[OyMyShepherdBoy]

We haven't had a problem with our neighbors dogs since we moved in a year ago except for the occasional barking (not at us). we got our pup Oy two weeks ago and things have gotten horrible. we have already trained our little guy to go potty on the side of the house that we set up for him, not thinking the dogs next door would be a problem. We just landscaped our backyard and want to avoid too much shock on our sod which is only a few weeks old.

After bringing Oy home they sniffed at the fence and whined, no barking and no vicious behavior. This week every time I take Oy out to go potty these dogs sound like they are out for blood. They growl and bark and slam themselves against the fence. Today I took Oy outside after work and immediately noticed a hole under our fence and paws vigorously digging it. I snatched my boy up because the dogs started to go off and were trying to get at him under the fence. It rattled me so much I just grab my boy and ran inside!

Their owner occasionally will come out and tell them to "leave it" which works for about ten seconds, and has said "oh their just curious of the puppy." In my mind curiosity and aggression are two different things. They don't really seem to care that their dogs are scaring our little guy, being unruly,and are now tearing up our yard along the fence. I know how I would deal with this issue if it was my dog, but how do I solve this problem with dogs I have no control over? How do I bring this issue up to my neighbor, without sounding rude or accusatory? I don't want to make them mad, I still have to live here. This is Our pups yard and I want him to be safe! Does anybody have any ideas?

Thanks -Em and Oy

 

[Dainerra]

you could try spraying them with a hose when they are attacking your fence.....

 

[Nigel]

Is this chain link or wood fence? Can you run an electric fence wire along the bottom to discourage them from digging? Or if it is chain link, how about doubling up with wood privacy fencing. Just ideas if diplomacy fails.

 

[David Taggart]

It's time to meet your puppy with these dpgs. Ask your neghbour how you can do it safely. Make friends with his dogs beforehand, because you carry the smell of your puppy. Once they sniffed him properly - they should loose their interst in him because they are the adults. They are digging and barking not because they are agressive, but because they are irritatated by this fence, they don't want it to exercise their patience. When there is no restriction - they will behave differently.
But, I think, you should talk with your neighbour about the future. About this fence in particular. Your puppy will be a strong big male one day and both parties might start going at each other regularly.

 

[Jax08]

How do you know they are digging and barking because they are irritated at the fence? You know for a fact they will behave differently and are not aggressive? I don't know how anyone that isn't there can make that statement and advise to let the dog meet a 10 wk old puppy.

 

[Loic]

How do you know they are digging and barking because they are irritated at the fence? You know for a fact they will behave differently and are not aggressive? I don't know how anyone that isn't there can make that statement and advise to let the dog meet a 10 wk old puppy.

He said to meet the owner and find a way for them to meet safely

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[OyMyShepherdBoy]

We have a 5' tall wooden fence. so its difficult for them to see through which is probably part of the problem.

I'm keeping an open mind and will be talking to them when they get home from work (and when my boyfriend is home for backup). I know they need to meet face to face, I will feel better when they agree to do so!

 

[Jax08]

well thank you Loic. I read and correctly comprehended that part as well. I'm questioning the rest of what he said.

 

[Jax08]

We have a 5' tall wooden fence. so its difficult for them to see through which is probably part of the problem.

I'm keeping an open mind and will be talking to them when they get home from work (and when my boyfriend is home for backup). I know they need to meet face to face, I will feel better when they agree to do so!

do not let these dogs meet face to face with your puppy unless you are

1. Sure they are UTD on shots since yours is probably still getting his puppy shots
2. Ask the other neighbors how these dogs behave around other dogs.

then take them for a walk and see how these dogs are behaving with a good distance between them. Walk towards each other at a good distance apart as well. Don't just let them walk up to your puppy. if they are tense and going nuts, pick your puppy up and leave.

Personally, I would not put my puppy in that kind if situation. This all could go south so quickly and your puppy has no way to defend himself. I would ask the neighbor to control their dogs and to fix the hole they dug.

 

[Loic]

well thank you Loic. I read and correctly comprehended that part as well. I'm questioning the rest of what he said.

Oh, ok. Sorry

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[OyMyShepherdBoy]

do not let these dogs meet face to face with your puppy unless you are

1. Sure they are UTD on shots since yours is probably still getting his puppy shots
2. Ask the other neighbors how these dogs behave around other dogs.

then take them for a walk and see how these dogs are behaving with a good distance between them. Walk towards each other at a good distance apart as well. Don't just let them walk up to your puppy. if they are tense and going nuts, pick your puppy up and leave.

Personally, I would not put my puppy in that kind if situation. This all could go south so quickly and your puppy has no way to defend himself. I would ask the neighbor to control their dogs and to fix the hole they dug.

they wont be meeting until he has had all of his shots, I will just continue to supervise his potty/playtime in the yard. He's officially quarantined!

I would like to see how well their dogs behave on leash and if their owners can handle them first. I will be taking many precautions to ensure the safety of my pup and everyone involved! He's just too little right now for me to be okay with him meeting any dog that I don't know personally. I would just like them to attempt to get the situation under control right now. Its frustrating that we have put so much work to make our backyard a proper puppy paradise and he can't even enjoy it. It's even impossible for us to sit out there without the pup right now, without the growling and barking and jumping on the fence.

 

[Jax08]

whewwww!! I like your thoughts! Have a talk with the neighbors. I would be supremely po'd about this. So glad I live in the country.

 

[OyMyShepherdBoy]

If you could only see the angry texts I sent after I ran inside with the puppy tucked under my arm like a football! My boyfriend didn't even see this go down but hes very mad right now.

My text to him: "so the dogs next door have either begun a tunnel to china or they are just trying to get into our yard." Sent with a picture of the dogs nose in the hole.

his text back: "Are you kidding me? It's something new everyday! I'm looking this up, there has to be laws! If those dogs get over here and hurt Oy I will come unglued! I'm talking to them when I get home."

And believe me I've been begging for a country house for awhile now. I'm told i get to pick the next house we buy, country cottage dog paradise here I come!

 

[JackandMattie]

Country houses are the best

In the meantime, I would secure that fence line to protect my pup. And yeah, I'd probably invest in shock value.

I also wouldn't hesitate to bellow a stern NO! Through the fence. Not crazy, just firm and loud and swift.

We used to have fence fighters on both sides of us, and the No helped. Idk about the politics, I was already friendly with both neighbors and they admittedly had "backyard dogs," so they didn't mind. I also praised and acknowledged the neighbor dogs when they were being quiet.

You can also try a perimeter controlled bark inhibitor, like the birdhouse kind. It's emits a sound when dogs bark that *sometimes* works to stop neighbor dogs from barking.

But your idea of a friendly conversation is *by far* the best one... And is always my first approach! You may never need my "backup" advice I'm no behaviorist, nor trainer, so take it with a grain of salt.


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[Liesje]

Whose fence is it?

I've had to "reinforce" areas along our fence due to neighbor dogs. Kitty-corner in the back is a Rottweiler who has tried to bite through my fence (it's 6' wooden but shadowbox so teeth can bite at it). In my corner I setup a few expen panels that prevent my dogs from going within 3' of the corner and the Rottweiler's owner setup something similar on his side. Now the Rott and my dogs can't actually touch the fence separating them and are never closer than 6'. The Rott sill jumps up and down and barks but Coke and Indy completely ignore him, Nikon will stare at him and shake a toy but doesn't bark.

Then directly to my west the neighbor has two dogs. The fence along that stretch is actually theirs. Luckily the driveway runs parallel to this fence and there is a few feet of garden between the driveway and their fence. I have a butterfly bush I allowed to get huge/tall so that makes for nice visual barrier. I let more full plants like tall day lilies grow in that garden and then put up one of those short decorative fences. My dogs can of course jump it if they want but it makes for a nice visual barrier and they usually don't, so on that side there's also 4' buffer zone between my dogs and my side of the neighbor's fence. My neighbor's dogs barked incessantly when we moved in and she hired a dog trainer to come work with her at home.

In my experience you have to get creative and usually BOTH sides are involved.

 

[Jax08]

Nice input, Lies. The suggestion of setting up buffer zones sounds great if those neighbors will do it. As a back up, I would video the dogs going nuts so there is proof to show the neighbor if need be.

 

[Kayos and Havoc]

You can also drove rebar into the ground every6 inches or so to keep them from digging into the yard.

I would not let Oy meet these dogs any day soon
if at all.

 

[OyMyShepherdBoy]

It's a shared fence. I've been looking up stuff to do for about an hour now. I will have to get something to reinforce the fence on my side. I will start with talking to them but I will be doing something to protect my guy on our side of the fence!

I'm also worried about how the dogs will respond to the yards behind us if dogs move in there. These houses aren't built yet but they laid the foundations today so I know new neighbors are coming. Oh the joys of living in the city, i've lived in the mountains for a couple years so this is taking some adjusting.

Thank you all for all of your advice! I will post after I see how the conversation next door goes.

 

[OyMyShepherdBoy]

Nice input, Lies. The suggestion of setting up buffer zones sounds great if those neighbors will do it. As a back up, I would video the dogs going nuts so there is proof to show the neighbor if need be.

Why didn't I think of this? Video camera is now by the backdoor!

 

[Jax08]

I would not let Oy meet these dogs any day soon
if at all.

I'm 100% with you on that, Kathy. It is incredibly hard to deal with fear aggression caused by dog attacks. I've been dealing with it for 5 years.