To be getting sick of my next door neighbour?

[lineylane]

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

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 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?

"I'm not sure you're fully aware of the state of the police and public services generally. They are overworked, under resourced, and not likely to pander to the hysterical over reaction of OP's neighbour."

Only a couple of weeks back someone on here wrote about being visited by the police for disagreeing with a transwoman. So, if they will bother with that, they will bother with anything. Especially if they are told it is a dangerous animal that could harm children.

I am very nervous of dogs and would be petrified if several Rottweilers moved in next door. Even if the owner said hey were friendly. But that doesn't excuse her behaviour.

Such a lot of bullshitery going on on this thread about Rotties being dangerous/vicious blah blah fuckery blah.

I used to live next door to two male forties. They used to come as far up to the fence as they could so I could tickle their chins...yep truly dangerous animals.

I've been bitten by 2 dogs in my life. 1 was a yorkshire terrier, one was a Welsh Springer spaniel.

Size does not equate to danger level with dogs

Hope you get it sorted OP. She sounds batshit

@Collaborate I think you are confusing barking and growling with 'play fighting', they are two different things altogether.

If you cant find the details for the letting agent, land registry will give you owners details and usually an address if theyre not living there. Is she even allowed to photograph the dog walker, if the dog walker hasn't consented?!

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 in the bud long ago.

You should hear my ridgebacks😀

Do you even know anything about dogs?

If she's renting, do a land registry search and contact the property owner. And keep contacting them every time she harasses you.

And def log with 101 each and every time she makes contact.

Rotties not forties (I think living next to 2 males in their 40s is probably worse)

TBH I think neighbours selling properties should have to disclose large pets next door similarly to disagreements

Where would you draw the line though? What if the sitting neighbour had a breed of dog that wasn't large or of a type that people think is aggressive, but the new person happened to have a phobia of that breed due to being bitten as a child or similar? You'd have to have people declaring poodles/Pomeranians/small spaniels... it'd get ridiculous.
Or someone might have a hatred/phobia of rabbits/guinea pigs/parrots/all manner of pets that you couldn't predict. Should everyone 'declare' those too?

Magpiemagpie Tue 21-Aug-18 16:31:17
Get a fake camera put it up in the garden
Your neighbour sounds like the cUnt to throw over poison to the dog
Tell neighbour that you have CTtv to protect your dogs in case the cats come in 😂

I'd get real cameras just in case she tries to throw her cats over the fence in order to (try to) stitch up the rotties.

I also think Good Citizen certification is a good idea. I deliberately bought a dog that people would think twice about taking on because of where I live, but which is also a good steady breed (as it is, he's turned out to be a terrible guard dog. I have actually had strangers walk into my house before and he's just wagged all over them).

Anyway, because of his looks I registered him on Good Citizen courses, and he has bronze and silver, now working towards gold. IIRC, the gold is admissible in court if there's a dispute. There are many classes that offer it, and if your Rotts are anything like the ones I've met they'd probably ace the tests already. Some info: www.thekennelclub.org.uk/training/good-citizen-dog-training-scheme/information-for-dog-owners/gcds-award-descriptions/

Despite what you might think, your dogs were specifically bred for fighting - aggression is in their nature.

As a pp pointed out, neither breed was "specifically bred for fighting". In recent years Staffies have been taken up by guys wanting to look tough because the breeds they USED to own have been banned. If Staffies were banned, they would move on to a different breed then another and another.

My DSis used to have Dobermans many years ago, another breed with a bad reputation. Some teenage lads were hassling & jeering at my DSis & her dogs through the fence (around 7-8 feet high chain link), then one lad pushed open the gate & went to walk in. Small brown female ran up & barked. Next thing DSis knows is the boys are back with a policeman in tow and saying her dogs rushed out & tried to attack them - pointing at the largest (black & tan male) dog, and claiming that they were vicious & out of control. Once she'd persuaded the policeman to come into her garden, the aforementioned large black & tan dog ran over to them & lay on his back feebly paddling his paws asking for tummy rubs. So yes a complaint had been made because someone said they felt threatened, but there was zero action taken once it was proven than the dogs were not vicious or out of control.

Some of the sweetest natured dogs I have met were dobermans & rotties, the most likely to bite were small breeds

Why are people getting worked up about dogs play fighting? It's what they do, people have such ignorance about dogs. I'd be more concerned about living next to three small yappy dogs

Lol @multiplemum3 it seems you are the one who is ignorant. Some play fighting can get very loud and very boisterous. It is recommended by dog breeders and dog trainers to train out that behaviour.

I think the point of her petition is so that she can see how many neighbours side with her against you. I have two GSDs and my NDN took that as one issue to have with me. They kept taking down fence panels at one point and leaving scraps of food in their garden to tempt my dogs in and then to have a complaint. This was after their insistence and complaints to the local council and the RSPCA that my dogs were out of control and dangerous. The fence was mine so they couldn't keep it up after I phoned police. They then started throwing rocks at my dogs, over the fence etc., injured the older dogs hip, got sued with vets bills and another visit from police.
Now they just like to make barking noises at them, and shout crap like " sit" and "stay" etc. My dogs don't take instruction from anyone but me and just ignore, obviously.
I would log it with police, don't let it get worse

Some posters seem to blatently ignore the OP actually offering to introduce NDN and her child to the dogs. A very sensible and practical thing to do! NDN refused invitation and preferred to create a negative agenda.
"I'm scared of big dogs and if I saw them play fighting in your garden I'd be pretty afraid!"
FFS you cant blame the dogs for your fear! and why would you be afraid if the dogs are secure in their own garden.

Dogs play fight its a natural thing for them to do. It may look frightening to some people but the dogs will know when they have had enough and will suitably "tell" the other dog so. My dog (lab x stafffy) and my ndn's golden lab have a hole in the hedge they use to visit each other and when they play with each other if ones had enough they just up and away back to their own garden

TBH I think neighbours selling properties should have to disclose large pets next door similarly to disagreements

So what happens when someone new then moves in with dogs OR the existing family adopts a dog?

Ridiculous idea!

I am just wondering why on earth you would feel the need to have 3 fighting dogs?

They were bread as HERDING dogs. Like german shepherd and colies...

TBH I think neighbours selling properties should have to disclose large pets next door similarly to disagreements

I’d rather have had forewarning about the Dickhead who owns the dogs next door to our new house than the dogs

Rottweilers can be the most adorable, dopey dogs EVER. Staffies too, but not as much personal experience with them. I luffs rotties.

Some people are very scared of dogs, particularly these breeds. That has to be acknowledged. There is little that will stop that fear.

They CAN be dangerous and unpredictable too, no matter how cuddly and soft they are with their owner.

I would not be happy to have such dogs next door to me either I'm afraid. Leaving aside the cat issue.

Are we living in menageries or houses these days? Seems to me the animals have more rights than humans in some cases!

Why three dogs, is one never enough for urban living? I think a lot of time is spent walking them, training them, I'd be exhausted TBH!

But please acknowledge that not everyone is comforted by the owner's insistence that they are just softies and wouldn't hurt a fly. You don't know that until they do.

Trying to get a balance here.

Sammy yes! I am a sucker for a staffie “smile” though

Who is she planning on giving this petition to? Owning dogs isn't illegal.

She sounds like a nutcase.

I'd def report it t9 the local police ... she sounds mad