neighbours 9year old in my garden

[thighsmadeofcheddar]

I have really good neighbours, always very considerate and we've a good relationship.

They have a 9 year old boy, a really good kid I think. Anyway about 5 times in the last week I've found him sitting up on our high common fence peering into our house and setting up ropes and cabling things on his massive hedge which sits on their side of the fence. I've asked him each time to get down as I don't believe the fence is really stable and if it falls it will hurt him and smash my garden bed to bits.

I've just found him in our garden tip toeing towards the back gate to get out.

The problem is with all this, we have a german shepherd, he is absolutely not aggressive, but does not like people appearing in the garden or up on the fence without knowing. Thankfully I had our back door shut so when the child was in the yard he couldn't get out to him. He wouldn't hurt him but probably run up to him and scare him.

I've asked the boy again to please stay off the fence and out of our garden. Should I say something to his parents? I don't want to get him in trouble but I worry about him coming face to face with our dog and freaking out. Or am I just being a pain?

I as a mum of 3 boysone of them 8 years old would tell him sternly that he is not to sit on the fence he will be hurt if he falls off and if he falls into your garden your dog might assume hes an intruder,tell him that this time you are telling just him next time you will go to his parents- if they are good neighbours they will understand.

go to his parents and ask them to make sure that he does not do this any more because you are worried that he will hurt himself and that he could let your dog out, or startle him.

I wouldn't say anything about the dog maybe going for him, because they'll freak out that you have a dangerous dog!

Put it nicely and present it in terms of your concerns for his safety.

Thanks both, I think I will have a quiet word with his parents. I would hate for him to be scared by the dog and it's something I would worry about.