We used to get along really well with our next door neighbor. Then she got a dog. Our apartments share a wall, and we also share a back deck. There is a wooden lattice wall separating her side and ours. The deck is very pleasant and shady, except when the neighbor’s dog is out. It puts its head under the lattice wall and barks at us. Unless she brings her dog inside, our only option is to leave. Our daughter is terrified of the dog, though we have tried to explain that the dog isn’t mean, just crazy.
We can tell that the neighbor is embarrassed, and that has strained communication between us. Whenever the dog sees us, or anyone else, it nearly always barks. If she has the dog out front, and it starts barking, our daughter starts to cry, and dog and neighbor go quickly inside.
The ironic thing is, this neighbor has a strained relationship with the people who live on the other side of her. Their dog is the cause of it. It is mean, barks at everyone, and tries to bite when it gets an opportunity. It has bit her twice (not severely), and she used to complain to us about the distress it caused. She felt the conflict of wanting to maintain a good relationship with the neighbors while wanting to have animal control remove the dog. She doesn’t talk about the neighbor’s dog anymore, as I’m sure the irony is not lost on her.
We have no plans to contribute to the dog/neighbor friction. We remain pet free.