Ozarkgal
Senior Member
- Location
- Deep in the Ozark woods
This thread is a continuation of the discussion in the Feb. How was your day thread, regarding neighbors and their animals and antics.
Let me say one of the major reasons that we ended up in the country, and as remote as we could manage is because of our next door neighbors in Texas. They were literally neighbors from hell with their animals which at any given time ranged from 7-9 Great Pyrenees dogs in a small 50x50 back yard. For those of you unfamiliar with the GP breed, they are huge hairy white dogs bred for guarding livestock. They have a long dense thick coat, suitable for cold mountain terrain, certainly not a Texas backyard in the summer. Of course, they have a herding instinct and bark a lot.
When these people moved in the woman mentioned they were going to get a dog, which they did. A large Newfoundland mix, followed by a border collie mix, followed soon after by the Pyrenees one by one for a couple of years until their collection reached 9 dogs.
Our lives were totally governed by their dogs time schedule. Let out in the morning at 5:30 to bark until 7:00 when they went to work. Out again at 4-5 pm when they returned, to bark until 10:00 when they went to bed. When the woman lost her job they barked from 5:30 am until they decided to go to bed at night.
We awakened to their schedule, we went to sleep on their schedule, we stopped entertaining by our beautiful back yard with pool, that we had spent mucho $$$ to make a haven that we could enjoy after work and entertain on the weekends. No dice with 7 dogs barking non-stop at the fence every time we or the dogs stepped out the door, this was no longer an enjoyable experience for us or our guests.
This went on for almost ten years until we decided we had enough and moved. Each time a dog died they replaced almost the next day with another one. No amount on nice talk, which escalated into more stern request to curtail the barking. then to reporting to a useless City Animal Control was effective. They were very belligerent about it, and to hell with the neighbors.
I talked to one of my former neighbors yesterday, and this is still going on over 2 years later. I understand why some people are driven to go postal...you would not believe the thoughts and fantasies that went through my head at times,
and had I not been a relatively grounded and stable person, who know what might have happened.
To compound the situation, I worked in a large vet clinic that had a 100 run kennel and I listened to dogs bark all day, then the whole time I was home as well, never any relief from the barking.
Our biggest fear was that we would not be able to sell our house when prospective buyers came to look. The neighbor on the other side of them asked them to put the dogs in the house when they were showing the house, trying to sell..This highly offended them, her comment was "Like they won't figure out we have dogs when they move in."
Soooo glad to be in the country where our nearest neighbor is an old fellow of 85 that lives a mile down the road.....Happy dance!!!
Do you have any neighbor war stories?
Let me say one of the major reasons that we ended up in the country, and as remote as we could manage is because of our next door neighbors in Texas. They were literally neighbors from hell with their animals which at any given time ranged from 7-9 Great Pyrenees dogs in a small 50x50 back yard. For those of you unfamiliar with the GP breed, they are huge hairy white dogs bred for guarding livestock. They have a long dense thick coat, suitable for cold mountain terrain, certainly not a Texas backyard in the summer. Of course, they have a herding instinct and bark a lot.
When these people moved in the woman mentioned they were going to get a dog, which they did. A large Newfoundland mix, followed by a border collie mix, followed soon after by the Pyrenees one by one for a couple of years until their collection reached 9 dogs.
Our lives were totally governed by their dogs time schedule. Let out in the morning at 5:30 to bark until 7:00 when they went to work. Out again at 4-5 pm when they returned, to bark until 10:00 when they went to bed. When the woman lost her job they barked from 5:30 am until they decided to go to bed at night.
We awakened to their schedule, we went to sleep on their schedule, we stopped entertaining by our beautiful back yard with pool, that we had spent mucho $$$ to make a haven that we could enjoy after work and entertain on the weekends. No dice with 7 dogs barking non-stop at the fence every time we or the dogs stepped out the door, this was no longer an enjoyable experience for us or our guests.
This went on for almost ten years until we decided we had enough and moved. Each time a dog died they replaced almost the next day with another one. No amount on nice talk, which escalated into more stern request to curtail the barking. then to reporting to a useless City Animal Control was effective. They were very belligerent about it, and to hell with the neighbors.
I talked to one of my former neighbors yesterday, and this is still going on over 2 years later. I understand why some people are driven to go postal...you would not believe the thoughts and fantasies that went through my head at times,
To compound the situation, I worked in a large vet clinic that had a 100 run kennel and I listened to dogs bark all day, then the whole time I was home as well, never any relief from the barking.
Our biggest fear was that we would not be able to sell our house when prospective buyers came to look. The neighbor on the other side of them asked them to put the dogs in the house when they were showing the house, trying to sell..This highly offended them, her comment was "Like they won't figure out we have dogs when they move in."
Soooo glad to be in the country where our nearest neighbor is an old fellow of 85 that lives a mile down the road.....Happy dance!!!
Do you have any neighbor war stories?
). He payed us back the following week and all was fine. Then a few weeks later he knocked on our door and asked again. I was so disappointed in him but gave him the benefit of the doubt with another, much smaller, amount. Paid back, and again fine. So time goes on and he is now at our door every other week. I told him we couldn’t help him anymore since I quit working. That didn’t stop him so the next time I told him firmly, but nicely, that wouldn’t be helping and to please quit asking. That still hasn’t stopped him and I’m to the point where I just don’t answer the door anymore. Our fault, I realize that, but it’s starting to make me angry and even a little afraid now and I don’t know how to stop it anymore. Is it harassment? Do I call the police? The building manager? Any ideas???