Morning walks upset the neighbors dogs...???

Question

So... my wife walks our dogs every morning at around 7:45am. The temprature is cooler then and it is generally the most convenient time for multiple reasons. There is a house in our neighborhood that has two dogs in the back yard. Every time anyone walks by (particularly someone with another dog in tow) they begin yapping. This morning the fellow who lives there came out and ask my wife not to walk in front of his house because it upsets his dogs and they wake his baby.

Personally I find this to be the height of arrogance. It is, after all his dogs that are waking his baby, not ours, it is a public sidewalk, and while 7:45 is admittadly early it is not exactly unreasonable.

Generally, I would not worry about it. However, my wife will continue to exercise her right to walk our dogs and I have no way of knowing whether or not this guy is some crackpot who might cause some other problems in the future.

Just curious how y'all would deal with the situation.

Answer 1

Perhaps the neighbor himself is loosing sleep over his new baby, irritated with the dogs' yapping & consequently just taking it out on your wife, which is unfortunate.

Looking at it from another's point of view maybe helpful; you could choose to be understanding & perhaps ask your wife if she wouldn't mind walking the dogs in the other direction for a while.

However, I would also have a friendly chat with your neighbor with the intention of coming up with a amicable solution. If you can speak with him in a non-confrontational way, and if you can propose solutions that would be "win-win", he may surprise you & cooperate. And after all, being a neighbor, you never know when either of you might come to the other's aid... and it's always nicer to make a friends, rather than enemies! ;) Good luck!

Answer 2

That is crazy! You're right-"the height of arrogance". And it doesn't matter what time your wife walks the dogs, it could be 2:00 in the morning. It's 100% your neighbor's problem.

Now dealing with the neighbor may become uncomfortable, but I would just continue doing what you all have been doing, certainly don't change your walking route, and sympathize with the neighbor if he says anything, but make it clear that his dogs are his responsibility. Just say it nicely. You're right, people are crazy and you don't want your wife to be in an unsafe situation. If it continues to be a problem and if your neighbor becomes hostile, I would contact your local police and ask them if they have a community relations officer that can come out and speak to the neighbor.

Answer 3

Angela, I agree with FAT, especially since I scrolled through your other questions. You have way too much on your plate right now, your father is a complete moron, and your home life, especially with the pregnancy, is very chaotic. There's nothing you can do to change your Dad's behavior, unfortunately. But that poor little dog is being viciously abused and one of these days he will kill her. Please do the responsible thing and get that dog to safety and do it asap. Call a rescue group. It's a bit scary that you think there's something that would stop your Dad from hurting the dog, because there isn't, and one of these days he's going to hit her too hard. And then you'll be burying her. Just remove her please. She deserves a lot better than she's getting right now and you can't fix your dad, so do the only other option.

Answer 4

Honestly, if the man has a baby in his house, he is probably sleep-deprived. While 7:45 is by no means unreasonable, if the baby is asleep at that time, the gentleman would probably like to be too (mothers, at least, are advised to sleep when their child is sleeping, if they hope to get any sleep at all). Telling your wife where to walk her dogs was certainly rude, but rather than risk another confrontation with someone who could be aggressive (or continue awakening a sleeping child and his sleep-deprived, but perhaps normally very kind, parent), I would personally find a different route.

Answer 5

Just because it is a public street, does not mean you can create problems. The barking Dogs, are doing there job. Letting there Master know, that an intruder is out there. Try getting to know the Dogs, or walking on the other side of the street.

Answer 6

If you want to do the simple thing.....have your wife walk another route. Not that she has to, just keeping the peace.

Then, at some later time, go offer the guy a beer and try to talk about it.

You are right about the guy, though. Arrogant. Probably needs a good lesson, but I wouldn't want to put the wife (or you) in risk for a silly ego thing.

Answer 7

Who cares if a dog gets upset? They don't have rights. YOU have the right to walk down an open, public street at any time of the day or night. Tell him to muzzle his dogs; they are frightening your wife.

A delicious way to shut him up would be to let him get stupid and just touch your wife at all. That's battery and you can press charges.

Answer 8

I would probably put on my robo-face if he asked again, and say that I was terribly sorry if his dogs are disturbing him and his family, but since I am not trespassing or violating any city ordnances, then I am within my rights to be passing on the sidewalk. You have no malicious intent, do not actively attempt to disturb the dogs... so it's his problem with obediance training, not yours.

Sorry for your trouble btw -- an awkward situation.

Answer 9

If it's convenient to do so, what's your problem with crossing to the other side? How self-centered are you? Granted, he should train his dogs or get rid of them, but there's no reason for you to get defensive about it. It would be doing a kindness for the other neighbors bothered by the barking dogs as well. It's not all about you.

Answer 10

I would politely tell him to train his dogs better or take them in. It's his dogs that are causing the problem, not your wife. And as long as she's walking on public property he has no reason to ask her not to walk there. It's not like she's deliberately teasing the dogs.