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No...the neighbor called animal control because ops dog got loose from its leash and charged the neighbor's fence/dog twice, but Ok got reported 3x.
If the neighbours dog is so reactive that it barks at absolutely anything going past the house then that dog is the problem. It should not have access to the fence line. The OP losing a grip on the leash seems like a fairly minor footnote to this whole saga.
Quote:
They have asked and texted us not to walk the block because it makes their dog bark. They have also asked other neighbors (that don't have dogs) not to walk the block.
In what world is this acceptable? I would have told them where to stick their text message.
As far as I can see there is one dog that should be reported to the local authority and it's not the OP's.
As far as I can see there is one dog that should be reported to the local authority and it's not the OP's.
In a fair & justice world, I agree. However, AC doesn't care about justice. AC is only paper pushers. Unfortunately, AC has three strikes against the OP. Her neighbor who complained and created a paper trail is winning.
I've thought about this thread. Perhaps her neighbors are really mentally ill (bipolar) or have PTSD. Or, perhaps her neighbors are involved in an illegal activity. Perhaps her neighbors are just crazy with a crazy dog. Who knows?
Look at it this way - On the NYC subway car with a homeless person who is screaming and waving his arms, you don't make eye contact or speak to him. You move to another car. It's the same here, the OP has crazy neighbors screaming at people walking by and calling AC. OP needs to move to another road.
Thanks for all the feedback. Here are some random responses to some of the comments.
Yes, everything I said is true and I have now received 3 citations for the 2 times (in almost 3 years) that my dog pulled the leash from my hand and reached the neighbor's fence which is parallel to the street. I had my dog back in my possession in less than one minute each time. I do agree that I need to train my dog to walk on a leash better as he is able to pull me when he wants to. I plan on hiring a trainer for this.
My dog is an inside dog and has never run loose in the neighborhood - we do have a fence but I still like to walk my dog. I don't always walk my dog on this route. Their dog is normally outside from around 6a to 9p but not 24/7.
The shepherd always charges, runs the fence and barks excessively at anyone walking by. You don't have to be walking a dog. I do have video of this.
I know of at least 4 neighbors that have told me that they were asked not to walk around the block because it upsets their dog. These are neighbors that are either exercising without walking a pet or they are walking their pets. One neighbor told the that the shepherd's owner called her and told her that she saw on their video that the neighbor had stopped to talk to someone on the street (one house down and not next to the shepherd's yard) and asked her not to stop and talk to people because it was making her dog bark.
I do think the shepherd's owner is unpredictable and unreasonable and I need to put my stubborn-ish aside and find a different solution because if their dog ever got out, it will really hurt if not kill.
In a fair & justice world, I agree. However, AC doesn't care about justice. AC is only paper pushers. Unfortunately, AC has three strikes against the OP. Her neighbor who complained and created a paper trail is winning.
I've thought about this thread. Perhaps her neighbors are really mentally ill (bipolar) or have PTSD. Or, perhaps her neighbors are involved in an illegal activity. Perhaps her neighbors are just crazy with a crazy dog. Who knows?
Look at it this way - On the NYC subway car with a homeless person who is screaming and waving his arms, you don't make eye contact or speak to him. You move to another car. It's the same here, the OP has crazy neighbors screaming at people walking by and calling AC. OP needs to move to another road.
I understand your point, and I would agree that sometimes it's better to just ignore it and get on with life. But these neighbours are being extremely unreasonable and self-entitled. And even if the OP's dog is perfectly behaved there's nothing stopping this neighbour from filing another complaint, as they have apparently done with the end result being possible seizure of the OP's pet. I think when you're dealing with unreasonable people you need to get out on the front foot rather than let them control the narrative.
<mod snip> Can AC really take my dog if he is not dangerous in any manner because he got off the leash a couple of times? Am I being too stubborn? What do I do?
Get your dog trained. You might learn a thing or two, also.
Your dog is NOT in your control. Change that, or your dog may be considered "vicious" by animal control.
This would be a sad thing.
Lastly, you're going to have to figure out a way to get along with the neighbor that has control over pedestrians in the 'hood. Think about this one, for a moment.
....... I can't fathom how people are missing the big picture here and instead chiding the OP about losing control of the leash.
The OP is not receiving loose dog citations because the neighbor dog is barking at the fence. The OP is receiving citations for having her dog loose and out of control. OP asked about the citations and has an elaborate excuse about why it isn't her fault and a long story pointing accusing fingers at the neighbor to distract us, when the big picture here is that the OP has let her dog be loose and out of control. The barking dog has nothing at all to do with loose dog citations.
As for the barking dog, the owner seems irrational and to me it would be a good idea to stay far away from them, which would mean taking another route to walk my dog. I would not make me feel better that I was in the right if the crazy neighbor had a bad day and harmed my dog. Just stay away from people who are irrational. You never know how crazy they might really be, and that neighbor is both irrational and territorial, which is not a good combination..
The OP is not receiving loose dog citations because the neighbor dog is barking at the fence. The OP is receiving citations for having her dog loose and out of control. OP asked about the citations and has an elaborate excuse about why it isn't her fault and a long story pointing accusing fingers at the neighbor to distract us, when the big picture here is that the OP has let her dog be loose and out of control. The barking dog has nothing at all to do with loose dog citations.
From what the OP has said, the loose dog has nothing to do with one of the citations.
Is this common in the US that people can just ring up the local dog inspectors and accuse someone else's dog of doing something and they send them a ticket with the threat of confiscation? Seems a bit extreme.
Seems like two simple solutions you need to implement immediately if you want to make sure your dog isn't taken by AC.
1) Keep a better grip on the leash. It's the law and you need to follow it. There are no excuses for this to keep happening.
2) If you're ticking off your neighbor to the point where they are calling AC and trying to intimidate you, then find a different route. I know you have the right to walk your dog where you want on the public streets, but if it were me I would not keep pushing their buttons. My dog means too much to me to take any chances with a triggered neighbor.
^^^ This.
If you want to keep your dog, compromise. Show good will and little flexibility.
Get a stronger leash. Let your dog take obedience classes. That's for your own good.
Remember, you have a big dog. You need to control it better.
Right, what kind of dog you have, OP?
Is this a HOA community?
Get friendly with your neighbors and ask them to write a short statement about the neighbor demands that people should not walk near his home.
Gather some evidence about the dog behavior. Document, take videos, get prepared just in case.
I agree with the above, but I also believe that this homeowner is:
(1) overstepping their boundaries as a homeowner/neighbor
(2) a terrible dog owner.
This is antisocial behavior. If I were the OP I would have already consulted an attorney about this situation and started keeping a paper trail. I worked in law for many years as a lot of people here know, and I firmly believe in paper trails, and audio/video evidence.
Since there appears to be no HOA, you will need to contact the police or city hall to learn what your RIGHTS are as a homeowner in your neighborhood. It is absolutely ridiculous, uncalled for and unacceptable that a homeowner is actually calling neighbors and telling them not to walk in their own damn neighborhood. Give me a freaking break.
Moving house or using a different route is not a solution.
These people are self-centered, selfish and apparently quite paranoid to have a dog that is so vicious and over-reactive. And they are NOT good dog owners by leaving the poor dog outside from 6a-9p. You'll have to be careful because these people likely have guns and will 100% use them. For now, they are intimidating everyone and I for one would absolutely not tolerate it.
As for the dog leash, I have a dog that is terrible on the leash. She's gotten a bit better now that she's almost 13 years old, but long ago I started using a belt and tying the leashes to my belt. She can't get away and she can't pull me down. The other dog is a dream on the leash but she's an energetic dog and never going to calm down. I tried everything: trainers, collars, harnesses, etc. etc. etc. Nothing worked. She has a one track mind: very curious, very social, loves people, chases squirrels, etc. You should start tying your dog to your waist. I'll bet it will solve the problem of your dog getting away. I got tired of losing hold of the leash and finally came up with the waist tether.
+++
Near my hometown in Southern California, a guy shot a new neighbor's dog dead or chasing a squirrel into his yard back in November. The owner pleaded to be allowed to retrieve his dog. The a-hole shot the dog dead instead, right in front of the owner. The court date was supposed to be January 3, 2023 in the Pomona court. It's been scrubbed from the internet because the a-hole is a well-connected actor in Hollywood living in a non-descript suburban house 35 miles from Hollywood. People shoot and poison dogs all the time. I have no idea why that piece of scum is allowed to keep his crime kept private when others don't, but it's wrong. I emailed the dog owner and he said he would keep people updated but so far he can't get any information. So be careful of these people who unfortunately are terrorizing your neighborhood.
Isn't there a backyard? Wonder why they don't keep their dog there, but let it bark at everyone who passes by.
It seems that THEY are irritated by THEIR dog.
I probably wouldn't care about their noise level (although the whole neighborhood suffers when the dog barks all day) and walk my regular route.
Maybe that will make them to consider and move the dog to the back.
Unless this is a very unsafe area and they NEED the dog to GUARD their property...
The constant barking could be reported too.
Check your local laws about dogs.
Re: leash - OP has a 100lb dog (still don't know what breed) - so tying it to a belt is very unsafe and can cause serious injury when he charges. A dog can comfortably pull 3x it's weight for extended period. For a short distance a dog can pull much, much more than that.
OP probably needs a very strong leash with a harness.
At least something like this: https://www.amazon.com/tobeDRI-Harne...ref=mp_s_a_1_4
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