[Jenmar1024]

Hi Everyone,

A situation has developed over the past few months and i'm not sure how to handle it.

My next door neighbor has this little dog, it's cute but it barks constantly. They will often leave for days at a time leaving this poor little Pomeranian (sp?) alone in the backyard the whole time they are away. This dog as cute as it may be does nothing but bark the whole time, it will stop for like 5-10 minutes before starting up again but it's constant.

My main problem with this is my daughters bedroom is on that side of the house and hears the dog all night long. She has to run a fan in her room to drown out the noise or she can not fall asleep or is awakened at 4 or 5 in the morning.

I would just go and talk with them but they speak very little English and I speak absolutely no Spanish. What course of action should I take to try and resolve this without causing issues or friction between neighbors?

Thanks for reading.

 

[cshellenberger]

If they are leaving the house for days and the dog is outside I'd call a report it to your AC, I know AZ laws are pretty strict about the conditions for outdoor dogs due to the climate and if the dog doesn't have food, water and shelter or the owners are gone for extended times (over 24 hours) the dog can be seized by AC and the owners charged with neglect. Phoenix is notorious for the AC seizing dogs, I'd think the Tucson AC would be the same way. You can also file a noise complaint.

 

[Fuzzy Pants]

Honestly, if some idjut left a cute little dog outside for days I'd find it hard not to take the poor thing into my house to make sure it got food, water and a bit of training.

 

[hanksimon]

Use some little pieces of hotdog... and train the dog to stop barking on cue

 

[Red Fraggle]

If you want to talk to them first because you don't want to make waves with the neighbours, you could try writing a note explaining about the noise issue. They're bound to know someone who can translate it for them.
If you're concerned about the dog's well-being, call AC. If you don't care whether the neighbours like you or not, file a noise complaint with your municipality.

 

[luv mi pets]

I would call my local AC and explain the problem. Hopefully just a talk with the owners might solve the problem. Why some people think they have to own a dog is beyond me. It sounds like the little fella needs someone to look out after his well being. Make the call and be the voice for the little dog next door.

 

[Sasha1/2]

If the dog barks all night they are probably breaking a noise bylaw; check your city's bylaw web pages for information.

 

[Shell]

Here's an imperfect translation that you can leave as a note. If that helps, great. If not, then you can progress to contacting officials over the noise or the leaving the dog alone.

Tu perro está ladrando mucho y mi hija no puede dormir por el ruido. Por favor mantener a su perro dentro de la noche así que el ladrido no moleste a sus vecinos. También, cuando deja durante varios días, por favor, que alguien cuidar de su perro. No es seguro dejar un perro solo por un largo tiempo.

(Your dog is barking a lot and my daughter cannot sleep because of the noise. Please keep your dog inside during the night so the barking does not bother your neighbors. Also, when you leave for several days, please have someone care for the dog. It is not safe to leave a dog alone for a long time)

 

[Canaqua]

I would find a way to speak them first. I'm not a fan of calling the authorities on neighbors without at least trying to handle it between ourselves first. I certainly don't like it when people do it to me!! I'm pretty reasonable, if someone has an objection to something and approaches me in a polite way, I'll do my best to ameliorate the situation.

Calling AC first might cause some issues with the neighbor. If they are unreceptive...blowing off your concern or are rude about it, absolutely, call AC. Most towns do have noise ordinances. Here, a dog cannot be left to bark outside for more than 10 minutes straight, or the owner gets a ticket.

If the dog's owners speak a little English, you might be able to communicate something simple about the dog's barking preventing you from sleeping. It wouldn't take very complicated Spanish to do so either, you can put it into an online translation site and just do your best, or write it down. Alternatively, find someone who can speak Spanish to help you. If you have native Spanish speakers in your neighborhood, chances are there are plenty of people around who speak both Spanish and English.

 

[LilasMom]

Also:

Necesita agua a todos los tiempos y comida todos los dias. - He/She needs water at all times and food every day.

Se puede morir el en calor sin agua. - He/she could die in the heat with out water.

Si no puede controlar or cuidar su pero, voy a tener que hablar el Animal Control. - If you can't control or take care of your dog, I am going to have to call Animal Control