'That should give them the incentive': College student complains to building manager over neighbors' excessive dog barking even after promising to fix it over two years ago

Author image for Blake Seidel
Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Oct 6, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

Getting a dog to stop barking at something is like asking a cat to stop waking you up at 5 AM for breakfast, even though breakfast isn't until 7:30 AM. It's not impawssible, but we would be lying if we said it wasn't hard. Barking is instinctual to dogs, just like being annoying is instinctual to cats (we're joking… mostly). 

Dogs can bark for quite literally anything: to tell you they're upset, to notify you of someone nearby, or to protect you from the dangerous squirrels. Dogs also bark when they're distressed, like being left home alone when they have separation anxiety.

We have an anxious dog, and although she doesn't have a problem with separation anxiety, we understand how difficult it can be to help them work through their problems without being able to assure them you're coming back in a little while. It's not so bad for you because you're gone while it happens, but for your neighbors, it can be an endless cycle of unbearable noise. 

After two years of living next to a distressed doggo who barks for hours after his pawrents leave, the college student below is fed up. He's willing to take it to the building management, which could force them to move out. Is that really what he wants, though?

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  • 01

    Am I [wrong] for complaining about my neighbour’s dog?

    Dog barking including 'I've lived here for two years and it's just gotten so much worse'
    via Capuski

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    I live in an apartment building and my next door neighbours have a a dog that barks and wines for hours whenever they leave.
    via Fuzzy-Investment-446
  • 03
    She's a small mutt, and she runs around the apartment and sits at the front door and barks nonstop until they come home.
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  • 04
    Occasionally I go and knock on the door so she calms down for a bit, but then it starts up again.
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  • If we're talking about hours on end here, then yes, it's a problem. If it's only for a few minutes, then a long break, then again for a few minutes… that's just a dog being a dog. The frequency and duration are crucial pieces of information that we are, unfortunately, missing.

  • 05
    I'm a student and I spend a lot of time at home during regular working hours.
    via Fuzzy-Investment-446
  • 06
    I find it so annoying especially when I'm studying and I mostly need a quiet environment.
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  • 07
    Man putting pillows over ears to reduce noise
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    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 08
    No amount of drowning out the sound with music or headphones works, it's that loud. It's at the point where I am tempted to complain to the building.
    via Fuzzy-Investment-446
  • 09
    My neighbours are kind people and have two small children and I'm not sure what they do for work, but one of them must spend some time at home during the day because I hear someone come back occasionally.
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  • 10
    I feel bad making a formal complaint, I don't want to create any problems, but I don't think it's reasonable that other neighbours have to put up with this dog's barking everyday.
    via Fuzzy-Investment-446
  • 11
    *Add on: About a year ago, I left them a note on their door and later spoke to the husband about it, he said they didn't realize and would address it.
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  • If they already talked to them about it and they haven't fixed it, they don't really care. In that case, we do think that they might need some extra “motivation” to handle it. If not for their neighbors, then for the dog itself. Not even dogs like barking for hours on end.

  • 12
    I've lived here for two years and it's just gotten so much worse
    via Fuzzy-Investment-446
  • 13
    Negative_Virus_1974 Devils advocate, if they arent home they dont know what their dog is doing do they go speak to them and key them know, put a note through their door if you can't do it face to face what they choose to do with the information is then up to them.
    via Negative_Virus_1974
  • 14
    Fragrant-Point3378 I can't help but feel some sympathy for your neighbors. though. Training a dog out of barking is sometimes impossible (told to me by trainers). Nothing has worked with my guy - 1 appreciate any tips- I just hope that he's not too bad when I'm not home, and don't watch anything with animals in it after 8pm.
    via Fragrant-Point3378
  • 15
    Golden retriever barking outside
    via Capuski

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 16
    Artistic-Tough-7764 If you go to the building management without talking to your neighbors, YWBTAH. Maybe ask if you can dog sit some of the time? They may not know that the dog is that worked up when they are gone.
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  • 17
    Emotional_Award7077 NTA. But I would at least try to talk to them directly before making a formal complaint.
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  • 18
    AnonymousUnderpants NTAH. I believe you, and I've been there, and it's horrible. When this happened to me, I assumed that the family didn't know. My first approach was to reach out to my neighbors to frame it in terms of concern for
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  • 19
    the dog. ("I'm not sure you're aware of this, but when you're all out of the apartment, your dog seems very distressed. S/he barks and whines without stopping, which I'm imagine is hard on your dog.")
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  • 20
    If they seem indifferent to this feedback, then I think you go to the building manager or supervisor. But on the off chance that they truly don't know, you could say something more, like, "His distress is evident by the volume and duration of his whining, crying, and barking, which goes on all day and can be heard throughout the building."
    via AnonymousUnderpants
  • 21
    Dependent 7712 If you have already talked to the neighbors and they are yet to deal with it, I think it would be within your rights to talk to the building management. But I would talk to them again, mention the problems the barking is causing you and inform them that you are considering talking to the building management. That should give them the incentive to do something about it
    via Dependent_7712
  • 22
    Pretty-Yogurt-4111 So bring it up again. Your having the conversation once did not make them any have the ability to see and hear what's going on when they're not physically there. If you're not still raising the issue, they don't know the issue persists.
    via Pretty-Yogurt-4111
  • 23
    You can raise without being a j and hopefully without making a busy family with children feel over burdened.
    via Pretty-Yogurt-4111
  • 24
    "Hi, I'm so sorry to raise this again but I just wanted to let you know your sweet doggie is continuing to bark when you're away. It seems to have gotten louder. I myself don't know much about dogs but I found this Reddit community/Facebook group/ whatever that might have some helpful suggestions. "
    via Pretty-Yogurt-4111
  • 25
    I'm not sure what outcome you want by telling apartment management Apartment management has no magic wand to mage the dog bark less
    via Pretty-Yogurt-4111
  • 26
    Apartment management can threaten the tenants. Is that what you want? Apartment management can move you. Is that what you want?
    via Pretty-Yogurt-4111
  • 27
    Understanding that what you want is indeed the magic wand, maybe ask yourself what you want that is practical to achieve. Good luck! I'd be annoyed by random loud sounds too.
    via Pretty-Yogurt-4111

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hoa dogs manager barking dog owners animals college student
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