My neighbour wants me to get rid of my dogs! What rights do I have?

Question

I have three little dogs, all over ten years old, and I like in a small block of four apartments. The dogs bark for a minute or so when people walk past the front door. They do not bark at night, or for prolonged periods of time, and they have NEVER attacked anyone. All of a sudden my neighbour says they are a disturbance and they have to go. I love my dogs like children - would you ask someone to get rid of their children if they squeal from time to time?
What rights do I have in this situation? What should I do?

I own my apartment so there are no landlord issues - only strata, and no the number of dogs is not against the rules. They are tiny dogs and they sleep most of the day! Only one of them is young enough to need regular walks...

Answer 1

As you own your strata title apartment and there is no restriction on dogs in the contract of ownership then there is nothing your neighbours can do other than complain to the local ranger or animal control. At which point the authorities have to witness the 'nuisance dog' themselves. Then they can issue a warning to you. Then will come a fine or order to comply. Other than that you can tell your neighbour to get stuffed, as its the same as children in a rental contract, they cannot discriminate against you on the grounds of children. You may want to get help tho in training your dogs not to bark eg distraction and rewards when someone passes. Just to make living with your neighbours easier. Its probably a case of if it wasnt your dogs, they would probably find something else to complain about. A neighbour i had years ago did the same thing and i had animal control sit outside my home for 2 days after complaints. They found no basis for the complaints and lodged a file on my neighbours and after the dog i had died they complained to council about my noisy children (one 2yr old and a new born) the council checked records and deemed them nuisance neighbours. They had also complained about the other side neighbours too. If there is other dogs in your building they cannot pinpoint your dogs as the culprits. They also legally cannot ask you to get rid of the dogs unless the order comes from your local animal control and the building management or investor group(which you would be a part of).

Answer 2

Make sure your dogs don't bark when you are out [park down the street a fair way, so they can't hear you returning and check several times, waiting 5 - 10 mins. each time] - get a dog training book from the library, Amazon.com, your local bookstore, or kennel club. Also leave several toys, a stuffed animal on some carpet, and some plastic containers with a few small holes and many small pieces of doggie treats inside, so they have to roll them around for a while to get just one [from petstores]. All dogs should be exercised daily, unless they are very old, or have difficulty moving, as with hip displaysia. Then you can say that there is no valid reason for your neighbour's complaint.

Answer 3

Find what motivates your dog. Some dogs do anything for food. Some dogs do anything for Toys. Some do anything for a good petting. Some do anything for only one type of food, like cheese, or hotdog. Some only have interest in training for 5 minutes at a time, and others can go for an hour. Figure out what your dog is willing to work for, and then work with her in sessions that are no longer than she can tolerate. How to train your dog properly https://tr.im/Wxmdm

Sign up for a dog obedience training class. It will not train your dog. It will give you training on how you can train your dog. Most people understand the idea of training, but there is a right and a wrong way to do it, and there is good and bad technique. Timing and consistency is very important, and it helps to have feedback of someone watching you who can help you improve your technique to get more efficient results with your dog.

However, she may be somewhat anxious around other dogs, sort of like the shy kid on the playground. She will benefit from continuing what you are doing as far as asking her to sit before entering, but there are more things along those lines that will help her to calmly go in and out of the dog park. She may also benefit from going in short bursts, or only when fewer dogs are present, or avoiding times when other dogs that make her nervous are present. Maybe she just plays loud - my brother's dog is this way - or maybe she is a dogpark bully - sorry it is possible. But more likely she is just a little anxious around new dogs and she wants to play but just doesn't quite know how to do that and still feel comfortable. Don't be surprised if your dog does not actually like the dog park, and maybe she would get more enjoyment and less stress out of simply going for a good walk somewhere else.

A wagging tail does not mean that your dog is happy or even comfortable with the situation. It means your dog is emotionally aroused. This could be a happy arousal, or it could be a nervous arousal, or it could be an aggressive arousal. Go youtube it, there are plenty of videos of 'vicious' dogs who are throwing a very aggressive fit of barking and snarling while their tail is wagging vigorously. Even police dogs who are not let off the leash to chase down a suspect can be lunging and barking and snarling, and their tails are still going.

Answer 4

The right to tell your neighbour to go scratch! You live in a 4-unit building for crying out loud! People are going to have kids, dogs, parties, etc. If neighbour wants absolute silence at all times then neighbour can move to a house in the country! Otherwise neighbour's got to accept apartment living...and if neighbor can't, that's neighbour's problem-not yours! You own your apartment. Therefor, nobody has the right to tell you, or even suggest, that you should move. If neighbour were to call the police, they would tell him the same thing.

Answer 5

I don't know what advice to offer, just wanted to say that I feel really sorry for you, and I know how you feel. I had a similar thing with my cat, and it was just because one of my neighbours was a cranky old man who liked to ruin other peoples lives.

Are all your neighbours complaining or just the one? Maybe you could go knocking on the doors of your neighbours, with your beautiful puppies, and ask them to sign a petition to say they don't mind you having the dogs. Then give the petition to the cranky neighbour.

GOOD LUCK

Answer 6

well, i would go over to the neighbours and have a chat. Understanding the problem its way better then "start a war" without clarifing first. Neighbours are a massive pain in the butt i know. But you own the place and you can practically do whatever u want. With common sense of course.

Answer 7

I would go straight to your landlord. Make sure that you are within your dog limits, most only allow one. Landlords do not like to deal with noise complaints. They are often hard to prove, and you can imagine the amount of people that make false noise complaints on neighbors they dont like. Just chill out, control your dogs and when and if the time comes, state your case. Remember- they can not make you get rid of your dogs, the worst they can do is evict you.

Answer 8

There are often laws stating how many dogs one may keep. The laws concerning a public nuisance also apply: and yapping dogs are indeed a public nuisance.

Keeping dogs is a privilege and not a right, and the government can rather summarily make you get rid of them.

Answer 9

try to contact your local council to either help you or contact the amimal rights avocacy angents.

also if you are in australia, contact also the rspa.

Answer 10

you have the right to an attorney