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 remember my best friend's Rottie. It was soft but would jump up on you. and if you're only four foot, a big heavy dog like that knocks you off your feet. Three of those plus another would seem really intimidating to a non dog person. I wouldn't feel particularly comfortable with my outside cats - let alone by kids being next door to that many big dogs when I really don't know the temperament (it isn't unknown for dog owners to underplay their dog's behaviour in the same way as people with kids underplay theirs...)

You're not unreasonable and she probably doesn't have a leg to stand on but not everyone looks at your dogs and thinks "awww" - Rotties and Staffies - they're guard/fighting dogs, by their breed.

Actually Rottweilers were originally cattle herding dogs.

And Staffs have only got their thuggish reputation because of twats who use them as status dogs.

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

Well, so can any dog. Saying 'such dogs' is a nonsense.

Besides anything else, it's just occurred to me how entirely fucking ridiculous the neighbour is to buy two kittens if she was indeed convinced your dogs are dangerous. Stupid person.

*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!*

This just in: humans in “all different” shocker

Just because you don’t fancy doing something doesn’t mean it should be banned

And yeah i would grass her to the letting agent for having two cats, they might want an additional deposit off her

Definitely get cctv for your garden - and tell her and point out the camera too. I am a cat lover myself and am not the biggest fan of dogs but nothing you've said sounds at all like an issue - she's a loon. And the kind of one who you need to protect yourself and the dogs from as she sounds like she wouldn't baulk at trying to feed them poisoned meat.

To be fair I've never given a thought to people who fear dogs. I've never not had one in my life.

I will point out as kindly as i can to those who have issues with dogs

A) it is entirely your fear no one else's so don't try forcing others to engage in it
B) you have no right to dictate what animals live near you
C) you have no right to dictate when the neighbours dogs are in their garden or are walked.
D) you have no right to try and force your neighbours to get rid of their dogs

OP I'd echo those saying report it to as many relevant bodies as you can. Fingers crossed it's rented so you can pressure landlord to get rid of crazy as I would feel uncomfortable with such an unhinged person nextdoor

Again. Most aggressive breed is actually dachshund. And tbh I would prefer a rottie next door rather than these evil things, which can get through hole in a fence 😂

It's understandable some people are scared of dogs, but this one is sooooooo unreasonable.

*KeyboardKate

"Why three dogs, is one never enough for urban living?*

I think you could reasonably ask the same question of people with more than one child... why on earth would anyone want more than one..

Oh wait, loads of reasons but simply 'Because thats what I want' is a good enough reason!

Back to the OP.

I would log the incidents with the police so that should anything else happen you have a record.

I'd ensure your dogs are fully insured (membership to Dogs Trust wll get you PL insurance on your dogs btw).

I'd have records of training classes attended, in particularly Good Citizen schemes or the PPG Pet Dog Ambassador scheme are good records of training AND understanding your legal obligations/responsibilities - should anyone need to know.

Behaviourist visit to write an assessment on your dogs if you really want to go that far (find someone who is a member of the APBC or ABTC though, there are a LOT of self-proclaimed behaviour experts who are nothing of the kind!).

These things DO work in the dogs/owners favour should anyone need to know and courts DO look at this stuff and take it seriously - I have written several assessments for courts in the past.

SHOULD her kittens get into your garden and the worst happen - do know that the police/courts will not take action against you - cats are not considered property and owners not legally responsible for their actions but this goes both ways and as long as you've taken steps to ensure your dogs cannot get OUT... any animal that then gets IN is not your problem (legally.. morally a different matter).

Do note that if a child can get in, or stick fingers through a fence, you MIGHT well be held liable for injury then, so I would ensure your fence is solid!

NDN sounds totally unhinged and frankly I think your dogs could save her childs LIFE and she would still be raving and ranting about them, so all you can do is protect yourself and your dogs from her possible allegations and actions.

Op contact the landlord or letting agent. Explain she's commencing a neighbour dispute that will need to be disclosed on sale and in addition she now has pets.

Thr landlord will give her notice faster than you you can say "here kitty kitty". I can categorically assure you of it.

My NDN has the cutest little Cavalier King Charles. Always brings a smile to my eyes. Doesn't jump up on you, is well trained, doesn't bark all day and all night, doesn't want to dominate your space, is small and not at all intimidating and just looks so cute!

I wish dog lovers would get more of these types of dogs if they have to have one at all!

Some (I said SOME) dog owners cannot see anything at all wrong in their own dogs of intimiditating breeds. I know, I know, they are the cutest, softest dogs in the world. Not to me they are not.

Anyway if the dogs owned by the OP were herding dogs, who the F are they herding in an urban back garden.

Kate - what about Labradors (probably one of the most popular dog breeds worldwide). They are bred as gun dogs. Same with spaniels. Thousands, if not millions, of families keep them as family pets.

But I guess it doesn’t count because you haven’t read an article in the Daily Mirror about how aggressive they can be

Blinking heck, she's out of her tree! If she's afraid of dogs fair enough but she's harassing you, definitely report her. My 3 year old loves rotties/staffies/malamuts etc but put a small yappy dog in front of him he's terrified because they tend to jump up at him. All breeds of dog are unpredictable, in as much as any animal is. If she doesnt like them she should just steer clear.

That comment about the menagerie is downright weird. People can have three dogs if they want three dogs.

The issues are: is it within the law (see noise levels/nuisance/pollution)? If yes, bash on. Endless meddling busybodies can sod off.

I can see my views/fears are not relevant to many on here. They are real, I am scared of big dogs (and some little ones too). I can't help it.

Please have a little compassion for me, it is probably not rational, like other phobias, but when a big dog runs towards you off the lead in the park, and I cannot escape, I get the shivers and shakes. Sorry there are many like me.

The owner's reassurances do nothing for me. After all the dog didn't run towards the owner to knock them down!

Just have a look at the other side now and then please.

Keyboardkate, I can see it from your point of view as I'm terrified of poodles (only dog that's ever attacked me) and I will go out of my way to avoid them. However the OP is being harassed for simply having dogs in her own garden. Regardless of your fears, you cannot dictate other people's lives and what they choose to have living in their house.

People only have to report that they FELT threatened by a dog and the claims will be followed up.

No. The police will politely log the call and then laugh behind your back. They are way too understaffed and busy to deal with this sort of thing. They rarely come out to actual dog attacks.

She’s crazy, put some cat spikes along the adjoining fence for ‘safety’ and ignore her.

Got dogs and cats and love them equally so no axe to grind but I’m shocked how many dog owners on here have claimed their dogs wouldn’t hurt a cat. I know personally of two cats killed by dogs, one of them while the cat was sat on its own driveway and was cornered by the dog. Cats aren’t always faster or able to escape.

My dogs get on well with the cats they live with but I still wouldn’t trust them with unknown cats. I certainly wouldn’t feel entitled to any moral high ground if they mauled or killed a neighbours cat who was in our garden. I’d be devastated. So on the rare occasion there is a cat in the garden, I go out and shoo it off before letting the dogs out.

Op, it’s not your responsibility to keep their cats out of your garden, but I’m sure as an animal lover you’d take no glee in their kitten coming to harm. Her behaviour however is completely irrational and I’d agree with PP to contact the police for advice. Don’t take her attitude out on her kittens though. They don’t deserve to come to harm because their owner is an idiot.

keyboardkate I do have some sympathy for you - I had a serious motorbike accident well over 30 years ago & even now I occasionally flinch if a car looks like it may pull out from my left, even though I'm now in a car myself. You may find it worth while to try some desensitisation therapy under properly controlled conditions?

Currently the most popular breeds in the UK seem to be french bulldogs, with other "bully" type breeds like pugs and bulldogs growing rapidly in popularity - breeds that were developed for "sports" such as bull baiting, hence the name Bulldog. Even that perennial favorite the Boxer was originally bred from a mix of German & British baiting/hunting breeds.

Terrier breeds were bred specifically as hunting dogs, but they never get the same bad press as the more impressive looking bigger dogs. I am much warier of terriers than I am of larger dogs, and the only injuries I've ever had from dogs were from a Chihuahua and a Yorkshire Terrier.

OP, could you raise your fence (and suggest she pay half the cost)? And install CCTV. You don’t want her kids climbing into your garden and claiming they got bitten, and the less you have to see of this silly woman the better.
I have several large dogs and I realize that people find them scary, even though they are not. That being said, why the heck did she move in next door if she is scared of big dogs?

Your NDN does sound like she's over reacting but is there anyway your dogs are barking through the fence?

Of course the dogs are barking through the fence. Most dogs do that, it's their little job.

@OP - I would get CCTV. "Dangerous breeds" nutters who fixate on good, obedient dogs have been known to antagonize them,they are exactly the sort of people you see on MN telling poster's to call the police on a Rottweiler for existing and want nothing more than shit to go down for you and your dogs.

The thing is you can argue until the cows come home about which dogs are more likely to bite, but if a Rottie bites you it’s going to be much more serious than a Yorkshire terrier.

All you can do is make sure your fence is secure and always keep your dogs on leads. She sounds a very strange person, hopefully she will move!

Op this woman is screaming through your letter box, starting petitions and taking photographs from her window. Why haven't you reported her for harassment?

@onetimeposter
I just pop for a cigarette (with holder of course) and cup of cha? It does me the world of good you know, I quite enjoy it!

cries with laughter