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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be getting sick of my next door neighbour?

272 replies

lineylane · 21/08/2018 13:34

NDN moved in 6 weeks ago. We have only been here approx 4 months ourselves.

We have three dogs- 2 Rottweilers (honestly the softest, most dopey dogs you will meet- all the children on our close adore them and will come up and pet them etc) and a very old, feeble staffie who couldn’t even catch a fly if he tried.

Rotties are walked three times a day- once by DH in the morning, dog walker in the afternoon and me of an evening. Our staffie cannot walk long distances so either both me and DH go on a walk and one of us turns back with our staffie or he doesn’t come out with us.

Aside from this, they get let out in the garden for a play/pee a couple times a day by me (work from home) fully supervised as it’s my time to enjoy a smoke and a quick brew.

Approx a week after NDN moved in, we got a knock on the door at 8am- hysterically screaming at us that are “dogs are out of control” and are dangerous and may attack their DC if they are playing in the garden.

I insisted they were all incredibly friendly, well trained and while like rough and tumble with each other- are impeccably behaved around humans and suggested NDN brought her DC round to meet them which made her even more hysterical. I ended up shutting the door in her face, resulting her banging on the door for 20 minutes screaming through the letterbox while I was on a conference call. I will admit, I ended up losing my temper and ended up opening the front room window and asking her what the fuck she thought she was doing and to get off my property. Looked very taken aback and sulked off.

Anyway- two weeks ago, NDN brought two kittens. Got a knock on the door saying we would have to either keep the dogs indoors, or get rid “because no doubt our dogs would choose to savage them”. Of course no dog can be 100% trusted, but I can say with 95% confidence that if said cats came in the garden the dogs would come to me if recalled.

This wasn’t good enough for said neighbour. I suggested my DH put barbed wire on top of our shared fence so cats wouldn’t be able to jump over. Apparently we are now cruel to animals Hmm

Anyway things have come to a head this morning. Another neighbour has come and knocked to say NDN has started a petition for us to get rid of our dogs Hmm because they are all of “dangerous breed”. Most people have told her to fuck off, one or two others have sided with her.

I’m close to ringing the police for harassment.

AIBU?

OP posts:
YeTalkShiteHen · 22/08/2018 16:46

Has anyone ever actually seen a dog catch a cat? I never have!

Yup. My big black cat got caught by the dogue de Bordeaux next door a few years ago. He let go pretty quickly Grin (no injuries to the cat and nothing too severe for the poor dog) when the cat flipped it with him!

OftenHangry · 22/08/2018 16:49

Has anyone ever actually seen a dog catch a cat? I never have!

Yup. My blind cat. Funeral was the day after. The owner of the dogs was a dick

LakieLady · 22/08/2018 16:56

we live facing a couple who breed Malinois dogs, they are bread for protection

They're a variety of Belgian Shepherd dog (along with the Groenendael, Terveuren and Laekenois, so technically a herding breed. They have a guarding instinct too, as they would watch the sheep. Their intelligence and obedience has made them easy to train for protection work, but it's not their primary purpose.

SillySallySingsSongs · 22/08/2018 17:01

Has anyone ever actually seen a dog catch a cat? I never have!

Unfortunately yes I have.

BloodyDisgrace · 22/08/2018 17:01

The neighbour was wrong to scream and bang on the door, that rarely get one anywhere. However people do get anxious about some dogs/some breeds, and the reassurance from the owner "aww, they are luvly pups" might not calm them down.

Having said that, whoever get cats/kittens has the responsibility to keep them safe in their own garden, so your neighbours should put a special cat fence around theirs, so the kittens don't get to your garden. That's what I'd do in their place and would ask you "we have the kittens. do you mind we put some fence which might be visible to you?"

Santaclarita · 22/08/2018 17:01

No dog is dangerous, only the owner is. We had a cat when I was younger that was hunted by two dobermans and killed by them because their insane owner let them off the lead and told them to do it. I don't blame the dogs, I blame the twat who had control of them. As we lived next to the raf, my dad told them in case the idiot did it again but with a child and they were very angry with the guy and warned him if he did it again he'd be forced to move.

Rotties and staffies are easily trained and kept under control if you aren't a moron. Same with labs, but I find they are the least well trained dogs if they aren't used as guide dogs. People buy them and I guess assume they are just normally well behaved.

Minniemountain · 22/08/2018 17:08

PIL's dog caught a cat whilst we were out walking. DDog is a very fast hunting type dog and seems to have done it on instinct. He was very shamefaced when FIL eventually caught him.

Apehouse · 22/08/2018 20:00

Auntethel, heard of syringomelia? Nah, thought not. But it’s a compelling reason not to encourage people to have Cavalier KCs. You probably think pugs are cute as well.

Ginosaji · 22/08/2018 20:33

@Apehouse

Im gonna sound a bit thick here, but im not a dog owner, never have been (the dog i had growing up was my parents dog) therefore i dont know alot about dogs, very little in fact,

whats wrong with king charles spaniels? And pugs? Not trying to be goady, just that from your post it seems like a bad thing and im just curious why

FairfaxAikman · 22/08/2018 20:44

@Ginosaji the Kennel Clib breed standard for those (and other breeds) leaves many dogs ill.
CKC spaniels have head's that are essentially too small for their brains and pigs have breathing difficulties as a result of having a flat face.

FairfaxAikman · 22/08/2018 20:44

*club

auntethel · 22/08/2018 20:51

Yeah, Love all dogs. Me bad!

sueelleker · 22/08/2018 21:33

*pugs?

justilou1 · 22/08/2018 23:49

Basically, those “cute” little doggies like pugs and chihuahuas have been bred to have brains literally smaller than their eyeballs, darling. They also have a flotilla of other health problems because we super intelligent human beings have devolved them in the name of breeding them for said “cuteness”. Pugs in particular often need a horrible surgery just to keep their throats open so that they don’t get apnoea and die very young. Chihuahuas are known to develop hyperthyroidism and all kinds of behavioral problems. Fox terriers and cockers are bred to be working dogs and are actually very intelligent but can make terrible family pets because they get bored if underworked and under trained. German shepherds (which I always used to own) were once bred to be large, big-boned dogs, known for a stable temperament, now have back and hip problems, joint issues, a frequently fatal genetic heart condition and now temperamental issues (anxiety, unpredictability, headaches) due to being bred to have a pointier head with no room for brains.
People are so stupid treating animals like fashion items.

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 22/08/2018 23:52

People are what is wrong with so many dogs Sad

Many dogs ( including my two) live with cats. It's really not a huge issue

StrangeLookingParasite · 23/08/2018 00:12

The 'breed standards' are shocking. I don't understand breeding in traits which are to the serious detriment of the animal. It's so wrong.

justilou1 · 23/08/2018 01:19

Oh yes, and don’t get me started on people who get “handbag” dogs and don’t train or socialise them with other animals or people because they’re just so “cute”, then wonder why they have anxious, snappy little ankle sharks that bite the face of every curious little toddler that happens to wander past.... guaranteed these are the feckers who never pick up their dog crap too.

FeckingFeckers · 23/08/2018 01:55

She sounds like a crazy bitch. Shock

The fact she is scared of dogs isn't your problem. Your dogs are well trained. Her cat isn't stupid enough to go into your garden. You are a good dog owner. She is a massive cunt. Grin HTH

OftenHangry · 23/08/2018 08:48

I absolutely loath this fashion for tiny tiny dogs.
Breading dogs specifically from the smallest, often weak pups is wrong. They basically intentionally bread the bad DNA instead of the strongest one.
Then there is over breading when they bread certain breeds withing the same family tree to keep it "clean" . Think Lannisters.... Unfortunately it has happened to lots of breads including beloved German shepards.

For illustration....

To be getting sick of my next door neighbour?
To be getting sick of my next door neighbour?
Raindancer411 · 23/08/2018 13:49

Yes I too cannot stand the way they have breed some breeds and how people keep trying to tell me they have or breed teacups dogs. There are no such things!! They are just what most would have called runts before.

I am glad you reported it and hope she eventually drops it. I have known some lovely rotties, dobs, staffs and Alsatian who were as soft as muck

Halfahunnerstillastunner · 23/08/2018 17:16

Tbh I would not want to live next door 2 someone who had 2 Rotweilers who play fight in such a way. A good dog owner would have nipped that behaviour

And there speaks someone who doesn't have a single fucking CLUE about dog behaviour. Don't spout shit that makes you look so stupid. Hmm

Jux · 23/08/2018 19:40

Our cats play fight. You'd think they were about to kill each other too! Interestingly, two of them don't like each other that much and they hardly ever have much to do with each other, don't fight at all. Other combinations of the two playfight quite a lot.

Play fighting is great. We do it with our children, so why shouldn't our pets do it? It's fun.

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