...to let the dogs keep the odd ball?

[theemmadilemma]

Basic facts:
Detached houses both with long gardens (100m x 12m) running side by side.

Us: Two adults, two large breed dogs.
Them: Dad and 3 kids

I’ll preface this by saying I like them! They’re 100% open to talking about and sorting any issues. We just don’t really want the proposed solution.

Family is very football driven, have two goals full size in the top third of the garden, towards our side. They moved them back after moving them away because the other side hate them. So I guess they lost any balls.

We have our garden split in two with a lattice fence/gate.

All summer balls come over. Funnily enough our dogs love balls! If they land in the top part and the gate is closed, we’ll take the dogs in and go through and return the balls.

If they come over the bottom part while the dogs are out (also regular) we’ll try our best to get them back unscathed but our two will grab hold and play tug, don’t want to give and I’m not sticking my hand between them for the sake of a fucking ball,

Sometimes they go back a bit torn but in tact, sometimes they go back popped.

Sometimes I just shrug and let the dogs have it because I’ve had enough.

Kids always say thanks. But I’m at 6 ball rescues today already following 5 different ones yesterday.

They’ve offered high netting along the fence line, but we’d prefer not to do that.

I’d prefer the kids just were more careful! 🤷‍♀️

YABU: It’s ok to let the dogs have the odd ball.
YANBU: It’s not fair give them all back.

If they throw things onto your property they can’t complain if they get damaged. I would just say you’ll return the balls on a weekly basis but you take no responsibility for any damage. I certainly wouldn’t be throwing them back half a dozen times a day!

I think it’s okay if your dog gets hold of the ball before you do as long as this has been explained to them that it could happen. But I wouldn’t just let my dogs have it because I couldn’t be bothered to throw it back over, they’ve offered a solution of the netting which you refused so you live with the consequences of that. I imagine it’s annoying but they’re just kids enjoying their garden, I wish more kids spent time outside like that!

My neighbours back on to my garden and this was constant all summer long. If I was working with the door open I wouldn't necessarily get out there in time to get the balls and my labradors popped or ripped them. Sometimes I did and the balls would have been left by the dogs as they had landed in dog sh*t. I started to carefully throw those ones back. To be honest, the combination of both started to make them a lot more careful with the balls!

I think YABU to let them have it but if you don’t get to a ball in time then it’s tough luck. Luckily we don’t get many coming over but our dog has managed to chew up one of their foam balls all over the garden 🙈.

I wouold be glad of the high netting, why do you say no to that?

I would go for the high netting it really won't impact the view you can barely see its there and it will stop all the hassle. But they do have to accept if a ball comes into the dogs part of the garden it may not get back to them.

I think the netting is a good compromise. Your dogs are just being dog. Kids being kids. There's no bad feeling either way and the net will save you some effort at no cost.