to ask my neighbour to keep his dog in the house for a few days?

[LuzLuz]

Sorry, boring but genuine advice needed.

Neighbour is doddery old guy who has a 1 year oldish v excitable labrador which has just smashed through my back garden fence and is currently running amok doing lots of damage e.g. ripping up the trampoline netting and my DC's toys.

My DH has an office in the back garden and is dog phobic, our garage is also in the back garden. Until I can get the panel replaced (it's our boundary) am I being unreasonble to ask him to keep the dog indoors for a few days so we can use the essential stuff in the garden?

Will it go mad without being able to go outside? I don't think my neighbour can take him for a proper walk as he's quite immobile so must rely on letting him run around the garden for exercise. Think family help out at weekends.

Can the council help etc if we can't get a response from neighbour? I don't want to drop the neighbour in it as he is v old, seems friendly when we've chatted over the fence in the past and prob gets a lot from the dog's company. I have no idea about dogs at all, just want to use my garden...

How big is the trampoline? Could you tip it up on end to cover the gap in the fence? (For tonight at least)

How big is the trampoline? Could you tip it up on end to cover the gap in the fence? (For tonight at least)

Chap is responsible for keeping his dog contained. Try www.gardenlaw.co.uk/ for the correct procedures.

We have a lab, and though now, at 2, she has calmed down considerably, I can still vividly remember how much hard work she was when she was 1 - and it is utterly ridiculous for a doddery person who can't exercise it properly to have that dog.

Quite apart from the damage the dog has done (for which the chap is liable), it is utterly unfair to the dog. Labs need lots of exercise and stimulation, otherwise they become bored and trash everything. They are lovely dogs, and very loving, but only if you put in the effort involved in making them happy, well behaved dogs.

They are very food-motivated, though, so if you really need to deal with the dog, go out with a couple of biscuits or crackers, chuck them into the owner's garden, and the lab will go bounding after them as if it hasn't been fed in months - then you can bung up your chicken wire.

When our lab was younger, she used to chew away at the fence, eating the bottom of each individual plank, until she could get a good enough grip on it to pull it towards her, and either break the plank or pull it free from the cross members - then she'd drag it to the back door, full of pride at what she'd achieved, or she'd wiggle through the little gap to go visit the labradoodle next door, who she luuurved to bits. Dh has replaced half a dozen or more of these planks - it was our fence, but even if it hadn't been, it would have been our responsibility - and thankfully she has stopped trying to eat fence panels in her attempts to reach her True Love.

Why not contact the national charity the Cinammon Trust on his behalf. They have volunteers who will walk dogs regularly and look after dogs/cats if an owner has to go into hospital. No he shouldn't have a dog, but he is unlikely to get rid of it. So someone taking the dog out every day would be fairer on the dog.