AIBU to be angry to be Trespassed by a dog

[anniblue]

First time poster in this name.
See diagram (I don't need reminding!)

We live in house (1) on the end of a cul de sac, intentionally bought due to having noone pass the door given the closeness of front door (2) to the road.
When we viewed in February, checked with agent and developer there was no intention to provide access through the hedge and confirmed as negative.

Before moving in it appears dog walkers have forced a gap in the hedge (3) due to the crap (middle - 4) fence at knee height by the hedge. The fences by the houses are 6ft and great. Understandable to an extent but bloody frustrating as nothing I can do as it's not my land to adjust the fence and the developer seems feckless! We've been tolerant, but in the last week a dog has forced way into our home when we've been trying to go out, and today same dog jumped at the handle and managed to open the door and get in due to a feckless owner being the wrong side of the hedge and dog off lead.

Dog got in, scared the crap out of 2yo, was pushed away by me (also scared crapless) and after what felt like a lifetime, retrieved by owner (end house of the cul-de-sac) who didn't even acknowledge, just walked off.

Maybe I should have the door locked and bolted to prevent, maybe I should spread chilli oil over the (MY) pavement outside to irritate the dogs when they sh*t there and the door to minimise this happening again.

AIBU to report a dog out of control, and put the dogcrap through neighbour's letterbox?

You do sound a bit unreasonable i have had a stray do get into my house, got do out and that was that. You say it was a lifetime but obvously not long enough for you to restrain the dog so i wonder how long was it in your house for?

YANBU at all. We've had to buy sound/visual deterrents to scare the crap out of the neighbours' cats that kept pooping on our lawn so they stay away, it's annoying having to spend time and/or money on other people's pets. I do miss our dog who would chase them if they tried to come into the garden.
Unfortunately cats can't be reported, but in your case the dog owners definitely can, and you wouldn't be unreasonable to do so. You shouldn't have to keep your door locked because people can't control their pets. Our dog was allowed free roam in our garden (very tall, secure fences and locked gate), but was always on lead outside of the house as she didn't always come back as soon as we called on her. She was very friendly, but it wasn't worth the risk of her accidentally hurting someone or knocking a child over.

Get together with the other house owners and say as much as you love dogs you don't think people should be forcing a path through in front of your houses where there is no right of way in case it causes future issues and see what they (and maybe your local Councillor) think?

I suppose you could get a sheep and a gun. Then if the dog comes back you could shoot it for bothering your livestock as possible suggests but probably you should talk to the owner first

You say it felt like lifetime but obvously not long enough for you to restrain the dog so i wonder how long was it in your house for?

It was about 50 seconds I would suggest, with a screaming baby in my arms.

@LarryUnderwood

Am gobsmacked at some of the replies here. It is absolutely not normal or expected that someone else's dog would even attempt to enter your house. You shouldn't have to keep your door locked to keep out other people's pets. It's astonishing, I've never heard of anything like it. Report report report, what a twat of an owner.

Help the hedge out by planting some spiky shrubs. Pyracantha, berberis, holly, blackthorn...and brambles.

This doesn’t advise either way but just to tell you that chilli oil won’t do anything.

I don’t understand it- I would just put a fence up...when it’s dark....in the night....and claim I have no idea how it got there.

Problem solved.

@EggBobbin
It's a big common the other side the hedge... Maybe graze some sheep

Land at the end of cul-de-sac is not mine, the gap is just off my land
Hmm, you said the fence is shoddy, I assume the land isn’t maintained at all?
Do you know who it belongs to?
Because if it was me, I’d just block it!
If a full on fence seems too cheeky and ‘out there’ I’d put hawthorn or gooseberries or Berberis or something there.
The thorns on hawthorn especially are wicked, my poor dog stood on a dropped one once.
It would be an immensely brave (and stupid!) dog that ran through one.

So less then a minute before it was found by owner. Ok not good but really I would not complain about that.

So who DOES own the land? There is clearly a boundary fence that has been breached. Find out who owns it and tell them to sort it or they'll hear from your solicitors - this time it was a dog getting into the home, potential for damage and financial recompense. Next time it could be worse with a small child around.

@Swaddlemeinplants

Fence is shoddy ineffective rather than shoddy quality. Land belongs to developer who is still working the site and has told me categorically that they don't give one about the access, not their problem.

Totally unacceptable behaviour by the dog owner.
I can’t believe that people are castigating OP for not locking her door, this is up to her. She has a right to not expect random dogs to run in to her house.
Where does the gap in the small fence and hedge lead to?

I would look at planting some exceptionally prickly plants at the edge of my property and in the gaps around the hedge. When calmer, I would also talk to the dog owner. Now it’s happened twice they need to put the dog on its lead as it comes past - it will keep doing it otherwise. Even if your door was locked the front door could get scratched by its attempts to get in.

@june2007

So less then a minute before it was found by owner. Ok not good but really I would not complain about that.

This wasn't a dog that had gone on a bit of a wander. It pushed its way into someone's house - not garden, house - twice! Sorry maybe I am overreacting but this just blows my mind, it's so beyond what most dogs and dog owners would do. Loads of dogs where I live in London, loads of dogs where I grew up in the countryside, but this is just bonkers. A cat, maybe - they can be nosy and go through catflaps or an open window. But a dog barging its way into a house, once by pushing past people as they ere leaving. Amd then again by jumping up to the door handle. It's so so out of control!

You could warn the owners your house is full of unsafe stuff for dogs and you can’t accept responsibility if their dog eats your toddler’s dropped raisins, chews up the yew bush in your back garden etc etc

Cross post - I see the land is still being developed and the developer is not being helpful.
I’d check the planning permissions, they may be contravening they application by allowing access this way. I’d also give feedback on the developer‘s social media about poor standards of aftercare to purchasers and shoddy fencing.

I can sympathise - we live in a popular dog walking area, ie a quiet dead-end road that leads to a public footpath.

As soon as dog walkers get on to our road they let dogs off lead and only this week we’ve had to clear up dog crap from out garden.

We’ve now built a massive fence round the garden but we’ve still had dogs coming in (think there’s one point near the gate where the fence is lower so they jump it??) and last summer we had a dog in our house! We had doors open because it was a sunny day & we were using the patio so patio doors open.

Seriously if your dog is so out of control it jumps gates & enters houses - keep it on a lead

@SilverBirchWithout

Where does the gap in the small fence and hedge lead to?

A huge common/play field where people walk dogs. The gated entrance to which is 2 cul de sacs up from us.

Tbh I’d have kept their dog in my house and made them call the police to get it back. They’d soon learn to put a lead on it then.

@YouBoughtMeAWall

If only I wasn't such a scaredy 🐈 i'd've considered it.

They put in a hedge and then a fence onto a common area/grass area which they seem to have assigned as public use. What did you think would happen? Of course people will be using the fence to access the exercise area. You saw it, you bought the house anyway. Lock your door a d just accept that people will be walking right infront of your door.

Are you approaching the right people at the right level about the access? Can you get all your neighbours to work together in this - not just about dog shit problem, but about anti social youths gathering. It will only get worse.

[quote anniblue]@YouBoughtMeAWall

If only I wasn't such a scaredy 🐈 i'd've considered it.[/quote]

Throw some cheese in your downstairs loo and then shut the door when the dog runs in.

Are there any local community Facebook groups where you could request people don’t keep pushing through and creating damage to the hedge and later on in the year ‘disturbing nesting birds’?

I suspect the problem could get worse if more people find this access useful. Maybe talk to other neighbours, and local (parish) council about improving the fencing and hedge.