wouldn’t have thought of myself as unfit to keep a dog – people who accuse others of being unfit to keep a dog just because it barks are purely ignorant.
I would have moved house before I gave up my dog but I am young and perfectly able to do this. If the dog has been in the house for more than three years and there have been no problems before I don’t really understand why it is a problem now.
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