DC rowhouse, new neighbor's dog barking nonstop. Options?

[Anonymous]

The young couple who bought the rowhouse next to ours seemed nice enough when they moved in. But then we heard the dog. It's a Great Dane and it barks nonstop when they aren't home. And they are out a lot, while we have young kids and are home much of the time and go to bed relatively early.

They told us the dog should "calm down" in a couple of weeks after it gets used to the new house. But it's been a week and the dog is still barking constantly. They said they expect to live in their new house for 20 years.

What would you do? Is there any DC ordinance that applies here? Are we looking at hiring a lawyer to sue them?

[Anonymous]

I am in Alexandria and used to live in row house and had a similar issue. For that jurisdiction there was a noise ordinance for dogs barking, something like if they barked for more than 10 minutes straight during certain hours you had the right to call animal control. The noise had to be heard from the street. Search to see if DC has a similar noise ordinance.

[Anonymous]

Do you have a HOA? Don't jump to suing just yet. See if the dog mellows out in the next week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a HOA? Don't jump to suing just yet. See if the dog mellows out in the next week.

We don't have HOAs in the city.

[Anonymous]

Do they know the dog is barking when they are not there? They may think things are going great. Try a common sense chat -- forget suing.

[Anonymous]

Can you tape the barking? Just let whatever device you're using just tape the sound for hours. Then play it back to them. I'd give it at least three weeks, then confront. Hopefully the dog will shut up before that.

[Anonymous]

Slip business cards for local dog trainers under their door.

[Anonymous]

ask them to get a $30 citronella bark collar.

[Anonymous]

Awww. Can't you offer to watch the dog? Since you're home all day?

[Anonymous]

OP here. We just realized it's actually close to 2 weeks. We have not discussed with them since that first day, but they have to know about it. They said they had this problem in their apartment building (and claim that the dog eventually stopped).

We will talk with them this weekend if they're around.

DC ordinance is very vague, guessing it won't be much help but I guess that if the situation doesn't improve we can call animal control and see what happens:

900. Dogs
900.1 No person shall own or keep a dog that, by barking or in any other manner,
disturbs the quiet of any neighborhood or any person.

900.9 Any person violating any provision of §§ 900.1 through 900.6 shall be
punished by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars ($ 300), or by
imprisonment not exceeding ten (10) days.

I have have no desire to get confrontational and find ourselves in a war with them. But I'm not seeing a solution here. What can they do other than get rid of the dog?

[Anonymous]

Are there any electronic barking devices that work through walls? I tried this in NYC a few years ago and it didn't work, but maybe there are new products out now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The young couple who bought the rowhouse next to ours seemed nice enough when they moved in. But then we heard the dog. It's a Great Dane and it barks nonstop when they aren't home. And they are out a lot, while we have young kids and are home much of the time and go to bed relatively early.

They told us the dog should "calm down" in a couple of weeks after it gets used to the new house. But it's been a week and the dog is still barking constantly. They said they expect to live in their new house for 20 years.

What would you do? Is there any DC ordinance that applies here? Are we looking at hiring a lawyer to sue them?

How old is the dog--life expectancy for a Dane is only about 8 years, so at least you aren't staring down 20 years of this!

I'd talk to them again about it, and let them know it is an ongoing issue for you. Maybe record the barking from inside your home? If I were the owner (and I also own a Great Dane), I would definitely want to know so I can try to calm my dog and make conditions better for my neighbor.

[Anonymous]

OP again, dog is 6 so it won't last forever, but it could be a long two years... and from what I've read those devices don't work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We just realized it's actually close to 2 weeks. We have not discussed with them since that first day, but they have to know about it. They said they had this problem in their apartment building (and claim that the dog eventually stopped).

We will talk with them this weekend if they're around.

DC ordinance is very vague, guessing it won't be much help but I guess that if the situation doesn't improve we can call animal control and see what happens:

900. Dogs
900.1 No person shall own or keep a dog that, by barking or in any other manner,
disturbs the quiet of any neighborhood or any person.

900.9 Any person violating any provision of §§ 900.1 through 900.6 shall be
punished by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars ($ 300), or by
imprisonment not exceeding ten (10) days.

I have have no desire to get confrontational and find ourselves in a war with them. But I'm not seeing a solution here. What can they do other than get rid of the dog?

Train it.

[Anonymous]

Two weeks isn't that long for the dog to settle in. The owners can get a bark collar for their dog.