Neighbour A wants me to go to church with her, she thinks my immortal soul is in danger.
Neighbour B walks in front of our window on the grass instead of using the path, I'm worried she will fall. She also complains about the noise whenever Steve does some diy even when he's painting the railings at the request of the manager.
Neighbour C complains whenever she finds a dead pigeon in the garden as she believes Beano has killed it. She also tried to stop us walking in the nearby copse as she feels her cat has priority.
Neighbour D complains about the flowers we have in our hanging basket as they are the wrong sort.
Neighbour F is lovely, very kind and helpful, unfortunately, this week her sister is staying with her. Her sister is firm in her belief that we need her advice and recommendations on how to live our lives.
Yesterday it was my turn, she asked how often Beano was groomed, I explained that whilst I brushed and washed him regularly but I don't have him professionally groomed. I don't think Beano would cope with being sent to be groomed. Also I purposely didn't wants dog than needed expensive grooming, I wanted a short haired dog that I could care for myself, Beano is broken coated, a mix of long and short hair. I received a long and forceful lecture on why Beano needs to be groomed professionally regularly.
She then asked if Beano was crate trained. Personally since Beano was found as a stray I'm just glad he is toilet trained. I explained that I don't have a crate for Beano, he is allowed on the sofa and on the bed. I understand that this wouldn't suit everyone but to me a dog is part of the family. Apart from not liking big bouncy dogs, Beano is mainly laid back, friendly and very tolerant of children.
This, I was told, WILL NOT DO. Beano needs to be in a crate unless he is being walked, I was not particularly polite. I have no idea why she feels the need to make decisions about my dog. I fell back on my usual saying of " Who died and made you Queen of the May". This did not go down well!
My daughter has a crate for her dog, it is somewhere that the dog can retire to if it wants a bit of peace away from the children. It never does, it always wants to be in the thick of the action. I have another neighbour who has two dogs that spend all day in their crates apart from when they are walked. They both pull and bark hysterically during their walks!
if you want to crate you dog that is your choice, I shan't voice my opinion unless it's asked for. But don't tell me what to do with my dog, I'm not a control freak, I don't need an immaculate and tidy home. If rather have a few dog hairs around!
14 comments:
Sounds like you live where my mother-in-law lives. I sometimes think they just get together to complain. Mom was complaining about new "rules" for outside Christmas decorations. Don't know what her problem is because she has no outside Christmas decorations and has never had any.
Then they complain about the resident advisor not enforcing the rules. New advisor comes in and now they complain about her enforcing the same rules. Mom is not involved with any of this since she is very compliant but she sounds like all the problems are with things she is doing. Sigh.
You did a good job of speaking up for yourself. Keep it up!
Was there a neighbour C? I would love to hear what her complaint was! I think it would be cruel to keep a dog in a crate all the time but having it as a place of sanctuary makes sense.
Recently a woman I dont know - whilst walking my dogs asked question after question about my dogs - "where they slept" - and Which Room even - As I'm polite I answered - It wasnt until walked away that I realised she was an interogater - She's seems a person who has an unrealasticaly high opionion of herself x
Well I suppose life is not boring with such diverse neighbours, but bossy self opinionated ones.....no.
We have a rescue dog, we have had him almost a year, he is two and a half. He is/was crate trained, I have his crate in my bedroom and to begin with he always went straight in there at bedtime and I shut him in. In the summer it was so hot I left the crate opened and he slept where he wanted including the bathroom floor. Now he usually starts the night on my bed and gets in his crate when the light goes off. He hates being covered, will not sleep in an ordinary dog bed and his favourite place in sleep evenings is behind or at the side of the sofa. He was a puppy farm rescue so who knows what his early life was like.
Glad you have been enjoying cooking for the other residents. Nothing like a bit of home cooking.
Crates are cruel. Everyone says "my dog loves it" but it is an animal that has been forced to be in a box and therefore it is conditioned. No animal wants to be in a cage. people leave dogs in those crates for way too long. It causes all sorts of physical and mental torture. I have had many many many dogs and they were all house trained just fine, no crate needed. Good for you, good for Beano
I am glad my nearest neighbour is more than half a mile away.
When faced with interogaters, I try to remember to give a sweet smile and ask why they want to know.
I do like your sens of humour Hester.
Kathy in Wales
Well done for putting that madam in her place! Beano has an owner who loves him and feeds and exercises him-that’s a great life for a dog. Catriona
What awful things to say to you! Well done in your answer to her.
We have two small, shorthaired, shedding dogs...we love them and let them on the sofa...beds...anywhere they want. No one else's business what we do in our own home.
I wouldn't give them the time of day...
hugs
Donna
I love your retort to the irritating woman! I shall use it myself from now on.
"Hell is other people" wrote Jean Paul Sartre ( i think). How right he was.
I hope you continue to blog. I enjoy reading it. Merry Christmas to you.
I really admire your patience with these people. I would have said a whole lot more. My dog- my rules! on the settee, on the bed even accompanies me to the loo (thought that stopped when the kids grew up) if you have a genuine reason to question my husbandry fair enough tell my and I will explain but don't dictate.
I think crates have their use as a safe place for a dog but never lock it in with out reason.
Don't let the b***ers get you down Hester. Su
What annoying neighbours you have! How dare someone try to tell you what you should be doing with your beloved Beano. I think you are amazing to keep your humour. I hope you have a lovely and peaceful Christmas.
We don't have much to do with most of our neighbours but they've changed a lot over the years with older ones dying off and younger folk with families moving in. Our street feels very different these days it's busy where it used to be peaceful. We've also had a nuisance neighbour move into the sheltered housing over the back last year who thinks the car park is his personal scrap yard and is now hammering away at his scrap cars every chance he gets even in the frosty cold weather! He's not a nice person
That is a collection of neighbours! I suppose you can frame it as being your own free entertainment.
I don't own dogs, but I don't really like the idea of dogs being shut in a crate for ages. Having a refuge sounds like it's ideal (husband's old dog used to disappear under the table for her refuge and a crate would have suited her for that), but I've never liked the idea of a dog being all shut away. I may be a wimp about dogs, but I'm also a complete softy and I'd always be wanting cuddles.
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