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Don't know what to do! my girlfriend is at the vets with the dog now after she had been to the groomers yesterday and this -
kiwitwist
Saved 3/08/11 to Pet Peeves

Aggressive Dog Next Door

13

Hey Everyone,

I could really use some advice. We recently moved to a house with a big piece of property. When we moved in, we knew there was a dog next door but never really saw it (only heard him bark a few times). There is a wood privacy fence between our yard and our neighbours (with the dog). I don't usually let me dogs hang out outside for any great length of time... usually enough to pee and play, unless I am with them.

Well, I came home from work one day and let the girls out to pee and I heard something slam into the fence growling, barking... wanting to eat my dogs. I have never in my life seen such aggression. I have watched him slam head first into the fence, growling and barking. My one dog (who is half his size) ran to the fence and barked back. Long story short, I have done pretty good at keeping my dogs in while "the beast" is outside. But we run into a problem when I get off of work... the neighbour gets home at the same time. I find myself racing home to get there before they do.

Before I get the guts to ask her if we can work out a schedule, does anyone else have any ideas?? If my dogs would ignore him and continue to do their business, it wouldn't be 'as' big of an issue... but they stop everything and bark back. I have to call them into the house and wait until he goes in. Meanwhile they have been crossing their paws for 9hours!

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Don't know what to do! my girlfriend is at the vets with the dog now after she had been to the groomers yesterday and this - Opinions: Pro/Anti Car Window Down with Your Pup in the Car? Cat has a broken leg... Boerboel going bald! My dog is extremely needy! My dog is a jumper... and weighs 90 lbs! OUCH! Any advice for a husky/shepherd mix that is now 1.5 years old?
Ellenora Ellenora
@kiwitwist - I know what you mean! My suggestion would be after you're done training, give her a few minutes to sniff around and use the "restroom," if you can. That sucks that the people in your neighborhood are so irresponsible. I've never seen a dog off-lead in my neighborhood, aside from my neighbor's. They're sort of an exception because she's only off-lead when my neighbor is gardening, trimming the trees, et cetera and she is very, very well-trained. She stays in the yard even when I call her name and she likes me A LOT (I frequently take her on walks with my dog in the spring and summer). They're very aware that she's very rambunctious (she's a German Shepherd/Husky mix) so they keep a close eye on her. I'm allowed to play wrestle and play with her because she knows I'm playing and knows me well, everyone else has to pet her.
kiwitwist kiwitwist
Thanks! Ellenora - I actually started training my one dog to stop, sit and ignore. Only issue with this at this point, he she still won't pee LOL!! She just obeys my commands, never taught her to pee on command. My other dog doesn't give him (the neighbour) the time of day. So, right now I am working on that. I was hoping for an alternative, rather than talking to the neighbour. You never know how they will react and even if I keep it super positive, it could create bad blood and I don't want that. So, I will go this route, training my own dogs to ignore and see how that works. Meanwhile I am adding to the fence. And to add, regarding me being attacked. I did continue to walk my dogs and twice after that people were walking their dogs off-lead and they came running towards my dog. Nothing happened, but I finally said "FORGET IT!" If people are going to be irresponsible than I am not putting my dogs or myself in that position anymore. I enjoyed walking my dogs but it isn't worth it.
Ellenora Ellenora
@Elle567 That's a good point. Thanks for pointing that out.
Just wanted to add that my dog doesn't require a leash anymore to control him BUT I do use one. I just meant that I wanted him trained so well that I wasn't relying completely on the leash as a means of control. It's really only there now as a security blanket.
I have a German Shepherd. He used to bark aggressively and put his hackles (fur on the back/neck) up. He did this when people would get too close to his yard, kids leaning over the fence, etc. I ended up crating him inside while I'm not home and also hiring a professional dog trainer to help me work with him (I did Petsmart training when he was a puppy but it really does not measure up to private training). Mind you, my dog was also very well socialized from 5 weeks old, on and his issue was only when he was in the back yard and someone was coming too close to his area. Your neighbor's dog could be the same way or it could be completely untrained and unsocialized and they might be irresponsible pet owners. I would suggest that you first go talk to the neighbors and that you BOTH work on training the dogs separately in some kind of program (be it a video or hiring a professional trainer.) I talked to my neighbors and they've been coming outside and letting me train the dog to get used to their kids. So now when the kids lean over the wall he does not bark at all. He also got more mellow and learned to stop barking when I say "quiet." Every time I go for a walk all the neighbors comment on how good he is now and well behaved, etc (does not even require a leash anymore, and ignores other dogs barking, people running by etc.) The training program I used was tlck9academy.com they not only help you train the dog for a few months, but they give you Saturday group classes for the LIFE OF THE DOG and you can call with questions, etc. The neighbor dog and your dogs both are being distracted by each other and just need to learn "distraction training" (ignoring "distractions"). But you will both need to work on training your dogs separately and that starts with talking to the neighbor. Don't immediately start with "we need to figure out a schedule" etc. because that will cause tenseness. Just talk about that all the dogs are barking and your dog attack and being concerned and that you want to work on training your dogs to ignore and will they too, etc. Try to talk to them like you would someone at Petsmart with a cute dog, don't go into it like "your dog is a crazy beast etc." I'm sure my neighbors originally thought my dog was a crazy beast and he was far from it when it was people I invited into the house or we were out in public.
EricaJane EricaJane
make sure you have a strong fence.
rossy rossy
When I was growing up years ago, I had 2 different experiences with aggressive dogs. - We lived in a rural area where houses were further spaced than in the suburbs & twice a week I would ride my bike over a mile to visit a friend. About 1/2 way there was a family with 2 German Shepherds (1 male & 1 female) - the male was the aggressive 1 & I had to "stare him down" by NOT showing any fear or aggression. After several minutes he relaxed, I slowly extended my hand for him to sniff... & he lost interest & moved off. I never had a problem with him after that. The strange thing was, the female "adopted" me & was ALWAYS waiting for me to arrive & would escort me to my friend's place, wait, then we'd go back to "her" place & by then anyone who could have bullied me were long gone & I could go the rest of the way alone. - A few years later she passed away from cancer & I missed her very much. By then we a German Shepherd of our own & was a brat, not to mention runt of the litter & smaller than average but not a pushover. One day she escaped & went buddy hunting - my mom & I saw her race down the road to our closest neighbor who owned a dingo (that's what they said it was - don't know if that's true or not) that a few weeks earlier was a sweet puppy had changed to a VERY aggressive adult who was literally trying to swallow my dog's face! After trying to shove her fist down her dog's throat to no avail, she had to turn the hose on it to get it to let go. - My dog almost suffocated by having her nose & mouth tapped in that other dog's mouth. She carried some scars but never lost her nerve or sense of fun & would remain a loyal companion for 12 more years - The other dog was just too dangerous for the neighbors to keep... & after attacking a child was taken away & put to sleep. This was in the late 70's, early 80's. - Dogs need to be treated with respect & trained properly - Also important is matching the dog to the proper family. Highly active dogs should be placed with those who can provide adequate exercise as well as nutrition; a less active dog should be placed in a calmer setting, & so on.
futuralon futuralon
Most cities or counties have a process to complain about loud or aggressive dogs; mine has an online form to file a complaint about barking dogs. Make a complaint to the owner worded like "I find your dog will jump against the fence barking to scare my dogs or people in my yard. Is there some training or something else you can do to prevent that?" If nothing changes then you have a clear conscience to go to the city to file a complaint. The city might force them to register their dogs, get them trained, or something else. There's no reason to pussyfoot around your own yard and you actually have a right to enjoy it. Best of luck.
Ellenora Ellenora
Kiwi-- That's very sad you were attacked by an aggressive dog. It's very scary. I was bitten by a dog too when I was very little and I was scared of my walking my dog too. However, we do need to face the fear at some time. I hope one day you can face it and walk them again. DO NOT BUY A ULTRASONIC BARK REPELLENT!!! They are cruel to not only the neighbor's dog, but to your own dogs. I can't believe some people can go out and buy those things. It's like buying those barking collars, citronella collars or electric fences. I just find them very, very cruel. It's a quick fix and in some cases, can make a dog even more aggressive. Believe it or not, while people can't *hear* those pitches, some people (especially those born deaf and Autistics) can feel them. It's very painful to those kind of people; I speak from experience. I suggest talking to you neighbor. Introduce yourself, ask him or her over for lunch or something and explain your worries between your dogs and theirs, but keep it positive. Say your worried about the safety of both of your dogs. You can teach your girls to ignore the dog too. In some cases, the dog will bore of hearing the dog and the scratching and stuff and simply move on. If they don't, teach them! Leash them up, grab some treats and train them to ignore Ye Ol' Aggressive One. When you get outside, instead of letting them go straight to the fence, get them into a sit and wait until they look at you. When they do, praise them and give them a treat. After a few times, add the word, "Watch me." Yes, you have to be outside whilst they relieve themselves, but it's the price of teaching them ignorance is bliss.
nidarasheed nidarasheed
Hey, You can do a couple of things: 1. Talk to your neighbour about the issue. Chances are they will want to help you out, maybe work out a schedule or something. 2. Get a ultrasonic bark repellent. Put one up in your yard. When the dogs bark, it should let our a noise that only they will hear and get them to stop barking. You can also get hand held ones, but I have one shaped like a bird tree. Mind you, they don't work on all dogs but are pretty cheap. Good luck
Alexa003 Alexa003
Oh no, you got attacked?! That's awful! I guess the only choice you do have is to talk to your neighbors about it. Maybe there's a reason why their dog is so aggressive. Ask about their dog's history and their training tactics. In the end an open line of communication with your neighbor is always good. Who knows, you may even find a new friendship there. Good Luck!!
kiwitwist kiwitwist
I bought the piece of property for the dogs and my hubby. I no longer take my dogs for a walk since I was attacked by a dog. So, no thank you. I can play with them in my safe, fenced in backyard. Mind you, it isn't that enjoyable now.
Alexa003 Alexa003
Have you thought about maybe walking your dogs instead? I know my dogs enjoy their walk much more than when I just let them out the backyard. Plus I get some exercise at the same time. :)