Living in a dog friendly apartment

[dosekies]

My SO and I just moved in to our first apartment. We have a dog, so we finally managed to find a very dog friendly building - one of the only ones we found to have no breed restrictions since ours is a pit mix. After two weeks of living there, we came home from work one day to a note taped to our door saying:

"You need to do something about your dog. She has been barking since 11:30 and is a nuisance. If she is not used to being alone, find someone who can stay with her."

I found this strange considering my dog really is not a barker (and she never barks when we are home or during the night), and there are at least 3 other dogs that we know of on our floor so far that bark all the time. There's also people above us that blast music that other tenants all over the building said they can hear and bothers them. So we set up a camera for 3 days while at work and found that of those 3 8-hour work days, she barked for maybe 8 minutes total. Not even consecutively, just small barks if she heard some noise. In no way do I consider that to be a nuisance. Is it possible she barked more that one day if something was scaring her, sure. But it isn't like it has been happening non stop since we moved in!

Personally, knowing I live in a dog friendly building, none of the other dogs barking bothers me. If it was keeping me up at night that would be one thing, but barking here and there during the day is no problem at all.

What would you consider to be a nuisance when it comes to a dog barking in a dog friendly building? When would it become a problem to you that you would report it or confront the owner? I would really like to understand this from another person's point of view!

 

[dosekies]

Apparently someone left a similar note on the apartment two doors down yesterday (ours was left last Monday). Seriously people!?

 

[Jennasis]

Maybe they aren't sure which dog is doing the barking?

 

[mom2rtk]

I haven't lived in an apartment in a very long time. Does being "dog friendly" mean that they owners have policies that allow you to have a dog there, or does it mean that neighbors are supposed to overlook some of the issues that arise when living in close proximity to neighbors with a dog?

 

[Debbie Jean]

I have lived in dog friendly rentals for the past few years. At one point a few years ago, I got a notice from management that someone was complaining about constant barking and they were sending out slips to all dog owners in the general area. My dog was not a barker and management actually knew that but told me they weren't sure who it was so had to notify everyone. I don't usually tattle but in this case the dog was being left out on the balcony for hours on end so it was no mystery why the poor thing was miserable... and loud!

it sounds like this person needs to contact management to sort out the noise issue since they obviously can't figure out which dog is having the issues. Yes, all dogs bark at times. But no apartment building, dog friendly or not, will allow a dog that barks incessantly when the owners are gone... and that's usually when it happens. If the person leaves another note, I would bring it management and tell them that there is a clearly a problem but it is not with your dog... let them take care of it.

BTW, we had one family that left there mini poodle out on the balcony on a Sunday morning where the poor little thing with a bark clear from Hades proceeded to disturb everyone for several hours before someone called the police.... management office was closed. Animal control came and confiscated the dog. I'm assuming they got the dog back though I haven't heard him since along with several fines for disturbing the peace.

 

[tvguy]

My DS and DDIL just moved out of a dog friendly apartment and into their first house.
They had waste bag stations all over the complex, but constant barking would not cut it. That is above and beyond dog friendly IMHO.

 

[CarolAnn856]

Apparently someone left a similar note on the apartment two doors down yesterday (ours was left last Monday). Seriously people!?

It sounds like the note-leaver doesn't know which dog is doing the barking. Keep your recording to show management, if needed.

From your description, your dog is definitely not one I would consider to be a nuisance. A dog that barks for extended amounts of time, however, would be. I'm not sure at what point I would reach out to the owner or management, but certainly if the dog was barking for more than an hour at a time.

I have a barker and would never be able to live in an attached housing situation with him, nor have we never even considered bringing him on vacation unless we are renting a pet-friendly single home.

 

[nephthys43]

I'm in a dog friendly complex too. I don't care about occasional barkers, but my neighbors' dogs were the worst. One neighbor had some small, scruffy thing that would come running out onto the balcony and bark at everything. A leaf, a person, the wind. The other neighbor has a beagle. OMG... this thing would howl for hours on end. I think they finally moved because I haven't heard it in awhile.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I lived in an apartment for a quite a while. And I had a neighbor who had a dog and I felt so bad cause she was alone all day and whined. I started watching her for free everyday and even though I don't live there. I continue to watch her and her sister. I don't let dogs barking bother me.
I also have a neighbor now who called me one evening as my new dog was out playing with an apple. I don't let my dogs bark much. I go out and get them as fast as I can.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I love dogs and generally don't mind a little barking. But just to play devil's advocate and give you a couple of scenarios that you might not have thought of.

Overnight shift workers have no choice but to try to sleep during the day. It's really hard, though - with the phone and doorbell ringing, construction and traffic noise, lawn mowing, and even kids playing when they're bouncing a basketball or screaming, etc. (I once had a kid practicing his trumpet on my front lawn! I also used to have a guy whose driveway was next to my bedroom window and liked to fix his own car - which always seemed to be broken - so not only would I hear the revving of the engine daily, I'd get the gas fumes as well!) As a shift worker, oftentimes you come home and flop in bed, dead to the world. For a little bit. But then these noises start to creep in, and add up if they continue. If the phone keeps ringing over and over, say, at some point, it starts to wake you up. (Imagine that happening during the nighttime, people would be outraged!) And here's the real problem as a shift worker - once you wake up, it can be really hard to get back to sleep; sometimes it's not at all, for the rest of the day! So that means you're exhausted most of the time, both at work and on days off. Just about every shift worker will attest to this.

Two other situations are when you have a baby or toddler napping during the day, or when someone's sick. Those are tough situations. But people just home during the day also can get annoyed. (Although in a dog-friendly complex I think there is the expectation that there, at times, will be some noise or other inconviences related to dogs being there.)

I'm not really sure what to do about it, but I wanted to give a little perspective. I do think it's a little cowardly to leave a note on the door like that. It causes you to feel a little paranoid in your own living space about who you're bothering and how they're going to respond, etc. It would certainly be better if you knew who it was, I think. That way maybe you could also do some nice things for them for their inconvenience, or for working with you on it, etc. I would probably plan on getting into a different place asap. Before we bought our home we had an apt in a two story home and that worked out pretty well for us and our dog. (Although shortly after moving in our landlords, who owned a business next door, watched our German Shepherd jump out the second story window! Twice!) I know you had mentioned possibly getting a second dog recently - I would definitely hold off on that for now until you get this straightened out.

Is your dog getting plenty of exercise daily? Like, I mean, a good romp? Off-leash, if possible? Dogs do get bored laying around the house every day with nothing really to do, especially if they're of a breed bred to work. If they're tuckered out, they'll often be more content to lay low while they're waiting for you to come home from work. I'd suggest a good romp each evening, and (sorry!) again in the morning, to help keep the daytime barking at bay. (I know you said it was only 8 mins over 3 days, but to some people, like those above, that could be a lot.) Good luck, I hope you can work it out. Keep your dog safe from whoever this is that's leaving notes.

 

[pirasha]

Thought I'd give my input as I have been the note giver. granted the note was less of a FIX YOUR DOG and more of a Hey are you aware your dog does this when you're not home. I'm really shy and non-confrontational. yes I should have talked to them in person...but..well..I did not.

Now I've got a dog so occasional barks don't bother me at all (dogs do what dogs gotta do). We had some new people move in the apartment right directly below us with their small thing that would bark/whine/yip nonstop from the moment they left until they came home...I'm talking hours and loud enough that we could barely hear the tv. We let it go for a few weeks because they were new and still adjusting I wrote the note for a few reasons:
1) the dog never barked while the tenants were home, so I did not know if they were aware of what was going on....separation anxiety like that needs to be nipped before it gets destructive. If it was my dog acting like that I'd want to know.
2) It was seriously stressing my dog out; she would jolt from sleep and run around the house looking for the trouble and when she didn't find anything she would take a stance right by the door just stand at high alert. Again for hours.
3) gotta be honest...it was driving us all nuts. I don't know where they were going but they would be gone from about 5pm to the early morning. All around not a great night of for anyone else in the building.


Everyone is still friendly and the dog only barks occasionally and when someone walks past that person's door. Which is perfectly reasonable. so whatever they did worked like a charm (maybe it was a charm )

 

[kimblebee]

This thread is bringing up déjà vu. I 100% sympathize with anyone who has to listen to yappy dogs.

In my experience, people are not aware of how annoying their dog barking is because it usually happens when they aren't there. It's good that you have video showing it isn't your dog..at least on the days you filmed.

 

[loves to dive]

My son has two smallish dogs - a yorkie/poo and an Italian greyhound. He used to live in a dog friendly apartment and got a note like that left on his door by management. Do his dogs bark every once awhile, yep, they are dogs. Normally if they hear another dog or someone knocks on the door but otherwise, not so much. He is gone most of the day since he goes to school and works so they are used to being left alone. This was a mix of college students and semi-low income people and trust me, one could get high just walking down the hallway so a barking dog was the least of the problems there. He only stayed a year and moved out to a dog friendly townhouse. The dogs are happier, his neighbors have more dogs than he does so if there is barking it's usually started by them. His dogs are potty pad trained but still he tries to take them out as often as possible, taking two dogs up and down in elevators into a little patch of grass, not great. Now he just opens the back door and they have loads of room to run and play.

 

[Westcoastwild]

Was it anonymous? Assuming so? I would just ignore it. They're complaining anonymously because the problem is not serious enough to take to the landlord, and they just don't want to hear any dog bark.

I have lost my patience with the anonymous ones. I get that some people work nights but so have I. If they don't tell you who they are, they have not given you any way to rectify the problem other than scaring you into moving away. The last person who was leaving notes on every person's door didn't even live in our building. Or they left a note on their OWN door to make themselves look innocent which would just be weird.

Like I said, I've worked nights. I'm sympathetic. But the city and your landlord won't fine you or anything for the dog making noise outside of quiet hours. Someone who works nights can't complain about loud music or lawn mowers. Or they can, but most likely, they'll get told they're sol.

As long as your dog isn't outside, at least where I live, nuisance laws don't apply. I had someone leave fake animal control notices on my door a few years ago, so I asked the city. They said if the dog is in your apartment, with windows shut, it can bark its heart out.

Common courtesy and your landlord matters, but if there are other barkers, I doubt the landlord cares. You could see if you can figure out a trigger and reduce the barking- I covered one window and leave my radio on low, which reduced her worst tendencies. Most dogs, unless they have anxiety issues, bark in response to stimuli. Turned out that the homeless guy going through my garbage was what the dog was responding to. If she couldn't hear or see him, she didn't bark.

 

[dosekies]

Thanks everyone! I was honestly terrified when I got the note because I really did not want to be 'that neighbor' especially since we did just move in a few weeks ago. Part of the reason we set up the camera was so that if it was her that was barking, we could try to figure out why and fix it if needed. Even though it wasn't her (you have no idea how happy I am about that!!!!), we've been closing the windows, turning the fan on, and giving her more bones/toys while gone to try and help her. just in case I take her on 2 walks in the morning before I leave too! I totally understand how a dog barking constantly would annoy anyone, but really I haven't heard any of the dogs in our building bark that way. At someone walking down the hall, knocking on a door, etc. sure. But no barking for hours on end thank goodness. My SO sees the girl down the hall who got the note yesterday every once in a while, so he is going to ask her about it too. So far no one has responded to her request for them to leave their name and unit number to talk of course.

And in response to the above poster who remembered my previous post, it is safe to say that our quest to get a second dog is definitely getting called off!!