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We moved into our neighborhood three years ago. We got a puppy (rescue mix) at the same time a neighbor down the street got a puppy (german shepherd). They wanted a guard dog so intentionally did not socialize their dog with animals or people. Our dog is a 100 pounds, all muscle dog park dog that is very friendly. They live on a corner lot and our small neighborhood only has two options for walking. Around the loop (they are on the corner) or up and back a different street. We walk our dog 4x a day - 2x each direction which means we have been around the block probably 2000 times in 3 years. Their dog charges the fence and barks excessively at us or anyone that walks by at any time of the day or night. Other neighbors complain about the excessive barking and the aggression he shows but since the shepherd is contained in a fence, no law is being broken. I can hear their dog barking constantly from inside my home 6 houses down the street so it is annoying.
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. I told them that I have the right to walk the block which makes them upset. (BTW - when I walk, I don't walk on the same side of the street as their house - I always walk on the opposite side) They sometimes shine a spotlight in my face after dark as I walk by and have done other things that I interpret as trying to intimidate me. Normally my dog is not bothered walking by their fence. He watches their dog and sometimes slightly will pull but normally we just keep walking and ignore the barking. With that said, three different times in the last three years my dog has pulled his lease out of my hand and charged their fence wanting to run back and forth with their dog. I have never seen my dog aggressive as he goes to the dog park often and I believe that he thinks they are playing but I don't know if they were to connect if my dog would fight. Their dog is angry when this has happened and both times the owners ran out of their house yelling. (It has happened three times so once it happened when they were not home) It was very flustering as it was hard for me to catch my dog for 2 minutes as he runs back and forth on their fence.
They called animal control both times this happened and we were issued a citation. Today, I received a 3rd citation. The citation listed our dog by name but the description of the dog does not match our dog (lists a different color and breed). The date on the citation was for last week when we were out of town for the entire week. The citation states that our dog was running loose in the neighborhood which our dog has never done. It simply is not true information and I will explain this to animal control. Hopefully, it will be dropped.
My fear is that this latest citation is marked as a third citation on the AC paperwork. The first time AC came, they told me they would take my dog if we had repeated offenses. I do understand that legally I lost control and my dog was on their property so I am at fault with those 3 times. However, I am afraid that they are now falsely calling AC to try to get AC to take our dog. Again - our dog is super friendly and their dog is not but they want to keep us from walking the block. We have many people that would be a character witness for my dog. I don't want to be intimated into not walking my dog in that direction as the neighborhood is so small but I am super scared of losing my dog. 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?
I can't really imagine they would take your dog unless your dog actually bites someone, but if I had a neighbor that hostile, I wouldn't walk that way 4x a day, every day! I wouldn't trust them, or their fence, or their dog. It's too much. That often just seems like intentional harassment. You are both spending too big a chunk of every day stressing each other out. Something has to give!
Find another way to exercise your dog. Pick your battles.
They don’t want anyone walking past their property, which according to your comment, includes folks without dogs.
If you can substantiate everything you say, such as your dog not being loose at the time of one of the alleged infractions, I am the type of person that would go straight to the police and file my own report to get my side of the “he said she said” on record.
If what you say is true, they are trying to tell everyone where they can walk because they can’t control their own dog’s barking.
You do also have to weigh the risks of retaliation against your dog, if it lives outside - like poison.
If that person(s) is really telling the whole neighborhood to stop walking past their house, then animal control and LE need to pay them a visit. It's their animal causing the problem, and they don't own the street.
Sounds like it is time for the neighborhood to start filing their own complaints to AC. If you can hear their dog, 6 houses away, when you're in your house, that's a problem. If you are on a public sidewalk and their dog goes ballistic, that's a problem.
And yes, you need to keep a better grip on the leash. There is not an excuse for 'losing the leash' unless you fell down or something like that, not because your dog got excited. What kind of leash is it, by the way? If it's a useless 'retractable leash', get rid of that dumb thing and get a 6' leash where you have more control over your own dog.
As for the 3rd citation, immediately gather up your evidence, contact AC, and inform them that you have proof it wasn't your dog, and b) you have more information about the entire issue. Phones have video taking capabilities. Use it.
You are the provider to your dog...so stand up for your dog, not wait around to 'see what might happen'.
Sounds like it is time for the neighborhood to start filing their own complaints to AC. If you can hear their dog, 6 houses away, when you're in your house, that's a problem. If you are on a public sidewalk and their dog goes ballistic, that's a problem.
And yes, you need to keep a better grip on the leash. There is not an excuse for 'losing the leash' unless you fell down or something like that, not because your dog got excited. What kind of leash is it, by the way? If it's a useless 'retractable leash', get rid of that dumb thing and get a 6' leash where you have more control over your own dog.
As for the 3rd citation, immediately gather up your evidence, contact AC, and inform them that you have proof it wasn't your dog, and b) you have more information about the entire issue. Phones have video taking capabilities. Use it.
You are the provider to your dog...so stand up for your dog, not wait around to 'see what might happen'.
I agree with this, particularly the video capabilities of your phone.
Walk around the neighbors house WITHOUT your dog and video how their dog reacts. Let someone in authority (AC or LE?) know that you and other neighbors fear what might happen if their dog gets out of the fence.
Also, does their dog LIVE outside? AC may be interested to know that. There are places where there are laws that you cannot leave your dog outside 24/7. It's possible they are negligent in the general care of their own dog.
Also wanted to add, their 'training' is trash. It sounds to me like an excuse not to train their dog.
A guard dog should be trained by professionals, not someone who wants everyone to be scared to walk by their yard. That is not at all what a 'guard' dog should be doing.
As with all dogs, they need to learn obedience, and the owner is the one who should be telling the dog when to stop the dang barking. If the dog is in the yard, yes, excessive barking IS part of it IF there is someone ON/IN their terriroty, but NOT just because someone walked BY the property. And, when the dog is excessively barking, it is up to the owner to tell the dog to stop barking when the owner deems that there is no actual threat. It is clear that the owners have not done any of this training.
It also appears that they did not teach their dog where their territory is, rather, they decided to do no training on their dog, and allow the dog to scare the crap out of everyone who even looks in their direction. That is NOT a 'trained' guard dog. A trained guard dog should not be barking just because someone walks BY the property. The dog should not be doing a damn thing unless someone tries to come ON the property. People walking by on a public sidewalk is not a 'threat', and that dog should not be barking at everyone who does.
Not only is teaching basic obedience and 'this is your territory, that is NOT your territory' important, it is VERY important that the dog be SOCIALIZED! The dog should NOT react to other animals or 'non reactive' people! Other animals, like other dogs owned by other people, are not going to break into their home and attack them. People walking on a sidewalk next to their property are not all 'predators', and that sidewalk is NOT their territory. That is extremely important, yet they did the complete opposite!
If you can prove any of this to AC, I highly, highly recommend you do so, because what they are calling a 'guard dog', is actually an unsocialized, untrained dog in their yard that could do who knows what if that dog ever got out of that yard.
You spend a lot of time talking about taking your dog for walks and then just slip it in really quick that your dog was running loose two times and falsely accused a third time. The easy solution is to find out how to confine your dog so he doesn't run loose.
Improve your fence, maybe add an invisible fence system in addition to the physical fence.
Get the type of collar and leash that will prevent your dog from pulling away from you.
It doesn't matter how friendly your dog is, do not allow him to be off leash when out of your yard at any time. You may not like the neighbors, but they are keeping their dog safely confined and, apparently, you are not.
You spend a lot of time talking about taking your dog for walks and then just slip it in really quick that your dog was running loose two times and falsely accused a third time. The easy solution is to find out how to confine your dog so he doesn't run loose.
Improve your fence, maybe add an invisible fence system in addition to the physical fence.
Get the type of collar and leash that will prevent your dog from pulling away from you.
It doesn't matter how friendly your dog is, do not allow him to be off leash when out of your yard at any time. You may not like the neighbors, but they are keeping their dog safely confined and, apparently, you are not.
The dog got out of her hands. It can happen. They may be keeping their dog confined but not keeping it under control.
I am in particular agreement with 3WolvesInSnow, on this, but I think some points are worth stressing.
#1. Everyone chiding you for losing control of a LEASHED dog is absolutely correct. That should never happen, and could only be partially excused if you were COMPLETELY unaware of a pending confrontation or contact that the dog WAS aware of. First item on this issue, you should have a collar on your dog that the dog can't slip. And the leash should be attached to that collar. If you have a dog whose neck is so large that you can't find a collar the dog can't slip, then you should be using a harness AND a collar*, and both should be leashed now, because the dog has proven to you that it WILL react, and you can predict that reaction. Given your description of your dog, I suspect a prong collar may be useful. At the very least, a martingale collar should be used. Second item on this issue: no expanding leashes. Get a simple and strong 4' or 6' leash.
#2. I'm in complete agreement with you that you should be able to walk past this house. The neighbor complaining to AC about YOU, assuming everything you have told us is the full story, is BS. 3WolvesinSnow mentioned videos. GET SOME VIDEOS. Not later, yesterday! Show this dog's behavior - show it with a person walking past - show it with a dog walking past. Get everything in the video - who's passing - how far they are from the fence - etc. Now, take that to Animal Control. If you can get neighbors to complain, also, even better.
#3. 3WolvesInSnow also mentioned that the dog isn't a trained guard dog - it is an UN-trained hostile dog. I'm only in partial agreement here, but it is a good point, and could actually be the case. It is certainly the case that this dog is reacting when it is not appropriate. But this takes us back to #2. Get video proof of the dog's behavior.
*I say this because a harness gives you no control over a dog. They are good for restraint, when a collar might fail, but you need a collar to control the dog. A collar gives the dog feedback. A harness doesn't - they'll just pull.
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