Next doors big dog is scary!!!!HELP PLEASE

krlyr

My previous neighbours have two large GSDs (one's a huge example of the breed) and only ever had 3-4' fencing. Someone must have reported them (public foothpath runs in front of the gardens) and the police popped around and chatted to me, as the neighbour wasn't home. They asked me if the neighbour's dogs could get out of the garden, as someone walking past had been afraid that they would - my answer, well, yes of course they could, but they never have, and never showed any inclination to. They would bark as people went past - like the Rottweiler, the GSD is a guarding breed and unless trained out of it, it's very common behaviour, but they also are ones to guard "their" territory - not to jump out of the garden wandering around the place.
The police were happy enough with that answer and soon left. Like others have said, the neighbour has no obligation to put a higher fence. They could have a 1' bit of log roll if their dog stayed inside it (many people train their dog to stay within a boundary without any physical barriers).
The one way you may be able to persue something is to the council as a noise disturbance if the barking is excessive and the neighbour may have to ensure they stop the dog from continously barking. But just be aware that it's not going to get your neighbourly relationship off to the best start! Then again, the neighbour hasn't shown much consideration for your feelings - I don't even allow my dogs to stay outside barking despite the neighbour one side being a dog owner themselves, barking is a nuisance noise regardless of your feeling towards dogs/the particular breed.

For a cheaper solution to fencing, look into screening - you can buy 2m tall reed/bamboo stuff from Homebase or Wickes for about £20-30 a roll. You may well find that a physical barrier (even if it's not a completely solid structure) stops the dog barking, my two dogs would bark through the glass door in the kitchen if they saw squirrels in the garden, so I put a frosted window film on the door and voila, instantly stopped barking. Ditto with people walking past the front - they may, on the odd occassion, bark if they hear someone (like a dog walking past with a jangly collar that makes it obvious what's walking past) but they're miles better than if they can actually see them (which is why we went for venetian blinds, we can angle them so that they block the view for the dogs but still let light in)

(and in regards to throwing a sausage at it every time you go outside - if you are genuinely interested in calming it down, go outside and wait for it to stop barking. It could be for 2 seconds, as long it's actively stopped, that's the moment you want to reward to throw it a treat then. Slowly build up the criteria - reward the 2 second silence for a while, but then switch to only rewarding 5 seconds of silence, then after a while 10 seconds, etc. A clever dog like the Rottie will soon realise he's being rewarded for not barking. I imagine that even without doing this, he'll calm down once he realises you're there for good, rather than a potential burglar hanging about near "his" house)

s-a-h-

I would like to make the point that many dog owners in the past, when their dog has attacked someone, do often say, he/she has never gone for anyone before, it was totally out of the blue.
Even dolcile dogs can turn, though don't as a rule, sometimes people get bitten by mistake in a game. My point is that a big, docile dog making a mistake can be a big mistake.
My other query is that if the neighbour was trying to put across how good her dog was, wouldn't she instantly calm the dog down, show how easy it is to control and be keen for you to like it if she were a dog lover?

mrsyardbroom

Sorry, but I don't understand your neighbours allowing their dog to bark at you like this. I feel totally embarrassed if our dogs bark at someone. However, you don't want to get off on the wrong foot. Try totally ignoring the dog. Don't stare at it or try to make friends. Don't go throwing food over the wall. If the dog barks at you turn your head away. The neighbours may think you're being snotty but the dog will understand. Dogs bark at people because they're alerting their owners to the fact that there are strangers who may be a threat. If the owners do nothing the dog doesn't understand and is likely to bark more. By turning away and ignoring the dog you're sending out calming signals. A rottweiler that really wanted to bite you would have done so by now. I've been bitten by one and it wasn't funny.

hermum

I'm a dog owner & make sure that they can't get out, not because they may attack someone but I don't want them to be run over or cause an accident.
I would be more concerned about the barking, unless you have a dog that barks a lot next to you, you don't realise how annoying & stressful that can become.
If you offer a treat to the dog that will make it more inclined to bark when you go into the garden.
Your LA can eventually, after a log being kept for a long time speak to the neighbours about the barking but the dog could well have died of old age by then.
I would find somewhere else to live, I know that you could then end up with someone moving in with a barking dog but I wouldn't move into somewhere that already appears to be a problem.

shegirl

As far as I'm concerned,a responsible dog owner would have a fence that their dog wouldn't be able to get over so easily. A 3 foot wall with a rotty is no good! If she won't put a fence up put one up yourself.

fahimk123

mate just relaxed give him a piece of meat every now and then and you both will be best of pals in no time

Fruittea

I had a dog phobia and can be quite afraid of some dogs.

If the house is worth it to you - my first action would be to ask the owners to introduce me to the dog - so I could relax around the dog and command it. Maybe go into their garden, walk it etc. But make sure you feel if anything happened like the dog jumped the fence - it would be to greet you and nothing else. You would not be freaked by it.

Secondly, the suggestion that you put up a fence or screen yourself is a really good idea. Dogs usually bark when they go out into the garden in the morning- it's a joy thing. But it can be annoying. Also they are protective of their space - so they will bark but as they get to know you - they will relax.

It might be a joy for you and your neighbours to know you are dog tolerant but I think I would want to get to know the people first.

If you/they are in a housing association or something like that - there are rules and you could probably get a fence put up. Private landlords - no way.

There is the dangerous dogs act - the dog is only a problem once it does something wrong - like biting. Not what you want. Other actions can be brought about because of noise through your environmetal health officer -my neighbour's dog got an ASBO - quite ridiculous in my view but it was around barking all the time - now the dog is locked inside all day.

In the end though - if there's not room for any of this - back off from the deal and find another place.

I would really try the getting to know the dog and dispelling any fears.

Good luck

VitaK

A dog can be 'dangerously out of control' even in its own garden if it behaves in way that would make a person worried it might attack and injure them. You could call the dogwarden to get some advice on how to go about with things.

kezlou

Rotties are very intelligent animals and if have a controlled lifestyle i.e known borders and rules instilled into them by responsible owners they are great pets / nieghbours to have.

My neighbours used to used rotties who used to just sit by the fence and chat to you. Not aloud aggressive bark just light yapping.

I am a former dog owner so i can see both sides, peronally i would have a higher fence built up. We used to have 6 dogs from leger mongrels through to miniuture yorkies all living together in our garden. We deliberately built an 6 ft high fence for our dogs safety and our nieghbours. We paid for it all ourselves and asked permission before hand from our neighbours and the local council. Explained our reasons i.e safety and they agreed.

Do not feed the dog under any circumstances.
a) the owners might not be happy with it
b) the dog will get to having food from you and will bark more
c) if something happened to the dog you may end up getting the blame for it
d) it will send confusing messages to the dog and will muck up its boudaries and confusion over ownership.

Rotties need to have clear boundaries and clear ownership.i.e the leader of the pack.

I personally wouldn't sign the lease and would try again to the speak to the nieghbours regarding the fence issues etc

p.s council / la provide 3 ft fence
private landlords - it up to there personal preference

bebewoo

Don't move in if you are having kids around.
You may know how to behave and follow the advice above, but kids are excitable and can annoy dogs easily, no matter how many times you tell them to leave the dog alone.
I wouldn't risk it.