To think the sign in NDNs window is naff and unnecessary?

[hotstepper4]

New NDNs, moved in about a month ago. Haven't actually spoken to them yet but they've got a dog, I've seen it out in their garden, it's a rottweiler I believe.

Tbh I'm just happy that so far I haven't heard it barking, so so far so good, haven't worried about it.

Today, the ndns have put a sign in their front window. It says : "Warning! A dangerous dog lives here. It bites. You have been warned"

Myself and dh have 4 dc between us, the dc like to have their friends over sometimes and I think the sign is really giving off the wrong vibes, it's not the nicest area but the sign is making me uneasy. We have a cat too.

AIBU?

The neighbours are publicly declaring the fact that they have a dangerous (their words, or the sign's) dog. There is a law in place to regulate dangerous dogs. Perfectly reasonable, if they advertise the fact themselves, to want to know the law is being complied with. That's where the police suggestion comes from, for those who haven't quite grasped it.

ffs

Call the police?? Holy shit you are crazy! DO NOT PHONE THE POLICE!! Get a life ffs! It's just a sign.....you are definitely BU. Get a life.

I'd be tempted to call the police and advise that the neighbours are advertising that they have a dangerous dog

That is utterly ridiculous.

I'd judge them a bit. A signs mentioning a dog: fine. A sign crowing about a dangerous dog - aggressive idiots

...for those who haven't quite grasped it.

Nope. Still utterly ridiculous no matter how you try to paint it.

And tbh if this is the culture now - to put up such aggressive signs - I think concern is not misplaced. 'Beware of the Dog', fine. But all of this 'Our dog will rip you to pieces if you so much as set your big toe on our property. You have been warned' is preemptively hostile and aggressive and treats all visitors as suspicious. Very unpleasant.

And FWIW (sorry for multiple posts) if the owner of such a sign had invited my child for a playdate and I came round to drop off and saw the sign, I'd turn on my heel and wouldn't be back.

I wonder if it would still be 'ridiculous' when if the dog escaped from the garden or ran out of the front door and mauled my child?

@ProfessorMoody....☺️☺️☺️ I want your chicken sign!!! Did you get it made specially or are they online?

OP the sign is merely a deterrent, and probably a useful one. Yabu, sorry.

Should we be ringing social services whenever we see one of these signs, are they meant to be taken seriously, and the sign is a "cry for help"?

Do you remember when postmarks used to say "please control your dog when mail is delivered"?

On MN, ringing somebody's doorbell without an appointment is a hanging offence anyway.

I know a vicar who had his fingers bitten by a dog when delivering Christian Aid envelopes. No sign there, he said. Was it an angry atheist who lived behind that door, from MN, taking revenge on one who dared to try to "indoctrinate" her children?

Please don't waste police time calling over a sign! Even if you do call and the police waste their time going round the dog could still get out and maul a child, or it could be a lovely big softy

Its an extremely foolish thing to do.

You are responsible for pretty much any injury to anyone who comes onto your land, with or without your permission (including burglars) if it was 'reasonably foreseeable' that the injury would occur.

Putting up an actual sign saying that you already know your dog is dangerous and bites is proof positive that the injury was foreseeable. You'd be in serious trouble if a burglar/postman was bitten.

You may have noticed that recently 'beware of the dog' signs that are available to buy have changed to read 'I live here' (usually with a stock picture of the dog).

This is to avoid the admission of liability that the acknowledgement of the dangerous dog would hand to any intruder if they wanted to make a compensation claim after being injured.

I know its a bizarre piece of law, but its been tested many times in the courts and has been upheld every time.

I suspect people who do have bitey, uncontrolled dogs advertise that. I think you are safe from long distance signs, OP.

NB. The law doesn't just relate to dogs - if you have anything on your land that might 'encourage' anybody (such as local kids) to play on it, then you are liable for their safety, even if you don't know they are playing on it at any particular time...

I'm with Barnaby.

Couldn't give a fuck about the sign, but they've moved in next door and you've not even spoken to them? How welcoming.

Mine asks people to remove jewellery and false teeth as the dog can’t digest them...
Absolutely bloody fantastic, where do I get mine from?

Call the police

Mumsnet been a bit 'meh' recently but then someone comes up with a gem like that to remind me why I crawl back to Mumsnet. Every time. You, pp, with the police suggestion, are very funny!

I wonder if it would still be 'ridiculous' when if the dog escaped from the garden or ran out of the front door and mauled my child?

You do realise that having a sign and a dog mauling your child are two entirely different things don’t you?

What's that talk of "escaping"?

It's the dog's home, not a prison, why would he want to escape it? Dogs are domestic animals, they are not in the habit of escaping into the wild.

Call the police indeed.

Oh, I too love MN. Happy to provide the material for a nice collective pile-on.

'Escape' = get out of confinement in a specific space. As a dog that sees something attractive/huntable may be wont to do.

Is it just me that finds it odd that your NDNs have been moved in for a month and you haven’t even said ‘hello’ to them yet?!

If mine had a beware if the dangerous dog sign up I would not be going up the path to ring their bell either. It isn’t exactly welcoming or friendly.

If the dog hasn’t escaped in the last month then it sounds like the property is fairly secure, so no real reason to be worried.

Our pet insurance insistants on a sign on the gate (it just says “dogs roaming free”), any would be intruder is now warned that would be knocked to the ground and licked to death by a Newfie if they were to enter via the gate. If they hopped over any of the 60 fence panels they would have no such warning, so pretty pointless really, but does cover our backs.

'Dogs roaming free' sign - fine. 'Beware of the dog' - fine (as I said before). Pic of dog with 'I live here' - fine. It's the aggressive and threatening ones I have an issue with (and ManorGreyhound makes a very, very good point about the potential consequences for the owner should something ever happen. I know if I were the victim of an attack by a dog whose owners displayed that sign, even if the attack didn't happen on their property, I would be ensuring my lawyer was aware of the sign.

We have a sign on the gate to the back garden that says “caution dog running free” in case someone goes in and starts getting nippy. Our old house had a BT pole in it and we had problems with the engineers walking in without asking and the dog annoying them (NOT being aggressive!)

So we got the sign to relieve us of any legal responsibility if they complained about her.

So I guess it’s a deterrent sign that your NDNs have.