by Timmy Duncan

Created on: October 12, 2010

The relationships you have with your neighbors are among the most delicate relationships that you will have in your life. On the one hand, you need to live next to these people so you need to get along to a reasonable extent. On the other hand, if they have a dog that likes to bark its head off at all hours of the day and night, it can make your life a living hell. So what do you do? How do you walk the delicate line between keeping the peace with the neighbors and not losing your mind because you can't hear yourself over the yapping of their dog?

The easiest thing to do is to approach your neighbor very calmly and in a friendly manner. If you approach them as if you are attacking them, they are going to shut down immediately and not be receptive to what you have to say. Your best bet of getting your neighbor to respond to your complaint is to approach it as though it is not a complaint. At first, casually mention the barking and ask if there is anything they can do to keep the dog quiet, at least during the early morning or late at night. Don't approach them as though you are upset or angry, just bring it up and see what they say. They may not even be aware of the problem and may take immediate steps to correct it once you bring the problem to their attention.

If you have already approached your neighbors in a pleasant manner and they have not responded to your requests, you may have to take another tactical approach. You may want to explain to your neighbors in detail why you find the barking bothersome and asking if there is anything you can do to help. Maybe offer to take the dog out in the middle of the day for a long walk to tire them out or suggest a dog walking service or daycare. Keep the interaction pleasant for as long as possible.

If your neighbors are flat out ignoring your requests to quiet the dog down, you may need to take a more forceful approach. Either complaining to your home owners association or filing a noise complaint with the police. Again these are extreme cases and you should only exercise them in an absolute worst case scenario. This may damage your relationship with your neighbors beyond repair so you want to wait until you have no other options.

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