I think I’ve mentioned before about me being a dog person. Funny enough, in my social circle I am outnumbered by cat lovers – most of my friends like cats. No idea how am I getting along with these people . But seriously, cats and dogs (by far the most popular pets) are very different, and naturally the problems you can expect from them are different, too. Dogs bark and cats poop. Today I am dealing with annoying neighbor dogs, and my next article will be about cats.

“That barking dog drives me nuts” you say for the 1001st time and desperately search your mind for ways to silence the horrendous creature.

Talking to the neighbours is something you could try first. They may not be aware you are annoyed to the extent of considering poison. Don’t make it all about you – speak in general as if it was a common concern: “It is very difficult for anyone to get any sleep when the barking is going on till 1am.”

You could ask about the reason why the dog barks. Note the hours when barking is at it’s peak (keep a diary) and ask the neighbour whether anything could be triggering it at that particular time. Perhaps if they allowed the dog in the house, barking would stop or at least become quieter.

When negotiation fails or the neighbour simply ignores your requests, the other option is, of course, complaining to the authorities. In that case you will need the diary with dates and times of barking as well, to prove your claim. But, as you know, anything that involves the local council is by nature a very lengthy process, and one needs to get some sleep every night.

If only there was an “off” switch for the barking, you think. And actually…. there is. Ever heard of an ultrasonic device called “Bark Off“? It’s a tiny battery powered box that has a wall mount (so can be mounted on the fence), and which is also bark activated. Once your neighbour’s dog begins barking it sets off the ultrasonic signals that human ears do not hear – but that capture the dog’s attention and interrupt otherwise uncontrollable and annoying barking. In terms of law this is completely legal because you can install anything you want on your property, plus it doesn’t harm the dog.

Ok, barking is out of the way now, but what do you do when a neighbour dog comes to your property often for just a visit or to leave a “deposit” on your lawn? Even though the law is on your side and the owner IS required to keep the dog on a leash or at their property at all times, but how do you enforce that law?

If asking the neighbor nicely doesn’t work, there’s no way for you to restrict dog’s access to your yard and you prefer to leave the cops out of it, it’s time to get creative and … hose the dog. Just keep the water restrictions in mind

Trees are a very common reason for trouble between neighbours. It’s so easy to lose it when your neighbour’s tree roots are ruining your driveway and he won’t do a thing about it. It’s infuriating that he won’t cut down that old decaying tree, even though it’s an accident waiting to happen. But getting into a fight right away is never a good idea – doing your homework and negotiating will get you better results.

The first thing to do is to get prepared. There are local laws for pretty much any annoyance your neighbour’s tree is causing you, so it pays to get familiar with them – including making a copy of the relevant page and highlighting the paragraph that addresses your problem. Ring your local council or visit their website and ask or search for the relevant information.

The majority of problems with trees happen when your neighbour’s tree is shedding leaves, branches or fruit on your side of the fence, which means that you have more mess to clean, or when the roots of that tree are ruining your plumbing or driveway.

Some general rules about trees are that you can cut / remove whatever is on your side of the fence – provided that you don’t cause the whole tree to collapse on your neighbour’s property. But if you care about good neighbourly manners, the right thing is to discuss it with them first. He or she may not be aware of the problem – after all, people don’t look over their neighbour’s fence very often.

Now, discussing the problem with your neighbour… sometimes is easier said than done. In my case it was quite awkward – I didn’t even know my neighbour’s name, we’ve never spoke about anything (not even the weather!). Don’t let this happen to you – just say ‘Hello’ occasionally when you see them. Well before you have had any problems

With or without discussion, whenever you’ve removed parts of the tree that were on your property, you need to (don’t laugh!) return them to their rightful owner, your neighbour . Which is why the discussion part becomes even more important. Imagine the look on your neighbour’s face when you dump a pile of roots and branches on his driveway: “Here you go, buddy!”

And one last thing – damage to property is a big issue, but danger to health is a much more serious one. Sometimes people have poisonous trees growing near the fence with branches overhang your property or poisonous plants (you can see the full list of poisonous plants in Victoria here)

If you are worried about the safety of your children, know this: your neighbour is required by law to cut the overhanging branches of such trees / plants, and raising this issue with him could be the simplest solution to the problem.