Dear Ms. Demeanor: My neighbor won't stop barking about my dog

By Jamie Lauren Sutton | January 25, 2012 - 10:44AM

Dear Ms. Demeanor:

I live in a co-op and my neighbor complains about my dog barking when I'm at work. By using a video camera, we know he's exaggerating about how much barking -- in reality it's about an hour a day. The dog is walked for at least two hours day and we are planning to bring a trainer.

If nothing works, what do you do in a situation like this? We're not going to sell our apartment or give our dog away.

Sincerely,

Dog Lover

Dear Dog-Lover,

A certain amount of noise is an inevitable and acceptable part of life in the vertical village. If someone cannot handle an hour or two of barking, crying, moaning, or another sound of daily living - particularly during daytime hours - it may be time to buy a one-way ticket on MetroNorth.

You are doing everything possible from your end. No one would ask you to give away a colicky baby and no one should ask you to do the same with a dog who barks when you are not home. You can make a good faith offer of a white noise machine and a letter detailing your efforts to your neighbor, but you may just have to put up with her barking too.

From one dog-lover to another,

Ms. Demeanor

Ms. Demeanor is channeled by a longtime Manhattan vertical dweller and real-estate voyeur who writes under the pen name Jamie Lauren Sutton. She is here to commiserate, calm and correct. Please email your quandaries to [email protected] and put "Dear Ms. Demeanor" in the subject line.

See all of Ms. Demeanor's advice here.

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