When you decide to bring a dog into your family, you are signing up for a lifelong responsibility that can sometimes be overwhelming. Not only are you going to have to keep your new furry friend happy, but you also have to make sure that your pup is an upstanding member of society. But what do you do if your neighbor starts to complain about your dog?
What to do if My Neighbor Complains About my Dog?
If your neighbor complains about your dog, you should remain calm, listen, apologize, ask questions, obey the laws, change behavior, and communicate.
1. Remain Calm
When someone states a complaint to you about your dog, your first reaction might be to defend yourself. However, that’s not the best course of action. To keep the situation under control you are going to want to remain calm and allow your neighbor to express their concerns and complaints without causing more trouble.
2. Listen
Make sure that when your neighbor is speaking to you about your dog that you are listening to what they have to say. Pay attention to their specific complaints and take notes so you can address the problem later on. You should not interrupt them, and wait to speak until they have voiced their side.
3. Apologize
The next thing that you are going to want to do if a neighbor complains to you about your dog is apologize! Let your neighbor know that you hear their concerns and that you are sincerely sorry for any inconveniences you and your dog may have caused them.
4. Ask Questions
As you are talking with your neighbor, try to keep the conversation from being one-sided. The last thing you want is for your neighbor to complain to you about your dog and feel as though you don’t care. Asking questions will make your neighbor feel a bit more confident that coming to you about their complaint was the right thing to do.
Be sure to ask all sorts of questions about your neighbor’s complaint. You are going to need specific information if you want to correct any behaviors that you and your dog may be doing to cause discord. Some questions you might want to ask can be:
- Is there a specific time my dog is bothering you?
- Is there anything, in particular, you would like me to do?
- Is there anything, in particular, you would like me to address?
- Is there anything that I can do to make you happy besides giving up my dog?
You can even check with your other neighbors to see if they have noticed unsatisfactory behavior from your dog. If so, then ask them the same questions. Gathering as much information as you can is going to help you fix the situation quicker.
5. Obey the Laws
Once you have conversed with your neighbor(s) about what problems your dog might be causing, it is important to check your local dog laws. Make sure that you are compliant for everything such as keeping your dog on a leash, having an updated license, and picking up after your dog.
After doing this, feel free to reach out to your neighbor and let them know that you reviewed your community laws and that you are following them. If you need to make adjustments based on what you have read, be sure to let them know this too! Keeping your neighbor informed of your efforts will help keep the situation under control.
6. Change Behaviors
The next thing you are going to want to do is to start changing behaviors and or routines. Use the information that you have gathered in steps 4 and 5 to determine exactly what, when, where, why, and how your dog is causing problems for you and your neighbor. Is your dog barking or panting loudly at all hours of the night? Is she waking people up in the morning when you let her outside? Does she wake up your neighbor’s baby throughout the day?
Nailing down exactly what behavior is disrupting your neighbor, what time the behavior is occurring, and what is causing your dog to do this behavior is going to make it easier for your to start correcting your dog. If you are having trouble determining the cause of your dog’s behavior because it is occurring during a time when you are away from the house or apartment, take some time to watch your house from a distance. This will create an opportunity for you to see what goes on when you aren’t home.
If you are having trouble determining the reason for your dog’s upsetting behavior, it may be time to contact a professional. Making a vet appointment will rule out health problems such as illness, stress, and anxiety. You could also find a local dog trainer and have them assist you in correcting your dog’s behavior. If you dog barks constantly when you leave, you might need to get a dog trainer to help with your dog’s separation anxiety.
7. Communicate
This step may seem unnecessary as you already have talked with your neighbor about your dog, but you are going to want to continue doing so. Make sure that you keep your neighbor up to date on what steps you are taking to correct your dog’s behavior. This will show that you are dedicated to keeping the peace of the neighborhood, and your neighbor is going to appreciate this. Communication is also going to assure your neighbor that you are not blowing off their concerns.
Now you are armed with the knowledge of what to do when a neighbor complains about your dog and you can successfully maintain a good relationship with everyone in your community!
