Neighbours send rottweiler out when my asd child plays!

[cookiesandmilk]

I really have to encourage my child to go outside. But just recently he has been going out more. Just it concerns me that nearly everytime I hear the neighbours open their back door they send the dog out which constantly barks at my child. They make no attempt to stop it and my child gets scared. I don't know why they do it as my son isn't particularly loud outside, possibly quieter than the average child. He just does do a lot of stimming with his arms. When I go outside on my own they don't send the dog out. What could I do to stop my son being scared. I also daren't approach the neighbours as they aren't the approachable type!

@prisonbreak what a ingenious reply! Ground breaking! Why didn't any of us think of that!
Op only thing you can do is either speak to them about it or take your son somewhere else to play. Better to be safe than sorry.

You need a fence.
Do NOT feed the dog.

Do you own your house? If so can you afford the tallest fence that you can legally put up? They don't sound terribly kind neighbours, your poor child.

I thought about a fence but I have a big garden and will cost a lot, I have put wire mesh up against the hedge as I could see the dog trying to get through. I have let the hedge grow through the wire so my son can't see the dog trying to get through.

Get some dog treats or bonio biscuits and teach your son to throw them over the fence. . Fun for boy and dog.

Please don't do this. You shouldn't be feeding other people's dogs without permission.

Could you throw a treat over the gate for the dog? The small biscuit type treats which are shaped like bones, maybe they would distract the dog. Keep your fingers well clear of the gate / fence.

Please can people stop recommending OP encourages her son to give treats to the dog.

You shouldn't feed other people's dog without permission - firstly, you have no idea what intolerances or allergies this dog might have, and secondly, some dogs can become aggressive around food and will guard it. It's not a good idea to give food to a strange dog without express permission from the owner. Not all dogs will just take the biscuit and shut up.

I'm not sure if I can throw dog biscuits over as I feel a bit rude especially as the neighbours ignore me. But surely the dog would bark more at my son wanting more treats?

DO NOT FEED THE DOG

Good god I can’t believe people keep suggesting this!

• you don’t know if the dog has medical issues that mean it’s on a prescribed diet
• you risk the owners getting nasty with you for feeding their dog (I would!)
• you would be teaching the dog that barking and lunging at the hedge = treats thus encouraging it all the more!

Do NOT feed the dog!

Your neighbours are nasty and intimidating. Do you own the house? If so, get a fence if you could afford it. Get a quote and start saving up for it. I know I would.

Can you adjust his playtimes? That way he might tolerate his ear defenders better. My ASD son used to go nocturnal in the hot weather, and have an extended siesta during the day.
Making your fence as dog-proof as possible sounds sensible, if your DS understands the dog can’t get him. And if the animal can’t see him stim, it might not be as reactive.
And is there anything available to deter dogs, like people have anti-cat stuff? That way, you might be able to protect a section of your garden.

@Prisonbreak

Teach your child not to fear dogs

Teach your dog to shut the fuck up, more like.

Oh, and don’t feed the beast.

It would be easier not to be afraid of dogs if they had some fucking manners and kept themselves to themselves. Social distancing for dogs. Great idea.

I think the dog whistle is a good idea which a PP suggested.

Can't believe (well, sadly I can), that the dog owners have left it up to Op to make sure that their dog can't get into her garden!

That (as well as not caring that it barks outside)to me says that they don't give a fuck & any discussion would be pointless.

I have a huge dog. He is not allowed to bark in the garden. The owners need to stop this.

Maybe put a note through their door asking them to stop their dog barking at your child. If that fails talk to the dog warden.

Dog whistle or throw sausages over to distract the dog, or poke through the bit of fence. Have you tried chatting to the dog through the fence, like calling and talking to him ?

I’ve never used one, but apparently you can get some ultrasonic anti-barking machine things that you point at the dog. Someone mentioned them on another barking dog thread just yesterday. They said something about not getting the egg one but to get the bird house one?! That sounds strange, but maybe you could search the thread and find it. I would love one to rid myself of the neighbours’ yappy little shits, but presume it would also upset my own (silent) dog, so I’m going to have to resort to poisoned sausages instead.

throw sausages over to distract the dog
Yes what could be better than a dose of super fatty, greasy sausages to give the dog the shits or pancreatitis!
🤦🏻‍♀️

or poke through the bit of fence
🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Have you tried chatting to the dog through the fence, like calling and talking to him?
You don’t know the reason for the barking.
Dogs that lunge at fences barking are often (not always) incredibly agitated and territorial, you’ll just rile it up even more engaging with it..

If noises (ultrasonic or not) stopped dogs barking then Jack Russells would be silent. It's a gimmick with no science behind it.

A fence. Or a second layer of wire with something grown between the fill the gap. Appreciate neither is easy/convenient/fair but there really isn't much else.

(Or speak to them).

Wow, I am really sorry this is happening, OP. We used to have Rottie, and our neighbour didn't realise we had a dog for while because he never barked. He was so gentle with children too.
If they are doing this on purpose, I am really sad for the dog. Rotties are so clever, they would learn not to bark unnecessarily.

Do not feed the dog! I cannot stress this enough. You shouldn't feed any animal that isn't yours, unless you have the owner's permission.

I think your only options are to either have a fence built between your gardens or try talking to your neighbours.

Personally, if a huge scary dog was barking at my child and trying to get to them I would be having words. The very first conversation I had with my neighbour was about his dog and me asking him questions such as ‘ is you dog friendly’ and ‘ what is she like with children as DD will be in garden a lot’.

I will try and speak if I get a chance but the woman doesn't speak English. The man who I spoke to when he took a fence panel out at the front between our houses didn't seem bothered when I explained I needed to protect my son as he has additional needs. It took him a month to put the panel back up! The dog whistle and dog deterrent I may look into!