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I know, there are a million posts about upstairs neighbor noise but I'm at the end of my rope and don't know what to do anymore.
I live in a small studio with paper thin floors and ceilings. I've had numerous problems with upstairs neighbors but this one is the worst because it's every single day. She got a puppy over a year ago and never exercised or trained it properly so now it is grown and uses the apartment as it's playground. She leaves the dog alone all day most days and goes out a LOT at night - walking the dog only 5-10 minutes at a time. By the time she's home at night whether it be 9 pm or midnight or anything in between, the dog is insane and running and barking and chewing bones scraping against the floor and the worst part - jumping on and off the furniture every 2 minutes for hours. It's a small, high strung breed, and even though doesn't weigh much, sounds like someone throwing 20 lb bags of flour to the floor, repeatedly.
I have tried talking to the tenant, who never ONCE apologized for disrupting my sleep on a constant basis. I have written nice notes, and when all else failed, I started reporting her to management. I have audio files documenting the noise. I sent them to management numerous times.
She does have a rug but it's not padded and it doesn't cover all the floors. I should also mention that she walks like a stampeding elephant - and has an overnight guest several times a week - and the dog goes doubly crazy when the guest is over. They could walk back and forth hundreds of times for hours straight at midnight and later. The dog follows her around the (one room!!) apartment and jumps to the floor and back up again and again.
Management, at best, sends her letters but it does no good. We are now in a really bad situation - she won't talk to me, won't face me, won't do anything about her dog. It's as simple as crate it at night and teach it there is a bed time hour. They are VERY much creatures of habit that way, when taught. She could also WALK the damn thing - bring it to many dog parks in the area - take it to day care - tire it out so it's not bouncing off the walls. She does NONE of this. I feel really bad for this dog.
I have a dog myself who doesn't bark at home and makes minimal noise, so I'm not talking out my rear. I know how to train a dog.
I know people will say to move, but it's not an option right now. I would LOVE to get another place. I spend HOURS each day combing the real estate section and I can't afford to buy or rent in a decent neighborhood. I have a life here. I've been here 25 years. I am rent stabilized - which is probably why management isn't helping me much. I get actual anxiety attacks looking for another place to live.
So, I sleep with a white noise machine (doesn't help impact noise - and I actually FEEL the thumping) and I use earplugs sometimes but they hurt after awhile and all I want is to be able to go to sleep and wake up when I choose, not on her schedule.
I know noise is a part of NYC living. I'm a native. I made a mistake moving into a building with crappy floors and now I am trapped. What can I do when management won't do anything?
Sounds rough. I thank god my building has solid walls and ceilings. You should try living in San Fran. The places there are built with all wood and you can hear your neighbors like they are in your apartment. It reminded me of that movie Office Space where the neighbors would talk to each other through the walls. Lol
I know, there are a million posts about upstairs neighbor noise but I'm at the end of my rope and don't know what to do anymore.
I live in a small studio with paper thin floors and ceilings. I've had numerous problems with upstairs neighbors but this one is the worst because it's every single day. She got a puppy over a year ago and never exercised or trained it properly so now it is grown and uses the apartment as it's playground. She leaves the dog alone all day most days and goes out a LOT at night - walking the dog only 5-10 minutes at a time. By the time she's home at night whether it be 9 pm or midnight or anything in between, the dog is insane and running and barking and chewing bones scraping against the floor and the worst part - jumping on and off the furniture every 2 minutes for hours. It's a small, high strung breed, and even though doesn't weigh much, sounds like someone throwing 20 lb bags of flour to the floor, repeatedly.
I have tried talking to the tenant, who never ONCE apologized for disrupting my sleep on a constant basis. I have written nice notes, and when all else failed, I started reporting her to management. I have audio files documenting the noise. I sent them to management numerous times.
She does have a rug but it's not padded and it doesn't cover all the floors. I should also mention that she walks like a stampeding elephant - and has an overnight guest several times a week - and the dog goes doubly crazy when the guest is over. They could walk back and forth hundreds of times for hours straight at midnight and later. The dog follows her around the (one room!!) apartment and jumps to the floor and back up again and again.
Management, at best, sends her letters but it does no good. We are now in a really bad situation - she won't talk to me, won't face me, won't do anything about her dog. It's as simple as crate it at night and teach it there is a bed time hour. They are VERY much creatures of habit that way, when taught. She could also WALK the damn thing - bring it to many dog parks in the area - take it to day care - tire it out so it's not bouncing off the walls. She does NONE of this. I feel really bad for this dog.
I have a dog myself who doesn't bark at home and makes minimal noise, so I'm not talking out my rear. I know how to train a dog.
I know people will say to move, but it's not an option right now. I would LOVE to get another place. I spend HOURS each day combing the real estate section and I can't afford to buy or rent in a decent neighborhood. I have a life here. I've been here 25 years. I am rent stabilized - which is probably why management isn't helping me much. I get actual anxiety attacks looking for another place to live.
So, I sleep with a white noise machine (doesn't help impact noise - and I actually FEEL the thumping) and I use earplugs sometimes but they hurt after awhile and all I want is to be able to go to sleep and wake up when I choose, not on her schedule.
I know noise is a part of NYC living. I'm a native. I made a mistake moving into a building with crappy floors and now I am trapped. What can I do when management won't do anything?
Just because you have a dog does not make you the Dog Whisperer or dog Landlord for that matter.
You state: "I have a dog myself who doesn't bark at home and makes minimal noise,"
How would you feel if you were not allowed to speak and only talk minimally? You did a good thing
saving a dog life. I give credit where credit is due. Some where you have a heart. Did you stop to
think that you could possibly destroy the life of the dog upstairs. It may possibly be put down just to satisfy your needs?
I do not truly believe your heart is in the right place at this time as your illness is getting in the way. True dog lovers are tolerant to " dog noise" just as parents are tolerant to crying or colic babies. As far as you sleeping with a white machine and have anxiety attacks looking for another place to live; that is not normal. I would consider making an appointment with a doctor for a checkup. There may be something underlying causing your hypersensitivity to your surroundings. I grew up in an apartment with a train that rattled by every couple of minutes. It's called acclimation. You strike me as a person who would get startled by the sound of a toilet flushing. I feel sorry for you, your dog ,your neighbor and her dog. I am not out to upset you. I am responding from another point of view. Just calling it like I sees it. Hope all turns out OK. I'll pray for you.
May God Bless your soul with inner peace so that it reflects outward to all you touch in your everyday life.
Make her life miserable, she obviously doesn’t want to accomodate you at all, despite you approaching her and talking to her about it.
1 attach a speaker to your ceiling facing up and blast dog sounds all night, wake her up. Wear earplugs.
2 call animal protection to get the dog taken away for abuse !!
3 Offer to walk the dog and then take it to the adoption place and deny it
Make her life miserable, she obviously doesn’t want to accomodate you at all, despite you approaching her and talking to her about it.
1 attach a speaker to your ceiling facing up and blast dog sounds all night, wake her up. Wear earplugs.
2 call animal protection to get the dog taken away for abuse !!
3 Offer to walk the dog and then take it to the adoption place and deny it
Your posts are not offering productive solutions.
Where I suggest she see a doctor you suggest she destroy the dog
Brilliant
That's a laugh. You didn't even consider the point of view of the OP and how miserable it must be to live beneath a creature that's creating loud noise and vibrations all day and night, and you went on full attack mode. And that's supposed to a be a productive solution -- to attack the OP? Haha.
What brand of ear plugs do you us? I use "Mack's Ultra Soft Earplugs." I am a very light sleeper and even the sound of the furnace turning on will wake me up. I wear them all night and there is no discomfort.
Make her life miserable, she obviously doesn’t want to accomodate you at all, despite you approaching her and talking to her about it.
1 attach a speaker to your ceiling facing up and blast dog sounds all night, wake her up. Wear earplugs.
2 call animal protection to get the dog taken away for abuse !!
3 Offer to walk the dog and then take it to the adoption place and deny it
Agreed^
Respect is a two way street. If she is not even trying to accommodate you. Why should you?
As much as I am all for getting back at her, perhaps getting the dog taken away is too much? lol
Try to blast music to annoy her at night and then see if she is willing to comply.
What brand of ear plugs do you us? I use "Mack's Ultra Soft Earplugs." I am a very light sleeper and even the sound of the furnace turning on will wake me up. I wear them all night and there is no discomfort.
Mack's are my favorite as well. I use the pillowsoft ones that look like silicone. I also pair that with an amazingly loud (but not disturbing) white noise machine called the Lectrofan. When my neighbor upstairs had surgery and was walking VERY LOUDLY by dragging a walker around on the wood floor, the combo of the earplugs and white noise machine made it possible for me to sleep through the night.
However, I think the onus should be on the dog owner to find a solution and not the OP. When I complained about a dog next door to me that was barking for 20-30 minutes nonstop several times a day during the day while the owners were out, the owners obnoxiously suggested to me that I wear earplugs and I was quite offended, as they were the ones who needed to find the solution, not me. Well, I won that fight. They were put in their place by our coop board and managing agent, and our new house rules say pet noise should not be audible outside the owner's own apartment.
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