How would GRM deal with this miserable neighbor?

In reply to spitfirebill:

You can tell that to my wife then PLEASE!!!

Peoples stance on animals is as varied as American's views on politics. It's all over the board. For every person that thinks a playful dog is harmless, there is one person who is scared to death of that behavior, and it will result in reactions. While your dog may never intentionally harm that child, at 80lbs it could knock that child down accidentally causing harm. While I'd agree the neighbor may be over stepping their bounds, it sounds like your dog could be restrained a little better. For heaven's sake, make sure it isn't excitable enough, so that when somebody shows up with a cool car, it doesn't jump up on the door. Claw marks are not nice.

You may know your dog is a lovable goofball, but not everybody does. A leash is the price to pay for dog ownership in urban areas.

sachilles wrote: You may know your dog is a lovable goofball, but not everybody does. A leash is the price to pay for dog ownership in urban areas.

+1.

Sorry man. In this case, you are the miserable neighbor. You should not have bit your tongue. You should have apologized .

People have a reasonable expectation that they are safe from dogs in their own yard. Regardless of how you feel or how nice your dog is, if the neighbors are scared of it and it is trespassing in their yard and knocking over kids, then they can call animal control and you could face fines and possible losing your dog. Being a responsible dog owner means understanding that not everyone is a fan of dogs and keeping your dog properly restrained.

The kind of harness where the leash attaches to the front of the dog's chest are great for 'pulling' dogs. The more they pull foward, the more they turn themselves.

The kind of harness where they attach to the back of the dog are meant to give the dog an advantage in pulling, not subside it.

pinchvalve wrote: People have a reasonable expectation that they are safe from dogs in their own yard. Regardless of how you feel or how nice your dog is, if the neighbors are scared of it and it is trespassing in their yard and knocking over kids, then they can call animal control and you could face fines and possible losing your dog. Being a responsible dog owner means understanding that not everyone is a fan of dogs and keeping your dog properly restrained.

Yup. Here's what happened to me:

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/dealing-with-aggressive-roaming-dogs/51348/page1/

Leash your dog or build a fence. I'm sure the dog that attacked me is just a big puppy to its family, but to me it was a threat to me and my family.

Sorry Ranger, but this is an issue between you and your wife more than it is between you and your neighbor. It's time to have a heart to heart about how she is dumping her responsibilities on you when it is inconvenient for her to watch the dog. Perhaps crate training the dog (if you haven't already) will give her a place to put the dog when she would otherwise burden you with dog sitting.
Good luck, and thanks for the beer.

Ranger50 wrote: In reply to spitfirebill: You can tell that to my wife then PLEASE!!!

Hey. My wife did not listen to me. Do you think your wife is going to lsiten to me?

MOJO summed it up above.

Edit: BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK!

Your dog is untrained. It can't go outside without a leash. Period.

Even when it's trained, it needs to be on a leash, because E36 M3 happens. A trained dog will still temporarily forget itself and chase a squirrel into the street, for instance.

Hate to say it, but this isn't a neighbor problem, this is a dog - and specifically - a dog owner problem.

I would keep calling the cops and/or animal control until my bad neighbor kept his dog on a leash. I don't like unknown dogs having access to my kids, let alone jump on them and knock them over.

Mitchell wrote: If this thread was about your child getting knocked down by the neighbor's dog, this thread would be filled with vague suggestions to make the dog disappear.

It still is as far as I am concerned. As many have said, I would not be cool with out-of-control dogs jumping my kids.

Training, leash, put it down. It is the wife's dog after all. "The damn thing ran off!... you know how it is!... I'm sure he'll come back." If it makes you feel better, put up a poster on the telephone pole.

Ranger50 wrote: But my problem with that is the other marital half. If I am outside period, I get "dumped" on to watch the dog even though it isn't mine and don't really want it either. If I take the dog out, I am out with the dog anticipating the move he is going to make and making the needed corrections to AVOID all of this as much as I can, which includes chasing after him to get back into the yard, not just screaming for him to come back from the porch. OK? I am not just doing as my wife does and letting the dog out to do as it pleases. Nice, huh?

Sounds like you aren't a dog person and she is one of those I like dogs just not having to take care of a dog people. That is the problem that needs to be fixed first. If she won't handle the responsibility and you don't want to, then you two don't need a dog.

Ranger50 wrote: This thread wasn't intended to be about the dog knocking the kid down, it was about the nosey neighborS that doesn't have a thing to do with any of this and bring it up to continue to bitch because she wanted to bitch at someone else then just the renter she was bitching about and to at the time. OK? If I wanted to be the miserable neighbor, I'd let the dog pee and poop in their yard and not clean it up, just like everyone else does around here in my yard. Or the free roaming cats. Yet I can't say E36 M3 about it to "keep the peace".

Actually being the property owner does give her the right to tell you to keep the dog off the property. It might be nosy for her to lecture you about the incident with the kid, but then again everyone has one of those neighbors. The reason everyone keeps bringing up the dog knocking the kid over, is because that is the root cause of the complaint about the neighbor.

Ranger50 wrote: As if it was my kid, I would have to know or see the circumstances before passing judgement. I don't fly off the handle to scream and yell for something that doesn't even concern me. Ok. I'm done. Round of free Internet beers is on me.

So if your kid gets attacked by a dog because he/she was taunting the dog, you'd blame you kid and not the dog, or the fact the dog was loose and able to attack? I'd imagine not. While some people do overreact to situations, it doesn't mean there isn't some valid point there.

Ranger50 wrote: This thread wasn't intended to be about the dog knocking the kid down, it was about the nosey neighborS that doesn't have a thing to do with any of this...

Those nosy neighborS live in a neighborhood with an uncontrolled 80lbs. dog. Maybe they are being overly harsh and nagging, but I would say they have a right to be concerned and expect a very large dog (indeed any dog) to be kept under control.

I view any strange dog cautiously. Even a "lovable goofball" has weight and teeth and can cause damage without meaning to if it gets overexcited. It is your job as a dog owner to control your dog and its over-exuberance.

When we were kids, we had a wonderful dog, Nick. He was really high energy. Unfortunately, he got off his leash and jumped on a kid, knocking him down - and in the process one of his front claws tore a gash in the kid's head. It did not go over well, I remember Mom taking Nicky to the vet's... and coming back without him.

divorce?

the dog would go away and you'd never have to deal with it again.

Ranger50 wrote: I am trying to train the dog, but I am 4 months behind and having to undo 4 months of free range yard habits surrounded by 14 other dogs, IIRC.

Quick making excuses and take some berkeleying responsibility. Blaming this on the neighbor is supremely childish. By your own admission it's not trained and your bitching that someone complained about it knocking over a kid? Really? It's the neighbor that's the problem for holding you accountable?

What do you do about the neighbor? You put the dog on a damn leash and be a responsible pet owner and then the problem with the neighbor bitching about the untrained dog off the leash goes away.

Could you maybe get one of those dog run things so he can get his energy out ? Or maybe even a fence but it sounds like it would need to be pretty high. I have seen fences go cheap on Craigslist the bad part being you need to do the grunt work to take it down.

Used fence?

I've always found that by the time I don't want a fence anymore, no-one else want it either.

I grew up with our dog and many neighbors dogs wandering. The dogs fought, knocked up the local bitches, chased cats, etc... While it was considered normal, it wasn't without drama-our Cocker Spaniel was almost killed because at 15yo he jumped a male doberman because my little sister screamed. Our Shepard about killed a dachshund that attacked her. Our male shepard was hit by cars about 10 times because he chased them and ran in front of them. This was a residential area and most everybody was cool with it. I moved back to the same neighborhood 27 years later and no one intentionally lets their dog roam. I can just imagine the lawsuits and code enforcement drama if we tried to live like that now. Times have changed and you are going to have to keep your dog contained and restrained.

Trans_Maro wrote: Used fence? I've always found that by the time I don't want a fence anymore, no-one else want it either.

I dunno I've never actually contacted them about it. But I'd imagine if it was chain link you could use the poles and gates and whatnot and just get new rolls of the chain link part? Im just guessing here, we are going to buy new wood fence to keep our beast of a pug mix in lol. Probably all of llike three and a half feet tall

Unfortunately, your wife's dog is your dog, and he is a nuisance to your neighbors. They don't sound unreasonable, honestly.

If you won't restrain your dog, I sure hope you have a good umbrella policy, particularly since there is a history of his running unrestrained. For the sake of your (not unreasonable) neighbors, I hope you never need it.

Have you tried "electric fence" (the kind with the buried wire and a collar for the dog, not an electrified fence for keeping livestock in a field)? That should keep the dog in your yard if you're watching it or if your wife is watching it.