Help re neighbours cross dog

TigerTim · 24-10-2008 12:02pm #1

This is the my setup. My house is in a located behind my Mom’s. We bought the house because the garden joins my Mom’s and as she is a widow it’s handy for both of us. My garden is completely enclosed except for an entrance to my Moms. I have three young kids, 7,6 & 3.5. The kids run in to their Gran’s regularly & all was fine until the house next door to my mom’s got a dog a few month’s ago. He’s some breed of a terrier but with a very large head which looks really out of place with his body. He appears to be quite vicious. He has recently discovered that he can get thru’ the hedge into my Mom’s & then into our garden. He has snarled & barked at me a few times. The kids are terrified of him. I am also terrified that he will attack them when they go to their Gran’s. The kids natural reaction is to run which only encourages the dog to chase them.

I had to call the owner last weekend as the dog was in a corner of our garden barking like mad. He appeared to be lost & was making no effort to leave. The owner, who doesn’t appear to be the brightest bulb on the tree, assured me that it wasn’t good enough & he would sort it out. However after 2 days the dog is back in our garden. I don’t want to go to the expense of fencing in my Mom’s garden if I can avoid it. Short of shooting the dog,;) is there any way of keeping the dog out of both gardens. I thought of phoning the owner every time the dog appeared but his number is ex-directory. Can anyone give me some help before he does some damage to my kids. Is there any humane way of keeping a dog out of an area?. I am quite afraid to call around to the house in case the dog is out.

Thanks,

T.

Whispered · 24-10-2008 12:22pm

TigerTim wrote: »

I had to call the owner last weekend as the dog was in a corner of our garden barking like mad. He appeared to be lost & was making no effort to leave. The owner, who doesn’t appear to be the brightest bulb on the tree, assured me that it wasn’t good enough & he would sort it out. However after 2 days the dog is back in our garden. I don’t want to go to the expense of fencing in my Mom’s garden if I can avoid it. Short of shooting the dog,;) is there any way of keeping the dog out of both gardens. I thought of phoning the owner every time the dog appeared but his number is ex-directory. Can anyone give me some help before he does some damage to my kids. Is there any humane way of keeping a dog out of an area?. I am quite afraid to call around to the house in case the dog is out.

Thanks,

T.

Well it's the owners responsibility to ensure their dog is where it should be. However, when you say the expense of fixing the fence, you're really talking about your childrens safety, so if you want to go down the easiest route, you might be as well of finding out where the dog is getting through and blocking it. Not that you should have to do this of course, it just might be easiest.

Have you explained to the neighbours your concern? Do they know you see the dog as viscous and agressive? A lot of people can't see it in their own animals, so probably don't thinks it's as big an issue as you do.

If you have explained to the owner, tell them that the next time the dog appears in your garden, you will call the warden. As the dog is effectively "straying" into your garden? (Others will be able to tell you if this will work or not, I'm not sure of the legalities.)

Trojan911 · 24-10-2008 1:31pm

TigerTim wrote: »

Can anyone give me some help before he does some damage to my kids. Is there any humane way of keeping a dog out of an area?. I am quite afraid to call around to the house in case the dog is out. T.

Contact your local gardai for advice. I would strongly advise against shooting it as you may land yourself in a spot of bother for discharging a firearm in a public place albeit you are in your back garden. I would also have a pop at fixing the fence.

If it were me I would re approach the neighbour, if the Garda & fence option failed, and advise him, in the friendliest manner, that his dog will disappear if he does not control it. I won't wait around to see if it attacks my kids. He gets one chance.

Hope that helps.

mary123 · 24-10-2008 1:56pm

Trojan911 wrote: »

Contact your local gardai for advice. I would strongly advise against shooting it as you may land yourself in a spot of bother for discharging a firearm in a public place albeit you are in your back garden.

I think (hope) the op was joking.

cowzerp · 24-10-2008 2:20pm

Its hardly vicscious if its never bit any of you and its had the chance to if it could of!

ask the neighbour to get it permantly blocked, this happened with my dog, he kept escaping after me putting up a great block till i eventually had to do it properly!

Trojan911 · 24-10-2008 2:49pm

mary123 wrote: »

I think (hope) the op was joking.

Not sure Mary, as the wink icon could be percieved either way.....

cowzerp wrote:

Its hardly vicscious if its never bit any of you and its had the chance to if it could of!

There you go OP, you are safe, there is your answer, no need to worry anymore. An expert opinion has been given....

looserock · 24-10-2008 2:57pm

TigerTim wrote: »

This is the my setup. My house is in a located behind my Mom’s. We bought the house because the garden joins my Mom’s and as she is a widow it’s handy for both of us. My garden is completely enclosed except for an entrance to my Moms. I have three young kids, 7,6 & 3.5. The kids run in to their Gran’s regularly & all was fine until the house next door to my mom’s got a dog a few month’s ago. He’s some breed of a terrier but with a very large head which looks really out of place with his body. He appears to be quite vicious. He has recently discovered that he can get thru’ the hedge into my Mom’s & then into our garden. He has snarled & barked at me a few times. The kids are terrified of him. I am also terrified that he will attack them when they go to their Gran’s. The kids natural reaction is to run which only encourages the dog to chase them.

I had to call the owner last weekend as the dog was in a corner of our garden barking like mad. He appeared to be lost & was making no effort to leave. The owner, who doesn’t appear to be the brightest bulb on the tree, assured me that it wasn’t good enough & he would sort it out. However after 2 days the dog is back in our garden. I don’t want to go to the expense of fencing in my Mom’s garden if I can avoid it. Short of shooting the dog,;) is there any way of keeping the dog out of both gardens. I thought of phoning the owner every time the dog appeared but his number is ex-directory. Can anyone give me some help before he does some damage to my kids. Is there any humane way of keeping a dog out of an area?. I am quite afraid to call around to the house in case the dog is out.

Thanks,

T.

Well it all about animals here, the're welfare etc, and I'm no different, but first and foremost I'm a parent and I don't think any one here would put a childs safety before any animal.

If you really think this dog is vicious you must take this threat very seriously.
I would'nt depend on you're neighbour controlling the dog he has not done so up to now, he probably won't.

Now after having said all that I'm really not sure what should be done as I have no personal experience of a situation like this, except please don't do any thing cruel or illegal.

granturismo · 24-10-2008 3:02pm

TigerTim wrote: »

TShort of shooting the dog,;) is there any way of keeping the dog out of both gardens. .

Obviously a joke.

Its your neighbour's absolute responsibility to keep his dog under control (and possibly fence his garden if necessary).

You can contact your local council/corporation dog warden if the dog continues to stray onto your family properties. I would imagine the gardai will only get involved if the dog bites someone.

LadyTBolt · 24-10-2008 3:04pm

Op, if you are worried for your childrens safety then you should put up a fence or block the area in which the dog is getting through. Cost should not be a concern when it comes to the safety of a child. Do what you can to ensure something bad does not happen.

stylie · 24-10-2008 4:15pm

Pepper the little bugger, if he has a route into the garden make it as unpleasant as possible for him. Give him a reason not to come into the garden

EGAR · 24-10-2008 4:36pm

Peppering a dog is a good way of getting bitten. The dog has done nothing wrong, he does what comes natural to him: exploring.

The onus is on the owner to ensure the dog is safe and cannot stray.

Don't bother with the Gardai, contact the dogwarden for that area and explain your concerns to him. He is obliged to follow up your complaint with the owner of the dog.

stylie · 24-10-2008 4:50pm

Ermm your not holding onto him while massagingthe stuff into his nose. You pepper the route into the garden and besides a dog with pepper on his nose isnt going to run around looking for someone to bite

EGAR · 24-10-2008 4:57pm

Obviously you dont know dogs very well

TigerTim · 24-10-2008 5:56pm

Thanks for all the replies. The shooting was really a joke. Don't have a gun & probably wouldn't know how to use it if I had. I will try blocking his entrances but it's quite difficult without putting down a new fence. There's a 12 foot high hedge at the side of the garden . There was a wire fence behind it at some stage but now there are many holes. Will have a look at the weekend. Will also contact the owner again. Not sure if that will do any good but will give it a try.

Does pepper work??. Surely it gets washed away fairly quickly.

Thanks again.

T.

stylie · 24-10-2008 6:30pm

Dogs are the furry four legged guys that land on their feet right ???
I know dogs very well thank you, grew up breeding doberman and had a working lab till he past away.

Pepper will wash away so you will have to put more down, but try it to break him of his habit of coming into your property.
Or you could just sit around on your arse waiting for someone else to deal with the problem as other have suggested

EGAR · 24-10-2008 9:34pm

The proper legal way is to contact the dogwarden, as I have stated in my previous post. Pepper is not a deterant unless the dog is a scent hound. It actually requires the dog to sniff close to the ground and for that you need masses of pepper, no wind and a dry day. Also, if the dog sniffs up the pepper, is then in pain and attacks, your case in court is weakened

. It has nothing to do with *sitting on your arse* - it's called LAW and common sense.

lostinnappies · 28-10-2008 11:58am

Dog warden is the only way, even if the dog has strayed just into your back garden it has still strayed. Next time you speek to the owner tell him if he doesnt do something soon you will fence of your mothers garden and send him the bill. If he refuses to pay it you will take him to small claims court. End off.

Help re neighbours cross dog

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