How would you handle this neighbor situation

We moved into our new house two weeks ago, we rent the second floor of a two family attached house. (There is a tenant downstairs and we are also attached to our neighbor)

We have a dog, our landlord knows about our dog, she is even listed on our lease. Obviously ,now that we live in the city, I have to walk her. We have a little front lawn out front. The first few days Maggie was peeing there occasionally.

Within the first five days of living here, the next door neighbor (who is in the attached house) asked me to not have Maggie pee there b/c it is causing some yellow spots on the lawn. I apologize and said no problem and since then, we take her to the back or walk her around the block.

As it turns out, that lawn is "ours" and our landscapers maintain it

Anyway, yesterday our landlord calls DH and tells him that we need to not let Maggie pee there and that he has heard (he doesn't live anywhere near here) that she is barking during the day. Now, my dog has an issue with her vocal chords cannot bark, she whines sometimes, but she can't bark. And furthermore, we are ALWAYS home at night, so if she was barking it was during the few hours I am out during the day.

It turns out this neighbor called our landlord to complain about this stuff. I am POed b/c the tenants before us had a dog as well ( a boxer v. our beagle) and there are dogs in the house next door that bark all day long too.

OH and the weirdest thing was that this morning when Igot up to drive DH to the train, there were three cans right in front of our front door. Lined up nicely

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

I would knock on their door and talk to them face to face about it. Obviously they will be uncomfy with that, but oh well. Be nice but don't let them make your life miserable there. Tell them the deal with the dogs vocal chords etc. Kill them with kindness and make them feel like an idiot I am so nice, aren't I I just can not stand people like that.

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

Oh boy, I would be ****** and I would confront the neighbor!


Like ChrisDee mentioned, kill them with kindness. Put them on the spot and make them feel stupid by confronting them.

Are they our age? older?

Message edited 7/1/2010 9:21:33 AM.

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

Message edited 7/1/2010 9:27:37 AM.

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

Ya know, funny you mentioned the yellow spots and cat urine. My dog pee's on our lawn and we have NO yellow spots. My neighbor "had" a cat who did pee on our lawn and it left yellow spots.

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

Sounds like that neighbor is trying to make you sound like a problem when you are NOT I am sure.

What kind of cans, soda or beer cans? WHat's the deal with that?

Did you tell the landlord that your dog cannot even bark and that is NOT true at all?

UGH. Here we go...

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

Posted by KateDevine

Posted by Sweets13

Ya know, funny you mentioned the yellow spots and cat urine. My dog pee's on our lawn and we have NO yellow spots. My neighbor "had" a cat who did pee on our lawn and it left yellow spots.

Yeah, DH googled it too and it said cat urine or if an animal has a lot of nitrates in its diet (should I post this on pregnancy? LMAO)

We've never had a yellow spot from her either, which I found weird too (she's 4)

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

Posted by KateDevine


I just feel like it could also be ANY dog, KWIM? Why pick on my poor girl--or us

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

Posted by Goobster

Posted by KateDevine


I just feel like it could also be ANY dog, KWIM? Why pick on my poor girl--or us

It could be ANY dog walking by. How long have you lived there? The spots don't happen overnight either.

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

First off, I would carry a water bottle with me and saturate the areas that your dog pees. That way you're avoiding the dead grass no matter where it goes.

Second, I would check what the town code is on noise disturbances, how long a dog has to bark before it's ticketable, if it has to be a dog outside or not, etc. Find out if there is any possible way this could be escalated and blamed on you (right or wrong).

Then I would talk to them directly and see if you could get them to volunteer what the noises sound like that they are hearing. Only after they say barking would I tell them that your dog can't physically bark and they must be hearing someone else's dog. The kind of person I am, I would try to video it as proof but that's just me.

As I was reminded of recently, people not liking my dogs is not a crime and it's in their right to dislike them. But when they expect you to make changes purely based on their dislike is where you have to decide how much compromise is necessary, so you can live in peace. I was faced with this recently and decided to take the high road and actually worked everything out.

Good luck!

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

Posted by greenfreak

First off, I would carry a water bottle with me and saturate the areas that your dog pees. That way you're avoiding the dead grass no matter where it goes.

Second, I would check what the town code is on noise disturbances, how long a dog has to bark before it's ticketable, if it has to be a dog outside or not, etc. Find out if there is any possible way this could be escalated and blamed on you (right or wrong).

Then I would talk to them directly and see if you could get them to volunteer what the noises sound like that they are hearing. Only after they say barking would I tell them that your dog can't physically bark and they must be hearing someone else's dog. The kind of person I am, I would try to video it as proof but that's just me.

As I was reminded of recently, people not liking my dogs is not a crime and it's in their right to dislike them. But when they expect you to make changes purely based on their dislike is where you have to decide how much compromise is necessary, so you can live in peace. I was faced with this recently and decided to take the high road and actually worked everything out.

Good luck!

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

Posted by nrthshgrl

Posted by greenfreak

First off, I would carry a water bottle with me and saturate the areas that your dog pees. That way you're avoiding the dead grass no matter where it goes.

Second, I would check what the town code is on noise disturbances, how long a dog has to bark before it's ticketable, if it has to be a dog outside or not, etc. Find out if there is any possible way this could be escalated and blamed on you (right or wrong).

Then I would talk to them directly and see if you could get them to volunteer what the noises sound like that they are hearing. Only after they say barking would I tell them that your dog can't physically bark and they must be hearing someone else's dog. The kind of person I am, I would try to video it as proof but that's just me.

As I was reminded of recently, people not liking my dogs is not a crime and it's in their right to dislike them. But when they expect you to make changes purely based on their dislike is where you have to decide how much compromise is necessary, so you can live in peace. I was faced with this recently and decided to take the high road and actually worked everything out.

Good luck!

I agree with every word.

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

Posted by KateDevine

Posted by Goobster

Posted by KateDevine


I just feel like it could also be ANY dog, KWIM? Why pick on my poor girl--or us

It could be ANY dog walking by. How long have you lived there? The spots don't happen overnight either.

Two weeks! We moved in June 13th

Yeah I did some research as well and saw that if the lawn is heavily fertilized it can happen too and that since she is a new dog, the other dogs could be peeing there more b/c she was there.

They were not there before here, but it has also been a bizillion degrees, maybe the sun is accelerating the situation too?

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

I agree w/what others said above...what's the deal w/the cans though?

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

I was at your old place a few weeks ago. I don't remember Maggie barking at all and she never met me

I agree with the PP and kill them with kindness and see what happens.

Re: How would you handle this neighbor situation

Posted by greenfreak

First off, I would carry a water bottle with me and saturate the areas that your dog pees. That way you're avoiding the dead grass no matter where it goes.

Second, I would check what the town code is on noise disturbances, how long a dog has to bark before it's ticketable, if it has to be a dog outside or not, etc. Find out if there is any possible way this could be escalated and blamed on you (right or wrong).

Then I would talk to them directly and see if you could get them to volunteer what the noises sound like that they are hearing. Only after they say barking would I tell them that your dog can't physically bark and they must be hearing someone else's dog. The kind of person I am, I would try to video it as proof but that's just me.

As I was reminded of recently, people not liking my dogs is not a crime and it's in their right to dislike them. But when they expect you to make changes purely based on their dislike is where you have to decide how much compromise is necessary, so you can live in peace. I was faced with this recently and decided to take the high road and actually worked everything out.

Good luck!