DH screaming at local kids to fuck off

[CocoChan]

Well not exactly but he might as well have done. We have a 1 year old dog who barks at every little noise. Anyone walking past the garden sends her crazy. We live next to a walk path popular with dog walkers. Not too much of an issue as they tend to be quiet which our dog can handle.

When lockdown started the path became popular with people taking their kids for their “one hour exercise” so this is where the trouble started. Kids running up and down screaming etc ... dog going crazy ... eventually she got used to that but now people have decided that the bushes near our fence are great for their kids to play in ... this absolutely sends our dog crazy as the kids are messing on the fence. She barks, they scream, she barks more .... it’s become a nightmare.

Last night kids were messing near the fence. Dog started barking. DH went to bring her in and then heard the kids shouting “woof woof woof” stood directly facing the fence deliberately winding her up. He then said very loudly “it’s ok Cujo, they’ll all fuck off back to school soon thank god” 😱 it went quiet and they walked away.

I said he shouldn’t have sworn at them and his argument is he didn’t swear AT them. Just about them. I believe two of them might belong to my neighbour 🤦‍♀️ Not seen her yet but if she brings it up do I apologise or ask her to keep the kids from winding up the dog?

But yes, you do need to train your dog not to bark at passers by. Just like people need to train their children not to tease people's dogs. Neither is desirable behaviour.

I'm sure it's not the first time the kids have heard swearing. I wouldn't even bother to mention it to your neighbour. Why would you treat these kids like delicate snowflakes when they were deliberately antagonising your dog? They deserve some stern language and a bit of a reality check on their behaviour.

It might be worth some dog training though to try and calm your dog a little so he doesn't get too worked up by people outside.

Good on him

Sometimes kids like that don’t respond to “please can you go away you’re setting the dog off”

Your dog is the problem sorry. You should train your dog to not bark loads at normal noises. This is really antisocial. Yes the kids shouldn't wind the dog up but your dog shouldn't be losing its shit at a few kids making a noise.

From living next door to folk whose dog barks at a leaf blowing in the wind, train your dog! That's the root of the problem.

I'm with your DH.

But also, train your dog.

train your dog (can be harder with some breeds) but don't blame DH for saying what he did, the kids sound annoying.

train your dog

I've just googled Cujo.

@FippertyGibbett

I believe that Jeyes fluid stinks ], and it’s been used where teenagers congregate to encourage them to hang round elsewhere.

It is also poisonous to animals, so may not be a good idea to use it near 'Cujo' or where people walk their dogs.

Yeah I’m not fussed about swearing...

The dog sounds the most unreasonable one here. 😅. All that barking would drive me crazy.

I sympathise with any neighbours you may have- a yappy dog is a complete nightmare to live near.

It is possible to train a dog to be quiet, ( we had two, Whippet and Lurcher, quiet as wraiths.

We live near a yapper, and it is hell.
Owners too lazy to train it.
Of course kids will wind up a yapper, it is fun for them.
Train the dog, and lead a more peaceful life!

To be honest if have just given them a bollocking like a normal adult, not be a passive aggressive wuss from behind a fence.

@Backtoschoolnotsoonenough

Paint your fence with anti climb paint. You will need a sign advising I believe. I am with your dh tbh...

So am I. I wouldn't apologise - if the parents say anything tell them to keep their kids away from your fence then there won't be a problem

Kids behaving like this can spoil your dog's temperament. If you meet them outside, she will know then even if you don't and she may lunge/bark at them - and she will be the one who gets the blame.

@Trikc

The dog sounds the most unreasonable one here. 😅. All that barking would drive me crazy.

Same here. Our mum moved because of an inconsiderate owner who bought a yapper. Sadly some neighbours take the law into their own hands re yapping dogs, which is why I trained ours to be quiet. They barked once, when someone tried to break in- But that poodle like yap yap yap yap yap is so senseless and inane 😝

@oakleaffy

I sympathise with any neighbours you may have- a yappy dog is a complete nightmare to live near.

It is possible to train a dog to be quiet, ( we had two, Whippet and Lurcher, quiet as wraiths.

We live near a yapper, and it is hell.
Owners too lazy to train it.
Of course kids will wind up a yapper, it is fun for them.
Train the dog, and lead a more peaceful life!

You have two quiet breeds oakleaffy

Some dogs are almost impossible to train to be silent because they are bred to be noisy and to alert their owners either to intruders or vermin. Good luck with getting a terrier to be quiet!

It's a dog's job to bark to alert the householder to anyone who is nearby. Owner's job to teach it to be quiet when told - but kids like this are seen as a threat by a dog, and the animal's whole instinct is to protect their home.

I think you are on your DH's side, OP, but playing devil's advocate.

@CocoChan

Well not exactly but he might as well have done. We have a 1 year old dog who barks at every little noise. Anyone walking past the garden sends her crazy. We live next to a walk path popular with dog walkers. Not too much of an issue as they tend to be quiet which our dog can handle.

When lockdown started the path became popular with people taking their kids for their “one hour exercise” so this is where the trouble started. Kids running up and down screaming etc ... dog going crazy ... eventually she got used to that but now people have decided that the bushes near our fence are great for their kids to play in ... this absolutely sends our dog crazy as the kids are messing on the fence. She barks, they scream, she barks more .... it’s become a nightmare.

Last night kids were messing near the fence. Dog started barking. DH went to bring her in and then heard the kids shouting “woof woof woof” stood directly facing the fence deliberately winding her up. He then said very loudly “it’s ok Cujo, they’ll all fuck off back to school soon thank god” 😱 it went quiet and they walked away.

I said he shouldn’t have sworn at them and his argument is he didn’t swear AT them. Just about them. I believe two of them might belong to my neighbour 🤦‍♀️ Not seen her yet but if she brings it up do I apologise or ask her to keep the kids from winding up the dog?

I'm with your husband on this.

Kids of that age use that type of language, so they've heard it before.

This. My neighbour’s dog barks it’s head off every time we go outside. It’s bloody annoying. I might have told it to fuck off on more than one occasion, hopefully the owner heard.

Neighbour out the back has a yapper. I can ignore the yapping - but the little shite (and I'm a dog-lover but this situation has pissed me off) is now at the point where it kicks off if it hears any noise at all in the neighbouring gardens - so it will gob off if I'm in the conservatory of my own house or similar - and the neighbour is a bloody vile drunk who will go batshit insane on you for making her dog bark.

It's been a long long summer.

Maybe your neighbour is fed up listening to your dog barking everytime somebody walks past your garden !

I had an issue at the start of lockdown, so I'd run out each time the dogs bark at kids teasing them along the back path..

"Oooh, are there twats out there dogs, are there, noisey annoying twats, are you shouting at annoying fucking twats?'

And the dogs get a handful of treats thrown for them.

Within days of doing this my dogs now coming running to ME when they hear kids and are too busy eating to bother barking, and don't respond to annoying children shouting 'WOOF WOOF WOOF' out the back gate.

Works like magic (not magic, classical conditioning.)

The last time they tried it, one of the other neighbours came out to shout at the kids for barking as it was upsetting her small toddlers, and she was FAR ruder than I, directly telling them to fuck off home to annoy their own parents.

Would kids that age understand the Cujo reference?

@0blio

Sort your dog out. That's the problem, not your husband or other people. Your dog!

^^ This

I hate it when our neighbours dogs bark at me for just being in my own garden

Yep. My neighbours yappity thing barks when I turn my shower on, hang my washing out, open the door or even just sit on my patio -which I rarely do anymore because they never even attempt to shut it up

I’m an animal lover and I’ve never hated something so much in my life!

My Dad used to tell the local kids he would 'rip their arms off'. Sometimes because their ball had come onto our drive. All the kids in our street were scared of him and I didn't have many playdates! I should think they got the message and won't be back. Did the trick. However, you could apologise for the language if they raise the words he used specifically. Whilst, also pointing out that the children were taunting the dog.

A dog that constantly barks must be annoying for your neighbours. It depends how often and how loud. It wouldn't harm to apologise if it gets to them.