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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to report this dog to the police?

67 replies

ichoochoochooseyou · 11/08/2013 18:31

We live in a little close where there are lots of families with young children. I walked by my neighbours garden today and their dog jumped up and started barking and baring its teeth at me- it made me jump out of my skin!

Anyway, I'm almost certain it's a pitbull terrier. They're illegal to own because of the dangerous dogs act so by reporting it to the police I could be sentencing the doggy to death. I don't like the thought of that but what if it attacked someone?

Aagh what to do?

OP posts:

MacaYoniandCheese · 11/08/2013 21:17

I went through almost all the dogs before I found the pit-bull and I'm a massive dog fancier . Obviously, you'd have to be pretty clued-up to be able to identify an actual PBT.

Some dogs are meaner looking than others and having a scary looking one snarling and leaping at the fence as you walk by would be frightening and worrying indeed. HOWEVER, as others have said, dogs of all sizes and appearance do that as people walk by....doesn't in any way reflect on their behaviour when in direct contact with humans; they're just declaring their territory. This morning DH and I walked down a trail that runs behind a mile of houses and were frothed at by GSDs, Yorkies, Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, a pair of Papillons ....

edam · 11/08/2013 21:22

My sister just got a letter from some busybody at her council complaining that her dog barks. In his own garden. Safely behind a six foot fence. FFS. He is never out there without her either being in the garden or in the kitchen with the patio doors open.

I'm not a dog person but I think that's a bit ruddy much, tbh.

edam · 11/08/2013 21:23

Should point out, this is a back garden, but there's any alleyway that runs along behind. No gate out of back garden so even a nervous dog-wary type will realise that they dog is safely contained.

MikeOxard · 11/08/2013 21:45

Edam, it sounds like they are complaining about the noise. Barks can be quite loud and if it's loud and goes on a lot, it's probably pissing off the neighbours. Not really anything to do with this thread though.

I can't find the pit bull, and I thought I was not this bad quite good at dog breeds!

ChasingDogs · 11/08/2013 21:52

I've always been rubbish for getting bull breeds mixed up The trick, i find, is reminding yourself that Pit Bulls are a lot smaller than they are in your head!

maja00 · 11/08/2013 21:54

How on earth can you tell if it was a pit bull?

I doubt many people keep pit bulls anymore - they must be really hard to get hold of.

I have heard (silly young people) claim their dog is a pit bull, when actually it is a staffie crossed with something else like a mastiff or boxer that makes it a bit bigger and longer legged.

MintyChops · 11/08/2013 22:57

Took me about 10 tries to get the pit bull and I am very doggy!!

Edam perhaps they may be complaining about the barking? like the barking of the sodding dog 3 doors up who is put out into a tiny yard at 8am and left, barking non-stop, until 6pm

edam · 11/08/2013 23:05

Mike, it's very much on the topic of the thread, see the OP - she was complaining about a dog jumping up and barking at her.

My sister's dog does indeed bark when people think it's funny to rattle the fence with a stick. The problem is the people, not the dog.

What on earth can you do to stop a dog barking, btw?

edam · 11/08/2013 23:06

Btw, her dog is not left outside on his own. Unlike some other dogs round there. He is only ever in the garden with my sister or when my sister is in the kitchen with the patio doors open, and he can come in or out.

ribeye · 11/08/2013 23:19

You can train a dog to stop barking if it is for no reason. You can tell people to stop rattling your fence especially if you are stood there while its happening.

Dogs are fine to go in their own fenced gardens unsupervised if they behave in a way that doesnt bother the neighbours. That isnt the issue. The issue is that your sisters dog barks excessively and she does nothing about it.

If i was her i would only allow the dog out for short toilet breaks. It should be getting its exercise from proper walks so it doesnt need to be out in the garden constantly, supervised or unsupervised.

kali110 · 12/08/2013 01:50

I remember when the lennox campaign started. I was so upset when he wax put to sleep. Poor family. Poor dog

HooverFairy · 12/08/2013 02:59

Dogs can appear threatening and I understand your concern but is the dog securely behind the fence? Could it get out? I'm in a similar position in that the dog at the top of out road is the same height as the fence, it puts it's paws on the fence and head through the bushes when anyone walks past and it snarls, I have to walk past it with my baby and dog and I'm worried that one day it will actually decide to jump out. It's head is directly next to my arm/elbow, so I walk on the other side of the road. It's massive and clearly territorial but it's not an illegal breed, I'm sure it's not vicious but no matter how loving a dog is you cannot trust them not to turn if they feel threatened. Owners should take more responsibility to ensure their dogs aren't put in a situation where they could bite someone because once they have that's it for them.

If the dog can't get out then YABU but if it can then you should do something, if they're forced to make the garden secure then the dog won't be able to bite anyone.

nooka · 12/08/2013 03:40

We have neighbours who have a pit bull. They drove specially down to the States to buy him (we live in Canada). I cannot understand why they chose to do so, but they aren't regarded in the same way here.

I only got the breed right on the second try, though I'd do better having seen one in person only a couple of days ago!

blondefriend · 12/08/2013 08:47

I got the PBT on the first go. I am a real dog fancier and love this kind of challenge. My friend has a dog that I'm convinced is a PBT. However he got it from Battersea as a puppy, is neutered and it has a beautiful temperament. I am definitely willing to accept that I may have got it wrong and would not report a gentle family pet. I have been in contact with a lot of dogs before and after the ban and every PBT I have met has had a beautiful nature (although I have met some very nasty SBT especially in the council estate I lived in for 8 years).
However I do have a bit of an issue with dogs defending their territory aggressively. A bit of barking is fine but dogs that spend hours in their gardens running up and down the fence growling and barking is not on. It's not fair on the dogs as they are obviously anxious or under-exercised and it is not fair on neighbours or passers-by. I know dogs (and children) that are too scared to go in their own gardens because of the barking of dogs next door. I have also treated a man who (stupidly) put his hand through a fence to stroke a quiet GSD. It ripped open his hand and nearly removed a finger. Maybe he shouldn't have done it but if that had been a child then I dread to think what could have happened. The dog concerned was put down.

littlemog · 12/08/2013 09:47

I am a very doggy person despite username! and it took me 4 guesses to get the PBT! I am firmly of the opinion that you should not report this dog - you could be causing a great deal of heartache to a family who love their pet. My little cockers are noisy and territorial but look cuddly and sweet so people don't feel threatened I suppose. This dog can't help the way it looks!

edam · 12/08/2013 13:26

ribeye - no, it's a six foot fence, you can't see anyone rattling it - by the time you hear them it's too late. My sister's not stood at the bottom of the garden guarding her own fence all day! She'll be on the patio or in the kitchen.

monniemae · 12/08/2013 23:42

Haven't read whole thread but - report it. We have had issues with an aggressive pitbull and a nicer staffy coming in our garden for over a year. Belongs to family up the road. Countless visits to them, calls to council / local police / housing acheived nothing. I knew it was a bloody pitbull, the family even said they knew it was "half pitbull" (no half about it though still counts under DDA), I didn't report it as such as was scared it might get put down etc.

Eventually the council dog wardens went to talk to them, took one look, announced it was a pitbull, they were statutorally obliged to report to police who would have to investigate under Dangerous Dogs Act.

Several weeks or months later the dog was seized by status dogs unit at crack of dawn. I was heartbroken for lad who owns it despite being fed up with it. Believed hype it would be on doggy death row etc.

Three or so weeks later, he was walking the dog up the road. First time ever seen! He's had a shock and a big talking to, the dog has been registered, chipped etc and returned on conditions as set out in Dangerous Dogs Act eg muzzling. Hasn't been in other gardens, is being better looked after...

I would look at lots of pictures / videos / info about pitbulls, if you still think it's a pitbull then do report it. It's not true it will inevitably and pointlessly be destroyed. Having said that however it doesn't sound like it was behaving weirdly and being a pitbull doesn't inherently make it dangerous. For us though it helped kick a previously apathetic owner into gear.

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