Neighbours kid

[wishingw]

So we've lived in our home for 2 years now (we own it) and we've had a few issues with the neighbours kid who lives diagonally to our back garden. The kid is 12/13 ish (pretty sure he's in high school now) and he's been known to sit on the fence and look into our garden at our dogs. I've caught him doing it maybe 5/6 times, today being one of those times. He was sat on the fence and looking over and my dogs obviously went ballistic so I had to go out to calm them down. He did it again and pretended he was climbing over to my neighbours to get a ball, again my dogs went crazy so I went out and asked him politely to get down which he did. 5 mins later he again was up at the fence and my dogs went crazy again, he also was whistling and clearly trying to get my dogs attention.
I went out and brought my dogs in as they were getting worked up.
I've been out and asked him to get down, I'm not really sure what more I can do. I'm not sure who his parents are but my neighbour said they're kinda rough so don't really want to go round there.
I'm trying to think of a way to block his view and give my garden more privacy. We already have 6ft fences but has he climbs and sits on his fence anyway it doesn't make much difference.
AIBU to want to block his view or am I overreacting?
I'll also add I have autism and very bad anxiety and this is really having an effect on me and I constantly feel paranoid that he's up at the fence looking in.

…but the kid is climbing on top of 6 foot fences ? Any dog will react to that surely. He is not innocently walking by

I wouldn’t want anyone staring into my garden OP and I can’t imagine anyone here would despite them trying to tell you your dogs are the problem. Block out as much of his view as you can and hope he grows out of it soon.

i find it weird that this kid is sitting on a 6 ft fence and staring into other peoples gardens. I wouldn’t let my children do this it’s rude.

I’d plant an established spiky tree in a hat corner

You need to make your garden as boring as possible.
Your reaction plus the dogs is making it quite interesting for him. Try keeping the dogs indoors for a while and walking them out the front instead.

The lad will soon get bored looking at an empty garden every day.

Thanks for the responses. I'm not sure we can raise the fence anymore as it's already 6ft and I'm sure it can't be any higher? I was hoping to buy some tall plants or something that can give us more privacy but I'm no gardener so not sure what would be best

It's just not normal behaviour for someone to sit on a fence looking into their neighbour's garden.

Grow pyracantha up your side of the fence.

If it happens again I'll bring my dogs in and just ignore him, I thought maybe asking politely would help but it doesn't seem to have.
I'll look into what I can put in that corner to give us some privacy

I would plant fast growing trees (not bamboo) along the back of your fence. You’ll benefit from the extra privacy not just from the boy but your opposite neighbours as well.

Put up some trellis in the corner.

Maybe OP could ask grill him about his school work 😄

I wonder though if the barking would lessen if you were to introduce him to the dogs. Maybe combine the two..

That’s so weird and intrusive.

Can you add some trellis or something to the top of your fence so he can’t look into your garden?

I’d find the whole thing weird and uncomfortable.

Some of the previous posters are insane, how on earth is this the OPs fault.

The dogs are displaying dog behaviour in their own back garden. The kid is displaying very odd behaviour, he shouldn’t be allowed to sit and stare into other people’s gardens like this, I’d be worried why he was doing this. Keep door locked.

This was my first thought. Question him on school, his favourite subject, how long are the lessons, sports, the school lunchtime menu. Or drone on and on about quilting, knitting, singing hymns. Ask if his family go to church, would they like some reading material, you could tell them all about yours…

An alternative is some trellis fitted in the corner of your fence. Then something very fast growing. Evergreen honeysuckle will grow to 7 feet easily. Or there’s something called Russian Vine. Check how intrusive the roots are as you might be better putting it in pots.

This is exactly why you need to train YOUR dogs.

Telling a boy to get off HIS fence makes you a massive CF I'm afraid.

Your dogs are the problem here, not him.

Mumsnet is wild, all these people saying that nasty brat is doing nothing wrong.

Attach a trellis with climbers. Bamboo in pots

Planting landmines around the perimeter of your fence in case he steps down or is that a bit too excessive? It might also be illegal, come to think of it...

You could always get cats instead of dogs. I don't think they'd put up with this type of behaviour.

Hose out and water your garden... We had a fucking awful teen used to annoy our ddogs. Poking sticks through the gates. Wet the fucker a few times. His sd came along ranting and I said I was hosing down my own back yard. He chose to be snooping in. He stfu after that and his bratty dc stayed away.

Not necessarily nasty. Maybe just looking for attention?

Put up a triangular sail shade (Amazon/B&Q), it will completely block his view - especially if you raise up the two ends closest to you so it angles down towards him. £15.

Invasion of privacy?

Do you make all your surrounding neighbours brick up their windows?

Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, people can always see into your garden.

They are not private.

I forgot to add the diagram, like this.

If the OP hadn’t mentioned dogs everyone would be in agreement that the boy’s behaviour is weird and intrusive. Owning a dog means your fair game in MN world.

This!!!

What on earth is wrong with the “he’s doing nothing wrong” people? Of course he is. People don’t sit on border fences and stare I to their neighbours’ gardens. That’s threatening/intimidating, minimally it’s fucking weird.

OP, drop his parents a note and ask him to stop staring at you/your garden. You have a right to privacy.

What an idiotic comment.

The dogs are doing nothing wrong, of course they are going to bark at some weirdo sitting on a fence looking down into their garden.