Update on neighbor and dog problems
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive August 2004:
Update on neighbor and dog problems
A while back I posted about my neighbour's dog barking at all hours of the night. I had spoken to her but didnt' get any results. Last week, DH had finally had enough and decided to call the husband. He politely said, "Hey, listen...this is affecting my work b/c I am so tired." The husband said they were wondering if the dog had been bothering us (which they knew...but anyway). He said they would keep it in their garage from now on...which they have 
Now, I'd like to thank them somehow. I know this is something they had to do b/c of noise bylaws but it's so nice that it was solved without having to call the authories. Any ideas on how I could thank them?
Buy them a box of doggie treats for the dog, and a case of beer (or other preferred drink) for your neighbors.
lucky you. My neighbor has a new girlfriend w/2 dogs who apparently sees nothing wrong with letting her dogs roam the neighborhood.
You are way to nice. I wouldn't buy them a thing, unless it was a dog owner's etiquette book.
I would wait a week and see if the dog being in the garage is adequate, and then buy a box of dog biscuits. But not the beer. A small reward for being able to resolve this amicably is worth the price of a box of dog biscuits, and you're giving it to the dog, not to them.
Wait a while and see if they follow through.
I am a big "dog person" and I really believe there are no bad dogs, only bad owners.
To that end, a nice gift for the "doggie" might be a "no bark" collar. They are pretty inexpensive and can be bought at any pet store, Walmart or Target sometimes has them.
They are very humane and they won't hurt the dog unless the owners turn them up too high. This is how they work:
Simply slip the collar around the dog's neck, a device on the collar emits a sound at "doggie level" (like a dog whistle) each time the dog barks, eventually, the dog learns that the unpleasant sound happens with barking, and the dog stops barking.
The owners may tire of keeping "Fido" in the garage. Especially if he isn't potty trained and he poops in the garage, and you may wind up with the dog back in the yard again. At least if you buy the dog the "no bark" collar then if the neighbors put the dog back out again, you have some assurance of peace.
My dog is trained not to bark at folks he recognizes but to bark at strangers. I know if my dog barks it is because there is a meter reader or a salesman in the neighborhood. An "alert" bark can be a real asset. But a "nuisance" bark, a bark that is just continuous, usually means the dog has been abandoned to the yard with a bowl of food, water, and no company. Usually a nuisance bark is a dog's way of signalling to its' owner, "Hey! Come play with me!"
In the event that the garage plan does not work out, or the dog winds up back in the yard, make a gift of a "no bark" collar. They work, and they will not cause any serious harm to the dog.
AJ
COLLETTE
A few years ago, we had a young couple in the neighborhood who owned a full blooded, beautiful, sweet Chow. This dog was huge and he was gorgeous, just a big baby. The problem was, the dog roamed the neighborhood at all hours, the young people simply opened the front door and let him roam. I had a Scottish Terrier that was mostly an indoor dog, but occaisionally in pretty weather, I would let my Scottie out on a chain and the Chow frightened my much smaller Scottie. I returned the Chow to the owners a few times, who ignored my pleas to put their dog on a chain, leash or fench in their yard.
Finally the third time I returned the Chow I told them, "The next time, I find this dog roaming the neighborhood, I will call him, bring him into my house, bathe him in my shower and clean him up and I will keep him in my basement and sell him to a better owner. I really will do it, too. I have made friends with him and he likes me. I could keep him for days and he would never complain, so if he ever comes up missing, you know to come knocking on my door and if I haven't given him away or sold him, and if you promise to take care of him, I will give him back, otherwise, I will just deny that I have him and you will never see him again."
That day, the young couple was spotted getting into their car and upon their return, they had purchased a dog run and a chain, and the dog no longer roamed and my Scottie could enjoy his yard in peace!!!! :-) AJ
I agree with Sunny. I wouldn't wait and see if they follow through. If you do something right away it will encourage them to keep it up and they will know that effort is appreciated. I would only do beer or wine if I knew without a doubt that is something they drink. Otherwise I would make a banana bread or brownies to go with the dog treats.
This is such a pet peeve. I love dogs, hate irresponsible dog owners. Keep your dog in your yard, if you can't, tie it up or get a pen. If I like your dog I'll come to your yard to see it, don't send it into my yard. The reason I don't have a dog is because I don't like to clean up dog poop so I certainly don't want someone elses dog in my yard. It drives me crazy that some people think that just because they have a big, friendly dog that they love that everyone else in the neighborhood is ok with the dog coming into their yard, barking, digging, jumping up on them, etc. You all are way nicer than I am, I think you are supposed to keep your pets in your yard and I am certainly not going to reward you for doing what should be common sense.
I agree that a box of dog treats is enough, if you feel like you need to do something. Melanie makes a good point that it may encourage them to keep the dog in the garage.
Colette, I have two dogs and I do not like anyone letting their dog run around on my property. We have a lot of irresponsible owners who walk their dogs in our neighborhood. One time my DH asked a woman to keep her dog off our lawn and she actually yelled back at him that he should move to a new neighborhood! Everyone in our neighborhood owns at least 5 acres so there is no reason to have your dog on someone elses lawn.
Thanks for the great feedback. I'm not sure what I will do at this point. I'll probably wait until Dh gets back from fighting forest fires and discuss it with him.
Colette, you have made some very good points..it is their responsibility. I, too, hate cleaning up the dog poop too.
Everyone else also has some nice points. I'll keep you posted.
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