Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
well, ecsdude, you certainly touched a nerve of the above two posters who neither can read thoroughly or are just haters.
What you might do is engage each of the two other owners (not their guest/son). Tell them about the note and be firm that you do not leave your dogs poop behind when you walk him. Period. Do not apologize about the dog barking occasionally, although do be sympathetic to the problem of noise. Yes, it sounds like the son is trying to make trouble.
You are assuming. We all know what they say about assumptions.
OP square things away, you've had some great suggestions. spend your time fixing this, not dwelling on defending the accusations.
You brought up the subject with your neighbor, perhaps they talked to your elderly neighbor. Doesn't matter, at least they have given you the opportunity to better the situation, before going to HOA.
well, ecsdude, you certainly touched a nerve of the above two posters who neither can read thoroughly or are just haters.
What you might do is engage each of the two other owners (not their guest/son). Tell them about the note and be firm that you do not leave your dogs poop behind when you walk him. Period. Do not apologize about the dog barking occasionally, although do be sympathetic to the problem of noise. Yes, it sounds like the son is trying to make trouble.
Right back atcha. Read the posts. OP admits maybe all family members not always picking up poop and admits the dog's barking is annoying. If that makes me a hater, so be it. I can, however, read and did. Your accusation is out of line.
The latest thing within HOAs is DNA testing to match dog to poop (not kidding). What's done is done, pick up after your dog. Try to observe what's setting your dog off so that he's barking, and see if you can take preventative measures. Note the time the dog is barking. Check your By-Laws and Condo rules. Chances are the noise is to be limited between 10 PM and 8 AM.
But, anonymous notes are for cowards. They likely will not pursue their complaints further. Make certain your dog is always leashed, has their shots, as well as, county dog tags. Any investigated complaint will confirm those are the first items checked by animal control or PD departments. The age of the dog is important, too. Age they mature, most dogs settle down. That doesn't mean your first 4 years of their lives can't be hell.
Location: Foothills of Maryland Blue Ridge mountains
993 posts, read 768,507 times
Reputation: 3163
My dog also barks at everything when looking out the window. It's a pain, but I keep the shades down on the windows facing the street. That might be your only recourse for the barking.
We have a Yorkie that travels with us and an older 30 pound mutt that also travels with us. When I find a hotel that is willing to accommodate us I will bend over backwards to be respectful.
The Yorkie is a nightmare and he goes in a crate with pillows all around him to muffle the noise. Our older dog is pretty quiet, but he does bark sometimes. He's a bigger challenge and you just can't prevent barking all together. They some how know that barking in the middle of the night is unacceptable and they use their "inside voice." During the day, not so much.
We have a neighbor who's dog howls non stop every time it's left alone. She lost her sister about a year ago and can't handle the separation anxiety. I can't be mad at my neighbor about it. The dog is truly suffering. I just go and talk to her and she stops for a little while.
If your neighbors knew the dogs name and were introduced to it they could tell it to be quiet. The interaction might be beneficial to both sides. There are three dogs in the neighborhood that come over to our house for play dates and if you could manage to get your condo neighbors involved with you dog they may see it as a neighborhood dog and your dog will recognize them as part of the pack. Why do dogs bark? Because they see you as an intruder or threat, or in my case, because the dogs want me to come visit. The come play with me bark is different from the I want to eat you bark and a lot more pleasant. It also stops faster when you talk to them.
You've heard enough about cleaning up after your dog. It is rude behavior not to. I've had to walk a half an hour after my hour and a half dog walk to go retrieve something one of my boys has left behind on someone's lawn. Not always fun on cold nights but it's was the right thing to do. So was cleaning up around the hotel after some other irresponsible dog owner left huge piles behind on the snow mobile trail for every one to run over
Leave a note on your door and apologize for the inconvenience. Ask them to please stop in and talk to you. Introduce them to your dog. While there are people out there who truly hate dogs I've found them to be few and far between. It's much easier to be tolerant of a dog barking that you know and are fond of vs one that's a stranger. Yes the howling goes on for hours at our neighbors house, but instead of wanting to shoot the dog or our neighbor, I just want to give the dog a hug. Poor thing.
My guess is that the barking is what really set this whole thing off. I suspect it's more than occasional. And it's loud. I lived in a condo constructed very similar to what you describe. Across the way, (not the same building) was a woman who owned a black lab. I never heard anything. However, within a year she packed up and left (in a huff). A year or so later, her neighbor (same building) explained to me that the dog's loud barking got on her nerves. She contacted the HOA who declared it a nuisance, threatened to fine her, and as a result, it was either get rid of the dog, or move out. You know the rest.
The closest you'll get to "having it both ways" is to shut the blinds. Just saying.
I have a barker...I mean, she is just insane. I have been so lucky to have understanding neighbors (houses not condos). She has like doggy PTSD or something. She even barks at me when I get home! As if she doesn't know me.
Ive looked into the citronella bark collars as a possible fix. Ive opted not to use them and to try to stay on top of the barking. But it might be an option.
Sounds like kids are walking the dogs? My kids would try to get away with not picking up too if they could. Def have a long talk with them about it.
We just recently moved into a condo [...] nyway, today I come home this late afternoon and see a piece of paper with a note on it, and on top of the note 2 small dried pieces of dog poop. Someone left an anonymous note on my doormat, saying "Pick up your poop!" "Also, your dog is always barking! Sick of it!"... no condo number, no name, no contact info, nothing.
My advice?
Pick up your poop.
Keep your dog quiet.
Be a good neighbor by not allowing your dog to intrude upon your neighbors' quiet and poop-free enjoyment of their homes. If you just can't manage to do that for any one of a billion reasons/excuses, then either get rid of the dog or move.
Have you ever heard "let sleeping dogs lie"? Why did you go looking for a problem by asking if others heard your dog barking? Either you were very sure they had - and thus you should have just figured out a solution yourself without asking - or you put the idea in their head.
As for dog poop - it sounds like you have been remiss. Do YOU take care of it every time when you're out with the dog but other family members aren't? Then you'd better train them up immediately. Frankly, I don't know why people with yards have to always go out and let their dogs poop and pee on every one else's property...but silly me, I grew up some years ago and when the dog scratched on the door we let him out on a chain in the back yard until he scratched to come back in - so simple!
Another reminder why I will never again buy in an HOA. One of my houses is in an HOA and I absolutely loathe them. They selectively enforce rules.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
