AIBU to ask neighbours not to let their dog stray into our garden?

[1967buglet]

Our neighbours have a very energetic pointer. It comes into our garden several times a week, barks and growls at us, comes into our drive when we have deliveries, barks and growls and bounds around us when we walk down the shared track with the neighbours. When the dog was a puppy, we were more tolerant of it as they have a couple small children (and nanny), and well, pandemic.

When I wrote a note to ask them to control their dog better, I was met by a complaint that our cat sometimes sits on their windowsill and that their cat and our cat fight. Er….

Our properties are very rural, and there are acres of fields that dog can run in, which it does, often without the owners knowing….they are on the hunt for the dog all the time. madly calling and whistling after it, and it just…runs away, or runs back and into our garden until we yell after it and chase it back to their house. We have a newly laid hedge that the dog can get into. Our neighbour complains if we do literally anything to the house, so a fence would probabyl not go down too well.

AIBU to complain to them about this, and secondly to get in touch with the dog warden about it if they don’t do anything?. They said they were eventually going to fence their property better, but we’ve been putting up with this for about 18 months. Thanks

Pet corrector. They HATE the noise. Even DDog2 subsides when it is produced. He is like a four legged battering ram. Big bulky labrador with a tail that just never stops wagging, knocking over everything in reach and still thinks he can fit into your lap like he did as a puppy.

Bring out the can of compressed air and suddenly he miraculously remembers how to walk to heel and sit politely for fusses.

DDog1 hates it too but I never really need it with her. She's much older and prefers just to sit at my side and watch him with an air of contempt.

Just press it every time it approaches you. I wouldn't reprimand growling because otherwise its more likely to skip growling and go straight for the snap but just sound it every time it is approaching you and when it stops, give a firm, clear instruction.

Most dogs have some level of training and can understand a command to Go home, sit, go to bed etc

You allow your cat to wander and probably shit in their garden so I think you are as bad as they are. Keep your cat in then complain about the dog.

@AndAsIfByMagic

You allow your cat to wander and probably shit in their garden so I think you are as bad as they are. Keep your cat in then complain about the dog.

The NDN also have a cat , and accuse OPs cat of fighting with it so I'm guessing their cat is Free Range too .

I'm betting the dog has shit in NDN garden at sometime .

The cat issue is different legally .
Cats have no status in Law which is why they don't have to be reported in an RTA whereas a dig does .

Cats have no status in Law which is why they don't have to be reported in an RTA whereas a dig does

I am aware of that. But it doesn't mean it's morally ok to own a pet that shits in other people's gardens. It's antisocial.

Dogs are much more dangerous than cats or potentially so, barking and growling can be very intimidating and the OP shouldn’t have to put up with it. A bit of shit in the garden is not the issue here.

@Chasingsquirrels ha now FlingerOfDogs would be a much more formidable username but I think mumsnet would probably call the police, the dog warden and the RSPCA on me.

I am aware of that. But it doesn't mean it's morally ok to own a pet that shits in other people's gardens. It's antisocial

But your earlier post was along the lines of "stop your cat doing xyz before you complain about their dog" .............. and the NDN also have a cat !
So they cannot complain about the things cats do can they ?
And I refuse to believe if the NDN are so useless with the dog that they'd keep the cat shut in (unless the cat wants to)

Motion activated sprinkler on lawn? Obviously pursue the fence, gate option with Council as a priority. This type of bad behaviour, by neighbours not dogs, is so insidious and wearing. Try to get it sorted so you can relax and enjoy your home.

@AndAsIfByMagic

Cats have no status in Law which is why they don't have to be reported in an RTA whereas a dig does

I am aware of that. But it doesn't mean it's morally ok to own a pet that shits in other people's gardens. It's antisocial.

They’ve never complained about our cat doing her business in their garden, just about twice when the cats got into a fight in the past four years. We have 1/2 acre, neighbours about 2 acres. We are both surrounded by 40 acres of parkland and 200 acres of farm fields. Yes, the cat does poop outside, but we honestly don’t know where because there is a lot of land around her. Their cat also is free range. Our cat is inside sleeping or around us in the garden about 14 hours a day. She goes out nights and mouses, mostly in our veg garden and field boundaries. So it is a little different than a city garden.

@Notanotherwindow

Pet corrector. They HATE the noise. Even DDog2 subsides when it is produced. He is like a four legged battering ram. Big bulky labrador with a tail that just never stops wagging, knocking over everything in reach and still thinks he can fit into your lap like he did as a puppy.

Bring out the can of compressed air and suddenly he miraculously remembers how to walk to heel and sit politely for fusses.

DDog1 hates it too but I never really need it with her. She's much older and prefers just to sit at my side and watch him with an air of contempt.

Just press it every time it approaches you. I wouldn't reprimand growling because otherwise its more likely to skip growling and go straight for the snap but just sound it every time it is approaching you and when it stops, give a firm, clear instruction.

Most dogs have some level of training and can understand a command to Go home, sit, go to bed etc

Thanks for this. Good suggestion. Trying to find a deterrent that doesn’t harm the dog.

@Murdoch1949

Motion activated sprinkler on lawn? Obviously pursue the fence, gate option with Council as a priority. This type of bad behaviour, by neighbours not dogs, is so insidious and wearing. Try to get it sorted so you can relax and enjoy your home.

Thanks for the good suggestions.

If their dog can wander into your garden, it suggests your garden is not secure?

The OP isn't required to have a secure garden as she doesn't have an animal that she is legally required to keep under control.

@70isaLimitNotaTarget Yes, their dog, and sometimes their guests’ dogs have come into our garden to poop. There is so much open space around us, we don’t understand it. We are going to reinforce the chicken wire in the back tree/shurbs boundary and see if that helps. Muntjac and Roe Deer come in through that way sometimes, so that might be another way the dog is getting in.

Take pics of dog in your garden or farmers field every time you see it.
Tell farmer a dog is in the field with the sheep.
Check legality of fence.
Tell dog warden.

Do you know who owns the sheep? Warn them there is an uncontrolled dog getting into the field. They will want to sort it out because a dog can cause alot of harm to sheep, especially at lambing time.

Law has changed re loose dogs and livestock - some quite astonishing fines can be doled out. Worth letting farmer/landowner know if the dog is heading out that way too. Rather a fine to punish owners than the dog being shot for worrying the sheep. I'd be worried by the aggression its showing you, makes it dangerously out of control. Love dogs, have dogs, but they are doing it no favours by not training/letting it loose. I'd be telling the warden.

I'd just call the warden. Actually I'd have called them the first time the dog growled at me, especially if it had been on my own property. People who allow this/think it's okay aren't right in the head and aren't going to respond to rational discussions about it as you have discovered.

Use this- cheap and easy to put if-if no fence to attach to you can stake I with garden canes- quick to put up

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KGDSZDU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8

@nancynoname

I'd just call the warden. Actually I'd have called them the first time the dog growled at me, especially if it had been on my own property. People who allow this/think it's okay aren't right in the head and aren't going to respond to rational discussions about it as you have discovered.

Dog wardens are not very common in the countryside in the UK.

@Murdoch1949

Motion activated sprinkler on lawn? Obviously pursue the fence, gate option with Council as a priority. This type of bad behaviour, by neighbours not dogs, is so insidious and wearing. Try to get it sorted so you can relax and enjoy your home.

My dog loves a sprinkler- he would be straight in there.

@AndAsIfByMagic

Cats have no status in Law which is why they don't have to be reported in an RTA whereas a dig does

I am aware of that. But it doesn't mean it's morally ok to own a pet that shits in other people's gardens. It's antisocial.

Your post doesn't show your awareness.

A farmer/landowner will shot a dog saying it was worrying livestock, they won't shoot a cat.

Ignore the silly Pp who said letting your cat roam is same as letting dog roam! They aren't and it isn't same in national legislation. A dog roaming, fouling and growling at people is a dog not under control behaving aggressively which is a criminal offence.

I would report this dog for not being under control to the local council which will have dog wardens and also let the farmers know for reasons listed above

Photos and any cctv will help support your case. The NDN have had plenty of requests to keep their dog secured and under control and have failed to do so. Get your evidence and report it.

Take a zero tolerance policy from now on, report every time with details of dogs behaviour especially if you can phone video dog too loose in your garden growling at you and loose in farmer fields around livestock.

Of course YANBU

Every time the dog comes into my garden I'd start taking it to the local stray kennels - every county has one

If microchipped it'll be swiftly reunited but they'll have to
A) pay a fee, often in the region of £70
B) have the inconvenience of going to collect it

After a few repetitions they'll get fed up and either keep the dog in or fail to collect it from the kennels - which is a win either way.

I contacted the neighbours via email. The dog is now on a lead, is staying in the garden, and miraculously seems to be able to obey. Now of course I’ve been reported to planning I suspect by them for something which the officer there seems to think is fallacious, and on it goes. Spent the Easter weekend dealing with it. And on we go. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

A cat is not a dog, are you the neighbour?