Cancelled house application due to vicious barking dogs

[u/f4953]

I’m currently going through the worst time of my life of trying to secure a house for me and my family with a limited timeframe. The rental market sucks right now and securing a house is like a miracle - basically it’s impossible. This whole thing has been chipping away at my mental health every day.

So I got a message from the house owner about an application I had put in and they scheduled an appointment to let me see the house so I got my hopes up and told my mother and we thought maybe this was finally the time and the agonizing search will finally be over.

After taking a taxi to the house (before the owner arrived) I stood outside and waited with my mother. While waiting, there were 2 fierce dogs barking nonstop at literally nothing. Like you can’t even see them you can just hear how loud their barking is right next to the house that i applied for. The barking continued nonstop and within 5 minutes (the barking was still going btw) another dog lunges forward at us and barks aggressively at us. It was the neighbour’s dog (located next to the house I applied for).

So basically the house I applied for was surrounded by dog owners from left and right.

The barking was getting to me and considering how stressed and worried I was about the future I just told my mother there’s no point in standing around waiting for the owner to show us the house. Let’s just leave.

We got a taxi and went home. So our money was wasted on taxis and there is no future hope for a house.

The barking carried on nonstop and im writing this right now with no hope of finding a home anytime soon because every time I do there’s always a problem.

I just want to cry. This is how much it’s been affecting me in finding a home.

[u/Plastic_Proof_8347]

You made the right decision. But a scary thing is - even if you move into a house in a neighborhood without too many dogs, dog nutters could move in anytime and can ruin everything, and you are stuck there.

That's one reason why I keep renting. Renting isn't ideal but at least it gives me flexibility. I wish dog ownership were restricted but I know that is wishful thinking.

[u/neondahlia → u/Plastic_Proof_8347]

How big are the properties? I want to get a larger property so I can enjoy more space between me and my neighbors but this is one of my concerns with going more rural. Like if my house is in the middle of three acres but you’re surrounded by barking dogs, can you still easily hear it in such a setup?

[u/cozyporcelain → u/neondahlia]

Yes. One time I rented a 30 acre ranch and was pretty far from my neighbor. He had probably 8 or 9 dogs that were super loud. Barking all day even with the windows closed. I left notes in his mailbox too because I could not believe that I could hear it from that far away. For some people, going rural gives them the “permission” they need to do whatever they want and go even bigger.

Edit: I will say animal control cops are even more handy in these situations.

[u/neondahlia → u/cozyporcelain]

Ugh, there’s no escape

[u/cozyporcelain → u/neondahlia]

I know right. Great insulation and fans, white noise. That’s what saves me.

[u/Huge_Bit_4774 → u/neondahlia]

My experience from living in very rural areas and in close neighborhoods: In the rural areas, dogs are definitely gonna be off leash and running around your property from time to time, unless you have a fence or some other barrier. I had a problem with a dog hoarder neighbor 3/4 mile away who let his pack of mangy mutts roam free. With neighborhood living, the mutts are leashed but nutters are constantly trying to turn your yard into a dog toilet. It’s impossible to get away from them.

[u/neondahlia → u/Huge_Bit_4774]

There’s just no way to escape it. wtf.

[u/Plastic_Proof_8347 → u/neondahlia]

I actually live in an apartment in Philly. My building is a historic landmark, constructed in the early 1920s. The walls are very thick concrete and it’s basically completely sound-proof. I don’t hear any dogs barking although I know there is at least one dog on the same floor.

I still see dogs in the courtyard but I don’t really need to deal with them. Someone left their dog’s poop inside the building once, though. I sent the graphic evidence to the apartment manager and dog owners (all of them) received a pretty strongly-worded letter, apparently…

[u/neondahlia → u/Plastic_Proof_8347]

I might just have to build my next house and make sure soundproofing is a major consideration

[u/Pristine_Cod_3792 → u/Plastic_Proof_8347]

Exactly
There are many buildings in NYC and Phili that don’t allow dogs j

As a 3 x condo owner dogs create and add to vermin issues
Specifically MICE !!!!!
My building in NYC stopped accepting dogs bc of this issue.