To ask for your help re next doors dog?!

[Zozo85]

Next door neighbors are a young family, their son is the same age as my ds (4) and they are expecting their second in the new year. They are reasonably quiet although they do come and go at weird times.

Late summer they got a large dog (possibly pitbull/staffy x, mastiff)They have a trampoline on their big garden close ish to the fence dividing our garden from theirs. The dog is kept outside with access to a small conservatory 24/7. They do not allow it in the house. Within the last 3 months it has begun standing on the trampoline looking over our garden and barking every time it sees one of us in the kitchen/utility room/garden. It’s quite aggressive and very intimidating. My ds has developed a fear of dogs and is scared of it. My question is what do I do? It doesn’t really bark frequently enough for me to report it to the council but when it does bark it’s usually when they go out for 6-7 hours at a time. I have reported it previously and they sent me a log form to record each time it barks. This only really happens once every month so if they sent someone out to assess the noise I don’t know if it would even bark! I’m really worried about summer and just not being able to use the garden, we’d never sell the house due to the state of their garden and a big potentially dangerous dog right at eye level! Any advise would be appreciated if anyone has dealt with similar! Sorry for the mega long post!

You've reported without even speaking to them about it?

Have you considered speaking to them. Perhaps asking them to move the trampoline so the dog cant use it. My dog barks and it sounds loud deep and possible aggressive but hes a soppy labrador. I'd hate to think if he was scaring people, that I'd try and stop him. You say its only happening when they leave him alone. It might not be an aggressive bark but more of a I'm alone and want to come say hi bark. Is the dog attempting to get into your garden, bearing its teeth or any other signs of aggression then maybe report but otherwise why not try and speak to neighbours, if it's not an aggressive dog, ask if you can introduce your child to dog to help alleviate fears. Not all dogs of the breeds you mention are aggressive.

Tell them whats happening, plus put some trellis on the top of the fence so the dog can't see over it.

Ask them to move the trampoline and let them know it barks non stop when they are out.

Put up a tall fence so the dog can't see you or speak to them first.

I was hoping to avoid having to go round there. I get the feeling they know it barks a lot but they aren’t in much so it doesn’t affect them. I once mentioned the dog to the mum when I saw her on the short walk back from school (only seen her once or twice as she usually drives) and she started telling me about how much she hates the dog and it was her husband who got it. She said she hates dogs and it lives outside etc and he won’t consider rehoming.

It’s aggressive, it grows and barks when it spots us. Also there’s a footpath on the other side of their fence which probably doesn’t help with people walking past. There’s a fair few houses around us so it can’t just be us who are bothered by the barking, it’s just our garden it overlooks!

I think you need to speak to them. Explain the dog is standing on the trampoline, ask if they could move the trampoline away from the fence.

You never know, they might agree.

If you cant speak to your neighbours, do you have a partner that could? Could you ring them on the phone or send a text? If even that is too much for you, take photos of the dog peering over the fence and include them in a polite, but firm letter to them about what the dog does when they are out and could they move their trampoline.

Dog warden
Council
Rspca
Call them all
Dog stuck outside permanently is not good
Does it have a shelter ??

Talk to them properly about it op.

If you believe that it is a pitbull x you can report them to the police. It is illegal to own one.

Ask them to get a net for the trampoline to keep the dog off perhaps?

It's far too cold for a dog to be living outside. Phone the Rspca and report it's cold and neglected. How selfish of them to get a dog just to leave it there.
If they're the type to have a tough nut breed living outside then I wouldn't say they're the type i'd bother approaching personally.

Yeah I don’t think approaching will help matters. They have a small conservatory at the side of the house and from what I can see they leave the doors and windows open and the internal door locked. So it does have access to go inside there.

Who do I report it to though? From what I’ve read the rspca won’t do anything because it’s go access to shelter. The council are only interested if it’s barking 24/7 and I’m not really sure on the breed so don’t just want to report it to the police!

They left their house at 5pm yesterday and the dog has been on the garden all night. Obviously startled by nye fireworks but it’s really unfair on the neighbors. They’re still not back!

Also, just to add. The trampoline did have a net but the dog has ripped it to shreds. The garden was so beautifully well kept by their previous owners and now it’s just mud and a few tufts of overgrown grass with endless dog poo!

You need to start by talking to them.

A dog that barks and growls when it sees someone from the garden is not necessarily aggressive - many dogs would do that instinctively but then greet someone that actually walked in. However not wanting to be barked at by a dog in a trampoline is perfectly reasonable.

Essentially what your asking them for is to prevent it accessing the trampoline so that it cannot see into tour garden and be provoked to bark. Plus not to be left to bark for several hours outside.

Just speak to them! Why didn't you bring it up when she talked about the dog??

I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill in your head over this.

Talk to your neighbours and ask them to move the trampoline, that should solve part of the problem. If they refuse add a panel to make the fence higher where the trampoline is.

If the dog keeps barking at you a lot in the summer get some dog small dog treats and throw one over the fence every time the dog is quiet - discuss this plan with your neighbours in advance.

Ignore the dog barking at people on the footpath, unless the noise is unbearable, but I get the impression from your post that you are mainly scared of the dog rather than annoyed by it. You can’t do anything about the dog living outside/in the conservatory. It’s not ideal but it’s not a serious welfare issue. Stop calling it a pittbull cross, pittbulls are extremely rare in the U.K.

How cruel of them to keep a dog like this. I second the use of trellis and informing dog warden/RSPCA.

I don't know why they've got that dog!
I think you'll have to speak to him about, he's obviously the one in control (or not) of this situation.
I feel for you Op, our previous neighbour had three huge aggressive mastiffs that basically terrorised the village due to him being completely irresponsible with them. I hope your neighbour will be reasonable.

Poor dog, it is not being looked after properly, they sound like people who should not be allowed to own dogs. RSPCA today

I don't think the dog warden or rspca will be interested to be honest, unless they're more proactive where you are.

Great advice from @Booboostwo

Poor dog - forget "not fair on neighbours", it's not fair for the dog, poor thing - shut outside on its own in the cold and scared by noisy fireworks.
Definitely call the RSPCA.

I would go and talk to the neighbour. Explain that its scaring your child as be looks into your garden from the trampoline and barks. See if she does something about it. If not, then build a taller fence?