What would you do?

[Pamela H in Texas]

Background: The neighbors, a year or so ago, got a puppy. He was adorable, lanky, wild, annoying. They let him out without a leash but didn't boundary train him.

 

We didn't get too up in arms. To potty only, we chain out our little dogs and the big one is boundary trained. But they bark at things, bark at people, etc. Sometimes they are annoying. So who was I to say that their dog was annoying.

 

I did get more annoyed as they seemed to let him out about the time I let mine out regularly so I'd have to pull mine back in. And he's just a pain.

 

BUT...

 

The other day, my kids and dogs and I went on a walk. We picked up our little ones. The neighbor dog wouldn't quit following us so we had to keep holding our dogs. We told him to go away, go home. He bared his teeth and growled.

 

My hubby works with the neighbor. I told him he had to talk to B IMMEDIATELY. He didn't. GRRRR

 

This morning, this dog is out when we let ours out to potty so we have to pull them right back in. My husband and son try to start yardwork while my daughter and I ran an errand. When I come back, my hubby tells me that the dog went after my son growling and then after my hubby! My hubby goes and talks with his coworker who says we'll have to talk to the girls (about 20yrs old) as it is their dog. The girls are asleep.

 

The dog comes back over, and my hubby goes banging on the door and they won't answer (the coworker had left). We try calling over there. No answer. What do we do?

 

Some other neighbors are having a garage sale and he's been hanging out over there. The lady has shoo'd him several times.

 

Finally, the front door is open. I went over there. I talked to the girl and told her that when he was just annoying, I didn't worry about it because my dogs are sometimes annoying also, but now he's getting aggressive and that is NOT okay. I detailed what happened on each of the other incidents. I told her I have nothing against dogs in general, that breed, he's beautiful, whatever, but aggression changes things. I told her, "If he's out without a chain or being penned up, I will call animal control."

 

She tries to get him in at that time but can't. He wasn't in when I started this post but my kid has just been out with one of our dogs and he wasn't out that we could tell. My original question was would you call if 20 minutes later he's still out...NOW, I feel like I have to follow through. I was CLEAR about my warning and firm. At this point, the dog is a danger and has to be controlled (at very least). I really hope they don't make me have to call.

 

Seriously, we were cool til he showed aggression. Now we're scared of him.

Edited May 2, 2009 by 2J5M9K

[Ellie]

Call the police. Call animal control. Call someone official until action is taken.

[Jean in Newcastle]

The next time he growls at someone - I would call Animal Control period. The only lee-way I would give them is if you've seen or heard them combing the neighborhood for him and were unsuccessful.

[Murphy101]

yep, I'd call.

every.

single.

time.

I saw that dog out without being restrained.

[Peek a Boo]

yep, I'd call.

every.

single.

time.

I saw that dog out without being restrained.

 

 

you got it.

 

if someone in your house has a gun [even a BB gun or paint ball gun] and knows how to use it, defending your family from an immediate threat is a valid reason to discharge a firearm. Or try a slingshot ;)

[Jennifer in SC]

I would definitely call. Annoying is one thing, but I would not deal with an aggressive dog roaming around.

[pqr]

Are you inside city limits or not?

 

If outside and in a place where it is legal tell the neighbours that next time the dog threatens the children you will shoot it. The next time it it does so ....shoot it.

 

If you are inside city limits try a dose of pepper spray in the dog's face.

[wagnfun]

you got it.

 

if someone in your house has a gun [even a BB gun or paint ball gun] and knows how to use it, defending your family from an immediate threat is a valid reason to discharge a firearm. Or try a slingshot ;)

 

 

been here done that.

 

Slighshots work but after a while, the bb gun worked better. No it doesn't hurt the animal, no it wasn't a dog either but a rooster. The neighbors stupid rooster would come in my yard, poop, and taunt my dog. My dog would go CRAZY trying to get this stupid rooster that would sit on a pool ledge and I swear laugh. My other neighbors complained about my barking dog!!

Well....

 

the bb would get it to jump up a bit, never once hurt the animal. I however had to get video & photos of the animal uncontained b4 the city would do anything about it.

 

AND>. I live in the city. There isn't a farm, or country type land within miles of me. I don't care if someone wants a rooster just keep it in their yard!

 

CALL everytime that animal is loose, and really-- to save yourself drama, I'd have a hose & shoot the animal opn high if it came in your yard.

[dangermom]

We had a similar situation here on our street with a neighbor's dog who was always getting out of the fenced yard and was getting aggressive. Conversations didn't help, and we did call Animal Control, which issued a warning which carried the threat of large fines at the next offense.* We didn't have further problems; official action seemed to get the neighbor to realize that her dog really was a problem.

 

The neighbor always had the attitude that the dog was a sweetheart who would never hurt anyone, and it was her adult son's dog anyway, and he was supposed to fix the fence, and and and it was never her fault and not a real problem anyway. My husband went over and offered to fix the fence himself, pointed out that the dog was in danger because it was always running into the street (I nearly hit it once), and that it was alone too much and getting territorial over the whole block. Nothing worked until we called Animal Control.

 

 

*Local Animal Control won't take an animal away unless you already have it confined when they arrive. This makes no sense to me, but that's how it is. So if we had wanted that, we would have had to grab the threatening dog and confine it in our backyard or something.

[Miss Sherry]

Yes, of course , call animal control. This dog will very quickly become more aggressive as it is left out to roam. It thinks the territory it is roaming in is its own. We had a dog in a neighborhood we use to live in that came over to OUR yard and growled and showed it's teeth to me when I wanted to get out of my own yard to get the mail. You bet I called Animal Control and had it hauled away.

[lllll]

I'd call Animal Control, too. I did this once, even though we're out in the woods and I could just as easily have shot them. A 'couple' - Rottweiler (female) and St. Bernard (male) - appeared in my yard one day and sat there staring at me. Refused to leave. The male had a gash across his side as if he'd been fighting or something. I called a neighbor or two to see if anyone claimed them. They didn't, so I called AC. They came right out and searched until they found them (they had wandered down to another neighbor's house), and caught them and took them away. Never heard what happened to them. But we've never had another problem with 'stray' dogs again. Ya gotta set that precedent so the neighbor knows you're serious. Esp. when it's a safety issue.

 

Now if I could just figure out a way to get rid of those bear dogs that come tearing through our yard .... ;)

[Pamela H in Texas]

Yeah, it took a lot for me to confront them....and for me to be direct and firm. I have to follow through. Hopefully he won't ever hurt someone, but we can't really take that chance.

 

Hopefully they got the message and will go buy a chain for him to be tied out to do his business and exercise but not be a nuisance any more.