reporting neighbours dog to the warden, wwyd?

[bamboobutton]

We've been in our new house for just over a month and have had 4 incidences with their dog:

1. dog barged its way in to our garden through the gate as we were returning home, scaring 3yo dd. I order the dog out just as neighbour turns up.
   
   
2. dog tries to barge its way in through our front door, kids are screaming this time, neighbour just keeps on yakking to her friend while i am leg blocking the dog, cant close the door on as he will get in as i try to nip in. Neighbour comes and grabs dog, doesn't say a word.
   
   
3. dog comes running up to kids outside our house, kids screaming again, neighbour does the 'shes a big old softy' routine. I herd kids inside.
   
   this one has really pissed me off 4). We are walking back from school, we just turn into the large shared driveway, dog starts running at us, barking its head off over about a 40ft distance, again i block the dog, kids are screaming in terror, neighbour calls dog away without a word to me.
   
   we have fallen out with our neighbour already over parking and the word about the estate is that she is a right nasty cow so i am not keen to go to her door and complain.
   
   would you report the dog? I'm 99% sure i will report it as im sick of the fucking thing scaring my kids, its taken years to get ds over his dog fear and this bloody dog has undone it all, id just like some other opinions before i add the last 1%.
   
   its a golden retriever if that's relevant.

[eurochick]

Hmm. I don't think it's worth a report. She is not controlling the dog well (although it does seem to be obedient in your example 4), but it hasn't shown any signs of being aggressive. It'd be better to speak to her and say it's scaring the children.

[notapizzaeater]

I'd try and talk to her too, if this s on joint private property I'm not sure the warden can do anything.

[bamboobutton]

I really dont want to talk to her, she has been rude and nasty to my dh and the dog is rigjt next to her barking its head off. Its intimidating.

i might pop a letter through her door when she is out. Dh is threatening to shoot the dog if it does it again but i would rather some authority figure have a word, as she seems to listen to them, telling her to supervise the dog properly.

[poopooheadwillyfatface]

why are your children screaming at the dog ?
it sounds like it wandering a bit outside its home but nothing to suggest it is any threat at all.

[bamboobutton]

Running at us barking, running up to our door/gate and trying to barge is not just a dog out for a gentle investigstive stroll. My children are 3 & 5, this dog is huge to them and in my op it clearly states that ds was getting over his dog fear.

[NorbertDentressangle]

We had a similar problem in our road only the woman has more than one dog and just lets them out of the front door resulting in them running up and down the road, in front of cars, they're left at home barking all day in the house, sometimes they get out and are found roaming in peoples gardens or on the road. They've scared quite a few people incl. small children by hurtling up to them barking.

The woman herself is not approachable, like your neighbour.

Several neighbours have reported her to the Dog Warden (worse than useless), RSPCA (even more useless than the Dog Warden) and to the police. The local Community Support Officer went to see her and asked her to keep the dogs under control and TBH that did work for a while.

It's a difficult one as she is not controlling her dogs (and according to someone who knows about dogs this is quite dangerous as they are acting as a 'pack' - they did explain this in detail which made sense but can't remember the details) nobody seems to be able to do anything but one of these days one of her dogs is either going to bite someone or cause a road traffic accident.

Try reporting her but if you get no joy contact the local police to drop in and talk to her.

[NorbertDentressangle]

Sorry, I went off on one a bit there about the woman near us

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

poopoo obviously you don't (thankfully) have a child who is so scared of dogs she would rather run into a main road than face one

My DD has now grown out of her fear (I won't say phobia ) but she'd rather not share space with a dog, especially one running at full lick. (My DD is now 11)

The Big Softy, he'd lick you to death, /he loves kids/ he's more scared of you/ he's only playing cuts no ice.

Yes, children should NOT scream near a dog, and I used to warn my DD "Do NOT scream. Look at his tail, not his eyes" but if they charge at them out of the blue.......

bamboo it does sound like the dog is fairly well trained but no boundaries. I've sometimes called STAY to a dog in the park off lead it has charged up to my DC (owner nowhere) .
Might work.
And TBH , I avoided parks, beaches, woods where there were loose dogs.
But if the dog lives next door, that tactic doesn't work.

[HomeHypno]

Sadly, not much is going to happen over a dog simply scaring children, and it is likely to end up just in war of words. She should keep a dog like that on a leash though to stop it running around like mad, if something bad does happen it will be in her interest as well.

I agree with another poster about not screaming at the dog. Your children neednto get away from this dog if they are scared of him, but running, screaming and especially waving hands up and down can encourage the dog to nip more likely. Make a plan with tour kids how to get themself safe in a nice organised away (not always easy) if the next time happens. Deep authoritarian voice works better for dogs than high-pitched screaming. Always keep your hands down, raised arm may look to the dog as they are about to be struck,and they make strike out in defence if they have been beaten in the past.

[IDontDoIroning]

Your dh is threatening to SHOOT it.

What for being a normal over enthusiastic large dog with a an owner who is a little lax in controlling it.

You haven't said if he has growled snarled bared his teeth nipped snapped or been otherwise aggressive so I am assuming it hasn't done any of the above and is just behaving normally.

Overreaction or what! If your dh does do that then you're going to have more problems than your neighbours dog.

Your children should stop screaming, for one, ignore it don't run away and use a deep loud voice to tell it to go home.

[ancientbuchanan]

It would put you in a better position with the warden, police or whatever if you could have a word.

Could you invite her over to coffee and ask for her help? Say that you are sure her dog is just a big softy and normally inquisitive, but your children have had bad experiences and you want them to get over their fear of dogs? And perhaps if they met the dog at circs where it was controlled by her and you were with them, it would learn to calm down around you all and your children would, slowly, learn to see it as a friend and even learn to pat it?

If you can take the friendly step, not a defensive one ( however justified) you might get further.

Tbh, it doesn't sound like a nasty dog, just a typical urban retriever. And all small children tend to be frightened of big bouncy dogs so she may not fully understand and just think you are making a fuss. ( not that I think you are).

We have a plan to accustom one of Ds' friends to our dog, small jrt, by getting him to come over with jrt on lead and held by me, lots of times, till we can allow him off by lead, held by me, friend's DM would be there giving support.

With another couple of neighbouring dogs who were a darned nuisance ( one an adhd lab, bouncy and uncontrolled, the other z hugely strong staffies) we have offered to take them for walks. And have given them discipline with us as a by- product so we could yell " stop Ddog" and the Bleep dog would.


If you can suggest something like this, she might just possibly react well and you would know you had done your utmost before calling authority. And you would be on the high ground.

Shooting the dog would be an offence. And would create even worse relations which presumably you don't want.

[bamboobutton]

Dh couldnt shoot tbe dog even if he wanted to, we have no shotgun and i wouldnt let him even if did get hold of one.

ive explained to the kids over and over about screaming at dogs, they had got to the point of just ignoring them when we moved here. I had been working extra hard on jt as i want to get a staffie in a few years time, hopefully this wont affect him too much, he is quite excited abkut getting a puppy, or was.

its only this dog that sets off the screaming as it is the only dog we have come across that is left on its own to wander about. If a dog that came up to my chin was barking and running at us and jumping about i think i would scream too.

i dont think the chat over tea would work, relations between us are non existant after parking-gate, if she sees us she walks off, even though she was completly in the wrong. The only options are the letter, the dog warden or a pcso.

[ChoudeBruxelles]

I would talk to your neighbour but also try to stop your kids screaming in terror at dogs.

[IDontDoIroning]

Ok your post of 10.16 did say

Quote - Dh is threatening to shoot the dog if it does it again but i would rather some authority figure have a word, as she seems to listen to them, telling her to supervise the dog properly.

And you want to get a staffie in a few years but your dc scream at this dog.

Okay then

[lilyaldrin]

Sounds like the owner is being a bit slow/lax at controlling the dog but also that you are making a massive fuss because you don't like the owner. I wouldn't report a neighbour's dog for coming near me outside my house tbh.

[TheSumofUs]

You have to speak with her - it's the responsible thing to do - let her know that her dog however well meaning scares your children and could she please be extra careful to control the dog on the shared property - take over a box of biscuits and make nice with her - there is no downside to this option other than swallowing pride - if she says no or does not control the dog the you have recourse after that - but you have to take this step first - I can't imagine anyone ignoring a nicely put request

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

1. Overview

It’s against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control:

in a public place
in a private place where the dog isn’t allowed to be (eg a neighbour’s house or garden without permission)
The law applies to all dogs.

Some types of dogs are banned.

Out of control
Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if it:

injures someone
makes someone worried that it might injure them
A court could also decide that your dog is dangerously out of control if:

it injures someone’s animal
the owner of the animal thinks they could be injured if they tried to stop your dog attacking their animal

[eurochick]

I really don't think the dog warden or PCSO are options - the dog is not being aggressive.

[SirChenjin]

I completely understand where you're coming from OP - I'm fucking sick and tired of dogs running up to us, barking and leaping about, when we're out a family walk while the owners of the mutts just walk on or tell us the dog is just being friendly. I don't care if it's being friendly - I don't want a dog barking and leaping around right in front of me, and I don't want a canine friend.

That being said, I think a polite word first of all is in order. Just explain that one of your DCs is frightened of dogs due to a bad past experience (she's not to know if that's the complete truth or not) and you wondered if she could make sure the dog doesn't go onto your garden or come into your house please? Smile smile smile all the time you're saying this...

If she still doesn't keep it under control then I would suggest calling your community police officer - and you can tell them that you've already had an informal word to no avail. Good luck

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

It is very very rare that I've seen a dog ' bark and leap ' about

Every single time I go to the park I will be approached by someone's off lead dog. Some times they additionally jump or bark or growl.

Under control dogs should not approach people let alone be barked at or jumped at.

[saintlyjimjams]

I don't think this court would find this dog out of control. It sounds more over friendly & the neighbour sounds lax about letting it greet people. Irritating but not something that's a matter for the legal process. My son used to be terrified of dogs but I'm not sure that reporting dogs not doing anything other than being a bit bouncy was a solution.

I think you'd be mad to get a staffie tbh unless you're very experienced with dogs- they need knowledgable owners IMO (although their rarely problematic to kids/humans you do need to socialise them a lot to encourage them not to be dog reactive). Get something easier.

[MrRected]

Oh op toughen up for gawds sake - from what I can tell from your posts the dog isn't actually threatening you or your kids - just bounding over. He sounds over enthusiastic but non threatening.

You are projecting your dislike of dogs onto your children - hence the screaming and overreacting at the sight of the dog.