Singapore Expats

Can't get our condo management to act on our complaint about yapping dogs at all hours in our condo. I've been told that there are no condos where dogs are banned and that non dog owners just have to live with this problem. One young 'local' lady with whom I had to share our condo's elevator (barking dog in tow) told me that if I don't like it that I should go back to Australia cos "This is Singapore and this is what happens here"..Mm... how does one argue with such great intellectuals ?

"Good thing you only have a dog and not a kid, then!"

It's one of the problems with having a society that is so heavily rule-based, there's not much "spirit of the law" if you get what I mean: "The condo rules don't stop me from having a dog and doing what I do, so I will; if you don't like it, well, that's not really relevant is it." How many people even know their neighbours, other than their names? I'm very glad that Singapore does have such an efficient and upstanding police force, because if it didn't, the country would basically implode.

ozchick wrote:Can't get our condo management to act on our complaint about yapping dogs at all hours in our condo. I've been told that there are no condos where dogs are banned and that non dog owners just have to live with this problem. One young 'local' lady with whom I had to share our condo's elevator (barking dog in tow) told me that if I don't like it that I should go back to Australia cos "This is Singapore and this is what happens here"..Mm... how does one argue with such great intellectuals ?

...obviously, she is not happy living amongst Aussie in general. Also, a person that gives such an answer is oblivion with the world she is living in.

Are you the only family disturbed by the dogs? Try to rally other families and then approach the condo management together.

And someone here seriously thinks that condo rules should ban dogs? Not much of animal lovers I guess. Are dogs banned in Australia, I thought it would be the other way round.

Of course that way to answer is rude, but people tend to get defensive if you complain about their pets, kids etc. But some tolerance towards your neighbours might be useful.

For the record I do not have a dog, but love my neighbours one, always friendly when we meet (both the dog and the old indian dude).

much as i love dogs, incessant barking can really be irritating at times... most of the times in fact!

and i just re-discovered (my dog usually stop barking after i tell him off) this today, thanks to my sister's dog!! however, i don't really blame him for it was due to some reconstruction work being done to our flat and the workers were just outside our doorstep... and this stubborn little thing simply refuses to stop!!

To Oz, is there a reason why your neighbour's dog wouldn't stop barking? is it the same dog or is it somebody else's? is there no way u could communicate with the owner/s?

to ban dogs is really too harsh, isn't it? its seldom the dogs' fault, usually the owners'!

bruinbear wrote:Are you the only family disturbed by the dogs? Try to rally other families and then approach the condo management together.

You gotta be kidding! Rally other families together? Here? Fat Chance!

The only way you can get other families together here is if your building is going en bloc! Otherwise Pffft!

Everybody here is afraid to stand up for themselves. My whole block had had to put up with a damn karaoke lounge in the Community Centre in my Block for a year. Nobody would say a word except myself and one other family (young chinese couple who are very close to us). I finally blew my top in frustration (been living with the damn noise from 11 in the morning till 11pm at night 7 days a week without letup with the volume loud enough to hear it up 6 or 7 floors (I'm on the 2nd floor just above it). Finally had it up to there. Went down and caused a scene enough so that one of the Bengs there decided to rain blows on & about my person. (I never swung back but did give him a rather hard shove after a while - plenty of witnesses around). I then had my wife call the police (my daughter managed to snap several pictures with her phone as well during this fracas). They came, the committee chairperson came, bit hoohaa, went to the police station where a complaint was made, etc, etc, yadda, yadda, wanted to know if I wanted to press charges. Said no, just want the damn noise STOPPED!

End of the story, the karaoke lounge has been shut down for the past 3 weeks until all the windows have been filled with insulation and wallboard inside, (sound proofed) and the Chairperson came to the house when they started testing the sound out to make sure it could not be heard from my flat directly above. I had to literally tell them how to do it as well. Cost them around 3K to get the work done but, as I told them, either you soundproof the place so it CANNOT be heard OR I have four families with infants less that 6 months old beside me and above me who have been complaining for months to no avail as all were just ignored. If it's not done right and I hear them again, I go see the MP at the meet the MP session on Monday nights, along with the other 4 families who have volunteered (my wife and my neice spent the next day visiting everybody in the block directly above us), and we'll get 'er shut down permanently. And, if that doesn't work, I'll take it to the newspapers until we all get the peace and quiet that we paid for when we bought our flats.

Been quiet ever since, but I had to escalate it to a physical fight in order to get something accomplished. Sad but true.

sundaymorningstaple wrote:I had to escalate it to a physical fight in order to get something accomplished.

I suppose this was when you were still BIG and SCARY?

One thing that annoys me here is that people generally don't train their dogs. You CAN train a dog not to bark all the time (except for Jack Russells - they're out of control!) It also pains me to see so many owners taken for a walk by the dog instead of the other way round.

My dog is perfectly silent except when we all leave the house then he barks a few times in protest but other than that even we don't know where he is sometimes, have to search him down in the house. Ozchick, why don't you move in next to me?

Good chance half the dogs are barking because there is no one there to look after them. Happens all the time (everywhere not just Sing by the way) and people don't care. Very sad. Not sure what you want them to do Ozchick, but if they are barking during the wee hours of the night then keep on complaining, and try and find out where they are. Then complain again, and again.



Hey WIMH, good to see you around again.

ProvenPracticalFlexible wrote:And someone here seriously thinks that condo rules should ban dogs? Not much of animal lovers I guess. Are dogs banned in Australia, I thought it would be the other way round.

I do know of several condo complexes who do in fact ban dogs on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast in Queensland. One lady had been told by management that since her dog was old and small, she could move in with her dog. She was told this before buying into it. Of course the the other owners didn't like it and the old lady had to get rid of her dog.

When we lived in Singapore, 2 doors down had three yappy dogs who never saw the light of day, were never taken outside. He worked during the day, and all they did was yap, yap, yap. It didn't bother us, but I felt for the next door neighbors.

Thanks, micknlea. You too!

Matney, I think you're right. I wonder why people get dogs if they're not willing to walk them daily. My dog has always had a routine morning and evening walk, come rain or shine. That, and breakfast of course, are the highlights of his day. I can't imagine how boring his days would be without those events to look forward to. If dogs aren't walked at all it's easy to understand why they go berserk.

Maybe condos could provide dog-walking services for residents? Hey, there's a part-time business idea for you Ozchick. Gorgeous dog-nanny, complete with plastic bags for poo-picking and biscuits for dogs who are quiet throughout the walk. You could call your business "Canine Chic(k)".

Wind In My Hair wrote:

sundaymorningstaple wrote:I had to escalate it to a physical fight in order to get something accomplished.

I suppose this was when you were still BIG and SCARY?

Actually, is was only one month ago and I had already lost all my strength at the point and was Skinnnnnnnny!. That's why only able to push him. Had it be before the diet I might have been "taken" to jail for hurting him. I didn't have the strength to fight back. And considering there were a total of 5 of them kicking and punching on me, the follow days medical report ordered by the police had numerous bruises on my back & legs.

Karaoke and Yap Dogs all bloody night. Two of the worst things we have to deal with when looking for peace & quiet after a long hard day.

ProvenPracticalFlexible wrote:And someone here seriously thinks that condo rules should ban dogs? Not much of animal lovers I guess. Are dogs banned in Australia, I thought it would be the other way round.

Did someone suggest banning? Since when does wanting people to control their pets and not disturb the common peace = banning? I'm a huge animal lover, have a lot of pets and I can not understand the mentality of someone who buys an expensive pure bred dog only to lock it up -- especially when it is exactly the type of breed to bark when bored or on survelliance. There should be a test that must be passed in order to own a dog.

road.not.taken wrote: There should be a test that must be passed in order to own a dog.

Word!

road.not.taken wrote:
Did someone suggest banning? Since when does wanting people to control their pets and not disturb the common peace = banning?

It's simple. The reason that we aren't allowed to drive at high speeds is 'cos we can't all be relied upon to do that with the required skills, aptitude etc that is required. So therefore such a concept is banned.
Same for dog-owners in condos. We simply can't rely on all dog-owners to do the right thing. Ban them and the problem is fixed.
Ooh ! And now I hear all you dog owners howling as loudly as your beloved pooches ! OK.
So the solution?
1.Condos for dog owners and LET them do battle with the problems they'll face.
2.Then condos for non-dog owners, some of whom would happily pay a premium to be away from the dog people.
And for what it's worth, I was once the owner of a beautiful little dog (ok admit to the miniature-toy poodle breed)which went to God at the ripe old age of 17 yrs. I loved her, and believe it or not, she loved ME !!